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New York Aquarium
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. It was founded at Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan, in 1896, and moved to Coney Island in 1957. 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 is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). 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.
The facility occupies 14 acres (5.7 ha) and boasts 266 species of aquatic wildlife. Its mission is to raise public awareness about issues facing the ocean and its inhabitants with special exhibits, public events and research. The New York Seascape program, based out of the aquarium, is WCS's local conservation program designed to restore healthy populations of marine species and protect New York waters, which are vital to the area's economic and cultural vitality.
The New York City government had proposed converting Castle Garden, a former military fort and immigrant-processing station in Battery Park, into an aquarium in 1891. The following February, the New York State Legislature passed a bill allowing the city government to create an aquarium within Castle Garden. Julius F. Munckwitz Jr. drew up preliminary plans for an aquarium, which he presented to New York City's board of park commissioners in mid-1892. The state government voted to allocate $150,000 for the construction of an aquarium within Castle Garden. Local media reported in September 1896 that the aquarium was largely completed. At the time, the tanks contained 45 species, some of which had been in the aquarium for two years. Ultimately, it cost $175,000 to renovate Castle Garden into an aquarium.
The aquarium opened on December 10, 1896, following a soft opening the previous day. The aquarium attracted thousands of visitors on its opening day, and it averaged over 10,000 visitors per day during its first several months. Visitors were not charged admission, which may have contributed to the aquarium's popularity. The aquarium had two million guests within a year, and it had 5.5 million total guests by May 1900. In its early years, the New York Aquarium at Castle Garden typically had more visitors during the summer, and Sunday was the busiest day of the week. The aquarium's busiest day during this period was August 20, 1898, when over 47,000 people visited the aquarium.
The aquarium's first director was Tarleton Hoffman Bean, who was appointed in 1895. He was instrumental in helping to create similar wildlife organizations, especially aquaria. Bean was forced to resign in April 1898.
In March 1902, New York state legislators proposed transferring operation of the New York Aquarium to the New York Zoological Society. The Board of Estimate authorized mayor Seth Low to lease the aquarium to the Zoological Society in July 1902, and the Zoological Society took over on October 31, 1902, with Charles Haskins Townsend as the aquarium's director. At the time, the Aquarium housed only 150 specimens of wildlife. Townsend enlarged the collections considerably, and the Aquarium attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Townsend served as the Aquarium's director for thirty years. After being appointed as director, Townsend soon made several modifications to Castle Garden's facilities, which cost over $30,000. The number of specimens at Castle Garden also increased; by 1903, the aquarium had 2,000 specimens from over 200 species. By 1907, the aquarium had over two million annual visitors, or an average of 6,000 per day.
By January 1911, officials instead planned to expand Castle Garden, adding semicircular wings to the west and east for over $1 million. Each wing was to contain three tiers of tanks and classroom space. The Zoological Society asked the Board of Estimate to allocate $1.75 million to the renovation, but the board still had not funded the renovation of Castle Garden by 1916. Townsend said the aquarium's mechanical facilities needed major upgrades.
In 1921, Townsend announced that the Zoological Society would construct an electric plant in the basement, replacing a steam plant on the south side of the aquarium building, and then install two tanks in the space formerly occupied by the steam plant. This work was funded by a bequest from Mrs. Russell Sage. By early 1923, the Zoological Society was carrying out the renovations at a cost of $86,000. In June 1923, the board voted to give $76,500 for the construction of an additional story above the building. The Zoological Society planned to add deeper tanks on the second floor, expanding exhibition space by 20 percent. By then, the aquarium had two million annual visitors. The expansion was largely completed by early 1924.
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New York Aquarium
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. It was founded at Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan, in 1896, and moved to Coney Island in 1957. 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 is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). 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.
The facility occupies 14 acres (5.7 ha) and boasts 266 species of aquatic wildlife. Its mission is to raise public awareness about issues facing the ocean and its inhabitants with special exhibits, public events and research. The New York Seascape program, based out of the aquarium, is WCS's local conservation program designed to restore healthy populations of marine species and protect New York waters, which are vital to the area's economic and cultural vitality.
The New York City government had proposed converting Castle Garden, a former military fort and immigrant-processing station in Battery Park, into an aquarium in 1891. The following February, the New York State Legislature passed a bill allowing the city government to create an aquarium within Castle Garden. Julius F. Munckwitz Jr. drew up preliminary plans for an aquarium, which he presented to New York City's board of park commissioners in mid-1892. The state government voted to allocate $150,000 for the construction of an aquarium within Castle Garden. Local media reported in September 1896 that the aquarium was largely completed. At the time, the tanks contained 45 species, some of which had been in the aquarium for two years. Ultimately, it cost $175,000 to renovate Castle Garden into an aquarium.
The aquarium opened on December 10, 1896, following a soft opening the previous day. The aquarium attracted thousands of visitors on its opening day, and it averaged over 10,000 visitors per day during its first several months. Visitors were not charged admission, which may have contributed to the aquarium's popularity. The aquarium had two million guests within a year, and it had 5.5 million total guests by May 1900. In its early years, the New York Aquarium at Castle Garden typically had more visitors during the summer, and Sunday was the busiest day of the week. The aquarium's busiest day during this period was August 20, 1898, when over 47,000 people visited the aquarium.
The aquarium's first director was Tarleton Hoffman Bean, who was appointed in 1895. He was instrumental in helping to create similar wildlife organizations, especially aquaria. Bean was forced to resign in April 1898.
In March 1902, New York state legislators proposed transferring operation of the New York Aquarium to the New York Zoological Society. The Board of Estimate authorized mayor Seth Low to lease the aquarium to the Zoological Society in July 1902, and the Zoological Society took over on October 31, 1902, with Charles Haskins Townsend as the aquarium's director. At the time, the Aquarium housed only 150 specimens of wildlife. Townsend enlarged the collections considerably, and the Aquarium attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Townsend served as the Aquarium's director for thirty years. After being appointed as director, Townsend soon made several modifications to Castle Garden's facilities, which cost over $30,000. The number of specimens at Castle Garden also increased; by 1903, the aquarium had 2,000 specimens from over 200 species. By 1907, the aquarium had over two million annual visitors, or an average of 6,000 per day.
By January 1911, officials instead planned to expand Castle Garden, adding semicircular wings to the west and east for over $1 million. Each wing was to contain three tiers of tanks and classroom space. The Zoological Society asked the Board of Estimate to allocate $1.75 million to the renovation, but the board still had not funded the renovation of Castle Garden by 1916. Townsend said the aquarium's mechanical facilities needed major upgrades.
In 1921, Townsend announced that the Zoological Society would construct an electric plant in the basement, replacing a steam plant on the south side of the aquarium building, and then install two tanks in the space formerly occupied by the steam plant. This work was funded by a bequest from Mrs. Russell Sage. By early 1923, the Zoological Society was carrying out the renovations at a cost of $86,000. In June 1923, the board voted to give $76,500 for the construction of an additional story above the building. The Zoological Society planned to add deeper tanks on the second floor, expanding exhibition space by 20 percent. By then, the aquarium had two million annual visitors. The expansion was largely completed by early 1924.