[2] In 1873[3] or 1875,[2] US Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries Spencer Fullerton Baird invited the public to his laboratory in Woods Hole to see animals and learn about marine science.

In 1885, the US government built the first marine research building in Woods Hole, and Baird arranged for the first floor to house a public aquarium that displayed fish, invertebrates, and birds.

[2][4] The aquarium's exhibits consist of marine animals found in the waters of the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States.

[1][2] In addition to its display animals, the Woods Hole Science Aquarium runs a program to rehabilitate sea turtles that have washed up on Cape Cod beaches after being injured or stunned by cold weather in late autumn.

The turtles are rehabilitated until they are healthy enough to return to the wild, but they are not displayed to the public.