Business & Tech

New Biomes Building to Open in December

Biomes plans to reopen in December.

 

It's been a long two months for the folks over at Biomes Marine Biology Center as the private aquarium relocates to its new home on Post Road. A series of delays have pushed back Biomes' reopening to mid-December.

In September, owner Mark Hall closed down the original Biomes location behind the Shady Lea Mill in preparation for the big move to the old Gable House Furniture building. Hall estimated the new location would be up and running by October. What he didn't anticipate was the bevy of fire codes from the state that would eventually push back the facility's grand opening by two months.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

According to Hall, he and the folks at Biomes have been working to get the building in order to comply with state fire codes. He says it's not just costing time, but also money. Due to the delays, Hall had to cancel dozens of programs and events booked for October.

"We've been out of work for two months," said Hall. "That hurts. That really hurts."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Luckily, Hall anticipates the work will be done soon and anticipates Biomes will be back up and running in mid December.

The new 10,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space allows Biomes to add more exhibits (Hall estimates he'll have upwards of 100 exhibits) and a better layout for the building. The new layout will include an admissions desk, an orientation area for schools, a gift shop and a stage where instructors can hold lectures and lessons (including the fan-favorite puffer fish demonstration).

Despite upping in size, Hall promises the new facility will still offer the "hands-on" experience Biomes is known for.

“A lot of people are worried that I’m going to get away from that. My philosophy and format is going to be the same, just on a bigger scale.”

Learn more about the new building's features here.

Until the facility's opening, Hall is offering discounted yearly memberships for families. A membership for a family of four (typically $100) is now offered for $75.

Follow Biomes' progress on their Facebook page.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here