Cabrillo Marine Aquarium |
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| Date opened | 1981[1] |
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| Location | San Pedro, California, USA |
| Memberships | AZA[2] |
| Website | www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org |
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is an aquarium in San Pedro, California, United States, a community within Los Angeles. It concentrates on the marine life of Southern California. In addition to its displays, it also offers school and group programs.
The aquarium is operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.[3]
Admission is free, but donations are suggested.
The building was designed by Frank Gehry and completed in 1981.
The aquarium started in 1935 as a curated collection of marine specimens stored in the Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse. In 1949, John Olguin, captain of the Cabrillo Beach lifeguards, was appointed director of the new Marine Museum. He popularized the aquarium by giving impromptu tours to visiting school groups as well as starting the popular evening program of viewing and learning about the bizarre grunion mating practices on the beach.[1]
On October 21, 1981, the new $3 million, Frank Gehry-designed museum was opened to the public and the old museum closed. Throughout the 1990s, the museum experienced significant growth and its name was changed from the Cabrillo Marine Museum to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium to highlight its living collections. It expanded its public programs sector and added Ocean Outreach, Sea Rangers, Discovery Labs, and FRIENDS of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. In 2004, the building was expanded further with an Exploration Center, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Courtyard, an Aquatic Nursery, and the Virginia Reed Moore Research Library. In October 2010, it celebrated its 75 year anniversary.[1]
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