Swimming with sharks? Not a good idea. Partying with them, however, could be just what your summer nights have been missing at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island.
Beginning in August through Labor Day Weekend, the New York Aquarium is throwing a late-night party every Friday and Saturday night on the roof deck of its splashy new three-story addition housing the new Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit.
Spend a few hours exploring the underwater world just off the coast of New York City, which 26 species of shark call home. The aquarium usually closes at 7 p.m. on the weekends, but during Summer Nights the fun continues until 10 p.m. within the nine new galleries, which include a coral reef tunnel, a glimpse into the underwater Grand Canyon just off the coast, and a shipwreck like the 60 vessels resting at the bottom of New York’s waters.
Follow the spiral pathway up to the rooftop deck of Ocean Wonders, where you’ll find a full bar with cocktails and snacks, as well as a special late-night sea lion show at 7:30 p.m. and a touch tank. At the end of the night, you’ll also have one of the best vantage points on the Boardwalk for the fireworks show put on by Coney Island every Friday from 9:30-10 p.m. through Aug. 31.
The best part? You don’t need a special ticket for Summer Nights, and through Sept. 3 admission to the New York Aquarium is half-price in celebration of the opening of Ocean Wonders: Sharks! Adult tickets are $14.95, and $11.95 for children 12 and under. Last entry on summer night is at 9 p.m.
The New York Aquarium is located at Surf Avenue and West Eighth Street, just down the Boardwalk from Coney Island’s amusement parks.
