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The Adventure Aquarium is a for-profit educational entertainment attraction operated on the , 2005 in its current form, featuring about eight thousand animals living in varied forms of semi-aquatic and oceanic Habitat s. Nearly two million gallons of water flow through the facility at any given moment. ORIGINS Origin as the Project of a Non-Profit Organization For twelve years prior to the Aquarium's reopening, the building was known as the New Jersey State Aquarium at Camden, and was operated by the non-profit New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences , an organization chartered specifically for the purpose of running the Aquarium and furthering its original mission of education and Conservation of the marine environment. The Academy was created in 1989 , and oversaw the design and construction of the original attraction jointly with the New Jersey Sports And Exposition Authority — the government-run group that allocates public funding for sports and entertainment attractions, statewide. Inspired by the success that other cities, particularly Baltimore , had experienced with their own marine life centers, the New Jersey Legislature approved the bill that included the Aquarium's construction order in the late 1980s , and Governor Thomas H. Kean signed it into law. Ground was broken on a desolate stretch of the dilapidated Camden Waterfront in the fall of 1988 . The original building was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm The Hillier Group , and became a gleaming centerpiece for a dull and virtually abandoned area. Constructed primarily of cast concrete, accented by large glass and aluminum facades and topped by a large, white fabric dome, the Aquarium was completed by early 1992, with a total cost of about $52 million. It opened with great fanfare on February 29 , 1992 . In its first year of operation, the Aquarium hosted 1.6 million visitors — a number that seemed to herald a new and exciting wave of change on a formerly barren landscape. But trouble arose almost immediately when visitor and critics' reviews turned decidedly negative and scores began to express great disappointment in their grand new museum. Some reviewers went as far as to call the Aquarium a "prison for fish", worthy of "immediate demolition". The building's concrete nature was glaringly apparent both inside and out, as bare, grey concrete walls defined almost every public space. The cavernous Rotunda , capped by the classic white dome, featured a deafening echo and was poorly lit. None of the exhibits were themed, and many of the tanks seemed to be lined up in neat, square rows. Graphics were almost non-existent, and the building itself tended to feel small. But the death knell came by way of the animals themselves — as a New Jersey-based operation, the original Aquarium displayed only native fishes, normally brown and grey in color, and just about nothing else. By the next fiscal year ( 1993 ), attendance had plummeted to a mere 400,000. Alarmed, the Aquarium's managers began a short period of intense renovation, just a year after grand opening day. Extensive Renovation The Aquarium never closed during this reconstruction phase, but many exhibits were periodically offline or inaccessible, making the small building even smaller. But the result was generally worth the inconvenience: in 1994, Ocean Base Atlantic finally debuted to the public. Making great use of the building's massive 760,000-gallon Open Ocean Tank (the third largest on the continent), this new, themed exhibit introduced fish, birds, sharks, and sea turtles from all across the Atlantic Ocean , and not just from the coast of New Jersey. The exhibit featured the adventures of a fictitous '', was worn by anyone who worked in public view. These changes and modifications helped to improve the organization's image, boost attendance, and assist the New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences' effort to stablize the attraction for long-term operations. Sadly, the Camden Waterfront would not see the explosive development that immediately behind the Aquarium, on four acres of land between the waterfront building and the street. Construction moved quickly, both on the Garden itself and a new facade, box office, and gift shop for the aging Aquarium. The combined attraction opened in 2000, but did not greatly influence yearly attendance. With financial resources low and no popularity explosion in sight, the Academy had no choice but to work only on maintenance of the existing museum. Work began briefly on a ride attraction in the old Gift Shop, but was halted halfway through due to lack of funds. Now about thirteen years old and showing its age, the Aquarium once again started to see a gradual decline in admissions. THE NEW AQUARIUM In Search of Partners A glimmer of hope for the Waterfront began to appear as early as 1999, when efforts were initiated to expand the existing Aquarium physically. As it became clear that the Academy lacked the financial ability to undertake such a project on limited public funding, the State of New Jersey (who owns the buildings and the land) began to court potential investors, developers, and operators to change the way in which the State Aquarium was run. In 2003, , began negotiations on a Lease agreement for the existing Aquarium and a development contract for the lands that surround it. A deal was accepted by all parties, and the principal design and construction of a large addition began in the winter of 2004. The Academy continued to operate the facility until September 7 , 2004 , when the doors were closed for the first time to allow for a complete renovation of the existing structure and the completion