Adventure Aquarium facts for kids
 |
|
.jpg) |
|
| Date opened | February 29, 1992 (May 25, 2005 opened as Adventure Aquarium) |
|---|---|
| Location | Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°56′42″N 75°07′52″W / 39.945°N 75.131°W |
| Volume of largest tank | 760,000 US gal (2,900,000 L) |
| Total volume of tanks | 2 million US gallons (7,600,000 L) |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Major exhibits | 11 |
The Adventure Aquarium is a super fun place to visit in Camden, New Jersey, right on the Delaware River. It's run by a company called Herschend Family Entertainment. This amazing aquarium first opened its doors in 1992. Then, it got a big makeover and reopened on May 25, 2005, looking even better! It's home to about 8,000 animals. These animals live in different kinds of homes, like freshwater, saltwater, and even places that are part land and part water. The tanks here hold over 2 million gallons of water in total, and the public areas cover a huge space of 200,000 square feet!
History of Adventure Aquarium
How It Started
The Adventure Aquarium was first called the Thomas H. Kean New Jersey State Aquarium. It was planned to help make the Camden waterfront a lively place. The idea was to build the aquarium as a main attraction. This would bring in visitors and money to help the city.
The New Jersey legislature approved the plan in the late 1980s. Governor Thomas Kean signed it into law. The aquarium was run by a non-profit group called the New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences. This group was created to manage the aquarium and focus on teaching and protecting animals.
The original building was designed by The Hillier Group. It cost about $52 million to build and opened on February 29, 1992.
Early Challenges and Changes
In its first year, 1.6 million people visited the aquarium. But soon, many visitors and critics were not happy. The building had plain, grey concrete walls everywhere. The main hall, with its big white dome, was very noisy and dark. The exhibits weren't very exciting. Many tanks were just in straight rows.
The biggest problem was the animals. The aquarium only showed fish from New Jersey, which were mostly brown and grey. Attendance dropped a lot, to only 400,000 visitors by 1993. So, the aquarium managers quickly started making big changes just one year after opening.
Big Renovations and New Exhibits
The aquarium stayed open during these changes, even though some parts were closed. In 1994, a new area called "Ocean Base Atlantic" opened. This new exhibit was designed by Bob Rogers. It used the aquarium's huge 760,000-gallon "Open Ocean Tank," which was the third largest in North America.
This new exhibit brought in fish, birds, sharks, and sea turtles from all over the Atlantic Ocean, not just New Jersey. People loved it! The main hall also got a cool upgrade with a giant spinning mobile made of over a thousand shiny fish shapes.
On July 1, 1995, the aquarium reopened after another $4 million renovation. This time, the exhibits were made to look like a Caribbean area and a real shipwreck. In 1997, the aquarium got its shark mascot, Chomp, to celebrate its fifth birthday.
Over the years, the aquarium's visitor numbers stayed around 600,000. In 1999, the Camden City Garden Club planned to open a children's garden right behind the aquarium. This led to new changes for the aquarium's entrance, ticket office, and gift shop. The garden and new aquarium entrance opened in 2000, but they didn't bring in many more visitors.
Becoming Adventure Aquarium
In 2003, a company called Steiner + Associates started talking about taking over the aquarium. They also wanted to develop the land around it. The Academy continued to run the aquarium until September 7, 2004. Then, the doors closed for a full renovation of the building.
When the aquarium reopened on May 25, 2005, it was called the Adventure Aquarium. Steiner Entertainment took over most of the operations. The Academy continued to manage the education and research parts. In 2007, Steiner + Associates sold their share to Herschend Family Entertainment, which runs the aquarium today.
Amazing Exhibits
The Adventure Aquarium has many exciting exhibits for you to explore!
The South Building
The original building is now called the South Building. It has tanks with animals from the Atlantic Ocean and the giant Ocean Tank. It also features unique animals on the second floor.
Cool Lab and Tropical Falls
In 2000, an exhibit called the Conservation, Outreach and Outreach Lab, or COOL, opened. It was set up like the lab of a pretend marine biologist, Dr. Marina del Mar. This area shows aquatic life from the Indo-Pacific, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. You can see animals like the yellow-head jawfish.
