Name: Texas' first aquarium set to close after 84 years in business
Brand: dallasnews.com
SKU: dallasnews-com-210
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Texas' first aquarium set to close after 84 years in business

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8:00 AM on Oct 5, 2020 CDTThe future is uncertain for the home of a Dallas attraction that made Texas history more than 80 years ago.The Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park is in the process of permanently closing its doors, citing insurmountable financial losses that worsened due to the coronavirus pandemic. Opened in 1936 as the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park, it was Texas' first aquarium.The aquarium closed in mid-March like many other businesses that shut down as COVID-19 cases rose in the state. However, the financial situation had been strained for over a decade.In 2009, the Dallas Zoo took over operations of the aquarium on the condition that the city underwrite its losses. But even after that, it saw anywhere from $150,000 to $300,000 in losses each year, according to the .“From equipment maintenance to building maintenance to animal food and procedures to staffing, the cost annually to operate it outpaced revenue every year,” Gregg Hudson, president and CEO of the Dallas Zoo, said in an email.“The situation created by the shutdown earlier this year, and with the cancellation of the State Fair, only served to compound the ongoing issue.”Currently, the focus is on relocating the aquarium’s almost 4,000 animals.There isn’t an exact close date, Hudson said. Once the animals are moved, the job will be done.A spokesperson for the Dallas Park and Recreation Department said that the city will discuss plans for the aquarium space with Fair Park First, the nonprofit that operates Fair Park.In August, the Dallas Zoo announced plans to furlough in addition to closing the aquarium, and community members started a GoFundMe and a to save the historic attraction. The petition is nearing 1,500 signatures.“No one at the City or the Zoo questions the support for the Aquarium, or the desire for the experiences and educational opportunities it delivered,” Hudson said in an email.“This comes down to a strategic, albeit difficult, decision based on the ongoing costs to operate the facility in the short-term and long-term.”Related:Get email alerts on breaking news stories as soon as they happen.By signing up you agree to our

8:00 AM on Oct 5, 2020 CDTThe future is uncertain for the home of a Dallas attraction that made Texas history more than 80 years ago.The Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park is in the process of permanently closing its doors, citing insurmountable financial losses that worsened due to the coronavirus pandemic. Opened in 1936 as the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park, it was Texas' first aquarium.The aquarium closed in mid-March like many other businesses that shut down as COVID-19 cases rose in the state. However, the financial situation had been strained for over a decade.In 2009, the Dallas Zoo...

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Brooklynn Cooper

dallasnews.com

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Texas' first aquarium set to close after 84 years in business

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