Philadelphia Aquarium facts for kids
WPA poster, 1937
|
|
| Date opened | November 23, 1911 |
|---|---|
| Date closed | 1962 |
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°57′59″N 75°11′01″W / 39.9663408°N 75.1835954°W |
The Philadelphia Aquarium was one of the very first public aquariums in the United States. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, right by the Schuylkill River. This aquarium was open from 1911 to 1962. It was built inside the old Fairmount Water Works buildings, which were no longer used for water. This area was also part of Fairmount Park.
History of the Philadelphia Aquarium
By 1909, the Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia had stopped being used. New water treatment plants were built in other parts of the city. The land where the old water reservoir used to be was later used to build the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
On May 16, 1911, Philadelphia's mayor signed a special order. This order said that an aquarium should be created at the old Fairmount Water Works site. About $1,500 was given to start a temporary aquarium. This first aquarium was in a building that later became a lecture hall. The plan was to use two larger buildings, called powerhouses, for the main aquarium exhibits.
The aquarium was meant to teach people about fish. It focused on their homes, how they reproduce, and what they do. It was especially interested in fish that lived in Pennsylvania. This idea of an aquarium was quite new back then. It came from exhibits about fish at big events like the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.
Opening Day and Early Years
The Philadelphia Aquarium first opened its doors on Thanksgiving Day in 1911. It started with nineteen small tanks. It also offered regular talks about ocean life. Many of these talks included drawings by a famous artist named Grover Simcox.
At first, a large outdoor pool area, called a forebay, held seals and sea lions. But these animals became sick, so the area was later filled in. The aquarium initially used machines to pump water from the Schuylkill River for the fish tanks. However, this river water was too dirty for the fish. Because of this, the aquarium soon switched to using clean city water instead.
In 1912, all the old machinery was removed from the two powerhouses. These buildings were then made into the main exhibit halls for the aquarium. The larger building was about 200 feet long and 50 feet wide. It was used for freshwater fish. The smaller building, about 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, held saltwater fish. The buildings did not need many big changes. Their flat roofs, which used to be public plazas, were perfect for adding skylights. These skylights helped light up the exhibits inside. In its first year, the aquarium welcomed 290,000 visitors. By 1929, it had grown to be one of the four largest aquariums in the world!
Why the Aquarium Closed
After World War II, the Philadelphia Aquarium faced many problems. It did not get enough money for many years. There were also political issues that led to the aquarium being neglected. By 1962, the aquarium had to close its doors for good. People tried to save it through local efforts, but it was not enough.
After it closed, the building was used as an indoor swimming pool for a while, but that also closed in 1973. In more recent times, the space has been used for special events like banquets, guided tours, and even a restaurant.
