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A rendering of the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium Science Learning Center.

Courtesy Loveland Living Planet Aquarium

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Loveland Living Planet Aquarium representatives break ground on the new Science Learning Center in Draper on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.

Ashtyn Asay, Daily Herald

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Shovels sit at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium for the groundbreaking of its new Science Learning Center in Draper on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.

Ashtyn Asay, Daily Herald

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Screens in the waiting area of the EECO Voyager virtual reality experience in Draper on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.

Ashtyn Asay, Daily Herald

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The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium broke ground on the new 128,000-square-foot Science Learning Center on Wednesday in Draper. The building, according to current plans and renderings, will resemble the Wasatch Mountains and is set to afford people in the area an opportunity to get a hands-on scientific experience.

Speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony included Brent Andersen, aquarium CEO and founder, Jim Loveland, vice-chair of the aquarium board of directors, and Draper Mayor Troy Walker.

The new Science Learning Center will provide new educational and community engagement opportunities and will feature a cloud forest habitat, office space for conservation and science startups/nonprofits and a community event space, along with labs and classrooms.

According to Jeff Flamm, aquarium board member, the community event space will be used for everything from conventions to weddings, in addition to acting as a valuable revenue source for the aquarium.

“There’s nothing between Grand America and the Provo Convention Center, there’s no big place for everybody in Silicon Slopes to host events,” Flamm said. “So that’s one of the things that’s on the second floor of this building is a huge convention center that will help bring in revenue to sustain the aquarium long-term.”

The aquarium has grown significantly from its humble beginnings in 1999 as the Aqua Van Outreach program, which visited schools throughout the state. Since moving to its current location in 2014, the aquarium has welcomed over 7 million guests.

Walker joked about complaints he has received from constituents regarding “the claw,” the large, otherworldly-looking structure that sits outside the aquarium, and expressed gratitude for the new jobs that the Science Learning Center will bring to Draper.

“Everybody comes here, and it’s amazing to have it inland,” Walker said. “The expansion also means new jobs and new opportunities for people to work here, for construction to happen, and so in that particular sense, it’s really awesome as well… I’m just happy we had enough vision to agree with Brent and put the aquarium in Draper.”

Aquarium launches VR experience

In addition to the groundbreaking ceremony, the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium launched its new EECO Voyager experience on Wednesday.

The EECO Voyager is an immersive virtual reality experience with motion seats. Using the system, aquarium guests will be able to take educational adventures through various ecosystems across the globe, such as the oceans and Amazon Rainforest.

“EECO Voyager will allow visitors to see virtually, animals and habitats from around the world, and offers an exciting way to teach people about our planet and how it is all one interconnected ecosystem. The adventures yet to come and opportunities for education are limitless,” Andersen said in a press release.

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