14 Top Aquariums In the USA
Very few people get to dive into the depths of the oceans and explore the varied and vivid underwater life. Most of us, however, are overcome with fear as soon as someone mentions going down into the dark, where oxygen is as scarce as hen’s teeth! Maybe we are scared of the unknown, maybe we suffer from aquaphobia or hydrophobia or maybe we just aren’t cut out to be so adventurous! Thankfully for people like us, there are magnificent aquariums that showcase some of the best underwater life. If you are visiting America any time soon and intend on exploring chic aquariums in the USA, we have compiled a list just for you. Note that the list has no particular order; all of them are equally good!
Best Aquariums In the USA worth Visiting
- Georgia Aquarium
- National Aquarium, Baltimore
- Steinhart Aquarium
- Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi
- Shedd Aquarium
- New York Aquarium
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- New England Aquarium, Boston
- Aquarium of the Pacific
- Miami Seaquarium, Miami
- Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
- Moody Gardens, Galveston
- Alaska Sealife Centre, Seward
- Waikiki Aquarium
1. Georgia Aquarium
PC: Georgia Aquarium
Spread across 5 hectares, the Georgia Aquarium is a fun place to visit for the entire family. Home to animals such as African Pancake Tortoise, Otters, Beluga Whales, Stingrays, Starfishes and the likes, the place is more than just an aquarium. It is a leading facility for aquatic animal research and conservation. It also conducts research on environmental issues. The Georgia Aquarium is considered to be one of the top aquariums in the world. It organises fun events and activities such as ‘Sleep under the sea’, kids parties and even animal interactions all year round.
Where: 225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313, United States
2. National Aquarium, Baltimore
Your visit to the National Aquarium in Baltimore will be full of fun activities and intriguing tours; that’s a promise. From conducting workshops to raise awareness about the underwater life and the environment as well, the aquarium also hosts temporary exhibits that are fascinating to say the least. The National Aquarium has exhibits that range from Amazon River Forests to Australia: Wild Extremes and Jellies Invasions.
Where: 501 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202, United States
3. Steinhart Aquarium
PC: California Academy of Sciences
Home to over 900 species, the Steinhart Aquarium is a cool place to visit if you are in town with your children. An interactive aquarium, this one is home to approximately 40,000 animals. Here, you will get to see African Penguins, Alligators, Sharks, Shellfish and even vibrant corals. The main attraction over here is the ‘Rainforests of the World’ which is spread across 3 floors and offers splendid insights into the world of rainforests.
Where: 55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118, United States
4. Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi
With a mission statement of, ''...to engage people with animals, inspire appreciation for our seas, and support wildlife conservation”, the Texas State Aquarium is definitely doing a good job of achieving it. A non-profit aquarium, the exhibits over here are divided into fun zones such as Dolphin Bay, Stingray Lagoon, Tortuga Bay, Swamp Tales, Otter Creek and Hawn Wild Fight Theatre.
Where: 2710 North Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 78402, United States
5. Shedd Aquarium
PC: Shedd Aquarium on Facebook
The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is home to fascinating exhibits such as Amazon Rising, Caribbean Reef, Polar Play Zone and Waters of the World. It also offers remarkable experiences like Aquatic shows, Stingray Touch, Pajama parties and 4-D Experience to its visitors. A unique thing to witness at the aquarium is live jazz sessions that the place is known to host on special occasions. Added USP- the in-house store sells super cute souvenirs that you can take back home with you.
Where: 1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
6. New York Aquarium
Spanning 6 hectares, the New York Aquarium is one of the biggest aquariums in America. Founded in the year 1898, the aquarium is home to animals such as Green Moray Eels, Cownose Rays, Otters, Seals, Walruses, Sea Lions, Penguins and Sand Tiger Sharks to name a few. Captivating experiences you and your family can participate in include sea otter feedings, ocean adventures, 4-D Theatre, Elephant origami challenge and a lot more.
