KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Members of the Kansas City Zoo can tour the construction and progress of the Kansas City Zoo's new aquarium this weekend.
The facility is expected to open in the fall of 2023. KSHB 41 News got its sneak peek on Friday.
One of the most complex portions of the project is the construction of a massive 300,000-gallon tank that will be the new home for more than a thousand animals - including sharks.
The Kansas City Zoo's Stuart Clausen says the aquarium will have 34 exhibits. The aquarium will make salt water on site for its tanks. An underwater sort of tunnel will allow guests to sit while fish swim overhead.
Project funding is thanks to $45 million from the Zoological District in Jackson and Clay Counties. Private donations so far have totaled $25 million, with zoo officials hoping to raise $5 million more to cover the entire $75 million project cost.
That timeline has the aquarium opening in the fall of 2023 while they continue to work to raise the money.
More than 1,000 zoo members had already reserved a tour time as of Friday morning and the zoo says more times are available for other members. More information is available on the zoo's website.
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