One Fish, Two Fish, No Fish: The Original Cleveland Aquarium

In Cleveland, an aquarium currently occupies a building that used to be the FirstEnergy Powerhouse. After it closed as a powerhouse, the building was occupied by businesses over the years. When I was young, my dad took me to an arcade in the basement of the building when we missed a Cleveland Baron’s game (before Lake Erie Monsters existed). On January 19, 2012, it became the home of the new Cleveland Aquarium. HOWEVER, did you know there used to be a smaller Cleveland Aquarium?

On the other side of Cleveland, in Gordon Park, a long-forgotten building rotted away for years until its eventual demolition. 

In 1954, the Cleveland Aquarium opened. This was after the Cleveland Museum of Natural History relocated and the aquatic life collection was given to the Cleveland Aquarium Society. The aquarium had 50 exhibits. A combination of rising costs of keeping the aquarium open and the structure becoming a safety concern ultimately led to its closure in 1985. The aquatic life was transferred to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Cleveland would not have another stand-alone aquarium until 2012. It would occasionally be used as a training area for the police K-9 unit. Over the years, when it was left completely abandoned, it drew many urban explorers and, unfortunately, vandals. It was demolished a few months ago, on October 26, 2023, to make way for plans to improve Gordon Park. Fortunately, I could visit it before the demolition in April 2022. 

One day at Gordon Park in April, I went to get exterior photos. One thing I noticed was the blue ceramic panels beside the boarded-up entrance doors that resemble waves. It is the only indicator showing what once was the building. Initials were carved in as they indicated a ceramics artist commissioned it. I roamed around the exterior of the building to see everything but a broken window with a chair that someone used as a stepping stool to get inside. I did not go in not just because it would have been trespassing but because the ceiling was caved in, possibly due to heavy water damage from over the years. Looking through the window, I saw an empty aquarium with broken glass and debris surrounding it. 

Other than what I could see, I only learned more about the interior online. Many websites posted photos from urban exploration and when the aquarium was opened in its heyday. Some urban explorers posted pictures of a large part of the interior with a shark mural. 

Many older generations have fond memories of the original Cleveland Aquarium. My mom was one of those visitors when she was a child in the 1960s, as well as my grandma. While the building may be gone, it will remain in the hearts of those who have visited it.