Skip to content
  • About
  • Events
  • Old Crime
  • N'At
  • People
  • Places
  • Sports
  • Yinz
  • About
  • Events
  • Old Crime
  • N'At
  • People
  • Places
  • Sports
  • Yinz
June 11, 2014 / Pittsburgh n'at

1967: First penguins arrive in Pittsburgh

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
March 8, 1967: Unidentified worker looks at giant otter tank. (Morris Berman/Post-Gazette Photo)
March 8, 1967: Unidentified worker looks at giant otter tank. (Morris Berman/Post-Gazette Photo)
September 19, 1967: Mrs. Thomas Terpack of Squirrel Hill with alligator
September 19, 1967: Mrs. Thomas Terpack of Squirrel Hill with alligator
April 2, 1967: George Thorpe, left, Underground Zoo assistant holds the base of a lightweight simulated coral formation while assistant John Raucci lifts one of the simulated reef column structures.
April 2, 1967: George Thorpe, left, Underground Zoo assistant holds the base of a lightweight simulated coral formation while assistant John Raucci lifts one of the simulated reef column structures.
June 4, 1967 (Paul Slantis/Post-Gazette)
June 4, 1967 (Paul Slantis/Post-Gazette)
March 26, 1969 (Robert J. Pavuchak)
March 26, 1969 (Robert J. Pavuchak)
June 22, 1967: William Flynn selects smelt, left, and feeds porpoise.
June 22, 1967: William Flynn selects smelt, left, and feeds porpoise.
November 24, 1967: After some coaxing, Roger Conklin gets grip on Alaskan crab. (Donald Stetzer/Post-Gazette)
November 24, 1967: After some coaxing, Roger Conklin gets grip on Alaskan crab. (Donald Stetzer/Post-Gazette)
October 1, 1967 (Ross Catanza)
October 1, 1967 (Ross Catanza)
December 29, 1972: Shark watching at AquaZoo is Noah Umholtz of Regent Square.
December 29, 1972: Shark watching at AquaZoo is Noah Umholtz of Regent Square.

In 1967, a group of penguins found a new home in Pittsburgh. Their new home was not Civic Arena, and in fact, they were not even hockey players.

These real penguins in Pittsburgh joined hundreds of other aquatic species in the opening of Pittsburgh’s new aquarium, Aquazoo.

They joined the exotic animals who had called the zoo home since 1898, when the Pittsburgh Zoo first opened its gates. Then, it was known as the Highland Park Zoological Garden.

In the 1960s, the Highland Park Zoo experienced major changes when the Pittsburgh Zoological Society planned and fundraised the two newest attractions, AquaZoo and Underground Zoo.

In 1966, while constructing the dwellings for Pittsburgh’s newest aquatic residents, an “aquafari” led by top zoological experts was underway to capture nearly five tons of the exotic fish from the Amazon River in Columbia. These “aquafarians,” as they termed themselves, returned to Pittsburgh with eleven 11,000 pounds of fish, porpoises, alligators, toads, and frogs. Animals such as penguins, sharks, and dolphins were also shipped to Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, AquaZoo staff worked hard to ensure that these species were placed where they would thrive. Zoo artist Ben Blackson stated, “What we’re trying to give the public are ‘living illustrations.’ We’re living in the 20th century and it’s time we took the animals out of the cages and put them in surroundings similar to their natural environment.”

This meant particular attention to tanks’ water temperatures levels, adding simulated sponge and coral reef, and balancing chemical levels in saltwater water trucked in from a New York harbor.

Finally, in October 1967, the AquaZoo opened its doors to nearly eight thousand attendees, including Mayor Joseph Barr who noted, “It will be a benefit and a boon to the Tri-State area as well as to Pittsburgh; [it is a] great addition to the City and its people.”

The aquarium certainly left attendees in awe.

Roger Conklin, one of America’s most famed expert on sea-life, was also on hand for the grand opening. While visiting the aquarium he couldn’t stop saying, “beautiful! – beautiful!”

Decades later, the AquaZoo is still thriving, especially after undergoing a $17.4 million renovation in 2000 that doubled its size. The AquaZoo became the PPG Aquarium that year, too.

Today, the theme at the aquarium is “Diversity of Water,” where you can still explore the underwater world of sharks, turtles and – of course – penguins.

You might also want to see...

Topics related to this:animals Highland Park Photographer Donald J. Stetzer Photographer Morris Berman Photographer Paul Slantis Photographer Robert J. Pavuchak Photographer Ross A. Catanza

Emily Kaplan

Emily, a student at Hamilton College, interned with the Post-Gazette in 2014.

Old Pittsburgh photos and stories | The Digs

Browse by topic

  • Events (150)
  • Greatest Sports Photos (5)
  • Old crime (37)
  • People (107)
  • Pittsburgh n'at (138)
  • Places and landmarks (120)
  • Sports (102)
  • World (3)
  • Yinz (18)

Follow The Digs

RSS feed RSS - Posts

Find old photos

Most read this week

  • Can Terry Bradshaw spell 'cat?' The history of an insult
  • Jenkins Arcade, a victim of 'Renaissance II'
  • The complex and tough Dante “Tex” Gill
  • Isaly's in Oakland and the secret to Skyscraper Ice Cream Cone
  • A tale of two frames: The iconic Y.A. Tittle photo(s)

Archives

Tags

"wow" photographs 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s baseball bridges Civic Arena Downtown Pittsburgh football Forbes Field historic moments holidays industry music and musicians North Side Oakland oddities Photographer Darrell Sapp Photographer Harry Coughanour Photographer Morris Berman Pittsburghers you know Pittsburghers you might not know Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh skyline Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh traditions Pittsburgh women politicians pollution and smog rivers stage and film street scenes The Pittsburgh Press Things that are gone Three Rivers Stadium tragedies transportation University of Pittsburgh urban development weather and seasons

Tracks WordPress Theme by Compete Themes.

 

Loading Comments...