Oregon Undersea Gardens, Public aquarium in Newport, Oregon, United States.
Oregon Undersea Gardens was an underwater aquarium on the waterfront of Newport, Oregon, reached by descending stairs below the water surface into a submerged viewing room. There, windows looked out onto Pacific Ocean marine life, letting visitors watch fish and other sea creatures at close range. The attraction opened in 1966 and closed after plans to shut it were announced in 2019.
The facility opened in 1966 and operated a submerged observation station until closing in 2019. It was one of the early establishments on the US West Coast to offer underwater visitor experiences.
Opened in 1966 on Newport's bayfront, the attraction let visitors descend below the waterline to watch Pacific Ocean species such as fish, sea stars, crabs and lobsters through viewing windows, and staff were on hand to answer questions about the marine life on display.
The location sat along Newport's historic waterfront, making it easy to reach from downtown. Visitors should know that the facility was weather-protected and accessed by descending stairs into the water.
The structure extended roughly 20 feet below the water surface, allowing visitors to watch marine creatures at close range behaving naturally. This concept of a partially submerged observation station was an unusual approach to ocean exploration at the time it opened.
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