The National Aquarium was first established in 1873 in Woods Hole, MA as part of the Federal Fish Commission.
In 1878, The National Aquarium moved to the site of the Washington Monument, and consisted of holding ponds, known as "Babcock Lakes".
In the 1880s, the National Aquarium consisted of a hatching station and small aquarium in Central Station, located near the present National Air and Space Museum.
The Fish Commission became part of the Department of Commerce in 1903, and changed its name to the Bureau of Fisheries.
With the building of the Department of Commerce Building in 1932, the National Aquarium was incorporated into the lower level of the building.
In the 1940s, the National Aquarium came under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, when the Bureau of Fisheries became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In 1982, federal funds were eliminated from the operating budget for the National Aquarium. Threatened to be closed, The National Aquarium Society was formed to keep the National Aquarium operating.
A Close-up of the National Aquarium’s Extreme Makeover
In 2003, The National Aquarium Society Board of Directors signed an alliance agreement with the Board of Directors of The National Aquarium in Baltimore, enabling the two aquariums to work together to strengthen the animal collection and educational impact of the Aquarium.
In 2004, initial planning for the National Aquarium renovation project took place with receipt of a $573,000 grant from NOAA. First and critical undertaking was to address water quality issues. The condition of the tanks and the back areas were key first-up items for attention
