Animal Care and Rescue Center: All Systems Go

The more than 50,000-square-foot building in the heart of Baltimore's historic Jonestown neighborhood provides a state-of-the-art home for off-exhibit animals, future animals and some of our rescue operations.

The Center will generally house 1,000 to 1,500 animals. One current resident is a map pufferfish nicknamed Duncan. He was moved from the National Aquarium's Blacktip Reef exhibit while skilled aquarists work to fine-tune his care and diet. He revels in the special attention and is known to appreciate a gentle head scratch.

The Center also has the capability to produce up to 15,000 gallons of purified fresh and salt water monthly, and replicate environments and ecosystems spanning from arctic to tropical to suit a diverse array of species.

As a headquarters for our Animal Rescue team—which has responded to, rehabilitated and released more than 200 animals over the last 27 years—the Center houses leading-edge rehabilitation suites for rescued seals. The team is currently caring for a male harbor seal, Marmalade.

The space also features the exhibit fabrication workshop, where corals and other exhibit elements are hand-crafted to recreate the world's aquatic habitats.

Tours of the Center for National Aquarium members are expected to begin in July, with general public tours anticipated to start in January 2019.

Learn more about the Animal Care and Rescue Center.