DETROIT (WWJ) — Sunday marks 120 years of a Detroit treasure — the Belle Isle Aquarium — and the city is invited to come celebrate the occasion.
The Belle Isle Conservancy is partnering with the city’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship to hold a 120th anniversary celebration at the country’s oldest aquarium.
The aquarium is hosting a Family Day on Sunday, open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Festivities include an outdoor aquatic science station, coloring books, crafts, story time and a live DJ.
“We are so appreciative of the City of Detroit and ACE in lifting up such a beloved cultural institution,” said Belle Isle Conservancy CEO Meagan Elliott. “The Belle Isle Conservancy is proud to operate this space free of charge for everyone to enjoy. Come out and celebrate with us!”
When it opened on Aug. 18, 1904, the Belle Isle Aquarium was the third-largest aquarium in the world and had salt water shipped in directly from the ocean. Now, 12 decades later, the aquarium still welcomes thousands of visitors annually, with free admission.
Designed by famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn and inspired by the Beaux-Arts building style, he intended the building to be thought of as a living art exhibit, allowing its visitors to view its many aquatic displays as though they were picture frames within a gallery.
The domed ceiling and walls are adorned with stunning green Opalite glass tiles, giving aquarium-goers the feeling that they, too, are underwater.
In fact, the glass tile is so rare that it cannot be replaced, so the Belle Isle Conservancy and the aquarium’s volunteers have worked with architectural historians and preservationists to learn how to properly maintain the tile, so it doesn't fall into disrepair.
Read more about the historic Belle Isle Aquarium here.
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