LegaSea Aquarium and Reptarium opens April 21, fulfilling Brian Barczyk’s dream

It’s not every day that you get to see someone’s dream realized, but this coming Monday, April 21, you can. The late Brian Barczyk – the Macomb County animal enthusiast who inspired millions on social media and shared his pancreatic cancer battle with me and so many others – dreamed of opening an aquarium.

His legacy, the all-new LegaSea Aquarium and The Reptarium in Utica, is opening to the public on Monday. His widow Lori Barczyk and her team gave me a tour on the eve of the opening.

Macomb County man known for his love of animals inspires fans

Lori took me through one-on-one, starting in The Reptarium feeding the turtles, then finding snakes like “Ivy” the anaconda and “Dottie” – a playful python.

There are also vampire crabs, tarantulas, monitor lizards, and even a blue-tongued skink, plus fan favorites like “Salt” the albino alligator…

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