http://www.barbarycoastnews.com/2014/06/24/aquarium-of-the-bay-opening-discovery-zone-june-27/

Aquarium of the Bay will be more inviting and engaging when its Discovery Zone opens on June 27.

The area in front of the building used to be a work space for maintenance staff, said Mallory Johnson, public relations and communications manager for Aquarium of the Bay, but they decided it could be more useful and help the Aquarium attract more interest if it became a free, public space.

The work space was surrounded by a fence shielded with a billboard with a picture of an otter on it. Despite the otter, it made the Aquarium look foreboding and the entrance was not obvious.

The Discovery Zone aims to bring more people to the Aquarium to do free activities and get a sense of the Aquarium before entering.

“It will be a great transformation,” Johnson said. ““Every weekend during the summer we’re going to try to have a different activity in the Discovery Zone.”

Many of those will focus on the Aquarium’s mission of conservation. Giant Jenga blocks will represent animals in the food web and what will happen if disturbed. A cornhole game will ask players to throw starfish-shaped beanbags into the “Marine Protected Area” of the hole.

Aquarium of the Bay features animals from around the world, but concentrates on those in the San Francisco Bay.

For more information, including hours, admission and ticket sales, visit http://www.aquariumofthebay.org/