Grand Rapids is about to dive deep into the mysteries of the ocean.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum will host Unseen Oceans, a traveling exhibition from the American Museum of Natural History, beginning June 20. Running through Jan. 2, 2027, the immersive exhibition explores the latest breakthroughs in ocean science and the technologies helping researchers uncover what lies beneath Earth’s vast and largely unexplored waters.
Founded in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History is considered one of the world’s leading scientific and cultural institutions. Located in New York City, the museum includes more than 40 exhibition halls, the Rose Center for Earth and Space, the Hayden Planetarium and the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. Its collection includes more than 30 million specimens and objects, while its scientists and researchers continue to lead discoveries in natural history, biology and Earth science.
More than 70% of the planet is covered by oceans, yet much of it remains a mystery. Through robotics, remotely operated vehicles, satellite monitoring and high-definition imaging, scientists are beginning to reveal new insights into marine ecosystems and deep-sea environments.
At the museum, visitors will journey from sunlit ocean surfaces to the deep sea through media-rich galleries, immersive digital experiences and interactive exhibits designed to showcase both marine life and the scientists studying it.
“The Earth’s oceans have profound impacts on all of us, even here in Grand Rapids, where the nearest ocean is hundreds of miles away,” said Kellie Rosekrans, director of marketing. “This immersive exhibit allows you to feel the scale of its inhabitants, put yourself in the position of a researcher, and follow your curiosity. We can all learn something new from the mysteries and discoveries revealed in Unseen Oceans.”
The exhibition highlights cutting-edge ocean research and asks big questions: How do blue whales spend their day? What’s happening beneath the waters surrounding Hawai‘i? How can scientists better determine locations for marine protected areas? Visitors will explore the technologies helping researchers answer those questions, including advanced sonar systems, autonomous underwater robots and tracking devices attached to marine animals.
The exhibition was curated by John Sparks, a marine scientist and curator in the Department of Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History, whose work focuses on fish biodiversity, evolution and marine biofluorescence.
“Throughout the nearly three decades that I’ve spent studying the world’s oceans, I’ve been continually astonished at the ingenuity of my fellow marine scientists as they’ve utilized and adapted the latest technologies to make discoveries that we could previously only dream of,” Sparks said. “For example, it was only in the last 15 years that my colleagues and I revealed the widespread incidence of biofluorescence—the phenomenon by which organisms absorb light, transform it, and emit it as a different color—among marine fishes. Visitors to this exhibition will learn about that research and more as they meet the scientists who are quite literally illuminating the unseen frontiers of our ocean world.”
Among the exhibition’s highlights are larger-than-life models of plankton species, fossils ranging from ammonites to megalodon teeth, and a 180-degree high-resolution screen featuring life-size animations of blue whales, giant squid and manta rays. Guests can also experience an immersive submersible theater, experiment with virtual underwater exploration and learn how modern underwater cameras capture life beneath the waves.
Admission to Unseen Oceans is included with general museum admission. Kent County residents receive discounted admission, and Kent County residents ages 17 and younger receive free admission daily. Visitors can also add rides on the museum’s 1928 Spillman Carousel or shows at the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium.
Founded more than 170 years ago, the Grand Rapids Public Museum houses more than 250,000 artifacts and features three floors of exhibits, educational programming and the region’s only planetarium.
