Since 2013, The East Idaho Aquarium has given people the chance to learn about the world under the seas and help introduce the younger generation to conservation and animal work. At the Aquarium, you can see eels, exotic fish, lizards, birds, among other animals.
Admission to the Aquarium is $9 - $13, depending on your age. Funding for the Aquarium comes from the entry fee and from people buying feed for the animals.
“Not only do they get the experience to feed the animals, but they're also paying for the food for a lot of times it's their exhibit plus another one,” said Arron Faires, the president of the aquarium.
Faires says they built the Aquarium in an old movie theater. There are four rooms, each focuses on a different type of animal from ocean animals, like sharks, an aviary with different types of birds and even a tank full of stingrays.
According to Faires, running an aquarium is tough. Last year, there was a controversy that followed the organization. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals accused them of animal abuse that resulted in the deaths of many animals. Faires says investigations by the United States Department of Agriculture and Idaho Fish and Game Department proved there was no proof of the allegations and they are continuously monitored to make sure that this never happens ever again.
“For me, that always hurts when I hear people say, you know, they're abusing animals,” Faires said. “It's for us, this is not true. We, we love our animals. We do the best that we can for them.”
The East Idaho Aquarium is located in Idaho Falls at 570 E. Anderson St. They're open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 1 to 6 on Sunday.