Glen Echo Park Aquarium
| Glen Echo Park Aquarium | |
|---|---|
 The interior of the aquarium venue. | |
| Date opened | September 19, 2015 |
| Location | Glen Echo Park 7300 MacArthur Boulevard Glen Echo, Maryland 20812 United States |
| Land area | 1,200 sq ft (110 m2) |
| No. of species | 50+ |
| Owner | Under the Sea |
| Public transit access | Ride On Route 29 |
| Website | https://www.gepaquarium.org/ |
The Glen Echo Park Aquarium is a small public aquarium located on the premises of Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo, Maryland. Labeled as a "Chesapeake Bay Discovery Center," their stated mission is to "promote awareness of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed through education, in order to encourage stewardship and conservation."[1]
It is currently the only public aquarium in the immediate Washington D.C. area following the closure of the National Aquarium in Washington D.C. in 2013.[2]
History
[edit]The Glen Echo Park Aquarium is located on the grounds of the historic Glen Echo Park. It sits on a tract of the park that was previously used for the Living Classrooms Children's Museum,[3] formerly the Discovery Creek Children's Museum. Prior to the museum, it was used to stable horses in the park.[4]
In the summer of 2015, the Glen Echo Park Aquarium soft launched, opening only on weekends for summer camp programs.[4] It held its grand opening on September 19, 2015, the date chosen by the aquarium director, Andrew Wilson, as it coincided with International Talk Like a Pirate Day.[5] Wilson is the founder of Under the Sea, an educational organization focused on marine biology based in Sterling, Virginia.[1] He had dreamt since his days in the Navy of establishing a place for people to learn about the history and fragile ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay. The aquarium was initially staffed primarily by Wilson and his family,[3] before expanding to other staff including volunteers.
Exhibits
[edit]The Glen Echo Park Aquarium features live animals native to the local Chesapeake Bay estuary, all of which are contained in tanks showcased in one large room.[6] The aquarium is arranged in a way that tells "the story of water" as it flows from streams, creeks, and rivers into the bay. In addition to the many tanks is a touch tank with horseshoe crabs as the main attraction.
The walls of the venue are decorated with a mural representing a number of other bay-visiting animals, such as the manatee. A "discovery table" sits at one end with magnifying glasses and microscopes to allow children to examine marine artifacts and models up close. The aquarium building sits on a tract of land fenced off from the rest of the park, containing a garden, a sandbox, a water play table, and a wooden pirate ship that kids can board.[5]
Events
[edit]The aquarium hosts birthday parties and summer camp programs for children.[5] The nature-based camps have children explore the local Minnehaha Creek.[6] In partnership with Under the Sea, the aquarium conducts outreach programs where they bring live animals to schools and other locations to be exhibited.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture (July 25, 2022). "Fall & Winter 2022-2023 Classes and Events". Issuu. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
- ^ Benjamin R. Freed (May 9, 2013). "National Aquarium in D.C. to Close September 30". DCist. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Carolyn Ross (October 8, 2015). "Down By the Chesapeake Bay: 3 Cool Aquariums to Visit". Tinybeans. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
- ^ a b Angela Hirsch (September 2015). Emily Parsons (ed.). "The Echo - June 2015" (PDF). Town of Glen Echo, Maryland. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c Peggy McEwan (March 27, 2015). "Spring Fun: Life: From Streams to Chesapeake Bay at Glen Echo Park". Potomac Almanac. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Pete and Becky Epanchin (May 2016). Emily Parsons (ed.). "The Echo - May 2016" (PDF). Town of Glen Echo, Maryland. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 12, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ Owais Khan (April 24, 2019). "There's a new predator coming to WS". The Oracle. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.