Atlantic City Aquarium reopening delayed again due to HVAC replacement

The Atlantic City Aquarium was expected to reopen this month after a four-year closure, but ongoing renovations to the building have pushed the reopening to next year. 

"The exterior work on the Aquarium has been complete and the building looks better than ever," Atlantic City spokesperson Andrew Kramer said in a statement Monday. "The only work left both inside and outside is the HVAC replacement. We've been assured that work will be finished before month's end, at which point the city will announce the official grand reopening date for the Atlantic City Aquarium."

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The attraction, located in the Gardner's Basin bayside park, closed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns and the building's need for repairs. In September, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small said the aquarium was expected to fully reopen "sometime in December."

"We could have opened the aquarium (sooner)," Small said at the time. "But again, the standards of this administration was to open it when it was fully complete. ... We're working to make it the best aquarium that it could be."

This is the latest postponement in a long journey to reopen the aquarium. It tentatively was slated to reopen in the fall of 2023 – a timeline still indicated on its Facebook page. Then, officials said it would open by July or September of this year. But supply chain and funding issues delayed the exterior and interior work on the aquarium. Plus, there were unexpected problems, including mold found on the premises, the Press of Atlantic City reported.

Improvements include new roofing, drywall, windows, siding, trim, railings, decks, doors, ceilings, lighting, floors, tiles, bathrooms and a new entry-area mural. Small said there also will be "exciting new exhibits" upon the aquarium's reopening. Funding for the interior improvements came from a $1.16 million grant from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, and exterior upgrades were funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The city did not say how much exterior work would cost. 

The aquarium, which is owned by the city, is located at 800 N. New Hampshire Ave. When it was last open, it had eight tanks, totaling 29,800 gallons, and displayed more than 100 varieties of fish and other marine animals. 

Along with the aquarium updates, Gardner's Basin also is undergoing several other renovation projects. Atlantic City received a $1.4 million grant to demolish the bathroom next to the aquarium, which has been closed for years, and build a new public bathroom facility. Other projects will improve the maintenance building, security cameras, and trash and recycling collection.