of the addition on the north side of the building. The public would not see the interior of the building for ten months following the closing. As Steiner Entertainment — the subsidiary charged with resuming daily operation — took over control of most operational aspects of the building (Guest Services, Marketing, Finance, Graphic Design, and Husbandry ), the Academy remained to control the educational aspect of the experience through the Education and Research/Conservation departments. Other corporations stepped in to assume control of Food Services ( Aramark Corp. ) and Security (Securitas, Inc.). With every group assembled and working together, construction pushed along through the next nine months, during which time, the name "New Jersey State Aquarium" was retired and the Adventure Aquarium was born. The South Building The existing building became known as the South Building, and would continue to feature native Atlantic specimens in multiple smaller tanks and the giant Ocean Tank on the first floor (formerly Ocean Base Atlantic), as well as more "weird" and unusual animals on the second floor (formerly, the "Conservation Outreach and Observation Lab"). Added to this building beyond the heavy renovation would be a new gateway to the Caribbean , Irazu River Falls . This thirty-foot tall tropical waterfall tank rests in the hollow of a large, fifty-foot tall Coral Reef tank designed into the original building, but never completed. Surrounded by lush green foliage and backed by a jagged, mossy rockface, the waterfall feature has become a popular exhibit not only for its dramatic appearance and diversity of animals, but also for its tranquility and mystifying nature. Also added to this building is the Adventure Theatre , in actuality the existing Auditorium refitted to show exciting 4D-ride films. This 150-seat theatre, currently presented by PSE&G , includes a traditional 3D-film, shown with tightly choreographed environmental effects (water spray, wind gusts, and seat motion) that all combine to bring riders closer to the experience than ever before. When it opened in July 2005, the Adventure Theatre became the first built-in 4D-capable auditorium featured in an American aquarium. SimEx-Iwerks currently provides the technology and the ride films displayed daily. Many of the animals in the South Building were simply moved to better facilitate traffic flow and the organization of species. Some of the new animals in the building include Bluefin Tuna , Dwarf Caimans , a Two-toed Sloth , and Flashlight Fish . Most existing exhibits generally remain, though redesigned for greater animal health and visitor satisfaction. The North Building The expansion building added to the northern face of the old Aquarium became known as the "North Building". This is a completely new structure, built to accommodate three new exhibits, a new food service area, main entry atrium, gift shop, and casual dining restaurant. The Adventure Aquarium made history again in this building through the addition of the "West African River Experience", a new exhibition featuring nearly every major animal found in or near a West African River — including the Nile Hippopotami . No other aquarium has displayed these animals to date, and few zoos have recreated the underwater viewing environment that only aquariums can provide. The two female animals, named Button and Genny, were sent by the Walt Disney Company from their Animal Kingdom theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida , at a relatively young age: eight and five, respectively. In captivity, the animals may live to reach at least 55 years of age. Also added in the North Building include the "Jules Verne Gallery", stocked with some of the more mystical members of the oceanic world ( Seadragon s, Jellies , giant Pacific Octopuses ) and the Shark Realm, featuring Sandtiger , Sandbar , and Nurse Shark s, all viewable from multiple floor-to-ceiling windows and a 40-foot acrylic tunnel, suspended directly through the center of the 550,000-gallon tank. Brave visitors are also offered the incredible opportunity to swim with the sharks in the tank itself — the popular Swim With The Sharks program allows guests to Snorkel along the outer perimeter of the tank inside a concrete channel, occasionally sneaking peeks into the depths of the tank at gaps in the channel walls, before ending the swim by feeding the animals manually in the "Ray Tray". The experiences are offered only at certain times of the day by appointment only, but have generally been regarded well by all guests. Plans for 2005 The Adventure Aquarium expects to attract 1.2 million visitors to the Camden Waterfront in 2005. Unlike the waterfront of yesteryear, the Aquarium is joined on all sides by numerous attractions: the Tweeter Center At The Waterfront , the "Battleship New Jersey Memorial and Museum", the "Wiggins Park Riverstage", "One Port Center", the "Victor Lofts", the "Camden Children's Garden", the River LINE Light Rail system, and Campbell's Field , home of the minor-league Camden Riversharks . By the end of 2005, construction will have begun on a new IMAX theatre, directly adjacent to the North Building of the new Aquarium, as well as initial work on "Cooper's Crossing", a new retail/restaurant-based town center between the Field and the Aquarium. When the plan is complete, a new ferry terminal and office structure, hotel and conference center, and Marina will all join the new, existing, and up-and-coming facilities along the banks of the Delaware River , making the Camden Waterfront one of the most exciting new entertainment centers in the Northeast — anchored at its core by the Adventure Aquarium. EXTERNAL LINKS
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