At its heart, the National Aquarium is a place of connection. Its colorful, angular buildings perch on the edge of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, part of the Patapsco River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay and the ocean beyond. The Aquarium's mission—to connect people with nature to inspire compassion and care for our ocean planet—takes shape within its building and on its campus, but far outside them, too. The Aquarium has always been a place where people of all ages can connect with each other, coming together to share and learn and have fun. As much as the organization has grown and evolved over the decades, its iconic silhouette on Baltimore's Inner Harbor remains steadfast, a symbol of the way the Aquarium's vibrant present and promising future are inextricably linked to its storied past.
1970-1980: An Aquarium Is Born
In the 1970s, inspired civic leaders began to envision a new course for Baltimore City that would develop tourism, expand downtown commerce and renew historic buildings. At the heart of their master plan was the revitalization of Baltimore's Inner Harbor with shops, restaurants and attractions in place of neglected wharves and dockside warehouses. It was in 1974, after a trip to the New England Aquarium in Boston, that Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer and his Commissioner of Housing and Community Development Robert Embry realized the centerpiece of that plan: a world-class aquarium that would bring visitors, jobs and revenue to the city.
The Vision Becomes Reality
All signs suggested that a renewed Inner Harbor, with an aquarium at its center, had tremendous potential as a tourist destination. Marketing projections indicated an aquarium could attract 650,000 visitors annually. Site studies determined Pier 3 was the optimal setting for the aquarium, and funding sources were identified to cover an anticipated $15 million in construction costs. The Massachusetts architectural firm of Cambridge Seven Associates, led by Peter Chermayeff, was selected to design a striking living museum that built on the firm's work on the New England Aquarium.
Local Leaders Rally
Energized by that vision, local business leaders rallied around Schaefer's plan to build an aquarium. Led by Baltimore businessman Frank A. Gunther Jr., a critical partnership between the city and the private sector was formed—a partnership that has sustained the Aquarium throughout its history. The first charge was a public education campaign to win support for what was then called the "fish tank" by local media. This first hurdle was met in 1976, when Baltimore residents supported the Aquarium by voting for a $7.5 million bond referendum. Another $7.5 million of the budget came from city's sale of what was then Friendship International Airport (later renamed Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport) to the state of Maryland.
Board Formalizes Support
Following passage of the bond issue, a formal Aquarium Board of Directors was established and the mayor appointing Gunther as chair. An engaging civic leader, Gunther developed a powerful network of support from within the business community. In addition to cash gifts, the Aquarium received a wealth of in-kind contributions, including financial, legal and marketing consultation and assistance available. In the years since, many original contributors of these in-kind gifts have remained corporate members and sponsors. This private support has helped launch every major Aquarium project since that time. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on August 8, 1978.
Congress Grants National Status
Maryland Senator Charles Mathias, along with Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Barbara Mikulski, spearheaded an effort to educate the Senate and House about the scope and quality of the Aquarium project. As a result, Congress voted unanimously to give the Aquarium national status in 1979, and the Aquarium was named the National Aquarium in Baltimore, a designation that recognized both its world-class potential and the existence of a small National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., housed in the basement of the U.S. Commerce Building.
1980-1990: Making a Splash
It was a splash heard around the world on July 15, 1981, according to the headlines of the day, when Mayor Schaefer made good on his promise to swim with the sharks (later revised to seals) if the Aquarium didn't open on time. The lively pavilions of Harborplace had opened nearby, and a glass-walled Hyatt Regency Hotel, the first major chain represented on the waterfront, was nearly complete. When it opened on August 8, 1981, the National Aquarium became the "crown jewel," as it was called, of a sparkling Inner Harbor that had been revitalized for tourists and residents alike.
First Year Guarantees Success
Signs of the Aquarium's impact on the city's revitalization were soon evident. In its first year alone, the Aquarium attracted 1.4 million visitors, hosted 100,000 students on field trips, and was supported by 27,000 household memberships representing 80,000 individuals. The Aquarium introduced an enthusiastic public to 5,000 aquatic animals representing almost every part of the globe in an exuberant, seven-level structure. With its pyramid roofs recalling sails in the wind, the Aquarium was predicted to be one of the most photographed buildings in the world at the time by National Geographic.
