Philadelphia Aquarium
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The Philadelphia Aquarium, one of the first aquariums in the United States, was located on the shore of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia’s decommissioned Fairmount Water Works buildings from 1911 to 1962 as part of Fairmount Park.
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[edit] History
By 1909, Philadelphia’s once renowned Water Works had been replaced by a series of filtration plants in other parts of the city. The site’s former reservoir land was later used for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The Aquarium was intended to provide the public with a better understanding of the habitat, breeding, and activities of freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those native to Pennsylvania. This was a fairly novel concept at the time, originating in exhibits of fisheries at the 1893 (Chicago) and 1904 (St. Louis) World’s Fairs.
[edit] Opening
The Aquarium opened Thanksgiving Day 1911, with nineteen small tanks and a series of regular lectures on marine life (many featuring sketches by renowned artist "Biggie" Grover Simcox). Initially, the forebay housed seals and sea lions. When the animals became ill, though, the area was filled in. When untreated water from the Schuylkill River proved to be too polluted for the fish, city water was used in its place.
[edit] Closure
In the period after World War II, the aquarium suffered from years of inadequate funding, political maneuvering and the resulting neglect. By 1962, the aquarium was forced to close, despite several grass roots attempts to save it. The facility was later used as an indoor swimming pool (closed in 1973). More recent uses have included banquets, guided tours and a restaurant.
