Oklahoma Aquarium, Aquarium in Jenks, Oklahoma, United States

The Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks is a facility that displays sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, and freshwater species native to the region in specialized habitats. The exhibits span multiple spaces with tanks of varying sizes to match the needs of each animal group.

The idea for an aquarium was first raised in Tulsa and then abandoned; Jenks' former mayor and city manager Mike Tinker, former city manager Randy Ewing, P.R. Ramey and other Tulsa philanthropists put up money alongside tax dollars to fund it. The 72,000-square-foot building, designed by SPARKS and built by Ross Group, opened on May 28, 2003. In July 2003 Nigel Marven filmed four bull sharks there for Discovery Channel's Shark Week.

The aquarium's name and identity tie it to Oklahoma rather than Tulsa: it stands in Jenks, a southern suburb of Tulsa, and opened on May 28, 2003. Its eight exhibits cover invertebrates, Oklahoma species, Ozark habitats, a coral reef and sharks. A specialty Oklahoma Aquarium license plate, authorized by the state legislature, sends part of its fees to support the facility.

The building covers 72,000 square feet in Jenks, south of Tulsa, and holds eight exhibits, among them invertebrates, Oklahoma species, Ozark habitats, a coral reef and sharks. The bull shark tank holds 500,000 US gallons and is crossed by a walk-through tunnel. Look for the white gable lettered "OKLAHOMA AQUARIUM" above the recessed entrance between two square columns.

The facility houses one of North America's largest collections of bull sharks, viewable in a massive tank that includes an underwater tunnel. This tunnel walk allows visitors to see the sharks swimming all around them from below.