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Even staff members complemented the new experience: the black and purple aquarium uniform, patterned on the then-hit TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation, was worn by anyone who worked in public view. A one-man submersible hung from the center, its lights shining on the Command Center - a glorified information desk made to look like the bridge of an underwater lab. The rotunda was upgraded with the addition of a large, spinning mobile in the domed ceiling, made from more than a thousand polished aluminum fish shapes. The new attraction opened to acclaim by the public and was also the Themed Entertainment Association's 1996 recipient of the "Award for Outstanding Achievement." This new, themed exhibit introduced fish, birds, sharks, and sea turtles from all across the Atlantic Ocean, and not just from the coast of New Jersey. The new attraction, designed by award-winning experience designer Bob Rogers and the design team BRC Imagination Arts, made use of the building's massive 760,000-U.S.-gallon (2,900,000-liter) Open Ocean Tank (the third largest on the continent). But in 1994, Ocean Base Atlantic debuted to the public.
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The aquarium never closed during this reconstruction phase, but many exhibits were periodically offline or inaccessible, making the small building even smaller.
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This was featured on Michael Moore's television series TV Nation in 1995. Alarmed, the aquarium's managers began a short period of intense renovation, just a year after opening day. By the next fiscal year (1993), attendance had plummeted to a mere 400,000. But the biggest problem was the animals themselves: as a New Jersey–based operation, the original aquarium displayed only native fishes, mainly brown and grey in color, and just about nothing else. Graphics were almost non-existent, and the building itself tended to feel small. None of the exhibits were themed, and many of the tanks seemed to be lined up in neat, square rows. The cavernous rotunda, capped by the classic white dome, featured a deafening echo and was poorly lit. The building's concrete nature was glaringly apparent both inside and out, as bare, grey concrete walls defined almost every public space. But trouble arose almost immediately when visitor and critics' reviews turned decidedly negative. In its first year of operation, the aquarium hosted 1.6 million visitors.

Constructed primarily of cast concrete, accented by large glass and aluminum facades and topped by a large, white fabric dome, the aquarium was completed at a total cost of about $52 million. The original building was designed by the architectural firm The Hillier Group and became a centerpiece for a virtually abandoned area. The Academy oversaw the design and construction of the original attraction jointly with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.

Kean New Jersey State Aquarium at Camden, the aquarium was operated by the non-profit New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences, an organization chartered in 1989 to run the aquarium and further its mission of education and conservation. Inspired by the success that other cities, particularly Baltimore, had experienced with their own marine life centers, the New Jersey legislature approved the bill that included the aquarium's construction order in the late 1980s, and Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean signed it into law. This proposal aimed to counteract the negative image painted of Camden and draw in revenue that would further help the city. There was a nice children’s area, with lots of interactive play things (I caught a glimpse of our teens playing in there like they were five…Shhh…don’t tell anyone).The New Jersey State Aquarium was planned to revitalize the Camden waterfront, using the aquarium as a focal point for a shopping center, a hotel, and high-rise residential buildings. Lot’s of noise and lots of visual stimulation for the lack of the better word. It was August, and there were camp groups, parents with youngsters and just many many people enjoying the place. The aquarium was super crowded on a weekday in the summer.

We saw fish, and sharks, and lots of different animals through out the aquarium. The adults and the youngest kids went together. We did run into them a few times, and they seemed to be having a great time. Once we got there and parked (keep in mind that there is a $10.00 parking fee), the teens quickly split off and went on their own.

Aquariums are not generally our jam, so it is a rare occasion for me to make a long drive there. I went with a friend, and a bunch of kids.
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However, in July and August, the aquarium was showing some teacher love, and gave free tickets for a weekday in those two months to educators and a guest to show their appreciation. It was quite a long drive to get there for us. Several summers ago, we made a trip down to Camden to visit the Adventure Aquarium.
