ECHO Lake Aquarium © Curran Photography 2006
Long time, no post! I've been traveling for the past two weeks to Buffalo and Vermont. BRRR! Although this time I was there to ski, the last time I went to VT I found a small but wonderful aquarium.
Overview:
Things to Do:
PLAY!
My favorite aspect of this aquarium is the sense of fun. None of the "DON'T TOUCH" signs and exhibits behind velvet ropes here; visitors are encouraged to play. I really like the river in the "Before the Basin" section. At kid height there is a long wide table that holds a miniature river. You can see the water flow from the source all the way down to different streams. Because the river actually runs, you can float boats down it, create dams, change the direction of the flow etc.
Want to get your hands dirty? Go on an dig for a beluga whale. Paleontologists-in-training can use goggles, a brush, and a scraper to unearth recreated whale bones.
On a less scientific note, tucked away in the basement is a pirate ship, or at least part of one. The hull of the pirate ship becomes a playground for kids complete with nets and buried treasure.
Discover Frog World
Want to actually see some animals? There are over 60 species in the 2,750 gallon river community. The source of fresh water comes from a 20-foot waterfall inside the entrance of aquarium.
But the cutest display by far is Frog World. Visitors can see many exotic frogs from six different continents up close. Like this red-eyed tree frog. And of course there's interactive features like a 3-D frog call tracking station and froggy-face "morph" that you can send to family and friends.
Become a Weather Reporter
Guests can go on camera in front of a green screen with a teleprompter and report the weather with real maps. Or go "on location" complete with props and report the weather.
Needless to say, a blizzard is one of more popular options here in VT. The best part is you can burn it to a DVD (for a fee) or send a video e-card to your family and friends (free).
Look for Champ the Lake Monster
For those of you who don't know, Champ is kind of a big deal in Vermont. He is a legendary sea creature that lives in Lake Champlain.
Famous pic of Champ by Sandra Mansi 1977
The Iroquois of the region described a horned serpent in the lake. Later in 1609 Samual de Champlain wrote about a strikingly similar creature.
In 1873 there was even a story in the New York Times about an enormous serpent in the water. P.T. Barnum offered a $50,000 for Champ's hide in 1887! Interestingly, there have been over 130 reports of Champ sightings since 1982.
Today the search for Champ continues, as does Champ Mania. He has his own Myspace page, there's a catchy camp song about him, and he's the mascot for the Vermont Lake Monster's baseball team.
So be sure to go to the upper deck of the aquarium and enjoy the beautiful scenery, you may just see Champ.
PLAY!
My favorite aspect of this aquarium is the sense of fun. None of the "DON'T TOUCH" signs and exhibits behind velvet ropes here; visitors are encouraged to play. I really like the river in the "Before the Basin" section. At kid height there is a long wide table that holds a miniature river. You can see the water flow from the source all the way down to different streams. Because the river actually runs, you can float boats down it, create dams, change the direction of the flow etc.
Want to get your hands dirty? Go on an dig for a beluga whale. Paleontologists-in-training can use goggles, a brush, and a scraper to unearth recreated whale bones.
Credit: Serge Lebel, PhD
On a less scientific note, tucked away in the basement is a pirate ship, or at least part of one. The hull of the pirate ship becomes a playground for kids complete with nets and buried treasure.
Want to actually see some animals? There are over 60 species in the 2,750 gallon river community. The source of fresh water comes from a 20-foot waterfall inside the entrance of aquarium.© 2007 Steve Smith/ECHO
But the cutest display by far is Frog World. Visitors can see many exotic frogs from six different continents up close. Like this red-eyed tree frog. And of course there's interactive features like a 3-D frog call tracking station and froggy-face "morph" that you can send to family and friends.
Become a Weather Reporter
Guests can go on camera in front of a green screen with a teleprompter and report the weather with real maps. Or go "on location" complete with props and report the weather.
Credit: ECHO
Needless to say, a blizzard is one of more popular options here in VT. The best part is you can burn it to a DVD (for a fee) or send a video e-card to your family and friends (free).
Look for Champ the Lake Monster
For those of you who don't know, Champ is kind of a big deal in Vermont. He is a legendary sea creature that lives in Lake Champlain.
Famous pic of Champ by Sandra Mansi 1977
The Iroquois of the region described a horned serpent in the lake. Later in 1609 Samual de Champlain wrote about a strikingly similar creature.
In 1873 there was even a story in the New York Times about an enormous serpent in the water. P.T. Barnum offered a $50,000 for Champ's hide in 1887! Interestingly, there have been over 130 reports of Champ sightings since 1982.
Today the search for Champ continues, as does Champ Mania. He has his own Myspace page, there's a catchy camp song about him, and he's the mascot for the Vermont Lake Monster's baseball team.
So be sure to go to the upper deck of the aquarium and enjoy the beautiful scenery, you may just see Champ.
Visitor Information
You can visit the aquarium 10 AM - 5 PM year-round, except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day.
Tickets prices are the following:
- Adult: $9.50
- Senior (ages 62+): $8.00
- Students: $8.00 with ID
- Child (ages 3 - 17): $7.00
- Children (under 3): Free
- Teachers: Free with ID
For more information about ECHO Lake Aquarium visit the official website.
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