New England Aquarium Hotels

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On June 20, 1969 the New England Aquarium opened its doors to the public for the first time. The Aquarium was designed with the intention of providing an underwater experience for the visitor and of being a cultural institution that would reconnect Boston to its waterfront. In its more than 30 years of existence the Aquarium has grown a lot. We have developed several programs in order to help preserve and bring a better understanding of marine life and our exhibits have been under constant expansion and renovation. From the Giant Ocean Tank, opened in 1970 that was, at the time, the largest circular, salt water tank in the world to the new Matthew and Marcia Simons IMAX®, the only 3D theatre in Boston, opened in December 2001. The Aquarium continues its tradition to serve as a leader in research, education and conservation. The leadership of John Prescott, who served as Executive Director from 1972-1994, Jerry Schubel, from 1994-2001, and today, Ed Toomey, continues to move the Aquarium to the forefront of these issues.