A Brief History Of The National Aquarium In Baltimore MD

Baltimore’s National Aquarium is one of the most recognized in the U.S., and for good reason. A centerpiece of the popular Inner Harbor, this six-acre aquarium includes not just fish tanks but also recreations of coral reefs and rainforests, interactive touch pools and a waterfront park recognized as a wildlife habitat. Discover the brief history of this Baltimore icon.

The Baltimore Aquarium

Plans for a city aquarium in Baltimore took shape in the 1970s. Inspired by the New England Aquarium in Boston, William Donald Schaefer, the then-mayor, and Robert C. Embry, then-commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development, pushed the idea of the aquarium as part of the redevelopment of the Inner Harbor. Though critics of the plan were concerned the project would fail to attract crowds, Baltimore residents voted in favor in 1976.

Blacktip Reef at the National Aquarium in Baltimore

Designed by Peter Chermayeff, the construction of the Baltimore Aquarium began on August 8, 1978. When the U.S. Congress decided to classify the new aquarium as a “national aquarium” in 1979—an effort led by Baltimore native Paul Sarbanes, then a U.S. Senator—this status gave the project a new level of distinction.

After a small delay, the National Aquarium in Baltimore officially opened on August 8, 1981, to much success. Schaefer marked the occasion in a particularly memorable way—by plunging into the seal tank in a 1920s striped bathing suit with a straw hat and an inflatable Donald Duck doll.

Expansion and Conservation

The National Aquarium saw 1.6 million visitors in its first year, despite expecting just 600,000, and brought new crowds to the Inner Harbor. Its success led to the opening of its second building in December 1990 and a 65,000-square-foot (5,574-square-meter) glass pavilion in 2005.

The year 2003 saw the National Aquarium in Baltimore enter into an alliance with the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., based in the Commerce Building since 1932 but with roots dating back to 1873. For 10 years, the two institutions worked as one to double their educational outreach and support each others’ exhibits. When the D.C. branch shut down in 2013 due to much-needed renovations in the Commerce Building, approximately 1,700 of its specimens were moved to Baltimore.

The Chesapeake waterfall at the entrance of the National Aquarium

As it grew, the aquarium also expanded on its mission to “inspire conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures,” covering local, regional and global conservation projects. They established a conservation center in 2009 to protect aquatic ecosystems all over the world through research, education and political advocacy. For its efforts, the National Aquarium became the National Wildlife Federation’s Maryland affiliate in 2011.

The National Aquarium Today

National Aquarium

Aquarium

The National Aquarium has become Maryland’s largest paid tourist attraction, as well as a top museum in Baltimore. Its award-winning exhibits house more than 20,000 fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and marine mammals. Highlights include the Blacktip Reef, the Australia: Wild Extremes exhibit in the glass pavilion and the Living Seashore interactive touch pools, but with over a dozen exhibits, you’ll want at least three hours to take it all in.

About the author

Kate Elizabeth Orgera

A Long Island native with a love of stories, Kate lived in Baltimore for four years while studying at Johns Hopkins University, where she graduated with a BA from the Writing Seminars program and studied voice at the Peabody Institute. After two years in publishing, she ventured back into writing to help companies and communities tell their stories. She has since worked as a copywriter and content marketer for various New York startups, including American Express's Plenti program. A literature, culture, and theater lover, Kate enjoys writing fiction, exploring, and drinking tea in her spare time.