The New York Aquarium sits along the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, where it has operated since relocating there in 1957. Originally opened on December 10, 1896, at Castle Garden in Battery Park, it holds the distinction of being the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States. Today it is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the same nonprofit behind the Bronx Zoo and three other New York City zoos.
Spread across roughly 14 acres facing the Atlantic Ocean, the aquarium is home to over 500 species of marine wildlife and more than 8,000 individual animals, from sea otters and walruses to sharks and jellyfish. Its most ambitious modern addition, Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, opened in June 2018 and holds more than 500,000 gallons of water across multiple shark and marine-life habitats. The aquarium also survived a major test in 2012, when Hurricane Sandy flooded the site, forcing years of repairs before it fully reopened in July 2022.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York
- Opened: December 10, 1896 (moved to Coney Island in 1957)
- Size: About 14 acres
- Species: Over 500 species and more than 8,000 animals
- Annual visitors: About 700,000-750,000
- Famous for: Ocean Wonders: Sharks! and the historic Bathysphere submersible
A Coney Island Landmark
Before settling at Coney Island, the aquarium spent decades at Castle Garden in Manhattan’s Battery Park, becoming one of the city’s most popular attractions with millions of annual visitors during the early 20th century. Its move to the current boardwalk site in 1957 gave it room to grow into a modern marine conservation facility while keeping its historic identity intact.
The aquarium is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, which uses its exhibits to support marine research and species conservation alongside public education, tying the facility’s mission to WCS’s broader network of New York City wildlife parks.
Exhibits and Recovery
Core exhibits include Aquatheater, Conservation Hall, Sea Cliffs, and Spineless, alongside the headline Ocean Wonders: Sharks! building that opened in 2018 with roughly 500,000 gallons of habitat space and 18 different kinds of sharks and rays. The aquarium also displays the original Bathysphere, a 1930s deep-sea diving sphere used for pioneering ocean research.
Hurricane Sandy’s 2012 storm surge caused extensive damage to the low-lying boardwalk facility, closing exhibits for repairs over several years. The aquarium worked through a gradual recovery before reaching full reopening in July 2022.
Explore more: Explore more zoos and aquariums.
New York Aquarium FAQs
Where is the New York Aquarium located?
It sits at 602 Surf Avenue on the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.
How old is the New York Aquarium?
It opened on December 10, 1896, in Manhattan and is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, though it moved to its current Coney Island site in 1957.
Who operates the New York Aquarium?
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which also runs the Bronx Zoo and three other NYC zoos, manages the aquarium.
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Photo: Epicgenius / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.