Michigan is Home to The Oldest Aquarium in the United States

The Oldest Aquarium in the United States Can Be Found in Michigan.

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The Belle Isle Aquarium located in Belle Isle Park, Detroit is a 10,000-square-foot historic building that features a single large gallery with an arched ceiling that's covered in green glass tile that gives off an underwater vibe.

When the Belle Isle Aquarium opened it was the third-largest Aquarium in the world with salt water being shipped directly in from the ocean

It was the oldest continually operating public aquarium in North America until it closed in 2005. However, it was only closed for seven years, they reopened it in 2012.

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Belle Isle Aquarium also closed in 2020 but that was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's wild to think that the aquarium survived the Great Depression (1929-1933) but couldn't make it through the pandemic.

Closing down for a while turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it allowed them to significantly renovate the facility. The Belle Isle Conservancy invested $1.2M in improvements to the aquarium.

Not only was the Belle Isle Aquarium the oldest operating aquarium in the United States until it closed in 2005, but it was also the only aquarium in Michigan at the time. Of course, that's not the case now as we have a handful of aquariums in Michigan, including Sea Life Aquarium at Great Lakes Crossing. The 35,000-square-foot aquarium is the biggest in the state.

How Much Does it Cost to Visit Belle Isle Aquarium?

This will probably surprise you, but the Belle Isle Aquarium is free. However, they do encourage donations.