New York Aquarium facts for kids
South wall
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| Date opened | December 10, 1896 |
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| Location | 602 Surf Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11224 United States |
| Land area | 14 acres (5.7 ha) |
| Coordinates | 40°34′27″N 73°58′30″W / 40.574292°N 73.975116°W |
| Memberships | AZA |
The New York Aquarium is the oldest aquarium in the United States that has always been open! You can find it on the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. It first opened in 1896 at Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan. Later, in 1957, it moved to its current home in Coney Island.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) runs the aquarium. They also manage four zoos, including the famous Bronx Zoo. The aquarium is approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The WCS aims to protect wildlife and wild places around the world. They do this through science, conservation, education, and by inspiring people to care about nature.
The aquarium covers about 14 acres (5.7 ha) and is home to 266 different species of water animals. Its main goal is to teach people about the ocean and its creatures. They do this with special exhibits, public events, and research. The New York Seascape program, run from the aquarium, works to help marine animals in New York's waters. These waters are very important for the area's economy and culture.
Contents
History of the New York Aquarium
The First Home: Battery Park
Building the Aquarium
In 1891, the New York City government thought about turning Castle Garden into an aquarium. Castle Garden was an old fort and a place where immigrants arrived in Battery Park. In February 1892, a law was passed to allow this.
Plans for the aquarium were drawn up in 1892. The state government set aside $150,000 to build it. By September 1896, the aquarium was almost finished. It already had 45 different kinds of fish. The total cost to change Castle Garden into an aquarium was $175,000.
Opening Day and Popularity
The aquarium officially opened on December 10, 1896. Thousands of people visited on the first day. For the first few months, over 10,000 people visited each day. There was no entrance fee, which made it very popular. Within a year, two million people had visited. By May 1900, 5.5 million people had come to see the animals.
The aquarium was busiest in the summer, especially on Sundays. The most visitors in one day was over 47,000 on August 20, 1898. Tarleton Hoffman Bean was the first director, starting in 1895. He helped create other aquariums.
Changes in the Early 1900s
In 1902, the New York Zoological Society took over running the aquarium. Charles Haskins Townsend became the new director. At that time, the aquarium had only 150 animals. Townsend worked hard to get many more. He was the director for 30 years.
After Townsend became director, he made many improvements. By 1903, the aquarium had 2,000 animals from over 200 species. By 1907, more than two million people visited each year. Officials planned to make Castle Garden bigger in 1911. They wanted to add new sections with more tanks and classrooms. However, these plans were not funded.
Upgrades in the 1920s and 1930s
In 1921, Townsend announced new plans. They would build an electric plant in the basement and add two new tanks. This work cost $86,000. By 1923, they added another story to the building. This allowed for deeper tanks and 20 percent more exhibit space. The aquarium still had two million visitors each year.
In 1926, more changes were planned. They would add a third story for workrooms and labs. New tanks would be built behind the building. The aquarium remained very popular in the 1930s. It still had two million visitors annually. In 1934, a new record was set with 50,000 visitors in one day. In 1940, new labs were built, and a new metal dome was added.
Closing the Battery Park Location
In 1941, the city decided to tear down Castle Garden. This was to make way for the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel. The New York Aquarium closed in late 1941. Some fish and turtles were moved to other aquariums. Other fish were released into the Atlantic Ocean.
The New Home: Coney Island
Building in Brooklyn
In 1953, plans were approved for a new aquarium in Coney Island, Brooklyn. This new aquarium was meant to help bring new life to Coney Island. Construction started on October 24, 1954. The famous architects Harrison & Abramovitz designed the new building.
The first part of the aquarium was supposed to open in 1956. It was part of a larger $10 million project. However, there were delays because of a lack of building materials. The New York Aquarium finally opened in Coney Island on June 6, 1957. Unlike the old location, the Coney Island aquarium charged an entrance fee. This was new for visitors.
New Animals and Programs
When the Coney Island location opened, the WCS had to get almost all new animals. Most of the animals from Castle Garden had been released or sent to other zoos. Only a few Ridley sea turtles were moved from the old aquarium.
The Coney Island site is also home to the WCS New York Seascape program. This program studies and protects the rivers, harbor, and ocean near New York. The aquarium briefly had an orca in 1968 and a narwhal in 1969. Both sadly died from possible pneumonia. In 2007, the aquarium's beluga whales moved to the Georgia Aquarium for a breeding program. In 2011, a new electric eel was named Wattson. In 2012, a sea horse breeding program began.
Hurricane Sandy and New Exhibits
In 2006, the aquarium planned a new, exciting entrance. A design that looked like a whale was chosen in 2007. But this idea was too expensive and difficult to build. Instead, plans for a new shark exhibit were announced in 2008.
This huge exhibit, called Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, was planned to open in 2015. However, Hurricane Sandy hit in October 2012. The storm badly flooded the aquarium and cut off power. A small group of WCS staff stayed during the hurricane. They managed to save 80 percent of the animals! Because of the damage, building the shark exhibit was delayed.
Ocean Wonders: Sharks! finally started construction in January 2014. It opened on June 30, 2018. This was the first big new exhibit since Hurricane Sandy. The aquarium closed for four months in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. When it reopened in July 2020, a new exhibit called Spineless opened. This exhibit is all about marine invertebrates (animals without backbones). The aquarium was fully repaired from Sandy's damage by July 2022.
Explore the Exhibits
As of 2018, the New York Aquarium has five main exhibits:
- Aquatheater
- Conservation Hall
- Sea Cliffs
- Spineless
- Ocean Wonders: Sharks!
You can also see the original Bathysphere at the aquarium. This was a special deep-sea vehicle that made historic underwater trips in the 1930s.
Notable People at the Aquarium
- Charles Haskins Townsend was the director from 1902 to 1937.
- Ida May Mellen worked at the New York Aquarium from 1916 to 1929.
- James Arthur Oliver was director from 1970 to 1976. He was also director of the Bronx Zoo and the American Museum of Natural History. He is the only person to have led all three places!
See also
In Spanish: Acuario de Nueva York para niños
