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Description
Here's some history on the aquarium:
The Belle Isle Aquarium is a public aquarium located in Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan. Designed by noted architects George D. Mason and Albert Kahn, it opened on August 18, 1904, and was the oldest continually operating public aquarium in North America when it closed on April 3, 2005. The aquarium reopened to the public on August 18, 2012, and is now run entirely by volunteers. The 10,000-square-foot historic building features a single large gallery with an arched ceiling covered in green glass tile to evoke an underwater feeling. The aquarium was operated by the Detroit Zoological Society prior to the 2005 closure. It is currently operated by the Belle Isle Conservancy. The Belle Isle Aquarium opened on 18 August 1904. According to the address given at the opening ceremony, when it opened it was the third largest aquarium in the world. When it opened it held a total of 65,007 US gallons of water. The aquarium basement served as a speakeasy during Prohibition and later held large fish which no longer fit the Belle Isle Zoo's gallery tanks. Closed circuit television allowed remote viewing of these fish. The aquarium was slightly remodeled in the 1950s. Attendance was on a declining trend in its final decade: 113,000 visitors toured the aquarium in 1995 and only 56,000 in 2004. On 14 January 2005, the city of Detroit announced that the aquarium would be closed to save $530,000 annually, with the staff being reassigned to the Detroit Zoo or the Belle Isle Zoo, and the fish transferred to other aquariums. It was originally scheduled to close on March 1. Although an extension was granted to the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium to come up with a fund raising plan, the aquarium was closed on April 3, 2005. On August 3, 2005, Detroit citizens voted to reopen the aquarium by an overwhelming margin (88% in favor, 12% opposed). However, the vote was non-binding and the aquarium remained closed. In 2010, supporters of the aquarium were still trying to find donors to help defray the building's operating costs. Although the building was closed between 2005 and 2012, goldfish and koi from an outside pond were housed in the aquarium during the winter. Each year in February, the aquarium opened for a day for the annual "Shiver on the River," a fund raising event to promote public support of Belle Isle non-profit groups including the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium. On 14 August 2012, The Belle Isle Conservancy, a non-profit volunteer group established in 2011 from the merger of the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium and other Belle Isle non-profit groups, announced the re-opening of the aquarium on a limited basis. The aquarium was reopened on 18 August 2012, the 108th anniversary of its opening.Since 15 September 2012 the volunteer-run aquarium has been open on Saturdays from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. When it was open, the aquarium had 60 exhibits with a total tank volume of 32,000 U.S. gallons and was home to over 1,500 fish of 146 species. The aquarium largely featured freshwater species native to the Great Lakes region, but also had salt-water species from around the world. Currently the aquarium is operating with a limited collection of fish species, as volunteers are still working to restore the aquarium. The aquarium made news in 2002 when one of its female white-spotted bamboo sharks gave birth to two young despite not having been near a male in six years, in a suspected rare case of parthenogenesis.
This is an ORIGINAL item, NOT A REPRODUCTION item! Postage information is listed at the bottom-Calculated shipping is required, which is EXACTLY what the Post Office will charge me to send it.
Payment
We accept Paypal payments.
Shipping
We will try and combine shipping on multiple purchases wherever possible. Please e-mail us with auction item numbers before sending payment. However, if the items are heavy or require special packing / tracking, the postal rates might not be significantly reduced. We no longer ship overseas first class mail. We will only ship Internationally by Priority Mail, and that starts at $30.00. So please be aware that we NO LONGER SHIP FIRST CLASS MAIL INTERNATIONALLY unless seller agrees to ship by USPS Priority mail at an increased rate. Postage rates are non-negotiable and non-refundable. We pack every item professionally using new packing materials and appropriate mailing supplies. We send all items via US Postal Service.The U.S.Postal service rates change fairly regularly every year and we don't make money on postage like some other ebay sellers. I think you'll find that we're quite fair. Thank-you!
Terms of Sale
I try and place a penny in every photo to help judge the size of the item, obviously it is there for size comparison and is not included with the item. The standard sized Lincoln head penny in the photograph is there for size comparison ONLY and is not included in the package. We're just trying to help you figure out how big the item is. We try and always be as accurate as we can in the item description and will gladly answer any question about item size & description when needed. Please e-mail us with any questions BEFORE the end of sale and BEFORE placing a bid. Postage is determined by the U.S. Postal service and is never refundable. Many of the items are VINTAGE and although they are in very fine condition, they may not function as well as when they were made decades ago. So if you intend on using the old item, please be aware that we are selling it for collector value only. In other words, if you intend on using a 50+ year old letter opener and it breaks, don't get mad at us. It may be hard to believe, but we have received a couple negatives because people broke vintage items while trying to use them.
About Us
Our Mission statement: We try to offer Ebay users unique additions to their collections. We comb the antique stores & malls as well as Antique shows & flea markets from Coast-to-coast in an effort to try and find that special addition to your collection. We travel hundreds of miles and wake up with the sun in search of these items. We truly have a love for our hobby / business. Please be aware of the postage rates BEFORE you bid! We pack professionally and do not try and make money off of postage. We generally charge the same postal rate that the US Post Office charges us. We'll respect you, but please respect us as well. Thanks & happy bidding to you! Good Luck!
Contact Us
Please e-mail us with any questions BEFORE the end of sale and BEFORE placing a bid. Postage is determined by the U.S. Postal service and is never refundable. Please be aware of the postage rates BEFORE you bid! We pack professionally and do not try and make money off of postage.
