The National Aquarium in Baltimore is scrambling to shore up aging infrastructure after a pair of fall breakdowns flooded key pump rooms and briefly knocked out power, triggering a rare multi-day shutdown and a frantic effort to rebalance life-support systems. As leaders sketch out a sweeping renovation and prepare to move the resident dolphins to an ocean sanctuary, the Inner Harbor icon is leaning hard on public and private partners for cash to modernize the waterfront landmark.
The trouble started with two separate incidents last September: a power outage that sent thousands of gallons of salt water into a pump room, where it rose to as high as two feet, followed weeks later by a gasket failure that flooded a high-voltage duct system, aquarium officials told The Baltimore Banner. The failures forced the Aquarium to close for five days for repairs and led to an estimated $400,000 in lost revenue.
Animal care and facilities crews worked around the clock to keep water chemistry stable and habitats safe while contractors tackled the electrical damage, local coverage noted. As WBAL reported, the outage was concentrated on the Pier 3 side of the campus.
Old piers, new price tags
Those emergency fixes peeled back a bigger issue: how much it will cost to keep the aging piers functioning. Maryland General Assembly records show the Aquarium has roughly $94 million in identified capital needs, with FY2026 money already programmed to finish a delayed Pier 4 roof replacement. The state analysis outlines a multi-year list of work, from roofs to life-support upgrades and drainage repairs, that officials say will need to be phased in to avoid more disruptive outages.
Dolphin sanctuary plans move forward
Even as it deals with leaky roofs and flooded pump rooms, the Aquarium says it has been consistently and continuously working to relocate its pod of six Atlantic bottlenose dolphins to a more natural, ocean-side setting and is weighing sites in Florida and the Caribbean. The organization’s 2025 Impact Report shows it welcomed 1.1 million guests in 2025, generated $430 million in statewide economic impact, and logged roughly 650 hours of training meant to prepare the dolphins for that eventual move, according to the National Aquarium.
Animal-welfare advocates say “eventual” is not good enough. In a March news release, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals warned it will ask for the return of a $10,000 donation if the Aquarium does not make measurable progress toward establishing a seaside sanctuary and demanded a public timeline with clear milestones. PETA noted that the promise to move the dolphins dates back a decade.
Funding, a national search and a big renovation
To pull off a full-scale overhaul, leaders say fundraising will have to be front and center. The Aquarium has floated a roughly $500 million renovation to refresh exhibits and overhaul infrastructure and has asked lawmakers for about $15 million over three years to cover planning and engineering, as reported by The Baltimore Banner. State and local budgets have so far provided smaller amounts, while a larger capital campaign timed to the institution’s 50th anniversary is on the table.
What comes next
On top of all that, the board has opened a national search for a permanent chief executive while interim leadership and fundraising staff lay the groundwork for both the renovation and the dolphin sanctuary. In announcing his retirement, the Aquarium said John Racanelli will step down and that Senior Vice President and Chief Mission Officer Jennifer Driban is serving as interim president and CEO during the search, according to the National Aquarium. Officials say the next several months will reveal whether Baltimore’s signature attraction can lock in the investment it needs to avoid more costly shutdowns.
