New York Aquarium facts for kids
Entrance to the aquarium.
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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 been open continuously. 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. This group also manages four zoos, including the famous Bronx Zoo. The New York Aquarium is approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The WCS and the aquarium work to protect animals and their habitats around the world. They do this through science, conservation, education, and by helping people care about nature.
The aquarium covers 14 acres (5.7 ha) of land. It is home to 266 different types 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 is based at the aquarium. This program helps bring back healthy marine life and protects New York's waters. These waters are very important for the area's economy and culture.
Contents
A Look Back: The Aquarium's History
First Home: Battery Park
Building the First 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 February 1892, a state law allowed the city to create an aquarium there. Plans for the aquarium were drawn up in mid-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.
The aquarium officially opened on December 10, 1896. It had a soft opening the day before. Thousands of people visited on opening day. For the first few months, over 10,000 people visited each day. There was no charge to get in, 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 aquarium.
In its early years, the aquarium was busiest in the summer. Sundays were the most popular day. The busiest day ever during this time was August 20, 1898. On that day, over 47,000 people visited!
Tarleton Hoffman Bean was the aquarium's first director, starting in 1895. He helped create other wildlife groups, especially aquariums. He left his role in April 1898.
Changes in the Early 1900s
In 1902, the state suggested that the New York Zoological Society take over the aquarium. The city agreed, and the Zoological Society took charge on October 31, 1902. Charles Haskins Townsend became the new director. At that time, the aquarium had only 150 animals.
Townsend greatly increased the number of animals. The aquarium then attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Townsend was the director for 30 years. He made many improvements to Castle Garden. These changes cost over $30,000. By 1903, the aquarium had 2,000 animals from over 200 species. By 1907, more than two million people visited each year. That's about 6,000 visitors every day!
By 1911, there were plans to make Castle Garden even bigger. They wanted to add new sections with more tanks and classrooms. The Zoological Society asked for $1.75 million for this work. However, the money was not given by 1916. Townsend said the aquarium's machines needed big updates.
Growing in the 1920s to 1940s
In 1921, Townsend announced plans to build a new electric plant. This plant would be in the basement. They would also add two new tanks. This work was paid for by a gift from Mrs. Russell Sage. By early 1923, these updates were happening. They cost $86,000.
In June 1923, the city gave $76,500 to add another floor to the building. The Zoological Society planned to add deeper tanks on this second floor. This would make the exhibit space 20 percent larger. By then, the aquarium had two million visitors each year. The expansion was mostly finished by early 1924.
In 1926, Townsend said Castle Garden would get more updates. These would cost $225,000. Plans included a third floor for workrooms and labs. They also planned new tanks behind the building. A new machine plant would go in the basement. The outside of the building would get a new gray finish.
The Castle Garden Aquarium stayed popular in the 1930s. It still had two million visitors per year. In 1934, a new record was set with 50,000 visitors in one day. In 1940, two labs were built on the third floor. A new metal dome was also put on the building. By then, the acting director, Charles M. Breder Jr., wanted a new building. He felt the aquarium had outgrown Castle Garden.
In February 1941, Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Commissioner Robert Moses announced a big change. He said Castle Garden would be torn down. This was part of rebuilding the park for the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel's construction. The city closed the New York Aquarium in late 1941. Some fish and turtles were moved to other aquariums. Other fish were set free into the Atlantic Ocean.
New Home: Coney Island
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In 1953, officials approved building a new aquarium. It would be in the Coney Island area of southern Brooklyn. People hoped the new aquarium would help make Coney Island a popular place again. The New York City Planning Commission gave 5 acres (2.0 ha) of parkland for the new aquarium. Construction started on October 24, 1954. The company Harrison & Abramovitz designed the new aquarium.
The first part of the aquarium was supposed to open in 1956. It was planned to cost $1.5 million. This was part of a bigger $10 million project. But the opening was delayed because of a lack of building materials. On June 6, 1957, the Aquarium finally opened in Coney Island. The Coney Island location charged an admission fee. This was not popular with visitors. They were used to free entry at Castle Garden.
When the Coney Island location opened, the WCS had to get almost all new animals. The animals from Castle Garden had been released or given to other zoos. Only a few animals, like two Ridley sea turtles, were moved. The Coney Island aquarium is home to the WCS New York Seascape program. This program studies and protects nearby rivers, the harbor, and the ocean.
The aquarium briefly had an orca in 1968 and a narwhal in 1969. Both animals sadly passed away. The aquarium's beluga whales moved to the Georgia Aquarium in 2007. This was part of a program to help them have babies. In September 2011, the aquarium named its new electric eel Wattson. In March 2012, they started a sea horse breeding program.
In 2006, the New York Aquarium looked for new ideas for its outside look. They wanted it to be more welcoming. In 2007, a design that looked like a whale was chosen. But in 2008, this idea was dropped. It was too expensive and hard to build new exhibits under it. Instead, plans for a new shark exhibit were announced.
This huge exhibit, Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, was planned to start building in November 2012. It was supposed to open in 2015. However, Hurricane Sandy hit in October 2012. The aquarium was badly damaged by floods and lost power. A small group of WCS staff stayed during the hurricane. They managed to save 80 percent of the animals. Because of the hurricane, building the shark exhibit was delayed.
Ocean Wonders: Sharks! finally started construction in January 2014. The exhibit opened on June 30, 2018. It was the first big new exhibit at the New York Aquarium after Hurricane Sandy.
The aquarium closed for four months starting in March 2020. This was due to 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 animals without backbones. The aquarium fully recovered from Hurricane Sandy damage in July 2022.
Amazing Exhibits to Explore
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 special deep-sea machine made famous 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 the director from 1970 until 1976. Oliver was also a director at 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
