Nearly 25 years ago, on a hot Friday in Charleston, the South Carolina Aquarium officially opened its doors to the community. With our 25th anniversary approaching on May 19, we realize our full story has been built upon many single — yet monumental — moments. As we look toward the future, eager to expand our community’s connection to water, wildlife and wild places, join us to celebrate some of the moments that shaped our first 25 years.
We Opened Our Doors (2000)
On May 19, 2000, Mayor Joe Riley — an avid supporter of opening a nature education facility in Charleston since 1983 — helped us welcome our first guests! The Aquarium brought new opportunities for the community to connect with water, wildlife and wild places like never before.
Charleston Mayor Joe Riley greets the community on the opening day of the South Carolina Aquarium (2000).We Admitted Our First Patient (2000)
A few months later, we received a call asking if we could rehabilitate a sick loggerhead sea turtle. With biologists and saltwater onsite — plus a kiddie pool serving as a temporary triage tank — we were more than willing to help. This first sea turtle — lovingly named Stinky — sparked our decades-long movement to save sea turtles through rescue, rehabilitation and release.
Stinky, a loggerhead sea turtle, was our first patient.We Began No-Cost School Programs (2001)
Just one year in, we welcomed the first class to our free structured school programs (now known as Dominion Energy School Programs). Our complimentary School Programs offer free STEM-based lessons to South Carolina K–12 students and teachers, both in person and virtually. To date, we’ve served more than 164,000 students (and counting)!
We Grew by Four Flippers (2001)
After being surrendered by beachgoers who took her from the sand as a hatchling, a loggerhead sea turtle — now dependent on human care — needed a permanent home. We jumped at the opportunity to help this animal, knowing she could be an ambassador and help us educate the public about conservation. She was named Caretta and given a home in our Great Ocean Tank. Caretta delights guests to this day as she swims or snoozes in North America’s deepest tank, often sparking a connection or opening someone’s eyes to the importance of respecting the natural world.
Guests can come face-to-face with Caretta during their visit.We Launched the Sustainable Seafood Initiative (2002)
Connecting to another major economic driver in the area — the food and beverage industry — we sparked awareness on how humans can impact the health of our oceans by what we choose to put on our plates. Now known as Good Catch, this program leads and encourages communities to support local, sustainable seafood practices and consume responsibly harvested seafood.
We Empowered Our First High School Interns (2004)
Seeing a need to support high schoolers with hands-on job skills and opportunities, we started the High School Intern Program! This paid program provides local high school students with real-world experience and professional skills, leading many to have successful careers in STEM fields (some even at the Aquarium)!
We Built a Dedicated Sea Turtle Hospital (2004)
As we continued taking in sick and injured sea turtles in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, establishing a formal sea turtle hospital was the natural next step. The creation of this dedicated space and program solidified that sea turtle conservation was a core aspect of our Aquarium.
We Drove Our Mission Across the State (2008)
Recognizing that not everyone could connect to the water, wildlife and wild places within our walls, we created a way to drive our mission to them… quite literally! Aquarium Rovers — now Education Outreach, driven by Mercedes-Benz Vans Charleston — has brought the natural world to life in 46 out of 48 South Carolina counties.
Aquarium Rovers — now Education Outreach — took our mission on the road.We Welcomed an American Icon (2008)
Deemed non-releasable after an injury left her with a partial wing amputation, a feathered resident joined the Aquarium ranks: Liberty the American bald eagle. Liberty still serves as an ambassador for her species as well as a testament of our commitment to provide top-notch care to all of our animals, regardless of circumstance.
Liberty arrived to the Aquarium in 2008 from Florida.We Expanded Our Experiences (2015)
We celebrated our 15th anniversary with a new, open-air exhibit overlooking the Charleston Harbor: The Shallows. This 20,000-gallon tank expanded the immersive experiences at the Aquarium, bringing the community fingers-to-fins with aquatic animals, like cownose rays, southern stingrays and horseshoe crabs.
The Shallows is a covered outdoor touch tank experience.We Developed Adult Education Programming (2015)
Combining science, conversation and continuing education led to the creation of Lifelong Learning. These lectures geared toward adults have allowed us to spotlight world-renowned researchers, educators and artists over the years, fostering greater connections among curious minds in our community.
We Encouraged Our Youngest Guests To Learn (2017)
Kids Coast brought play and tactile learning to the Aquarium’s littlest guests! Through interactive stations and exploration in the play area, the environmental stewards of the future have hands-on ways to discover the magic of the natural world.
Kids Coast gives our youngest guests a peek into the world of STEM.We Brought Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Into Public View (2017)
For the first time since opening, all Aquarium guests could now witness sea turtle rehabilitation in action when hospital operations officially expanded onto the first floor of the Aquarium! Now, guests can come face-to-face with patients, watch surgeries procedures and learn ways to save sea turtles through their daily actions.
