It adjoined the east border of the newly developed residential neighborhood Packer Park at 3300 South Broad Street.

Aquarama was a leading 1960s educational and entertainment concept that combined the previous elements of an Aquarium zoo with theatrical aquatic circus.

The old Aquarium had been housed in vacated building space when the City's Fairmount Park Waterworks was closed and the pumping machine removed.

It was a success until the 1940s with over one million visitors annually, until the facility fell into disrepair and exhibits diminished in variety and became known more for dead fish and a building infested with rodents.

The South Philadelphia site was selected to gain a benefit from a larger development concept for the area near JFK Stadium.

It remained idle until a 1960s development plan for a modern sports and entertainment complex at the apex of Broad Street and Packer Avenue was realized with the eventual demolition of the historically remembered Municipal Stadium (a last remaining structure of the Sesqui-Centennial Expo and the event site of the annual Army/Navy Game) then renamed in 1964, JFK Stadium, in honor of the then recently assassinated president John F. Kennedy.

Also, in keeping with complementary entertainment venues across from the Aquarama site on the east side of Broad Street was Park Lanes Bowling alley and the South City Drive-in movie theater.

The exterior of the building was composed of concrete sections of offset angled panels, porticos with multi-colored and multi-textured tiles and adorned with wave shaped canopies symbolizing the ocean.

Trained seals would honk out “How Dry I Am” on a set of bulb horns, and several times a day, dolphins would rescue a clown named "Flippy".

As lights went on at show time six porpoises, each weighing about 300 pounds and 10 feet (3.0 m) long would start in a "Philly" style dance version of the "Twist" made popular by home town recording star Chubby Checker.

Following the show, patrons could wander out into the concession area and spend their spare change on souvenirs, or on watching chickens, ducks and small animals perform tricks in tiny coin-operated booths.

This included the 20th century outdoor entertainment entrepreneur George Hamid, who leased the facility and brought from Atlantic City the famous Diving Horse attraction.

Even this attempt failed as the diver missed the foam rubber bed and wound up in the intensive care unit of the nearby hospital.

When Philadelphia landed an NHL ice hockey franchise, Hart submitted some audition tapes and got the job, but he still worked full-time for the aquarium, according to the Flyers Web site.

Well-known radio and television personality Ed Hurst, a native of Atlantic City NJ with performances at Steel Pier, originated a live teenage dance formatted like American Bandstand telecast from the Aquarama on Saturday afternoons using the open spaces with the undersea theme as a background.