August 4, 2006 - Celebrate 25 Years of Inspiration, Education and Conservation on August 8th

Aquarium will lead 25 days of activities and family fun

Baltimore– August 4, 2006 –The National Aquarium in Baltimore is celebrating 25 years of education, conservation and inspiration! On Tuesday, August 8, the Aquarium will welcome City of Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley who will declare “National Aquarium in Baltimore 25th Anniversary Day,” and we will dedicate the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Waterfront Park. Food Network star Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes will serve a fabulous fish-shaped birthday to visitors on the pier.

Designed by award-winning landscape architecture firm Rhodeside & Harwell, the Weinberg Waterfront Park is a tree-filled urban oasis and striking welcome space for visitors to the Aquarium. It is also a carefully conceived educational setting that explores Maryland’s diverse ecosystems, from the ocean, coastal plains and Chesapeake Bay through the Piedmont region and west to the Allegheny Mountains.

The anniversary ceremony on August 8 kicks off twenty five days of celebration events:

On Mondays, visitors can talk with Aquarium experts and special guests. Topics are “Playtime for the Animals” on the 14th; “Building a Naturalistic Habitat” on the 21st; and book-signing and lecture with David Helvarg and Jim Toomey, authors of 50 Ways to Save the Ocean, on the 28th.
On Tuesdays, enjoy free family movies in the Weinberg Waterfront Park! Shark Tale, The Incredible Mr. Limpet and other aquatic films begin at 8:30pm each Tuesday through the celebration. These family movies are free to the public.
Every Wednesday through the 25-day celebration, visitors can participate in fun, hands-on activities in the Weinberg Waterfront Park and discover how to help the Chesapeake Bay. These activities are free to the public.
Thursdays, Adults are invited to enjoy some of Australia’s best wines while listening to a jazz trio – a tribute to Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes and the Aquarium’s silver anniversary.
For four Fridays, Aquarium visitors will meet some of the animals from Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes up-close and personal.
During the three weekends of the silver anniversary celebration, kids are invited to join a living treasure hunt by using clue cards to find eight of our silver-colored fish.

The 25 days of celebration events are made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, including Hard Rock Cafe, Hyatt Regency Baltimore, Pepsi, Baltimore Magazine, and WBAL TV 11.

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, a non-profit organization, is Maryland’s most exciting and popular cultural attraction, as well as one of the region’s leading conservation and education resources, hosting more than 1.6 million visitors per year. The Aquarium’s mission is to connect people with aquatic life in order to create a better world for both. It is dedicated to education and conservation through more than a dozen programs that serve the environment and the community.