National Aquarium (Washington, D.C.) facts for kids
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Entry sign for the National Aquarium in Washington, DC, which was located on the lower level of the Department of Commerce Building
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| Date opened | 1873 (152 years ago) |
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| Date closed | September 30, 2013 |
| Location | Herbert C. Hoover Building Washington D.C., United States |
| Coordinates | 38°53′37″N 77°01′58″W / 38.8936°N 77.0328°W |
| No. of species | 250 |
| Memberships | AZA |
The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., was a cool place where you could see lots of amazing water animals. It was located in the Herbert C. Hoover Building in downtown Washington D.C.. This building is found between 14th and 15th Streets NW, and Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues NW. It was special because it was the first aquarium in the United States that was free and open to everyone.
The Washington, D.C. aquarium was smaller than the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland. Even though they both had "National Aquarium" in their names, they were separate places for a long time. In 2003, they decided to work together. The Washington, D.C. aquarium closed its doors on September 30, 2013. It had been open for 140 years, making it the longest-running aquarium in the U.S. at that time.
Contents
History of the Aquarium
The National Aquarium first started in 1873 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. It was created by the United States Fish Commission, led by Spencer Baird. Back then, it showed about 180 different kinds of fish, reptiles, and other water creatures.
In 1878, the aquarium moved to Washington, D.C. It was set up on the grounds of the Washington Monument. Here, it had special ponds called "Babcock Lakes." Later, in the 1880s, the aquarium moved again. It went into a building called Central Station, which is near where the National Air and Space Museum is today. This move helped the aquarium focus on its main job: raising fish to be sent out across the United States.
Over the years, the government groups in charge of the aquarium changed names and moved around. In 1903, the Fish Commission became part of the Department of Commerce and Labor. The Secretary of Commerce and Labor, George B. Cortelyou, wanted a "national aquarium" that would make the country proud. When the Commerce Department building was finished in 1932, the National Aquarium moved to its lower level. It stayed there even when its managing agency, the Bureau of Fisheries, moved to the United States Department of the Interior in 1939.
In 2003, something exciting happened. The people running the Washington, D.C. aquarium decided to team up with the National Aquarium in Baltimore. This partnership helped both aquariums improve their animal collections and educational programs.
Working with the Baltimore Aquarium
The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, is a completely separate aquarium. It opened in 1981. Both aquariums used the name "National Aquarium." The one in Washington, D.C., was older, but the one in Baltimore is much bigger. Even with their official-sounding names, neither aquarium was run or paid for by the federal government. They were also not part of the famous Smithsonian Institution.
On September 4, 2003, the two aquariums officially announced their partnership. The Baltimore aquarium agreed to help operate the D.C. aquarium. This agreement was a big step for both places.
Amazing Animals and Exhibits
The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., was home to more than 1,500 animals from 250 different species. Visitors could see many cool creatures, including longsnout seahorses, leopard sharks, longnose gar, and bonytail chub. There were also amazing giant Pacific octopuses, chambered nautilus, and even tiger salamanders. Other animals included eastern hellbenders, American alligators, loggerhead sea turtles, and colorful red lionfish. You could also find snakehead fish, piranha, eels, and Japanese carp.
National Marine Sanctuaries and National Parks Gallery
This gallery showed off animals and their homes from America's special protected ocean areas, called National Marine Sanctuaries, and National Parks. It had exhibits about places like the Florida Everglades and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Some of the animals featured here were:
- American alligator
- Sea anemones
- Chain catshark
- Chambered nautilus
- Giant Pacific octopus
- Guineafowl puffer
- Horn shark
- Leopard shark
- Swell shark
- Longsnout seahorse
- Red lionfish
- Scarlet kingsnake
America's Freshwater Ecosystems Gallery
This part of the aquarium highlighted animals from famous American rivers. These included the Rio Grande, the Potomac River, the Colorado River, and the Mississippi River. Animals you could see here were:
Amphibians Gallery
This gallery was all about salamanders, newts, frogs, and toads. It showed how these amazing creatures live and adapt to their environments. Some of the animals in this gallery were:
- Eastern newt
- Barking tree frog (Hyla gratiosa)
- Yellow-banded poison dart frog
- Blue-bellied poison frog
- Spotted salamander
- American toad
Amazon River Basin Gallery
The Amazon River and its surrounding areas are home to an incredible variety of life. This gallery showed some of the unique animals from this region. Featured animals included:
- Red-bellied piranha
- Silver arowana
- Blue poison dart frog
- Electric eel
- Emerald tree boa
Closure of the Aquarium
The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., closed its doors for good on September 30, 2013. It had to close because the Herbert C. Hoover Building was being renovated, and the aquarium lost its space. When it closed, it had been open longer than any other aquarium in the United States.
About 1,700 fish and other animals from its collection were moved to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The officials thought about opening the aquarium again in a new spot in Washington, D.C., but those plans didn't work out.
