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UTICA — The Utica Reptarium has been planning on expanding to another building just across the street with an additional 30,000 square feet on Van Dyke Avenue in Utica called the LegaSea Aquarium.
The opening has almost arrived. The building is projected to open by the end of April.
The LegaSea Aquarium, 45550 Van Dyke Ave., will add to the Van Dyke corridor and is expected to bring many visitors to the region.
Brian Barczyk, the Reptarium’s owner, was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer and died Jan. 14, 2024, at 54 years old before he could see the LegaSea Aquarium open. In 2018, Barczyk and his wife, Lori, opened the Reptarium as a way of getting out of the pet trade and snake breeding business and concentrate on education about these animals.
In early 2020 an expansion of the Reptarium added new exhibits including a massive anaconda enclosure, a gift shop, a two-toed sloth and an area for private events.
Barczyk had a dream of opening an aquarium, but it didn’t start to become a reality until a large building across the street from the Reptarium suddenly came up on the market.
The building was originally a grocery store and was a thrift store for many years. The building’s front wall was demolished and expanded nearly 25 feet forward, bringing the square footage to just over 30,000 square feet, with a wall of windows and an ocean-sunset-inspired façade added, plus a koi pond and bridges that guests pass over to enter and exit.
It’s not all mammals; they also have a nearly 6-foot-long arapaima that will live in the freshwater predator aquarium, and Monocentropus balfouri, one of the only species of tarantula that live in groups containing dozens of individual tarantulas. Native to Yemen, these tarantulas have powerful venom.
LegaSea also will have an interactive brackish mangrove aquarium with archer fish, which is a species of fish that shoots a stream of water up to 10 feet to knock insects into the water. Guests will get to hold food in their hands, on their heads or on sticks for the fish to shoot.
Other attractions will include an 18,000-gallon saltwater reef aquarium and a large interactive exhibit with nearly 40 baby American alligators that guests will be able to handle and feed.
They are offering exclusive behind-the-scenes, 45-minute guided tours for visitors to see the place before the official opening. The tours cost $250 per guest.
Lori Barczyk, co-founder of LegaSea Aquarium, said the tour gives guests the chance to see the heart and soul going into the facility.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time as we near the finish line, and we’re so grateful to share this experience with those who want to be part of our journey before the opening. LegaSea Aquarium has always been a shared dream between Brian, Steve Bashi, and me, and it’s overwhelming to see it all coming to life,” she said.
Bashi, co-founder of LegaSea Aquarium, said the tour shows the care and effort behind every tank.
“This tour will show how we maintain our fresh and saltwater systems, from state-of-the-art life support to the hands-on care that keeps everything healthy. It’s a dream that Brian and Lori Barczyk, and I have poured our hearts into, and we’re excited to share the hard work that makes it all thrive,” Bashi said.
Funds raised from the tours will directly support the LegaSea building fund. For more information, visit thereptarium.com, call (586) 884-6941 or email tours@thereptarium.com.
Stephanie Kent, the marketing director at the Reptarium LLC, said she believes every team member has poured their heart and soul into bringing Brian Barczyk’s dream to life while honoring the millions of online followers and friends who have supported him along the way.
“We’re incredibly excited to see our guests connect with even more species of animals and become part of our LegaSea family. From the moment they arrive until the very last moment, Brian’s vision was to provide guests with hands-on, immersive experiences where they can get their hands wet and truly engage with the animals,” she said.
