ARTIS Aquarium in Amsterdam Reopens

(eap) Amsterdam’s ARTIS Zoo has reopened its aquarium, which first opened in 1882, following five years of restoration and modernisation work. With this, one of the oldest aquariums in the world returns to visitors in a new form.

In the redesigned aquarium, a new story unfolds that immerses visitors in the world of water – the source of all life. Surrounded by underwater life, they are invited to discover the importance of water for all living things, both in water and on land: from nurse sharks to pistol shrimps, from tree frogs to humans themselves.

After a five-year restoration, visitors can once again encounter life underwater and discover how water connects oceans, rivers, animals, plants and people. © Kirsten van Santen “For five years, we have worked on both the restoration and reinvention of the Aquarium. The new Aquarium tells what may be one of the most important nature stories of our time: without healthy water, there is no life. At a time when oceans, rivers, and lakes around the world are under increasing pressure, we want visitors to experience how water connects us all – from life in the ocean to nature in our own cities, and even the water that flows from our taps every day. Anyone who takes a dive into the ARTIS Aquarium will emerge seeing water, and themselves, in a different light,” explains Zoo Director Rembrandt Sutorius.

Femke Halsema, Mayor of Amsterdam, adds: “For generations, ARTIS has been a place close to the hearts of Amsterdam residents. I am proud that, with the renewed Aquarium, we have not only restored a beautiful national monument, but also created a water museum that invites visitors to look at the underwater world in a new way. The result is impressive.”

With the reopening of the Aquarium, the story of ARTIS can once again be experienced in its entirety. Visitors can discover nature in a large variety of facets: from the invisible world of microbes at ARTIS-Micropia and animals and plants at ARTIS Zoo to the relationship between humans and nature at the ARTIS-Groote Museum and the universe at the Planetarium – all facilities are located on the zoo grounds. ■