This August, party on the rooftop of the New York Aquarium

Sure, there are plenty of rooftops to get your drink on this summer, but here’s a chance to do it with fireworks and fish. As part of the inaugural season of their new Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit, Coney Island’s New York Aquarium is hosting late-night Friday and Saturday night rooftop parties during August and Labor Day weekend. The aquarium usually closes at 7pm, but for Summer Nights they’ll welcome guests until 10pm with cocktails and a fireworks display on the roof of their new building, as well as extended access to the nine new spaces, including a 40-foot-long immersive coral reef tunnel, a rare look into the underwater “Grand Canyon,” and a real hull from a local shipwreck.

Video courtesy of the Wildlife Conservation Society/YouTube

After 14 years of planning, Ocean Wonders: Sharks! opened on June 30th in a new, three-story, 57,500-square-foot building that houses over 115 marine species and 18 different kinds of sharks and rays (including sand tigers, sandbars, and nurse sharks that are native to New York).

“We’re celebrating a remarkable new facility where New Yorkers can learn more about – and be delighted by – our ocean-dwelling neighbors. But we’re also celebrating another big step toward recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. The New York Aquarium brings the wonders of the sea to our doorstep, and we’re proud to have made a major investment in its restoration,” said Mayor de Blasio.

Through September 3rd, entry to the Aquarium, including for Summer Nights, is half price. On Friday nights, guests will get a chance to see the fireworks at 9:30pm, and on both evenings there will be a special late-night sea lion show at 7:30pm. The rooftop affords views of Luna Park, Brighton Beach, and, of course, the Atlantic Ocean. Find out more about Summer Nights here >>

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