Whatever Happened To The Planned Aquarium In The Temple, Texas Mall?

It was an idea that many in Temple, Texas were excited for.

The idea of having an aquarium in a place like Temple was exciting to many. So imagine the surprise of many residents of city, when out of seemingly nowhere, a place where people could see fish and other types of marine life, in an easily accessible area like the Temple Mall. So in November of 2019, it was announced that the marine exhibition would be opening in January 2020.

Video of what the area was set to look like was even posted to the 7 Seas Aquarium Facebook page:

They spoke to us, back in 2019, to let us know how everything was going in terms of what would be offered. However, there was slight delay in the original opening date of January 2020. The new opening date was announced to be on February 24th.

However, further investigation by news organizations revealed some troubling details.

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What Was Causing Delays In The Construction Of The Temple Aquarium?

According to the Temple Daily Telegram, while the Aquarium was announced to open on the 24th of February 2020, there was a slight issue. The news organization reported that permits required to open the business were not filed. KXXV, in an interview with Fidel Junco, who was the director of the aquarium, said things were still in motion for the area:

Also, 7 Seas released a statement on their Facebook page, saying they were still targeting an opening soon:

The following day, on February 28th, 2020, KCEN investigated the area where the aquarium was set to be, and it showed the space still had much to do in terms of being opened soon. So, with no opening date, things remained stagnant.

Then, in May of 2020, an announcement many feared was made. KCEN reported that the aquarium was no longer in the plans for the Temple Mall.

In addition, KCEN reported on the emails the city exchanged in an attempt to make the aquarium a reality:

So in the end, a lot happened in the span of six months, and no aquarium was ever opened. All that remains of 7 Seas is their Facebook page, as their website is no longer active.

So, 7 Seas remains a memory of some in the Temple area. Maybe someday, the project could return. After all, a good idea never rests!