Atlantic City Aquarium Reopening Date Pushed Back Again

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — The Atlantic City Aquarium, closed since 2020 and most recently said to be reopening in December, is having its reopening delayed once more.

Mayor Marty Small Sr. announced in his State of the City address Wednesday that the long-awaited return of the aquarium would come early in the new year. No specific date has been given.

"The bottom line is, it's getting done, and it's getting done under the Small administration," he said.

"That building hasn't ever looked as good as it looks now," Small added, noting that there had been complications like labor shortages and parts missing that caused delays.

The Atlantic City Aquarium was first said to be reopening this past July. Then, that date was pushed back to September. In September, Small said it would open in December.

Initially, the closure in March 2020 was supposed to be temporary. The pandemic drew out the closure as officials worked on much-needed improvements, with delays in the supply chain causing issues.

Also, once work started, it was quickly realized that the damage and repairs needed were much greater than previously thought. The combination of these two factors meant that the renovation schedule was delayed.