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Austin Aquarium Coming to North Austin This Year

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Austin-Aquarium-Family-Activities

Editor’s Note, August 26, 2013: We were originally excited about the new Austin Aquarium and looking forward to its opening this year. But as news about the Covinos’ questionable business practices continues to come to light, we feel the need to protect our community and our reputation by officially stating that we do not endorse the Austin Aquarium. Please stay informed as news continues to unfold, and we will do the same.

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Our city already has a zoo and, with the opening of Austin Aquarium before the end of 2013, Austinites will be able to experience another facet of wildlife fun and education.

Austin Aquarium is owned by Vince Covino and his brother Ammon, creators of the aquariums in Portland, OR and Boise, ID. Having experienced success in the northwest U.S., the Covinos moved their families to Austin and launched construction on a new aquarium on Highway 183 near Anderson Mill, in northwest Austin.

Austin Aquarium Owners Vince Ammon Covino

Austin Aquarium owners Vince and Ammon Covino

This exciting addition to Austin will occupy 22,000 square feet on its base floor, with star attractions like seals and Asian small-clawed otters. Visitors will also be able to enjoy sharks, sting rays, reptiles, birds and a rare giant Pacific octopus. All in all, there will be 10,000 animals from over 3,000 species.

Austin Aquarium Turtles Otters Macaws Sharks

Vince told us that it should take visitors about 90 minutes to experience the Austin Aquarium. There will also be a playplace where kids can roam free while parents rest their feet for a few minutes.

What Makes Austin Aquarium Special

Giant Pacific Octopus at Austin Aquarium

Giant Pacific Octopus

Both Vince and Ammon have adopted foster children into their families, so it goes without saying that they have a huge heart for foster kids. In fact, Vince told the Austinot that foster kids will always receive free admission at Austin Aquarium!

“Aquariums are very therapeutic for foster kids,” he said. “The government doesn’t give money to foster parents for entertainment, so we want to provide this opportunity to them.”

Eel at Austin Aquarium

Austin Aquarium is currently working with the Texas Advanced Computer Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin to create an interactive exhibit. The idea is to combine dozens of mounted screens, to create one giant screen the size of a wall. It would be an interactive screen that visitors could touch to learn about underwater habitats and observe animal behavior. The aquarium is currently searching for a tech partner in Austin who can help make this vision come to life.

These wall-sized interactive screens at the Texas Advanced Computer

The Covinos hope to incorporate these wall-sized interactive screens at the Texas Advanced Computer Center into an Austin Aquarium exhibit

Vince and Ammon aim to make Austin Aquarium the most interactive aquarium in the country. In addition to entertaining visitors, they also want to be an educational resource. To do so, they’ve been reaching out to influencers in the city and region who are knowledgeable about animal life, environmental science and sustainability. Many of these individuals have already agreed to contribute their knowledge and resources, or are in the midst of designing exciting plans for future aquarium exhibits.

Opening Day

Shark at Austin Aquarium

Austin Aquarium will most likely open its doors in November 2013. If not then, Vince says it will definitely be ready by the end of the year.

For the first 10 days, the aquarium will be open to members only, so you should take advantage of the current offer: 50% off annual passes. Only so many passes are being sold at this rate and the discount probably won’t be available for much longer. Annual passes regularly range from $60-200 per year and include unlimited visits, multiple types of discounts, access to VIP events, and guest discounts. Click here to learn more about aquarium membership.

Giveaway

How would you like to win a Family Annual Membership ($139.95 value)? Just comment below before 7 PM on Wednesday, August 21st. We’ll select the winner using Random.org and will announce the winner’s name here and on our Facebook page!

 

@QuasiBrit asks:

Are you looking forward to Austin Aquarium?

Brittany Highland
Latest posts by Brittany Highland (see all)

Filed Under: Activities, Discoveries

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Comments

  2. I am so excited about this Aquarium!!! Austin, the greatest city there ever was, deserves this so much! I absolutely cannot wait to see it! 🙂

  37. I am so proud to be welcoming Austin Aquarium.Having the most interactive exhibits the country is an extra exciting feature.Giving foster child free admission shows the owners are truly family friendly. I am Nana to a 4 month old baby boy Johnny.I am so thrilled to be able to take him to the aquarium and teach him about sealife. So pleased to be able to add the new aquarium as my 4th to my list of visiting aquariums.Best family friendly entertainment added to our area to date.

  41. I am so happy that an aquarium is coming to Austin! We just took our four year old to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus in July for the first time and she loved it, but the car ride was a little long for her. Having one just up the road is going to be great!

  45. Has anyone looked into these brothers and the extreme mortality rates from their Portland operation? No vets, no one with a degree in marine biology, and dozens of cases of preventable animal deaths. I am wary.

  46. I am definitely gonna bring my family & my grandbabies! I can’t wait.
    I think it’s wonderful that y’all have a soft spot for Foster kids and have foster kids yourselves. I had a couple of foster kids for a short while and would definitely do it again. I’ll most likely be bringing one of them with us. 🙂 She lives with her momma again but still is over all the time hanging out with my girls. She’s still family. I would pay for her of course…I just wanted to say I think it’s great what you guys are doing.

