Giant penguins are making their way to Orlando’s aquatic park — and also to its downtown rooftops.
To mark the addition of (real) Emperor Penguins to SeaWorld Orlando, the park is teaming up with Creative City Project to bring massive inflatable penguins to various rooftops in downtown. It’s the latest installment of the arts organization’s “Big City Birds,” which brought giant pigeons to town last year.
Now through June 19, three Emperor Penguins — two 14-foot-tall adults and one 10-foot-tall baby — will appear at three different locations downtown: 60 N. Orange Ave., 55 W. Church Street and 30 S. Orange Ave.
The installation is meant to help promote the arrival of Emperor Penguins to SeaWorld’s Antarctic penguin habitat taking place in June. For the past four decades, SeaWorld San Diego was the only place in North America to see this species of bird.
Creative City Project’s “Big City Birds” is part of a collaboration with DTO Live, a creative arts initiative supported by United Arts of Central Florida to cultivate physical and performance art in the community.
The first installation of “Big City Birds,” which featured seven 16-foot-tall colorful pigeons, came to be with the help of local artist Brendan O’Connor in August 2024. The inflatable birds were meant to promote local businesses and a sense of connection between nature and the urban environment.
DTO Live, part of the city’s ongoing Project DTO, first launched in June 2024. Since its start, it has brought more than 1,000 live arts events to downtown, spanning from City Hall to the North Quarter.
The arts initiative was previously approved to run through the end of June this year, but the Downtown Development Board is currently considering a $608,000 yearlong project extension. The board will vote on the proposed budget on Wednesday, June 25.
