


Its mission is to raise public awareness about issues facing the ocean and its inhabitants with special exhibits, public events and research. We are a friendly, family oriented, non-profit organization which welcomes hobbyists who want to learn more about aquaria. The facility occupies 14 acres (5.7 ha) and boasts 266 species of aquatic wildlife. As part of WCS, the aquarium's mission is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The aquarium is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) as part of its integrated system of four zoos and one aquarium, most notably the Bronx Zoo.

It was founded at Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan in 1896, and moved to Coney Island in 1957. The four-ton piece was sponsored by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs' Percent for Art program, and was installed to celebrate the Aquarium's Sea Cliffs Exhibition.The New York Aquarium is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, located on the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. The free-standing wall features terrazzo and ceramic shapes with motifs of ocean waves, fishes, and zygotes evocative of the evolution of marine life. The Aquarium also is home to one of Coney Island's most important public artworks, the 332-foot long, ten-foot tall cast-concrete “Symphony of the Sea” sculpture wall by artist Toshio Sasaki (one of the eight finalists of the Ground Zero Memorial competition) that was installed on the boardwalk outside the Aquarium in 1992. The Aquarium's Osborn Laboratories of Marine Sciences (OLMS) has been involved in studies looking at dolphin cognition, satellite tagging of sharks and coral reefs. Today's Aquarium fulfills the wider goals of the Wildlife Conservation Society by raising public awareness about environmental issues facing the ocean and its ecosystem. When the aquarium was opened, a New York Zoological Society brochure on the facility boasted “many hundreds of fish species, marine and fresh water, tropical, temperate and arctic, beautiful, weird and downright hideous.” A big attraction, the facility served over 400,000 school children during the first school season it was open. The entire project cost $9 million and used 1.25 million gallons of water. (The Aquarium's inhabitants were temporarily housed at the Bronx Zoo.) The New York Aquarium opened on the Coney Island boardwalk on June 6, 1957, part of a larger plan to revitalize the area. The Aquarium lasted in the Battery until 1941 when it was relocated to Coney Island because of the construction of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Situated by the sea in the famed Coney Island, Brooklyn, our spacious grounds can accommodate any type of event and upwards of 2,000. Today's version of the Aquarium is home to over 350 species of aquatic wildlife and over 8,000 specimens. In the Aquarium's early years, the facility housed only 150 specimens. Up to 31 Off on Aquarium Visit at SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium - Woodbridge, NJ. The oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, the New York Zoological Society assumed care of the Aquarium in 1902. Discover Aquarium Deals In and Near Brooklyn, NY and Save Up to 70 Off. The Aquarium has been a part of the city since Decemwhen it opened at its first location in the Battery's Castle Clinton in Lower Manhattan. The New York Aquarium at Coney Island is the place to go to learn about aquatic life.