  48. I would love to have a family pass. I have a family of 8 and they are very excited to have an aquarium so close to home. My oldest wants to be a marine biologist so I’m sure we’re going to be very frequent visitors!!!

    And just a shout out to Vince and Ammon; Being a foster parent is wonderful. I think the kids teach us almost as much as we teach them. I currently have 3 foster children and it is expensive to take all 6 of the kids out. Thank-You so much for making it free for them. This is truly an opportunity for them to experience life in a different way.

  51. We love aquariums! We visit them when we visit a city with one. We love watching the fish make their way through the water. It’s very calming. We enjoy learning about the inhabitants and seeing them in their native habitats. Aquariums are great family fun. A place like Austin should provide this fun way for parents and children to spend quality time together while learning new things. So glad to hear it will open soon. We will make plans to visit Austin to see it.

  52. I am so happy you have brought this to Austin! I am from California and this is just as beautiful as the ones there….I loved the Scripps Institute aquarium. I am happy to see a wonderful learning experience for children and adults. I learned my compassion for animals and my fellow man at my aquarium.How to help our animals and to be a part of saving our planet and keeping our oceans clean. This will be a wonderful learning activity for all. Congratulations! I wish you all well.

  56. My family is ecstatic to see Austin get its own aquarium because then that means we will be able to go all the time!! We are a homeschooling family that loves to go out and learn from actual places rather than simply seeing something in a book. My oldest daughter is severally handicapped and one of the only things she likes is the aquarium at the zoo because of the movement of the fish and the fact that she can get up close and see, there is so little in life that makes her happy but the fish definitely do! I couldn’t imagine her excitement if she had a whole aquarium to enjoy seeing as she has never been to one before. We have annual passes to a few other places such as the Cameron park zoo, mayborn planetarium, and mayborn museum, and we use them constantly so this would be yet another amazing place to learn from. Thank you in advance if we win!

  67. Really cannot wait for this to open! What a great way to spend time with the family! Not to mention the countless elementary school kids who will benefit from being able to visit an aquarium right here in Austin!

  78. It is so exciting to have an aquarium here in Austin. We’ve had to go to Corpus Christi to visit the nearest one. What tops this off is that the new Austin Aquarium is less than 5 minutes from my house. Whoopee!

  84. I’m excited to see this place so close to home. I live in Seguin…but Austin is only an hour drive from my home. I believe the owners made a great decision in bringing their business to Austin / south central Texas.

  85. I am so excited that an aquarium will be opening in Austin, and close to my house! It’s been 10 years since I’ve been to one and our youngest has never had this amazing experience.

      • Agreed. We’re thankful to live in a country where we are innocent until proven guilty. We like to keep things positive here on the Austinot, and our community means everything to us. We’ve added our editor’s note to the top of this article. When the University of Texas put its partnership on hold with the Austin Aquarium, we pulled our endorsement. We, like many others, are waiting to see how things unfold. ~ Eric

  105. As a marine biologist, I’m really excited to see this coming to central Texas. I’d love to see an exhibit in which the public is educated about how actions from those living inland still impact ocean habitats.

  116. wow. how amazing, i can’t wait for this to open it will be such a sight as my children love underwater life. I think the “free admission” for the foster kids is amazing as the adults that are in this position are extra special. Thank you for coming to Austin to bring this experience for my kids n other to see.. We all cant wait!!!

  118. well they are takin animals from their natural habitat.. we get to enjoy them while it lasts.. im still in and totally stoked.. no one lives for ever… not even your precious animals… c’mon.. worship the creator not the creation…. Cant wait til it opens.. go cry with the barnum n bailey haters too..

  119. Would love to b a part of this, i have 3 kids that would b so amazed…good job on making it free for foster kids, they need all the support they can get 🙂

  121. This is soo exciting to have one so close now!! Hope everything pans out and this establishment truly becomes a wonderful new attraction for CTX. 🙂

  139. ####EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW AQUARIUM COMING INTO AUSTIN!
    being able to. take my child to see sea creatures would be a wonderful thing! its like bringing the ocean to Central Texas! 🙂 congrats & welcome to Austin!!

  146. It seems i’ve been lucky again:) Happens to be in Austin exactly when the new aquarium is expected to open….same like i happened to be at the gates of Taj Mahal exactly on the free entrance International Heritage day 🙂 Love the life 🙂

  152. This is awesome. I hope I win, and I hope that this turns out to be a great exhibit. And if one of these Nay-sayers wins, I’m going to be upset.

  153. I’d love a membership for my Brother and Sister-In-Law. They have 7 kids still at home so it’s hard for them to do membership even at half price (let alone a vacation). Their kids would love it! I’ve already bought my passes and we can’t wait till it opens!!

  155. Wow I love the Dallas World Aquarium and love taking my nephew to see all the animals, be nice to have more places like that in Austin for when they come visit.

