It has been more than a century since Romans were able to visit an aquarium in their city, but the wait is almost over, as the city’s brand new Sea Life Rome Aquarium is scheduled to open in spring 2016 in a completely underground structure located underneath the artificial lake the modern EUR district of Rome.
The stars of the aquarium will include sea turtles, sharks, and rays, who will share the aquarium space with more than 5,000 animals from 100 species. Creatures including jellyfish, sea stars, sea horses, and fish will swim in a total of 30 tanks with different themes.
Merlin Entertainments, a British company that owns Sea Life Aquariums, is in charge of the project and says construction progress is back on track after facing years of setbacks and technical issues.
“We are happy to announce that Roman citizens soon will be able to fully enjoy the magic of the marine world in SEA LIFE Aquarium Rome … We have great expectations regarding the opening and we are proud to give the Aquarium to the Eternal City,” said Craig Dunkerly, Head of New Openings Europe for Merlin Entertainments.
The city’s first aquarium opened in 1887 in an elegant building in Piazza M. Fanti, but closed a decade later; the building now houses the Casa dell’Architettura. The new aquarium, though, won’t be a nod to the past, but rather will be a modern, futuristic building featuring a transparent underwater tunnel.
Besides surrounding themselves in marine life by walking through the tunnel, visitors can catch a 3-D show in the new auditorium – perfect for children! – or visit the onsite museum.
Sea Life owns several aquariums around the world, including in the U.S. and at Legoland Denmark. The aquarium plans to offer a promotional rate of 12€ for the grand opening; regular-price tickets will be 17€ for adults and 13.50€ for children.
By Kathy McCabe
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