Guests can learn to be a biologist while examining sea turtle patients.We Performed Our First Public Surgery (2017)
On the heels of opening up a working hospital and exhibit in one, an adult Kemp’s ridley named Peach was admitted with severe marine debris ingestion and entanglement. Peach’s story — and subsequent surgery to remove nearly 4 feet of fishing line — brought nationwide attention to our work and the inextricable link between plastic pollution and sea turtle conservation.
Peach's surgery was the first guests could view through the Aquarium's exhibit windows.We Enacted Change With Citizen Science (2018)
Utilizing data collected during litter sweeps logged in the Litter Journal, a project located in the South Carolina Aquarium Citizen Science app, we provided public testimony in multiple city council meetings to ban harmful single-use plastic and smoking on two area beaches. Thanks to contributions of hundreds of citizen scientists, we’re able to track how these ordinances are working and continue supplying data for future legislation!
We Achieved Sensory Inclusive Certification (2018)
The Aquarium was the first organization in South Carolina to be certified by KultureCity as sensory inclusive. In addition to annual staff training, the Aquarium offers free checkout of sensory bags. These bags feature items that can make a visit more comfortable for an individual with sensory sensitivities, including: noise-dampening headphones for a quieter environment, a sensory map detailing areas of high stimulation and visual communication cards to aide in interaction with staff and volunteers.
KultureCity sensory bags are available to check out for free.We Accepted A Renowned Award (2019)
We were honored to be one of ten recipients of the 2019 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Our collection of all native South Carolina species was highlighted, as was our dedication to tackling tough environmental issues.
We Kept Connection at Our Core During Closure (2020)
The COVID-19 pandemic challenged us to find innovative ways to keep connection to our local and digital communities thriving. Within days, Aquarium staff pivoted all programming and content to virtual, engaging thousands through Virtual Visits, Family Nature Challenges and even livestreaming sea turtle releases.
Even through masks and tablets, we stayed connected to the community.We Saved Our Heart and Soul With Your Help (2021)
With immense financial uncertainty caused by the pandemic closure, we found ourselves at risk of losing the heart and soul of who we are: our education programs and our Sea Turtle Care Center™. After putting out a call for help, our community showed up, collectively raising $2.3 million to continue these monumental programs. This act of generosity solidified the importance of our work to the community and fueled us to amplify our efforts as we stabilized our operations.
We Brightened the Holiday Season (2021)
We flipped the switch on with a completely new experience in 2021: Aquarium Aglow. Created as a celebration of joy during the winter holiday season, Aquarium Aglow allows us to open our doors at dusk to feature original, immersive light displays, festive photo stations, sustainable refreshments and more. Every year it gets a bit brighter as more friends and families share in this new Lowcountry holiday tradition.
Aquarium Aglow gives the community an opportunity too see us in a whole new light.We Celebrated 10 Million Visitors (2022)
We welcomed our 10 millionth visitor in 2022, a sign that our forward momentum wasn’t slowing down. The D’Angelo family was greeted with applause, bubbles and plenty of Aquarium gifts! This milestone renewed our commitment to continue connecting millions more with water, wildlife and wild places.
The D'Angelo family had a blast as we celebrated 10 million guests.We Addressed Food Insecurity Alongside Partners (2023)
Recognizing the reality that many of our neighbors face food insecurity, we established Good Catch Seafood Connection. Interweaving community partners with unique expertise and resources, Seafood Connection provides 5,000 free meals, supports local fishermen, keeps local seafood truly local and enables community members to gain critical skills to build their future through the lens of local seafood.
We Reached a Milestone Sea Turtle Release (2024)
Our 400th sea turtle released was a stunning reminder of the true impact saving just one sea turtle at a time can make. Jim — named for a beloved Aquarium colleague who had recently passed — swam into the warmer waters of Jacksonville, FL on a beautiful and mild February day.
Jim, a juvenile green sea turtle, is released into the ocean.We Mentored Future Environmental Stewards (2024)
Teen Conservation Crew, a paid opportunity for 9th and 10th grade students to gain hands-on experience in mitigating climate change within the community, launched with 15 crew mates! These teens hit the ground running, participating in resilience activities like dolphin counts, artificial reef ball construction and saltmarsh grass planting. Connecting our future leaders to their communities and to the natural world around them paves the way for a bright, sustainable future for all.
Teen Conservation Crew mates participate in resilience activities and programs.We Doubled Our School Programs Capacity (2025)
We proudly welcomed our first class — second graders learning about native habitats — into the Boeing Learning Lab at the Charleston Maritime Center! The Learning Lab is the new hub of the Aquarium’s slate of education programming, allowing us to double the number of students served through School Programs annually and create new educational opportunities for the community.
Students learn just steps from the water at the Learning Lab.Milestones are reached moment by moment, and we are inspired by the memories created from the moments that matter most. 25 years is just the beginning! Join us for the next 25 years of inspiring conservation of the natural world.
Published May 1, 2025