Belle Isle Aquarium
The Belle Isle Aquarium is a public aquarium located in Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan. Designed by noted architects George D. Mason and Albert Kahn, it opened on August 18, 1904, and was the oldest continually operating public aquarium in North America when it closed on April 3, 2005. The aquarium reopened to the public on August 18, 2012, and is now run entirely by Belle Isle Conservancy, a 501(c)3 non-profit partner to Belle Isle park. The 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) historic building features a single large gallery with an arched ceiling covered in green glass tile to evoke an underwater feeling.
| Belle Isle Aquarium | |
|---|---|
| 42°20′11.79″N 82°59′7.27″W | |
| Date opened | August 18, 1904; August 18, 2012 (reopened) |
| Location | 3 Inselruhe Avenue Belle Isle Park Detroit, Michigan |
| Floor space | 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) |
| No. of animals | 1500 (2005) |
| No. of species | 146 (2005) |
| Total volume of tanks | 32,000 US gal (120,000 L; 27,000 imp gal) |
| Annual visitors | 113,000 (1995), 56,000 (2004) |
| Website | belleisleconservancy |
The aquarium was operated by the Detroit Zoological Society prior to the 2005 closure. It is currently operated by the Belle Isle Conservancy.