[2] On May 16, 1911, the mayor of Philadelphia signed an ordinance specifying that an aquarium be created at the old Fairmount Water Works site.

[3] The aquarium was intended to help educate visitors about the habitat, breeding, and activities of fish, especially those native to Pennsylvania.

[4] The aquarium opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1911, with nineteen small tanks and a series of regular lectures on marine life (many featuring sketches by renowned artist "Biggie" Grover Simcox).

[4] The buildings required very little structural change, and the flat roofs, previously used as plazas, provided space for skylights to illuminate the exhibits.

[1] In the period after World War II, the aquarium suffered from years of inadequate funding, political maneuvering and the resulting neglect.