  161. this is very exciting for AUSTIN and other COUNTIES around here . I know schools could do field trips . you need to get busy with the smaller schools like THORNDALE , ROCKDALE , THRALL , TAYLOR and DAY CARE places .that would be a great way to start . I would love to give my tickets to a family that cant afford it . they would be my blessing . have a beautiful and bless day .

  168. Would love to win passes, with all my families been through in the last year from layoffs to a new baby a nice break close to home would be appreciated:)

  169. the same Vince Covino with dozens of failed businesses, enormous piles of debt and proven securities fraud all in the name of protecting and supporting Mormon LDS? cutting corners relating to the health of marine life is appalling. Living in the legal “gray areas” that allow them to conduct for-profit business in marine biology without licensing, certification or education is despicable and only results in insurmountable difficulties for genuine non-profit organizations who abide by the proper channels to create positive connections to adults and children alike with the natural world.

    • I just took my kids but wasn’t sure why they were open when the inside is not complete yet, inside is small and most of the attractions won’t be there till summer yet they are charging full price…head scratcher. Kids did love to interact with the birds and the shark touch tank and the octopus. Not worth paying full prices wait for summer when the rest of the construction is done. Play scape not complete, food and rest station not complete, and missing animals. And they weren’t honoring the price they advertised 5$ for the first Tuesday of the month in Austin just in Portland. Just FYI. Have fun when you do go.

  176. OH MY! I am super excited about this aquarium! I drag my husband to all aquariums around while on vacation. All I can say is Hunny get the car ready! YAY!

  178. I would love to be able to surprise both my daughters with a pass to the Aquarium. I’m a single Mom and I was just able to take my 5 year old to Sea World this summer for the first time by using a friends pass, she was thrilled and wants to go back, but I can’t afford it. My 5 year old is obsessed with sea life and can watch and learn about them for hours. To hear you are having another give away on my other daughters 1st birthday; tomorrow August 21st! I’m unable to have a 1st birthday party for her and it breaks my heart. So to win passes on her birthday for both my girls would just be so heartwarming, so phenomenal.

  183. Please, please, please give my family the family passes!!!
    Hello my name is jasmine I am happily married with four kids, that’s right FOUR!! Lol My children range in age from two months to eight years.
    We would love, LOVE to win these!!! Thank you so much!!!!! 🙂

  184. I’m so stoked for an aquarium here in Austin. My husband’s side of the family is from Atlanta & they like to boast about the Atlanta Aquarium! My grandkids are going to love this!

  189. Soooo excited that we will have this for our grandson to experience! He loves sharks and all marine life..I am sure he will enjoy and will be visiting the aquarium many times!

  204. What is different than Portland? I hope that you get accredited, and care for your animals better. So sad to hear about past problems with your accuariums. Austinites won’t stand for it, so shape up!!!!!!

  206. And no one is concerned about the fact that Texas is in the middle of a drought? if you’re familiar with the location, then you’ll also know that this is going to cause some serious parking/traffic congestion.
    Doesn’t seem like it’s really a very socially responsible venture. I guess we are a capitalist society.

  209. Im not going to this place. I have been keeping saltwater tanks for about 5 years now. Reading these articles make my stomach hurt. These brothers do not know what they are doing and are not professional. Please read these before responding to my comment. You will understand how I feel.

    http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/austin-aquariums-owners-face-code-violations-feder/nZTgs/

    http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/owners-say-guilty-plea-wont-stop-austin-aquarium/nZTrX/

    http://www.examiner.com/article/portland-aquarium-claims-200-deaths-3-months-time

    http://www.examiner.com/article/oregon-humane-society-investigating-marine-animal-deaths-at-portland-aquarium

    http://www.examiner.com/article/portland-aquarium-is-hot-water-over-news-of-massive-loss-of-marine-life

  210. This is terrible news. These brothers should come to reality already. So horrible for the animals. Horrible for the unsuspecting mothers that are so excited to have somewhere to take their children not knowing the evil behind the curtain…so sad

  212. An aquarium (and hopefully, a planetarium soon) will help to address Austinites’ thirst for knowledge and quality entertainment. May this be an enriching venture for the people who come to visit and the animals who inhabit it.

  217. Dolores Martinez Wold Cindy
    • a minute ago
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    I just took my kids but wasn’t sure why they were open when the inside is not complete yet, inside is small and most of the attractions won’t be there till summer yet they are charging full price…head scratcher. Kids did love to interact with the birds and the shark touch tank and the octopus. Not worth paying full prices wait for summer when the rest of the construction is done. Play scape not complete, food and rest station not complete, and missing animals. And they weren’t honoring the price they advertised 5$ for the first Tuesday of the month in Austin just in Portland. Just FYI. Have fun when you do go. 1-7-14

    • Yes, you’re right @doloresmartinezwold:disqus. I apologize if that was misleading. When this article was published, the Aquarium wasn’t built and didn’t have any animals in it, but we still wanted to have visuals.

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