Aquarium of Niagara to double in size with $18 million expansion

The aquarium will add a 16,000-square-foot, double-level building to its developing campus, with room for new and traveling exhibits, events space, a playground, gift shop, food and amenities for visitors.

It’s part of a push by Gov. Kathy Hochul to revitalize the area near Niagara Falls State Park and keep tourists in Niagara Falls after their visits to the cataract – something the city has long struggled with.

“This really is the gateway to what the future for the aquarium looks like,” said Gary Siddall, president and CEO of the aquarium. “It’s no longer about one single concrete structure. It’s now about the sprawling campus and multiple assets directly supporting the idea of coming to Niagara Falls, being inspired by the water itself and then coming into our space as a cultural organization and learning more.”

About 7,500 square feet will be devoted to exhibit space, which is still being imagined, but will include room for traveling exhibits, such as those from the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic.

“The sky’s the limit. There’s all sorts of temporary, short-term engagements that we can bring in that create a demand for revisitation,” Siddall said.

The new permanent exhibit space will likely branch out beyond fish and aquatics, including scientific education such as geology and animals such as birds. Traveling exhibits could include such attractions as butterflies and virtual reality experiences.

“We’re trying to think about things that are sort of symmetric to our mission, but not necessarily repetitive,” Sidall said.

Events space will take up about 4,500 square feet.

“There’s a clear demand for external event bookings on our site because it is a very unique venue,” Sidall said. “And as we’ve increased our capacity, we find ourselves competing for space an awful…