This Green Bay Tunnel Lights Up With Fish When People Walk Through
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you ... you're just helping re-supply our family's travel fund.
Passing through the tunnel activates an illuminated fish display, turning a downtown walk into a playful public-art stop. This is a compact stop, not a conventional exhibit. You can watch the lights respond as walkers, joggers, and bike riders pass through. It suits a road trip when you want a change from driving and a reason to stretch your legs.
The experience is simple: walk through, notice the glowing fish, and pause if you want a closer look. There is no admission fee, and you do not need to plan a long visit around it. These visitor tips can help you decide whether this small attraction fits your day. It is a brief riverside detour for travelers who enjoy finding something unexpected on foot.
Key Takeaways
- People passing through activate the illuminated display.
- The fish sculptures represent regional species.
- The stop is on the Fox River Trail.
- Admission is free.
- The lights are best viewed after dark.
How Does the Tunnel of Automatic Fish Green Bay Wisconsin Work?
A motion sensor detects movement and prompts the connected fish sculptures to light up. Passing through is enough to start the display, so you can enjoy the art as part of a walk or bike ride. A motion sensor is a device that detects movement and triggers a connected response.
Walkers, joggers, and bike riders can activate 22 translucent fish sculptures. Multicolored LEDs flash inside the fish, creating the illusion that they are swimming. The effect turns an ordinary concrete passage into a bright scene that changes as people move through it.
How movement activates the lights
The sculpture group responds to motion rather than to a button or screen. You can keep walking and watch the lights come on around you. You can also pause to see the glowing forms more clearly, without needing to operate anything.
You can enjoy the changing display without touching the fish. Their translucent surfaces let the colored light show through, giving each sculpture a glowing look against the tunnel walls.
You can enjoy the changing display without touching the fish.
Regional fish give the artwork its character
The artwork is called Interactive Immersion, and it belongs to the larger Life of the River series. The city’s Art of Green Bay 2020 guide lists the installation among the city’s public artworks.
Artists Stephen Fairfield and Patrick Marcus created the work. Fairfield is an artist, while Marcus is an electrical engineer, bringing art and technical skill together in the installation. The artwork title and artists help identify this particular stop within the wider series.
The sculptures depict fish found in the region, including walleye and trout. Those familiar shapes give the glowing display a clear local connection, rather than making it feel like a generic underwater scene. Walleye and trout make the glowing display feel rooted in the Fox River region.
Where Is the Tunnel on the Fox River Trail?
Look for the 110-foot pedestrian passage beneath Walnut Street on the Fox River Trail in downtown Green Bay. The concrete tunnel forms part of the river trail, so you can reach it on foot or by bike. The Fox River Trail address is Green Bay, WI 54301.
Use the trail name and city address together when searching maps. The tunnel sits below Walnut Street, making that street a useful landmark if you are already downtown. The passage is 110 feet long, a short stretch along the broader trail.
The Fox River Trail is a regional route, not just a path to this attraction. Brown County says the trail runs 20 miles from downtown Green Bay to the Brown and Calumet County line. Its Fox River State Recreational Trail page gives trail context beyond the downtown section.
On maps, search for the Fox River Trail in Green Bay, then use Walnut Street to pinpoint the underpass. This helps distinguish the pedestrian tunnel from other downtown routes and river access points. Use Fox River Trail, Green Bay, WI 54301 as the map destination.
When Should You Visit, and What Should You Check?
The lights are easiest to appreciate after dark, and admission is free. Evening is the better choice if you want the illuminated fish to stand out. For hours, check trail access details before you set out, since the display is best viewed when it is dark.
Plan for darkness, then choose parking that fits your route. Several ramps and a lot sit within a few blocks of the listed trail address. These visitor tips can help you compare the options before you drive downtown.
Pick a time when the lights stand out
The tunnel is a simple stop to add to an evening walk or a longer trip around Green Bay. You can pass through quickly or take time to watch the display. If your travel plans include more after-dark stops, consider these nighttime travel ideas for other parts of the country.
Check trail access hours as part of your route planning. The lights are the main draw, so daylight may not give the display the same visual impact.
Compare the nearby parking locations
Nearby parking choices include three ramps and one lot. Their listed distances and directions can help you pick a place to start your walk:
- Cherry Street Parking Ramp: 524 feet east.
- Pine Street Parking Ramp: 0.2 miles east.
- Parking Lot BW, 130 N Broadway: 0.2 miles northwest.
- Main Street Parking Ramp: 0.3 miles northeast.
Treat the parking details as a starting point, not a guarantee of access. A ramp or lot may not suit your route when local conditions change, so check the map before driving downtown.
Make parking part of your downtown plan, not an afterthought.
Check the route and parking access before leaving, since local access can change.
Conclusion
Interactive Immersion turns an ordinary trail passage into a memorable Green Bay art stop. The appeal is its simple surprise: movement brings a riverside public artwork to life, and the visit is free. You do not need to set aside a full afternoon to enjoy it.
Save Fox River Trail, Green Bay, WI 54301 in your map app before heading out. Choose an evening visit so the lights have a better chance to stand out. That small bit of planning makes this easy detour a natural part of your trip.
