Waikiki Aquarium

The Waikiki Aquarium has a long and venerable history. Open on 19th March 1904, it is the third oldest public aquarium in the United States. Then known as the Honolulu Aquarium, it was established as a commercial venture by the Honolulu Rapid Transit and Land Company, who wished to "show the world the riches of Hawaii's reefs".

A part of the University of Hawaii since 1919, the Aquarium is located next to a living reef on the Waikiki shoreline. In 1949 the Territorial Legislature funded construction of a new Aquarium building on property about 100 yards south of the original Aquarium site. Tinker directed construction of this new facility, known as the Waikiki Aquarium, which opened in 1955 and included a saltwater well to supply the display tanks. Today the Aquarium is still housed in the 1955 building, which occupies 2.35 acres of State land on the shoreline at Kapiolani Park.

Today, the Waikiki Aquarium exhibits, programs, and research focus on the aquatic life of Hawaii and the tropical Pacific. Over 2,500 organisms in our exhibits represent more than 420 species of aquatic animals and every year, roughly 350,000 people visit the Waikiki Aquarium.

The Waikiki Aquarium has been designated as the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center for the Pacific Island Region of the Coastal America Partnership.

Contact Information
Dr. Andrew Rossiter, Director
2777 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone (808) 923-9741
rossiter@waquarium.org

Affiliates: University of Hawaii
Specimens: more than 450 species
Established: 1904