Downtown Aquarium is a Landry’s-owned aquarium and entertainment complex at 410 Bagby Street in downtown Houston, opened in 2003 on a 6-acre site built around two redeveloped city landmarks: historic Fire Station No. 1 and the old Central Waterworks Building. The project cost Landry’s roughly $38 million and combined marine exhibits, dining, and midway-style rides into one downtown destination.
The facility holds about 500,000 gallons of water across its exhibits, including a 200,000-gallon shark tank and a 150,000-gallon centerpiece tank inside its aquarium restaurant. Home to more than 200 species of aquatic life, Downtown Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and remains one of the few urban aquariums in the country paired with a full amusement midway.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 410 Bagby Street, Downtown Houston, Texas
- Opened: 2003
- Size: 6-acre site; about 500,000 gallons of water
- Species: 200+ aquatic species
- Largest tank: 200,000-gallon shark tank
- Operator: Landry’s, Inc.
- Famous for: Shark Voyage train ride through a shark tunnel, inside a converted 1899 fire station
A Firehouse Turned Aquarium
Downtown Aquarium’s site was originally home to Houston’s Fire Station No. 1 and the adjacent Central Waterworks Building. When the city sought proposals to redevelop the property in 1999, Landry’s plan to combine the historic structures with a new aquarium complex won out over a rival bid, and the venue opened in 2003 after an adaptive reuse of both landmarks alongside new construction.
That history still shows in the building’s architecture, which blends the old civic structures with themed additions like the Louisiana Swamp, Shipwreck, Rainforest, Sunken Temple, and Gulf of Mexico exhibit areas, plus a Discovery Rig and a White Tiger of the Maharaja Temple habitat.
Rides Alongside the Exhibits
Beyond the marine displays, Downtown Aquarium functions as a small amusement park. Its best-known feature is the Shark Voyage, a narrow-gauge C.P. Huntington train that carries guests through a tunnel inside the 200,000-gallon shark tank. Other rides include the Diving Bell Ferris Wheel, the Lighthouse Dive drop tower, and the Frog Hopper, giving the complex a midway feel uncommon among American aquariums.
The venue’s restaurant wraps around a 150,000-gallon centerpiece aquarium, letting diners watch fish swim by while they eat — one of the features that has made Downtown Aquarium as much a dining and entertainment stop as a traditional aquarium visit.
Explore more: Explore more zoos and aquariums.
Downtown Aquarium FAQs
When did Downtown Aquarium in Houston open?
It opened in 2003, after Landry’s redeveloped the historic Fire Station No. 1 and Central Waterworks Building site in downtown Houston.
How many gallons of water does Downtown Aquarium hold?
The complex holds about 500,000 gallons total, including a 200,000-gallon shark tank and a 150,000-gallon restaurant centerpiece tank.
Does Downtown Aquarium have rides?
Yes. It includes a Shark Voyage train that runs through the shark tank tunnel, plus a Ferris wheel, a drop tower, and other midway-style rides alongside its aquatic exhibits.
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Photo: Another Believer / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.