What Aquatarium does

Aquatarium is a single-site, registered charity and licensed zoo located at 6 Broad Street, Brockville, Ontario, at Tall Ships Landing, operating since 2016. The facility curates interactive aquarium and live animal exhibits focused on the St. Lawrence River and 1000 Islands regional ecosystem, with signature resident animals including otters and a beaver named Justin Beaver. The product portfolio is anchored on General Admission, augmented by premium animal encounters (Otter Experience, Beaver Experience), the AQ Train ride, Mermaid Swim and Mermaid Breakfast experiences, Otter Pups programming, and Enrichment Times demonstrations. The organization welcomes over 65,000 visitors annually.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of consumer-facing streams: one-time general admission tickets, premium add-on experiences, annual AQ Memberships on a subscription basis, Camp AQ summer camp and River Scholars Homeschool programs delivered as educational services, group field trips, birthday party and special event hosting, and charitable donations and sponsorships (including Camp AQ Sponsorship and Support Justin Beaver). A Subsidies program broadens access for qualifying visitors. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via walk-in traffic at the Brockville site and online ticketing through tickets.aquatarium.ca, with a preferred accommodation partnership with Holiday Inn Express Brockville providing 10% guest discounts to integrate the attraction into the regional Thousand Islands tourism corridor.

The operating model is seasonal, with extended daily hours (10am-5pm) from June 19 to August 31 and reduced hours (Fri-Mon 10am-4pm, closed Tue-Thu) for the remainder of the year. Marketing is digital-first across website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. The organization is privately held as a non-profit with no disclosed parent company, no venture or private equity backing, and no public capital markets activity.

Name

Aquatarium

Legal name

Aquatarium

Website

https://aquatarium.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aquatarium is a registered charity and licensed zoo in Brockville, Ontario, operating since 2016 as a single-site aquarium and wildlife attraction focused on the St. Lawrence River and 1000 Islands ecosystem, serving 65,000+ annual visitors through ticketed exhibits, premium animal encounters, educational programs, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Aquariums and Zoos

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

Keywords

• Aquarium exhibits
• Licensed zoo
• Educational programs
• Animal encounters
• Summer camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Brockville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Entry fees for visitors to the aquarium and zoo exhibits
2. Premium Experiences: Paid add-on experiences including Otter Experience, Beaver Experience, and Mermaid experiences
3. Camp AQ Programs: Summer camp programs for children providing recurring seasonal revenue
4. Memberships: Annual membership programs offering repeat visits and benefits
5. Group Programs: School field trips and River Scholars homeschool programs
6. Event Hosting: Birthday parties and special events rental and services
7. Donations and Support: Charitable donations from supporters and sponsorship programs including Camp AQ Sponsorship

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Aquatarium is a single-site registered charity and licensed zoo in Brockville, Ontario that operates as an interactive aquarium and zoo attraction focused on the St. Lawrence River and 1000 Islands ecosystem. Its core offering is general admission access to exhibits featuring otters, beavers, and native aquatic species, supplemented by premium animal experiences, summer camps, school programs, birthday parties, and annual memberships. The facility welcomes over 65,000 visitors annually and serves as a regional educational and tourism destination.

Product overview

The Aquatarium is a single-location registered charity and licensed zoo in Brockville, Ontario, Canada, that opened in 2016. The facility operates as a unified attraction offering core visitor experiences including General Admission access to exhibits (aquariums, otters, beavers), animal enrichment programming, and educational facilities. The product portfolio comprises General Admission as the primary entry product, supplemented by premium add-on experiences (The Otter Experience, The Beaver Experience, AQ Train), educational programs (Camp AQ, Group Field Trips, River Scholars Homeschool), event hosting (Birthday Parties, Special Events, Mermaid Swim, Mermaid Breakfast), membership subscriptions, and charitable support options. The facility welcomes over 65,000 guests annually and serves as a cornerstone of the Thousand Islands tourism community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camp AQ: Summer camp program for children offering educational and interactive experiences at the Aquatarium.
• River Scholars Homeschool

