Oceanarium, the museum’s aquarium exhibit that has been part of the guest experience since the 1980s, will officially reopen in an expanded format on Monday, June 22, 2026.

The new Oceanarium invites guests to dive deeper into the world of ecosystems through hands-on interactives, engaging visuals, photo opportunities, tactile experiences, and information about the animals that call the museum’s tanks home. The permanent addition is included with general admission and is located on the museum’s main science floor.

New features include interactive exhibits, tactile fish and coral elements, an anemone-themed photo opportunity, updated graphics, and a large, suspended school of fish sculpture inspired by species found in the museum’s own tanks.

Conceptualized, designed, fabricated, and installed entirely by the team at Science Museum Oklahoma, the expanded exhibition helps guests connect what they see in the water to broader environmental science concepts found throughout nature like food chains and symbiotic relationships.

“From concept to installation, this was an exciting project for the Science Museum team,” said Allen Voyles, vice president of operations at Science Museum Oklahoma. “Few museums can do sophisticated exhibitions like this in-house, we are fortunate to be able to create new experiences that are tailored to our guests and rooted in our mission.”

The Oceanarium expansion opens just in time for the museum’s ocean-themed SMO21+: SEAS The Night event for adults happening on Friday, June 26, 2026. For more information on SMO21+, visit smo.org/smo21.