Where: 602 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224, United States
7. Monterey Bay Aquarium
PC: Monterey Bay Aquarium on Facebook
With one of the tanks inside the aquarium having a capacity of 1.2 million gallons, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the biggest aquariums in the world. Apart from giving visitors glimpses into the mysteries of the underwater world, the aquarium also organises fun family activities where you and your kids can create a shark totem pole, decorate a shark mask, make a shark headdress and even turn into a sea searcher! You also get a chance to dive in the water tanks and get up close and personal with the bright fishes.
Where: 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, United States
8. New England Aquarium, Boston
The New England Aquarium in Boston is home to a diverse collection of marine life. From African penguins to fur seals to seadragons and even Australian jellies, the aquarium houses animals from all over the world. Do make it a point to participate in their animal encounter programmes; they are really interesting and informative.
Where: 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, United States
9. Aquarium of the Pacific
PC: Where: 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States
Home not only to aquatic life but also to vivid birds, the Aquarium of the Pacific is a charming place to visit on your sojourn. Dedicated to the Pacific Ocean, you will find over 11,000 ocean animals in the aquarium. The various zones within the aquarium include Baja Gallery, Northern Pacific Gallery, Tropical Pacific Gallery, Shark Lagoon, Lorikeet Forest and the Molina Animal Care Centre.
10. Miami Seaquarium, Miami
One of the top aquariums in USA, the Miami Seaquarium is a famous attraction in the city of Miami. Comparatively smaller, the aquarium is popular with kids because of the various interactive activities like dolphin encounters, sea treks and seal swims. The facility deeply cares for the aquatic life as it has rescued and rehabilitated countless manatees, sea turtles and dolphins till date.
Where: 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne, FL 33149, United States
11. Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
PC: Wikimedia
While exploring the effervescent city of New Orleans, do pay a visit to the quaint and informative Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Home to aquatic animals and birds such as African penguins, barred owls, blue surgeonfish, clownfish, sea anemone, sand tiger shark, potbellied seahorse and southern sea otter, the aquarium is a delight to visit for all ages.
Where: 1 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130, United States
12. Moody Gardens, Galveston
Moody Gardens is a unique concept- it is an educational centre which uses nature to educate visitors about nature and wildlife conservation. It is spread across 98 hectares, thus making it one of the biggest aquariums in the world. But not just an aquarium, the gardens also house a golf course, a rainforest exhibit and a discovery exhibit along with providing accommodations in an environment friendly hotel. Now that’s one exceptional and offbeat experience you can have while visiting Texas.
Where: 1 Hope Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554, United States
13. Alaska Sealife Centre, Seward
PC: Alaska Sealife Centre on Facebook
A lovely place in Seward, the Alaska Sealife Centre is more of a rescue and rehabilitation centre and less of an aquarium. Yet, a visit to this place will be completely worth your time as you will get to know the various issues and causes the centre works for. Doubling as a study and research institute, you will find animals such as sea lions, harbour and ringed seals, wolf eels, Alaska skates, yelloweye rockfish, Giant Pacific octopus and rose starfishes housed over here. Many birds call this place their home too! Don’t be surprised if you run into Harlequin ducks, murre, tufted puffins, Rhinoceros Auklet and spectacled Eider roaming around freely.
Where: 301 Railway Ave, Seward, AK 99664, United States
14. Waikiki Aquarium
PC: Waikiki Aquarium on Facebook
When you head over to Hawaii with your kids for a beach vacation, we recommend you visit the Waikiki Aquarium in Honolulu as well. With the exhibits divided into absorbing galleries such as Amazing Adaptations, Corals Are Alive!, Jet Set, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Edge of the Reef to name a few, your family is sure to have a gala time exploring them.
Where: 777 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815, United States
Hope you are able to cover all of these top 14 aquariums in the USA on your fabulous escapade. To make your holiday hassle-free, do work on your itinerary with the help of this cool trip planner. Do let us know how your experience was by commenting below.
