hosted the New York Aquarium from 1896 to 1941.

By the 20th century, the quality of Battery Park had started to decline, and several new structures were proposed within the park, many of which were not built. In 1940, the entirety of Battery Park was closed for twelve years due to the construction of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and the Battery Park Underpass. The park reopened in 1952 after a renovation,