WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich.-
Visitors at the Indian Springs Metropark soon will be able to go underwater without having to worry about getting wet.
After nearly two years of construction, an underwater dome, built in a 1.7-acre man-made pond, will serve as a viewing room for visitors seeking a closer look.
The new attraction at the park in Oakland County is expected to be the first underwater pond-viewing room in Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The park is about 45 miles from Detroit.
Visitors will enter a 20-foot tunnel and walk down into the 18,800-pound acrylic dome, which will sit 2 feet below the surface of the water. It can hold about 25 people.
"We wanted to show life in a natural pond setting," Denise Semion, spokeswoman for the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, said. "This will provide an under-the-water view of everything from the tiniest creatures to the fish that swim in our lakes and ponds."
The dome is part of the $12.5-million James Clarkson Environmental Discovery Center that opened in April 2005.
The dome had been scheduled to open at the same time but was delayed because of problems with waterproofing and with its cement foundation, officials said.
There is no additional cost to visit the dome, but there is a $4-per-vehicle admission fee to enter Indian Springs Metropark.
It is expected to open this fall.
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Information from: Detroit Free Press,
