VermontBiz ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is excited to announce the addition of a 30-foot sculpture of Champ, America’s lake monster. Blending art and science, ECHO’s exhibit team worked with dinosaur casting experts, Research Casting International, over nine months to imagine what Champ looks like. The sculpture hangs above the mezzanine, giving visitors viewing opportunities throughout all levels of the museum.
“Lake Champlain is such an enormous resource for all of us in Vermont, and knowing that it is the only home for a healthy and happy Champ inspires us to care more about our incredible lake,” said Elliott Katz, ECHO’s Senior Exhibits Designer. “We are thrilled to see the new Champ sculpture at ECHO because seeing it in real life leads to even more questions and wonder about this incredible wild creature!”
The sculpture, the first installment of a permanent Champ exhibit, will provide information about the history of Champ sightings, dating back to the early 1800s through the present day. It will examine Sandra Mansi’s photograph from 1977, which was released to the public in 1981, and is the most convincing evidence of Champ to date.
The expanded Champ exhibit, opening in late 2025, will include opportunities to explore Champ’s cultural connections and practice scientific inquiry while examining evidence of Champ’s presence in the Lake. A digital drawing station will give visitors the chance to see an animation of their lake monster come to life in the Museum.
To celebrate the installation of the Champ sculpture, ECHO will host a Champ Member Opening & Cryptid Halloween Party on Friday, October 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Members are invited to see the new sculpture and celebrate the Halloween season by dressing in their favorite costumes. Learn more about the event at https://www.echovermont.org/.
Photo: Champ sculpture. Courtesy photo.
About ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is Vermont’s science and nature museum on the Burlington waterfront. The Museum’s mission is to inspire and engage families in the joy of scientific discovery, wonder of nature, and care of Lake Champlain. Visitors can discover over 100 interactive family experiences, 70 live species, seasonal changing exhibits, and The Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater. ECHO aims to make the world accessible to developing minds in a way that children learn best, through hands-on science play, in Champ Lane, an early childhood exhibit. In Awesome Forces and Engineer It exhibits, visitors of all ages tackle daily engineering challenges at our tinkering bench as well as delight in discovering the forces that have shaped the Lake Champlain Basin. ECHO encourages visitors to view the natural environment as part of their neighborhood and to explore, learn about, and consider opportunities for stewardship. 2024 marks ECHO’s 30 years of teaching more than 3 million visitors about the role of science in our culture and lives. To learn more about ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, visit: https://www.echovermont.org/