Miami Seaquarium Is Closed; Its Replacement Has a 2030 Target

A marina-centered waterfront destination is proposed for the former Miami Seaquarium site on Virginia Key, with a “Fisherman’s Village” of restaurants and shops, a new aquarium without marine mammals, and a public baywalk. The old Seaquarium closed on October 12, 2025. In December 2025, developer David Martin said he expected the replacement to open sometime in 2030—a target, not a confirmed opening date. (Miami Herald: closure, redevelopment timeline)

For a trip planned as of October 1, 2026, leave the Seaquarium off your itinerary. The familiar marine-mammal park has ended; this is a redevelopment, not a short maintenance closure.

What the replacement would include

The county’s proposed lease framework for Resilient Aquarium LLC, an affiliate of Martin’s Terra development company, lists:

• A new aquarium with no marine mammals, plus marine education, conservation and research facilities.
• Fisherman’s Village, with marine-oriented retail and dining.
• A marina, including wet slips, dry-stack boat storage and fueling facilities.
• Public waterfront space, including green areas and a baywalk.
• The preserved golden geodesic dome, repurposed for public and private events.

These are proposed components—not operating venues or guaranteed final designs. The county lease framework also anticipates keeping the property closed to the public pending completion, except for any interim uses specifically authorized by the county.

Why the marina is making headlines

In July 2026, WLRN reported that the marina application called for 325 boat slips and dry-stack storage for another 500 boats. Nearly 90 slips could accommodate yachts longer than 80 feet—hence the superyacht headlines.

Martin subsequently told Islander News that it was “not intended as a mega-yacht marina or a charter boat facility.” His stated purpose differs from the large-vessel capacity reported in the submitted layout.

Environmental review is another reason not to treat the proposal as a finished attraction. WLRN reported that Florida Department of Environmental Protection regulators issued six pages of questions covering protected wetlands, seagrass, coral, dredging, water quality, sewage pump-outs and fuel spills. Those July questions were requests for more information, not a construction approval.

What visitors can do instead

Think years, not months, for the proposed replacement. Do not build a future trip around the 2030 target until an actual opening is announced.

For an outing now:

• Want an aquarium? Choose Frost Science’s three-level aquarium, with South Florida ecosystem exhibits, sharks, rays and the underwater Oculus view. It is an alternative, not the Seaquarium’s replacement.
• Already planning a Virginia Key day? Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is a separate destination. Its official visitor page lists daily hours of 7 a.m.–6 p.m. from April through October and 7 a.m.–5 p.m. from November through March, with the gate closing 30 minutes earlier. It closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Vehicle entry is listed at $5 Monday–Thursday, $10 Friday–Sunday and $12 on holidays.

If weather changes the plan, use our flexible Miami rainy-day itinerary rather than heading to the shuttered Seaquarium site.