Nonprofit Achieves Independence
Just as importantly, the Aquarium was the image of an effective public-private partnership. While the city owned the land and the building, it signed an agreement with a not-for-profit corporation, Baltimore Aquarium Inc., to manage and operate the building. The nonprofit, as it is to this day, became responsible for operating expenses, which came primarily from admission fees ($4.50 for adults and $2.50 for children in 1981) and private contributions. A $150,000 surplus in its first year enabled Baltimore Aquarium Inc. to achieve financial independence and create the Aquarium Foundation, which has funded capital projects and initiatives throughout its history.
Economic Impact Begins
By the middle of the decade, the Aquarium was established as a dynamic travel destination fueling an effective economic engine for the region. State and independent studies determined that spending by Aquarium visitors in 1984 generated a total of $88 million in income for the region and that the Aquarium was responsible for the generation of $3.3 million in state tax receipts and $1.9 million in local tax receipts. It had also contributed to the creation of 3,000 new jobs and more than 30,000 hotel rooms. The Aquarium's role in Baltimore's revitalization made it "the model that other cities look to," according to the Wall Street Journal at the time.
Aquarium Expands to Pier 4
Buoyed by its success as a world-class attraction and developing into a center for science and education, the Aquarium embarked on its first expansion near the end of the decade. The city made land available on the adjacent Pier 4 for a new building, and a successful capital campaign again drew on both private and public sources to fund the project. Rising from the drawing board was a new pavilion that would enhance the Aquarium and develop its mission.
1990-2000: Evolution of a Conservation Organization
The overwhelming success of the Aquarium's first decade generated the next wave of its growth and development. The adjacent Pier 4 addition housed a million-gallon habitat for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, then one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. An underwater viewing area, interactive exhibits and a new cafe enhanced the visitor experience. The pavilion opened just in time for the holiday season in December 1990.
Marine Mammal Rescues Begin
With the opening of the pavilion, growing interest from the Board of Directors, and rising threats to the environment, the stage was set for the Aquarium's emerging role in conservation. An Animal Care Center in the new pavilion enabled the Aquarium to expand its participation in the Northeast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and a baby seal found stranded on a Virginia beach became the first animal rescued, rehabilitated and returned to the ocean by Aquarium staff in 1991. Among the most famous was Inky, the baby pygmy sperm whale, whose story launched a national campaign about the dangers of ocean pollution. Care of these animals prompted collaborations with Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland and advanced veterinary science.
A New Focus on Conservation
The new focus on conservation energized Aquarium employees and volunteers to start cleanup and recycling efforts, expand efforts to bring back local birds, and breed threatened species native to habitats as diverse as those in Iceland and Suriname. By the end of the decade, the Aquarium's new Conservation team launched a landmark program—a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to restore the first of many acres of Chesapeake Bay wetlands around nearby Fort McHenry, a national park and historic site.
Exhibit Improvements Underway
Restoration efforts were also taking place within the Aquarium itself. By the mid 1990s, the Aquarium completed the largest project of its kind in its history: a top-to-bottom, multimillion-dollar renovation of two major exhibits: Open Ocean (dubbed the shark tank for its denizens) and Atlantic Coral Reef. Backed by the board, the Aquarium later adopted a changing, or temporary, exhibits program that began with the popular Jellies: Phantoms of the Deep and continued with Venom: Striking Beauties. Other exhibit changes included the creation of Wings in the Water, a central display of various species of rays, and Pacific Coral Reef.
2000-2010: The Aquarium Develops Its Vision
On the eve of its 20th anniversary, the Aquarium had much to celebrate: It was an internationally recognized travel destination and Maryland's largest paid tourist attraction. It was a leader among aquariums emulated by cities around the globe.
