Pennekamp park in the Keys is adding a major attraction. See plans for aquarium
America’s “first undersea park,” established in Key Largo in 1960 to protect and celebrate Florida’s coral reef, broke ground this week on a multi-million discovery center and aquarium scheduled to welcome visitors in 2028.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park already attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year who lounge on its beaches, snorkel and dive offshore and paddle through its mangroves. The new complex will bring people in doors to view exhibits and the centerpiece, a 23,000-gallon aquarium devoted to the reef and its inhabitants.
“John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is a jewel of Monroe County and the state of Florida, and this new Discovery Center & Aquarium is an incredible investment in our natural resources, our community and our economy,” Monroe County Commissioner Holly Merrill Raschein said in a statement. “Like so many of our residents, this park holds a place in my heart, and I am so proud to support the park and its future.”
The price tag is $52 million, paid for with public and private money, said Tim Linafelt, communications director with the Florida State Parks Foundation.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was established in December 1960 and is named after John Pennekamp, an editor at the Miami Herald, whose columns championed environmental causes like the establishment of Everglades National Park and the protection of Florida’s coral reef, the only living coral reef in North America.
The park also offers hiking trails, more than 40 camp sites and saltwater fishing.
Pennekamp’s grandson, Tom Pennekamp, who is vice president of the park’s foundation board, spoke at Wednesday’s groundbreaking.
“Some of my fondest memories are of visiting this park with my grandfather,” Pennekamp said. “This is a special place for our family, but it’s also special for the millions of people who have created their own memories and experiences here.”
Renderings released by the foundation show a multi-story, two-building complex that sits on the edge of the marina. A mezzanine area contains smaller tanks of fish, multiple exhibits and the large tank.
The facility will also continue the work of Mote Marine Laboratory scientists who have restored more than 200,000 corals to the reef and continue to work on corals at the park, Linafelt said.
