After a four-year closure and substantial renovations, the Maine State Aquarium will reopen to the public Wednesday during Boothbay Harbor’s Windjammer Days Festival.

It will remain open through Labor Day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

The state-run aquarium closed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained shuttered while undergoing nearly $1.1 million in renovations. According to the Boothbay Register, an inspection after the aquarium closed found damage in the walls, floor and electrical system caused mostly by saltwater corrosion in the three-decade-old, seaside facility.

Renovations include two new 300-gallon ecosystem tanks that are designed to look like the rocky coasts of Boothbay and Burnt Island, and interactive exhibits that highlight the state’s efforts to protect and manage resources in the Gulf of Maine.

The Department of Marine Resources, which operates the aquarium, also has rebranded its two Boothbay facilities as the Gulf of Maine Discovery Center, according to a recent Facebook post. This includes the aquarium, as well as a nearby classroom called the Learning Lab.

Tickets cost $10 for those 13 to 59 years old, and $7.50 for children who are 3 to 12, adults who are 60 or older, and veterans and military personnel. Entry is free for children under 3. Yearly memberships are available.

The aquarium is on McKown Point Road in West Boothbay Harbor.

This story has been corrected to reflect that the touch tanks are 300 gallons.

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