The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. is the oldest aquarium in the United States. Not to be confused with the National Aquarium in Baltimore, since 2003 it has been jointly managed by the Baltimore aquarium. Prior to this arrangement, the two had an ongoing rivalry. This was based largely on the fact that both claimed to be the National Aquarium in their titles. The Washington, D.C. National Aquarium is the oldest and original "National Aquarium", while the Baltimore National Aquarium is larger and enjoys better funding. Despite the official-sounding names, neither aquarium is managed or funded by the federal government.
The National Aquarium was founded in 1873 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. In 1878 it moved to the site of the National Zoological Gardens in Washington, D.C. Soon after, it moved to the grounds of the new Washington Monument. Finally, in 1932 it moved to its current location in the basement of the Department of Commerce, which actually managed the aquarium at that time.
The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. has 1000 specimens from over 200 different species. Some of the more popular exhibets include many piranha, several sea turtles, numerous sharks, and three alligators (Gitcha, Getcha, and Gotcha).
Location
Only one block from the Washington Monument, the National Aquarium is located in the Department of Commerce Building on 14th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue NW.
Satellite view - via Google Maps
Pictures - via Google Images
In the News - via Google News
Hotels and Motels - via Google Local
Official website
Comments