Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium opens March 28
NEWPORT, R.I. – March 12, 2024 – Downtown Newport’s newest attraction now has an opening date: Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium will open on Thursday, March 28. The opening will mark the conclusion of a three-year, multi-million dollar renovation producing a one-of-a-kind facility that will allow guests from near and far “discover the world beneath the waves of Narragansett Bay.”
“When we open the doors to the new Aquarium, we’ll be opening the doors to education, inspiration and connection to Narragansett Bay,” said Topher Hamblett, Save The Bay Executive Director. “No matter who you are, you will be able to learn something new about the Bay here—and we can’t wait to share this new opportunity with the whole community.”
“Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium, located at Newport’s transportation hub at the entrance to downtown, exemplifies how our community is adapting to change in ways that help more people connect with and understand our bay,” said City of Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong. “I am thankful for Save The Bay, the Hamilton Family Charitable Trust, and the supporters who have made this new aquarium possible.”
“Our family is delighted to be a supporter of this important project. We know that the new aquarium will bring so much learning and joy to all who visit,” said Dory Benson, Co-Chair of the Aquidneck Island Fund of the Hamilton Family Charitable Trust, whose contribution to the project is honored in the facility’s name.
“The opening of this new experience is a testament to the growth of Save The Bay,” said Evan Smith, President and CEO of Discover Newport. “It gives a glimpse for both locals and visitors alike to the inhabitants of Narragansett Bay, and all the work this organization puts into protecting their home. It perfectly compliments the destination and will not only be a great new family attraction right in the downtown district but will only enhance and continue their environmental education mission.”
With over a dozen exhibits that focus on the Bay’s habitats—from the rocky shore to its deeper waters—the Aquarium offers 7,000-square-feet of discovery opportunities, complete with three touch tanks, and even an augmented reality watershed model. The facility also features species that come from, and are returned to Narragansett Bay.
“As a nonprofit organization that focuses on advocacy, habitat restoration and education, our Aquarium serves an important function in our mission to protect and improve Narragansett Bay,” said Save The Bay Director of Education Bridget Prescott. “It offers an opportunity to truly connect with and learn about parts of Narragansett Bay you might not otherwise be able to. This connection is at the heart of all of our Bay stewards and is, in many ways, the foundation of the future of Bay advocacy.”
The Aquarium represents an expansion of Save The Bay’s previous Exploration Center and Aquarium on Easton’s Beach, which closed its doors October 2023. Following 17 years of successful operations—and after recovering the facility from several encounters with storm damage—the nonprofit organization sought a larger, less vulnerable location to expand its educational offerings.
Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium is proud to be a sensory-inclusive location, with staff certified by KultureCity. The facility is also a proud participant in the Institute of Museum and Library Service’s “Museums for All,” program, offering free admission for up to four guests for those receiving SNAP benefits with the presentation of an EBT card.
Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium is located at 23 America’s Cup Ave, Newport RI, 02840, and is accessible by RIPTA Routes 14, 60, 63, 64, 231 Flex, and hop-on-hop-off routes 67 and 68.
Opening hours of operation will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursday-Monday. General admission will be $15/person with discounts available for Save The Bay members and seniors, and free admission for guests ages two and under. More information about the Aquarium is available at www.savebay.org/aquarium.
###