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National Aquarium in D.C. to close

National Aquarium in D.C. to close

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WASHINGTON — The says it will close its branch in the fall.

Officials announced Thursday that renovations at the Department of Commerce building that the aquarium has called home since 1932 make the move necessary.

Aquarium officials say they must leave by March 2014, but the aquarium will close Sept. 30 and begin moving the 1,500 animals housed there to the and other facilities.

The National Aquarium, Washington, DC, was established in 1873 and opened in 1885. The aquarium’s board is exploring ways to maintain a presence in Washington.