The ''Aquarium of Boise'' is a 501 c(3)
non-profit aquarium
An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...
in
Boise, Idaho, United States. It opened to the public in 2011.
History
The
nonprofit organization that built and operates the Aquarium of Boise was founded in 2008. After several attempts to find a location, the aquarium was built in a remodeled
warehouse in Boise. The aquarium opened to the public on December 16, 2011.
It draws about 25,000 visitors per month, including school groups, community organizations, and visitors from across the states of Idaho, Utah, Washington, Oregon and California. It was opened as a work-in-progress, with some exhibits still unfinished, but continues to add more exhibits as time goes on. The aquarium was built with roughly $300,000 in small donations and season pass sales, daily admission sales, grants, fundraising, corporate and private parties.
On May 21, 2014, the "Idaho Aquarium" officially changed its name to the "Aquarium of Boise". This was a part of a larger restructuring process that included a new Board of Directors, CEO and COO, with the mission to maintain and strengthen the organization as a vital educational part of the community.
Mission
The mission of the aquarium is to educate and inspire the conservation and enhancement of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through hands-on interaction. The aquarium strives to enhance the quality of life for all terrestrial and aquatic animals by teaching and inspiring people of all ages to better understand, care for, and conserve all life on our planet to ensure a greater future for us all.
The Aquarium of Boise is compliant with regulatory agencies, which include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture's (APHIS program) and the Idaho Humane Society.
Features
The Aquarium of Boise is designed primarily around interactive touch tanks.
Its main exhibits feature a
shark nursery,
coral reef habitat, shark and
stingray
Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...
pool, a
jellyfish tank, a
giant octopus tank, and
tide pools. The interactive exhibits include opportunities for visitors to touch or hold animals such as
coral,
starfish
Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars. Starfish ...
,
crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
s, sharks and rays. The aquarium also exhibits
terrestrial and
arboreal animals, such as
lories
Loriini is a tribe of small to medium-sized arboreal parrots characterized by their specialized brush-tipped tongues for feeding on nectar of various blossoms and soft fruits, preferably berries. The species form a monophyletic group within the ...
,
tree frogs and
chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
s.
The aquarium continues to grow and develop its plans for expansion, with the addition of 5,000 sq. feet of additional space, and adding a new Marine Science Academy, Reptile exhibits, Octopus exhibit, bird aviary and Marine Science Laboratory.
Notes
External links
*{{Official website, https://www.aquariumboise.net/
Non-profit organizations based in Idaho
Tourist attractions in Boise, Idaho
Buildings and structures in Boise, Idaho
Aquaria in Idaho