The Van Kleef Aquarium was opened in 1955 and situated at the foot of Fort Canning facing River Valley Road. During its heyday in the 1970s, it was one of the most well-known aquariums in South-east Asia that drew around 400,000 visitors annually. It housed many interesting sea creatures including small sharks, poisonous lion and stone fish, piranhas, crocodiles, sea-snakes, electric eels and various exotic fishes. However, because of old age and low attendance, the aquarium was closed in 1991 and demolished seven years later.