Products and services

• General Admission Standard entry ticket to the Aquatarium facility providing access to exhibits featuring aquatic life of the St. Lawrence River and Thousand Islands region, including aquariums, otters, beavers, and the touch tank. Available to individual visitors, families, and tourists.
• The Otter Experience Premium interactive experience offering close encounters with resident otters at the Aquatarium, available for booking. Designed for visitors seeking a deeper educational experience with native wildlife.
• The Beaver Experience Special experience featuring the resident beaver Justin Beaver, providing guests with educational interactions about beaver behavior and habitat. Designed for visitors seeking hands-on wildlife engagement.
• AQ Memberships Annual membership program offering repeat access to the Aquatarium with benefits for repeat visitors. Designed for local families and frequent visitors seeking unlimited entry.
• Camp AQ Summer camp program for children offering educational activities related to aquatic life and wildlife conservation. Designed for families seeking summer programming for children.
• Group Field Trips Educational group visits designed for school classes and organized youth groups. Curriculum-aligned field trip experiences focused on aquatic life and the St. Lawrence River ecosystem.
• River Scholars Homeschool Homeschool educational program focusing on river ecology and marine biology. Designed for homeschool families seeking structured, hands-on STEM learning experiences.
• Birthday Parties Event hosting service for birthday celebrations at the Aquatarium facility. Designed for families seeking a unique venue for children's parties and family celebrations.
• Special Events Hosting services for private and public special events at the Aquatarium facility. Designed for groups and organizations seeking a distinctive venue for celebrations and gatherings.
• Mermaid Swim Interactive experience where participants can swim with mermaids at the Aquatarium. Designed for visitors seeking unique themed experiences.
• AQ Train Train ride attraction available at the Aquatarium facility. Designed for families and children as an additional on-site attraction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000+ visitors annually

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Holiday Inn Express BrockvillecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred Accommodation Partner providing 10% discount for Aquatarium guests. Mutual relationship where the Aquatarium promotes the hotel to visiting tourists while the hotel offers discounts to Aquatarium visitors, supporting the regional tourism ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Toronto Zoo: Large accredited zoo in Ontario operating as a charitable attraction with animal ambassadors, education programs, and memberships. Represents the upper-end scale and accreditation benchmark for an Ontario-based zoo such as Aquatarium.
• Ripley's Aquarium of Canada: Large-scale, publicly branded aquarium located in downtown Toronto. Operates a similar pay-one-price exhibit-and-encounter model at a much larger scale; relevant as the dominant regional aquarium incumbent against which Aquatarium competes for tourist attention in Ontario.
• Vancouver Aquarium: Long-established non-profit aquarium in British Columbia with comparable charitable-status operations, marine exhibits, and animal encounter programming. A relevant national analogue for a registered-charity aquarium model.
• Calgary Zoo: Major accredited Canadian zoo operating with a conservation-and-education charitable mandate, memberships, camps, and seasonal programming. Comparable as a scaled, non-profit Canadian zoo benchmark for Aquatarium.
• Assiniboine Park Zoo: Accredited non-profit zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba with a charitable operating model, education programs, and membership base. Useful national comparable for a registered-charity, education-first zoo operation.

Regional players

• African Lion Safari: Drive-through wildlife park near Hamilton, Ontario offering animal encounters and family programming. Comparable as an Ontario-based, seasonal, family-oriented wildlife tourism attraction.
• Bird Kingdom (Niagara Falls): Tourist-focused indoor aviary and animal encounter attraction in Niagara Falls with similar mix of general admission plus premium animal experiences. Comparable as a regional-tourism, encounter-led family attraction in Ontario.
• Aquarium of Quebec (Aquarium du Québec): Government-affiliated aquarium in Quebec City operated by SÉPAQ. Similar model of a public-facing, education-driven aquarium featuring regional species — directly comparable to Aquatarium's St. Lawrence River focus.

Emerging players

• Science North: Northern Ontario science centre featuring live animal exhibits, school programs, camps, and memberships. Comparable as a regional non-profit education attraction combining live animal ambassadors with STEM programming similar to Aquatarium's Camp AQ and River Scholars offerings.
• Little Ray's Nature Centre: Ottawa-based wildlife education centre and sanctuary offering reptile and small-animal encounters, parties, and school programs. Highly comparable in scale, mission, and programming mix (encounters, camps, educational visits) to Aquatarium.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheAquatarium
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheAquatarium
• Instagraminstagram.com/theaquatarium
• TikToktiktok.com/@theaquatarium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aquatarium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aquatarium