06/22/2026
π In 2005, Detroit shut down the oldest aquarium in North America. The city's residents voted 88% to 12% to bring it back.
Volunteers kept the building alive for seven years while it sat closed to the public. Then in 2012, on its 108th birthday, the Belle Isle Aquarium reopened.
Today it's completely free, run on donations and volunteer power.
Inside, green glass tiles arch overhead (an Albert Kahn design from 1904, meant to make you feel like you're walking underwater).
Over 200 species fill exhibits designed to feel more like an art gallery than a fish tank.
β‘οΈ Belle Isle Aquarium
π 900 Inselruhe Ave, Detroit, MI 48207