Australia Exhibit Expands Mission
In 2005, in the first expansion of the National Aquarium since 1990, a stunning pavilion opened on Pier 3. Built with public and private support, the 64,500-square-foot pavilion housed an immersive exhibit, Australia: Wild Extremes, which brought species from one of the most remote regions of the planet to the U.S. At the same time, the opening of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Waterfront Park reaffirmed the Aquarium's place within the Chesapeake Bay watershed and its unwavering commitment to protecting the largest estuary in the United States.
Alliance Revitalizes National Aquarium, D.C.
A strategic partnership with the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., led to a four-year, $2 million makeover of the aging facility with support from NOAA. The resulting exhibit—highlighting animals and habitats found in national parks, marine sanctuaries and freshwater ecosystems of the U.S.—became a notable D.C. attraction. In 2005, the Baltimore and D.C. facilities were unified under one National Aquarium umbrella.
Breeding and Research Advance Science
Caring for 17,000 aquatic animals provided Aquarium team with unique opportunities for scientific study. Staff presented Aquarium-based findings at hundreds of conferences and meetings and hosted international symposiums on animal behavior, water quality and veterinary science. One project, a federally funded partnership with the Denver Zoological Foundation, developed Tracks, an integrated database for animal health records that can now be accessed by veterinarians across the U.S.
Weathering A Major Storm
The Aquarium was shuttered for two days following Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. The storm surge put the Aquarium's entire ground level under 2 feet of water and caused power and emergency generators to fail. Thanks to heroic efforts of staff who stayed at the Aquarium and former Animal Care Center in Fells Point through the storm, every single Aquarium animal survived Isabel.
Innovation and Conservation
One of the easiest ways to conserve water is to recycle and thoroughly clean it. In 2010, the Aquarium's Life Support team developed and installed a novel addition to the filtration system for Atlantic Coral Reef, Shark Alley and Wings in the Water (the precursor to Blacktip Reef). A denitrification system, a technology more often seen in wastewater treatment plants, harnessed the power of specific bacteria to turn harmful nitrates from fish waste into harmless nitrogen gas. Today, this system saves the Aquarium almost three-quarters of a million gallons of water annually.
2010-2020: A Growing Commitment to Conservation
The National Aquarium's commitment to inspiring stewardship of the environment carried the organization into its fourth decade. By saving injured wildlife, reviving fragile ecosystems, and sowing healthy habitats, conservation was no longer just a message at the Aquarium but its mission.
A New Era
In 2013, the vibrant Blacktip Reef exhibit opened, an intricate re-creation of an Indo-Pacific habitat in the former Wings in the Water exhibit. At the physical and emotional heart of the Aquarium, Blacktip Reef brought its namesake sharks and other rare species to the U.S. and broke new ground with engaging high-tech opportunities to learn about ocean health. And Living Seashore, a Mid-Atlantic touchpool exhibit, opened in 2015, drawing on the most advanced exhibit techniques and the newest interactive technologies to give visitors hands-on opportunities to go beyond the boardwalk and explore the ever-changing seashore. A few months after the opening of Living Seashore, the Aquarium welcomed its 50 millionth visitor.
D.C. Aquarium Closes Its Doors
While the main Aquarium campus in Baltimore continued to pulse with new life, other areas of the Aquarium faced unforeseen challenges. In Washington, D.C, the 81-year-old National Aquarium facility was forced to close due to necessary renovations to the Herbert C. Hoover Department of Commerce building where it was housed. The 2,500 aquatic animals there were moved to Baltimore and other accredited institutions nationwide.
Programs Foster Conservation Education
New conservation education initiatives created vital opportunities for the next generation to connect with the wonders of the natural world. Terrapins in the Classroom, a first-time program in 30 Maryland schools, taught students to cherish the Bay by raising turtle hatchlings, and What Lives in the Harbor began connecting every sixth grader in Baltimore City Public Schools to the Chesapeake Bay watershed through hands-on scientific exploration on the Aquarium's outdoor campus.
