Aquarium (MBTA station)

AQUARIUM
Aquarium station in August 2013
Location	183 State Street Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°21′33″N 71°03′11″W / 42.3593°N 71.0531°W / 42.3593; -71.0531Coordinates: 42°21′33″N 71°03′11″W / 42.3593°N 71.0531°W / 42.3593; -71.0531
Owned by	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Line(s)	Blue Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Construction
Parking	none
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	22 August 1901 (Atlantic Avenue Elevated) 5 April 1906 (East Boston Tunnel)
Closed	1938 (Atlantic Avenue Elevated)
Rebuilt	April 1924, 2000-2004
Previous names	Atlantic Avenue (1906-1967) State Street (1901-1938)
Traffic
Passengers (2013)	4,776 (daily boardings)
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station State toward Bowdoin Blue Line Maverick toward Wonderland   Former services   Boston Elevated Railway Rowes Wharf toward South Station or Dudley Atlantic Avenue Elevated Closed 1938 Battery Street toward North Station

Aquarium Station is a subway station on the MBTA Blue Line, serving the New England Aquarium and Boston's Financial District. Uniquely on the MBTA system, the station has high vaulted ceilings similar to stations of the Paris Metro and Washington Metro. The station's headhouses are located in the Financial District at Atlantic Avenue and State Street near International Place. Nearby Long Wharf offers connections to MBTA ferries water taxis to Logan International Airport, and other ferries and excursion cruises.

Aquarium is the deepest station on the Blue Line, as it is located on the portion of the East Boston Tunnel that passes under Boston Harbor. However, the station is not as deep as Porter on the Red Line in Cambridge.

The Atlantic Avenue Elevated opened on August 22, 1901, including a stop at State Street. The East Boston Tunnel opened on December 30, 1904, serving streetcars which ran from Court Street downtown to Maverick portal in East Boston. Atlantic Avenue station opened in the tunnel on April 5, 1906. It was connected with the elevated station by a three-story fare lobby that featured long, narrow wooden escalators - the lower sections of which lasted until 2004 - and a pedestrian bridge over Atlantic Avenue. The two stations had separate fare gates; a paper transfer was required to change lines.

The East Boston tunnel was converted to heavy rail metro stock in April 1924; all stations including Atlantic were given high platforms. The Elevated closed on October 1, 1938, and was torn down during World War II for scrap metal.