Toledo Zoo to Celebrate Aquarium 10 Year Anniversary
Mar 25, 2025
TOLEDO, Ohio – Mar. 25, 2025 – The Toledo Zoo's historic Aquarium is marking a significant milestone—ten years since its grand reopening. On Saturday, March 29, the Zoo will host a commemorative event featuring a full day of activities, interactive experiences, and educational opportunities highlighting a decade of aquatic conservation and public engagement.
Since its reopening in 2015 following a comprehensive $25.5 million renovation, the Aquarium has continued to serve as a premier destination for marine life exploration. Originally constructed in 1939 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the facility underwent an extensive transformation that expanded its total water volume from 46,000 gallons to 175,000 gallons, creating 32 state-of-the-art exhibits and significantly enhancing guest experience. Today, the Aquarium is home to over 3,000 aquatic animals, including species such as bonnethead sharks, sea nettles and a rescued green sea turtle.
From 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., guests can dive into the fun with Aquarium-themed crafts, giveaways, fascinating biofacts and hands-on activities. Throughout the day, visitors will also have the chance to witness the magic of the underwater world with exclusive behind-the-scenes tour opportunities.
Schedule of Events:
Inside the Aquarium:
- 10:30 a.m. – Gulf of Mexico tank feed
- 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Aquatic-themed origami demonstrations by Michael Roy's Paper Magic
- 11:15 a.m. – Meet a diver
- 11:30 a.m. – Pacific Reef tank dive
- 1:30 p.m. – Octopus enrichment
- 3 p.m. – Gulf of Mexico tank feed
- 3:30 p.m. – Pacific Reef tank feed
Additional Activities:
- TSA Glass City Steel Drums Performances – 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. (Outside the Aquarium)
- Bounce House – 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Great Hall, ProMedica Museum of Natural History)
- Meet & Greet with Ariel and Moana – Noon – 1:30 p.m. (Great Hall, ProMedica Museum of Natural History)
- Line closes at 1:30 p.m. | Characters presented by Laurel’s Characters & Co.
- Free Face Painting with Toledo School for the Arts – Noon – 2 p.m. (Nature’s Neighborhood)
- Spring Animal Demonstrations – Held throughout the day across the Zoo
Additionally, the Zoo’s newly updated Ziems Conservatory will be open to the public daily from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., beginning on March 29. The refreshed space offers an immersive experience, featuring two desert biome exhibits with various plant and animal species, including free-roaming lizards. The unique indoor plant collection showcases cacti, succulents, trees and shrubs from Australia and the Southwestern United States to bring this hot habitat to life for Toledoans.
About the Toledo Zoo
The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, situated in Toledo, Ohio, proudly holds membership in the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Boasting a diverse collection, the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium is home to more than 16,000 individual animals spanning 680+ species. Actively engaged in conservation efforts, the Zoo participates in over 80 species survival programs. With a robust community of over 78,000 active membership households, the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium welcomes about 1.1 million visitors annually.
About “Honoring our past. Envisioning our future.”
“Honoring our past. Envisioning our future.” is the 125th-anniversary campaign for the Toledo Zoo, commemorating 125 years of conservation, education and community connection. Since its inception in 1900, the Toledo Zoo has grown from a modest collection of animals into a world-renowned zoological institution.Throughout the 2025 calendar year, the Toledo Zoo will host a series of special events, exhibits, and programs to honor this remarkable milestone. These celebrations will highlight the Zoo’s historic achievements, ongoing conservation efforts and ambitious plans for the future. Visitors can look forward to engaging experiences that connect them to the Zoo’s mission of inspiring people to care about wildlife and natural environments.Join us in 2025 to celebrate this extraordinary milestone and help shape the next chapter of the Toledo Zoo’s incredible legacy.
