Temporary closure of Belle Isle Aquarium

Belle Isle Aquarium, which originally opened in 1904 on Belle Isle, was closed by the City of Detroit in 2005 as part of budget-cutting measures, removing public aquarium exhibits from the park for several years. The aquarium remained closed until it reopened under the care of local nonprofits and partners in 2012, marking the end of its period of disappearance from public programming. The building is one of the oldest public aquarium structures in the United States.