Montreal Aquarium facts for kids
The Montreal Aquarium was a public aquarium located on Saint Helen's Island in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was also known as the Alcan Aquarium. The aquarium first opened in 1966, just in time for Expo 67, a big world's fair held in Montreal. It closed its doors in 1991. Later, the same building reopened as the Nintendo Mégadôme from 1995 to 2007.
The original Expo 67 building was supported by Alcan Aluminum Ltd.. Alcan worked together with the City of Montreal and the Zoological Society of Montreal to build the aquarium. The main part of the aquarium had pools for penguins, areas for exhibits, and a gift shop. There was also a separate pool for dolphins, which included a large auditorium with 900 seats, a show pool, and tanks where the dolphins stayed.
History of the Montreal Aquarium
Montreal Aquadome (1967–1991)
The Montreal Aquarium, sometimes called the Aquadome, faced some challenges over the years. In February 1980, after a workers' strike, the aquarium had difficulties. Sadly, some dolphins living there had to be moved to a new home. They were sent to a place called Flipper's Sea School in Florida. This event brought more negative attention to the aquarium, which was already struggling.
In 1988, the city of Montreal thought about moving the aquarium to a more popular spot at the Old Port of Montreal. However, this plan did not happen because the city was facing economic problems in the early 1990s.
The Montreal Aquarium officially closed on September 15, 1991. Most of its animals and exhibits were moved to the Montreal Biodome, a new and larger facility. Today, the land where the aquarium once stood is part of the amusement park La Ronde. The main building of the old aquarium is now called the Pass Building, and the former dolphin pool is empty and not open to visitors.
Nintendo Mégadôme (1995–2007)
After the aquarium closed, the building found a new purpose. In 1995, it reopened as the Nintendo Mégadôme. This was a popular spot for video game fans. It operated under this name for many years before closing its doors in 2007.
