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Barnum's Aquarial Gardens (June 1862 – February 1863) in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, was a public aquarium, zoo, and performance space located on Washington Street in the Financial District. P.T. Barnum bought the Boston Aquarial and Zoological Gardens in 1862, remodelled the space, changed the name of the business, and re-opened the collections to the public in June. In contrast to its earlier incarnation, the place became more of a show-hall than a serious scientific establishment. "Madame Lanista", who wrestled with snakes, was a typical attraction of this period. Other exhibits included a dog show and a baby show, as well as dramatic performances, which were given from Dec. 16, 1862, until the venue was closed on Feb. 14, 1863. After the Gardens were closed, their contents were moved to Barnum's American Museum in New York. Most of the exhibits were destroyed when the American Museum burned down in 1865.
Performances/Exhibits
June 1862 - Dog show
July 1862 - "Baby show" ("fine and fancy specimens of infantile humanity")
August 1862 - "Jonathan Harrington" August 26 through September 1 (Harrington also performed in this venue in 1861)
After 1863 the space in Boston was re-named "Andrews's Hall, and occupied for balls, and occasional exhibitions and fairs. Oct. 2, 1865, opened as Theatre Comique by Jason Wentworth ... for performances of variety, pantomime, and light spectacular pieces. ... July 1, 1869, Wentworth sold to John Stetson, who rechristened it the New Adelphi. ... So continued until Feb. 4, 1871 ... when it was burned. Rebuilt for business uses." Cf. Winsor. The memorial history of Boston: including Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 1630-1880, Volume 4. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1886
Farmers' Cabinet (Amherst, New Hampshire); Date: 06-26-1862
Moulton, H J. Houdini's History of Magic in Boston, 1792-1915: A Facsimile of the Original Manuscript. Glenwood, Ill: Meyerbooks, 1983. (Refers to Boston Post listing.)