A new, tall tropical waterfall tank called "Irazu River Falls" was added. This 30-foot-tall waterfall is surrounded by green plants. It was later renamed "Piranha Falls" in 2017.
Adventure Theatre
The South Building also has the "Adventure Theatre." This is an auditorium that shows 4-D films. It has 154 seats and special effects like water spray, wind, and moving seats. These effects make you feel like you are part of the movie! It was the first aquarium in America to have a built-in 4D theater when it opened in 2005.
Touch Tanks and Kids' Zone
Many animals in the South Building were moved to make it easier for visitors to see them. New animals include the critically endangered shark ray, Cuvier's dwarf caiman, an electric eel, and bat rays and stingrays.
In 2007, the "Don't Just Look—Touch" program added five new touch exhibits. You can touch sharks, rays, and other creatures. In 2012, the second floor became a "Kids' Zone" with exhibits and a play area designed for younger children.
Penguin Island
The aquarium has African penguins in its outdoor exhibit called "Penguin Island," which opened in 1998. This area was updated in 2018 to look more like the penguins' natural home in South Africa. It now has heated rocks and a larger 17,000-gallon saltwater pool with windows to see the penguins swimming underwater.
The aquarium used to have another outdoor exhibit called "Seal Shores" with harbor and grey seals. This closed in 2012, and the seals moved to the National Zoo. That area is now a playground called "Penguin Park."
Little Blue Beach
In 2016, eight Australian little blue penguins arrived at the aquarium. They live in an exhibit called "Little Blue Beach." These birds were born at the Taronga Zoo in Australia. Their home at the aquarium includes a 415-square-foot exhibit and a 9,230-gallon saltwater pool.
The North Building
The North Building is a newer part of the aquarium. It has three main exhibits, a food court, gift shop, and a banquet hall.
Hippo Haven
One of the most popular exhibits is the "West African River Experience," which features Nile hippos. The two female hippos, named Button and Genny, came from Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida. Hippos can live to be at least 55 years old in human care.
On September 11, 2018, the aquarium adopted a newborn Cape porcupine. It was placed in Hippo Haven. Visitors helped name the porcupine by donating money, which went to a hippo conservation group in Zimbabwe.
Shark Realm
The North Building also has the "Shark Realm." Here, you can see sand tiger, sandbar, and nurse sharks. You can view them through huge floor-to-ceiling windows. There's also a 40-foot shark tunnel that goes right through the middle of the 550,000-gallon tank!
If you're brave, you can even swim with the sharks! The "Shark and Ray Encounter" program lets guests snorkel along the edge of the tank. You can even feed the animals by hand in the "ray lagoon."
Jules Verne Gallery
Above the shark tank is the "Shark Bridge." This V-shaped bridge is 81 feet long. In 2016, it was the longest V-shaped suspension bridge in the world!
The "Jules Verne Gallery" is another cool exhibit. It has amazing creatures like Japanese spider crabs, sea dragons, jellies, and a giant Pacific octopus.
Conservation Efforts
The Adventure Aquarium works hard to protect our oceans and the animals that live in them.
- To help reduce ocean pollution, the aquarium uses recyclable cutlery and plant-based straws. This is part of a local conservation effort called Fins for the Future.
- The aquarium used to hold an annual Hippo Awareness festival to support the Turgwe Hippo Trust, which helps hippos in Zimbabwe.
- In 2019, they held a sea turtle awareness weekend. They taught people about the dangers of plastic products for sea turtles.
- The aquarium also works with other aquariums to rescue and care for newly hatched sea turtles. For example, they rescued a baby loggerhead sea turtle named Darwin in 2017 and released it back into the wild.
- Their African penguin exhibit is part of a special program by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to protect species. Since 1998, 48 African penguins have been born at the aquarium as part of this program.
See also
- Philadelphia Aquarium (1911–1962)
- Aquarama Aquarium Theater of the Sea (1962–1969)
