Parks & nature / Belle Isle
Belle Isle Aquarium
An aquatic world beneath green glass tiles in one of Detroit’s most distinctive small buildings.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Designed by George D. Mason and Albert Kahn, Belle Isle Aquarium opened in 1904. Green glass tiles across its vaulted ceiling create an underwater atmosphere. Following an extended closure, it reopened in 2012 and is operated by the Belle Isle Conservancy. Think of it as a distinctive architectural and aquatic stop rather than a vast all-day aquarium complex.
- The green glass-tile vault
- The historic aquarium building
- Fish and aquatic life
Famous Detroiters
Famous people tied to this place 1
Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.
- George D. Mason 1856–1948 · architect
Worked here
Designed with Albert Kahn; closed in 2005 and reopened by volunteers in 2012.
Photos were taken at different times; images are resized and cropped on cards.
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¼ · Stay
Sleep right around the corner
¼ · Free museum days
Free days here
Admission here is always free. Free, suggested donation $5. Designed by Albert Kahn and open since 1904. Driving onto the island needs a Recreation Passport.
Every free museum day →Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-24
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
Historical background: Wikipedia and its contributors; article licenses and revision histories are available on the source pages.
03 / Events
Events at this place
Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.
We have no published upcoming events linked to this place yet. That does not mean the venue has no events; check its official calendar too.
Official website & visitor information ↗Keep exploring
See all places ↗
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Belle Isle Park
An island of green between Detroit and Canada, with skyline views and attractions of its own.
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Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Palms, glass roofs, and garden history inside Belle Isle’s landmark conservatory.