By late summer, Syracuse’s Inner Harbor will have something it’s never had before, a world-class aquarium. The Onondaga Aquarium, an 80,000-square-foot, three-story facility rising at the south end of Onondaga Lake near Bear and Solar Streets, is on track for an August 2026 opening.
The project is roughly 66 percent complete, with a total price tag of $103.8 million, up from the original $85 million approved by the Onondaga County Legislature in 2022. County Executive Ryan McMahon, who has championed the project for nearly two decades, says the overrun is covered through a mix of reallocated county funds, Honeywell Onondaga Lake cleanup money, and private donations raised by the Friends of the Onondaga Aquarium nonprofit.
What’s Inside
Designed by PGAV Destinations, the firm behind some of the country’s top aquarium projects, the facility will house roughly 250 species across freshwater and saltwater habitats, with tank capacity exceeding 600,000 gallons and depths beyond 30 feet. Expect garden eels, lionfish, and sea dragons among the residents. The large acrylic tanks are currently being shipped from Italy, which McMahon has flagged as a potential timeline variable.
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Beyond the tanks, there’s an educational programming wing focused on conservation, plus a media production facility. WCNY plans to film “Emergen-Sea,” a live-action children’s series about rescuing sea creatures, right inside the building, qualifying the project for the New York State film tax credit.
Who’s Running It
Day-to-day operations will be handled by ZoOceanarium Group, the same team behind the St. Louis Aquarium. They’re projecting 349,000 to 490,000 visitors annually and expect to employ 50 to 60 staff members at the facility. Revenue projections sit around $12 million per year.
The Bigger Picture at Inner Harbor
The aquarium is the anchor attraction in COR Development’s $350 million mixed-use redevelopment of 33 acres at the harbor. The 134-room Marriott Aloft Hotel is already open. The Iron Pier building, 112 apartments, a brewpub, cafe, salon, and fitness center, is fully leased with a waitlist. Two more buildings on Van Rensselaer Street are under construction, adding 108 apartments and 39,000 square feet of retail.
The feasibility study projects more than $50 million in annual economic impact when you factor in the hotels, restaurants, and businesses that benefit from aquarium foot traffic.
What’s Left
The aquarium doesn’t have a final name yet. McMahon launched a naming contest in February asking Onondaga County schoolchildren to submit ideas, and the county is also pursuing a corporate naming-rights sponsor. Sea creatures are expected to start arriving by late July, with specialized animal diets and habitats scheduled for full operation by October.
Five summer festivals are already planned at the harbor for 2026. Between the aquarium, the new residential buildings, and the growing retail corridor, Inner Harbor is shaping up to be one of the most significant development stories in Syracuse in a generation.
