Hola Nicole
Yes, if you want to say it in the past then it would be either "Había..." or "Hubo.
Have a look at these two lessons:
"There was"/"there were" in Spanish: había
and
"There was"/"there were": hubo
Using one or the other will depend on whether it is more descriptive (había) or it is more of a completed action (hubo)
Saludos
Inma