Barnum's Aquarial Gardens (June 1862 – February 1863) in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, USA, was a public aquarium, zoo, and performance space located on Washington Street in the

Financial District A financial district is usually a central area in a city where financial services firms such as banks, insurance companies and other related finance corporations have their head offices. In major cities, financial districts are often home to s ...

P.T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He was ...

bought the Boston Aquarial and Zoological Gardens in 1862, remodelled the space, changed the name of the business, and re-opened the collections to the public in June. In contrast to its earlier incarnation, the place became more of a show-hall than a serious scientific establishment. "Madame Lanista," who wrestled with snakes, was a typical attraction of this period. Other exhibits included a dog show and a baby show, as well as dramatic performances, which were given from Dec. 16, 1862, until the venue was closed on Feb. 14, 1863. After the Gardens were closed, their contents were moved to

Barnum's American Museum Barnum's American Museum was located at the corner of Broadway, Park Row, and Ann Street in what is now the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City, from 1841 to 1865. The museum was owned by famous showman P. T. Barnum, who purc ...

in New York. Most of the exhibits were destroyed when the America Museum burned down in 1865.

Performances/Exhibits

* June 1862 - Dog show * July 1862 - "Baby show" ("fine and fancy specimens of infantile humanity") * August 1862 - " Jonathan Harrington" August 26 through September 1 (Harrington also performed in this venue in 1861) * Sept. 1862 - " Gen. Tom Thumb and Commodore Nutt" ("two rival pigmies")New Hampshire Patriot, Sept. 10, 1862 * "Miss Dora Dawron, the double voiced singer ... in unique costume representing half man and half woman"Daily Picayune (New Orleans); Date: 08-14-1862 * "Miss Leone, attired as Venus, in her nautilus shell boat ... rivesthe whale around the great central tank" * Albino Family

References

{{Zoos of Massachusetts Former buildings and structures in Boston 1862 establishments in Massachusetts 1863 disestablishments in Massachusetts Zoos established in 1862 Zoos disestablished in 1863 Cultural history of Boston 19th century in Boston Financial District, Boston 1863 in the United States Aquaria in Massachusetts Former theatres in Boston Defunct aquaria P. T. Barnum

Performances/Exhibits

See also

References