Downtown Aquarium, Houston facts for kids
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| Date opened | 2003 |
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| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Land area | 6-acre (2.4 ha) |
| Coordinates | 29°45′51″N 95°22′03″W / 29.764196°N 95.367374°W |
| No. of species | 200+ |
| Volume of largest tank | 200,000 US gallons (760,000 L) |
| Total volume of tanks | 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 L) |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Major exhibits | 8 |
The Downtown Aquarium in Houston, Texas, United States is a super cool place to visit. It's both a public aquarium and a fun restaurant. This amazing spot was created from two old Houston buildings: Fire Station No. 1 and the Central Waterworks Building.
The aquarium is located on a 6-acre (2.4 ha) site in downtown Houston. It's home to over 200 different kinds of water animals. These animals live in 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 L) of aquariums! The whole place also has two restaurants, a bar, and special event rooms. You can even join programs like Marine Biologist for a Day or Sea Safari Camp. The education team works with schools to teach kids about ocean life.
The Downtown Aquarium in Houston is run by Landry's, Inc.. It is also approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which means it meets high standards for animal care.
Contents
History of the Aquarium
The Downtown Aquarium opened its doors in 2003. Before it became an aquarium, the city of Houston asked for ideas to use the old Fire Station No. 1 and the Central Waterworks plant. Landry's plan was chosen in 2000. They decided to turn the Central Waterworks plant into a home for sharks and rays. The main restaurant was built on the second floor of the old firehouse, keeping its original look.
Aquarium Adventure Exhibit
The main building has the "Aquarium Adventure Exhibit." This exhibit has five main themed areas. It also includes a habitat for tigers and fun interactive displays.
Louisiana Swamp
The Louisiana Swamp exhibit shows animals from the marsh and bayous of the Gulf Coast. Here you can see alligators, different kinds of turtles, and big fish like tarpon and spotted gar. You might also spot salamanders, catfish, and bullfrogs.
Shipwreck
The Shipwreck exhibit lets you feel like you're inside a sunken 17th-century Spanish ship. From there, you can see amazing living coral reefs and sea creatures. Look for a giant Pacific octopus, a moray eel, colorful clownfish, and bright tangs. You'll also see grouper, snapper, garibaldi, sea anemones, and sea stars.
Rainforest
The Rainforest exhibit takes you to tropical rainforests around the world. You'll discover life in their rivers. This area features colorful macaws, red-bellied piranha, freshwater stingrays, and emerald tree boas. Watch out for poison dart frogs, archerfish, arowana, and skinks.
Sunken Temple
The Sunken Temple shows off unique species. You can see beautiful lionfish, porcupinefish, and even an electric eel. There's also a reticulated python and a huge Goliath bird-eating spider.
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico exhibit looks like an oil rig habitat. It's home to a nurse shark, snapper, redfish, tarpon, and different kinds of jacks. You can also see blue runner fish here.
Discovery Rig
The Discovery Rig features interesting animals like sea horses, discus fish, triggerfish, a dogface puffer, and a chuckwalla. It also has a touch screen where you can track sharks with Ocearch.
White Tiger of the Maharaja Temple
The White Tiger of the Maharaja Temple exhibit is where the aquarium's white tigers live.
Stingray Reef
At Stingray Reef, you can get very close to stingrays. For a small fee, you can even feed them and gently touch them!
Other Fun Attractions
The Downtown Aquarium has more than just fish tanks!
Shark Voyage Train
Hop on the Shark Voyage, a cool train ride that goes around the whole property. The train even stops inside a 200,000-US-gallon (760,000 L) shark habitat. This lets you watch and learn about the sharks up close. This shark habitat is in a separate building from the main aquarium. This train is special because it's the first electric C.P. Huntington train.
Dining and Rides
Inside the main building, there are two restaurants and a bar. One of the restaurants has a giant 110,000-US-gallon (420,000 L) aquarium in the middle, which is the biggest round tank in the United States!
Outside, you can ride the Diving Bell Ferris Wheel. There's also an aquatic-themed carousel that's lots of fun. For thrill-seekers, there's Lighthouse Dive, which is a drop tower ride. Younger kids will love the Frog Hopper ride. The aquarium also has carnival-style games to play.
