Van Kleef Aquarium
Origin: Van Kleef Aquarium was an Aquarium built in 1950s and was subsequently demolished in 1990s
This was a place of attraction located in Fort Canning Park between 1950s – 1990s. The aquarium housed various species of marine creatures and was a popular place for school-going children.
It was named after a Dutchman by the name of Karl Willem Benjamin Van Kleef who resided in Singapore during the 19th-2oth century. He donated his fortune to the Singapore Government to build the aquarium after his death.
The number of visitors dwindled over the years, especially so after the Underwater World opened on Sentosa in the 1990s.
It is a pity that the kids nowadays do not know of its once existence. Perhaps, the Van Kleef Aquarium should never have been demolished. The architecture was beautiful and based on its history alone, it should have been preserved as a national monument…….