Advocacy and Action
The Aquarium's environmental efforts reached far beyond Baltimore, with staff advocating and galvanizing public support for conservation legislation, such as a House Bill banning shark finning—successfully signed into law in 2013—the Maryland Seafood Authenticity and Enforcement Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Endangered Species Act. Staff joined forces with their colleagues across the country to create the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, bringing together 22 partner aquariums in a global effort to reduce sources of plastic pollution.
Three Key Projects
In 2010, the National Aquarium installed a 200-square-foot floating wetland prototype in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. This was the first time this technology was introduced into a brackish tidal system in the United States, and it was the first step in creating a floating wetland design that would fit the specific needs of the Inner Harbor and attract native species while helping to improve water quality. In 2016, the Aquarium unveiled plans to build a sanctuary for its Atlantic bottlenose dolphins—a first of its kind in North America and a new option for dolphins in human care. When the Aquarium's Animal Care and Rescue Center opened in Baltimore's historic Jonestown neighborhood in 2018, it created a permanent, world-class home for the care of current and future animals and some of its rescue operations, while giving visitors a behind-the-scenes view of care and welfare work previously invisible to the public.
An Extended Closure
The Aquarium closed to guests in March 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and did not reopen again until July. The three-month closure was the longest in the Aquarium's history. Staff, of course, continued to provide uninterrupted daily care for the Aquarium's more than 20,000 animals. When the Aquarium reopened to guests, measures were in place to ensure the safety of staff and guests alike. Capacity was limited to 25% occupancy to allow for proper social distancing, masks were required, and guests had their temperatures taken before they entered.
2020 to Present: Looking to the Future
Fifty years ago, then-Mayor Schaefer and city residents had the unusual foresight to believe that an aquarium on the Inner Harbor could be an effective beacon for a vibrant Baltimore. Now, decades later, the National Aquarium remains a world-renowned attraction that contributes to the cultural, economic and environmental health of the city, state and beyond.
Economic Impact Stays Strong
According to an independent assessment, the National Aquarium generated more than $1.3 billion in tourism-related economic impact and $109 million in state and local tax revenue from 2018 to 2022, a period that included the COVID-19 pandemic. The report from travel research expert Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, presents a comprehensive picture of the National Aquarium as a thriving economic driver and a vital anchor institution for tourism within Baltimore City and the State of Maryland.
The Great Pyramid Project
In 2022, the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit closed for eight months for a major infrastructure project. Each of the 684 panes of glass in its iconic glass pyramid were replaced. Each of the new panes has an energy-efficient coating on the interior surface that helps with temperature control and keeps the exhibit a more comfortable temperature in summer—although still warm and tropical year-round. Because Upland Tropical Rain Forest was closed to guests and without animals for the first time since the Aquarium opened in 1981, it was a perfect time to make other necessary upgrades and repairs. Just as in the Aquarium's early days, the Upland Tropical Rain Forest glass replacement project was possible thanks to the generous support of the State of Maryland, local governments, the corporate community and philanthropic partners.
A Presence in Ocean City
When the National Aquarium Stranding Response Center opened in Ocean City, Maryland, in 2023, it marked the first time in its 30-plus-year history that National Aquarium Animal Rescue had a permanent presence on Maryland's Eastern Shore. In addition to treating seals and sea turtles rescued by or destined for the National Aquarium, the center fills a critical need within the Greater Atlantic region by providing immediate care for sick and injured animals being transported elsewhere or returned to the ocean. The 400-square-foot triage and treatment space is dedicated in honor of National Aquarium Animal Rescue volunteers Chuck and Ellen Erbe.
Roots Restored
On August 8, 2024, National Aquarium Harbor Wetland® presented by CFG Bank—the fully-realized evolution of the 200-square-foot floating wetland prototype first launched in 2010—opened as the culmination of 14 years of research and planning, four prototypes, nine months of construction, and more than 32,000 hand-planted grasses and shrubs. The expansive outdoor exhibit is a re-created salt marsh designed to support native wildlife species, educate people about ecosystems, promote healthy water, and withstand extreme conditions. It's also the first floating wetland of its kind anywhere in the world, and it's free and open to all in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.