Onondaga County looking for a name for its new aquarium and is asking school children to help. The county is looking for a corporate sponsor, whose name will be on the outside of the building. But it is also looking for a name. County Executive Ryan McMahon compared it to the county's amphitheater.
"We will have a naming rights for the building, but not the actual name. For example, the amphitheater is the Lakeview Amphitheater, but it has a sponsor, right? So this is to name the actual venue, but certainly we will have a sponsor of that venue."
Some East Syracuse-Minoa students already had ideas when McMahon told them kids would be naming the new aquarium. One student suggested "The Bikini Splash Zone." Another suggested "The Aquacuse Exploraquarium."
Students have until March 20 to submit their ideas at their school. Schools will then send the ideas to the county. Then, a team of marketers and other officials will choose the winner.
McMahon said the $100 million facility is still on track to open in August, but said there are some supply chain issues involving some of the large tanks that will hold some of the 250 species of aquatic animals.
"These tanks are coming over from Italy," McMahon said. "And so some of the tanks have come. The largest tanks from Italy have gotten to the port. Then from the port it needs to get released. So it's kind of a moving target. Could, if the tanks get here sooner, we'd be open a little bit earlier? Yes. But right now, I think August of 2026 is safe to say."
McMahon also mentioned some of the species that will call the new aquarium home, including red-bellied piranha, sea dragons, garden eels, red lionfish, and others.
