St. Lucie County Aquarium

LOCATION: 420 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce
TELEPHONE: 772-462-FISH (3474). For school/group bookings call 772-465-3271.
CENTER HOURS: Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  Effective Aug. 15 - Nov. 15 - the hours will be reduced toTuesday and Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Educational tours can still be scheduled Tuesday - Friday by calling 772-465-3271.
ADMISSION:  Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for children and seniors. Children 3 and under are free. Admission is free on the first Tuesday of each month. Group rates and memberships are available.  

For more details and webcams from inside the Aquarium visit the Smithsonian's website at: http://www.sms.si.edu/SMEE/

Created and managed through a partnership between the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners and the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce, this 5,000-sqaure-foot facility features more than 8,000 gallons of marine life. The Aquarium's six aquarium displays and touch tank accurately reflect the habitats typically found in the Indian River Lagoon and surrounding coastal waters.

The St. Lucie County Aquarium, featuring the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit, opened in November of 2000, after the Center's main 3,000-gallon coral reef exhibit was being retired from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Smithsonian scientists were the first to put a living model of an Atlantic coral reef ecosystem on display for the public. The Washington, D.C. exhibit remained one of the museum's biggest attractions until 1998, when the decision was made to replace it with new displays. To take advantage of this unique opportunity, the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County formed a partnership and to move the exhibit to Fort Pierce.  Additional support for the Aquarium came from the St. Lucie County School District, the City of Fort Pierce, the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, the Indian River Community College, the South Florida Water Management District, and the St. Johns River Water Management District.