There’s something enchanting about aquariums: Watching marine animals swimming, floating, frolicking, and otherwise going about their business in their world under the sea can be as mesmerizing as it is fascinating. No matter where you live, you probably have an aquarium within easy driving distance, making this a great way to spend a relaxing afternoon on your own, with a friend, or with your family. If you live in the vicinity of, specifically, one of these aquariums, though, you’re in luck, because they’re often considered among the best in the United States.
Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL
Part of SeaWorld, Discovery Cove offers visitors the opportunity to participate in various experiences that are anything but ho-hum. Not your typical aquarium by any means, Discovery Cove features an aviary, gorgeous beaches, a reef where you can go snorkeling, and the opportunity to swim with dolphins. This is a full-day experience and an all-inclusive day resort. Your ticket for the Dolphin Swim Day package includes unlimited admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica (the SeaWorld water park) for a two-week period around your scheduled resort day.
National Aquarium, Baltimore, MD
With over 16,000 animals calling the National Aquarium home, you’re sure to find plenty to captivate you as you meander through this attraction. See varieties of animals from marine areas all over the world, from the tropical blue poison dart frog to the arctic puffin and everything in between. For the full aquatic experience, take part in one of the aquarium’s immersion tours: See what it’s like to be a dolphin trainer, walk just inches away from where sharks swim, be the guest of dolphins or sharks at a sleepover that you’ll never forget, or, if you’re a certified diver, swim right along the creatures in the aquarium.
Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL
Chicago boasts the largest indoor aquarium in the world, with 8,000 aquatic animals living under one roof. Originally from rivers, reefs, lakes, and oceans, the water is home to numerous plant and animal species; learn about some of them at Shedd. Learn about the creatures from the Amazonian forests, the Caribbean reef, the Pacific Northwest, and the Arctic. Right now, you can even learn about jellyfish in a special exhibit. From mammals like otters and whales to reptiles like lizards and turtles to octopi, sea anemone and frogfish, you’ll see animals of all varieties in this huge aquarium.
New England Aquarium, Boston, MA
No trip to Boston would be complete without a stop at the New England Aquarium. Aside from the typical aquarium exhibits, this marine life-filled attraction includes a whale watch (spring through fall) as well as an IMAX theater. Exhibits include a huge coral reef, teeming with barracudas, stingrays, sharks, and other reef-dwelling creatures; a penguin exhibit, housing penguins of various types; a gallery of South American freshwater inhabitants, such as eel, anaconda, and piranhas; and a tropical exhibit, full of tropical fish.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA
By far one of the best aquariums I have visited is in Monterey Bay. We took a “Behind the Scenes” tour and it was wonderful. The tour started with the history of the aquarium, which indicates that the aquarium originated inside an old cannery from the 1800s. There were a wide variety of sharks, turtles, sea otters, penguins, and the list goes on and on. The jellyfish exhibit is quite interesting to walk through because of the darkness of the room and the way the jellies are lit up from the inside of the tank. There are many shows and feeding encounters so make sure to check the schedule before your trip!
Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, GA
This aquarium is the largest in the world. There are 550,000 square feet of tanks that even includes an award-winning dolphin exhibit. There are over 8.5 million gallons of marine and freshwater aquariums housing 120,000 animals of over 500 different species. It is currently the only place outside Asia that you can see whale sharks on exhibit. It is also 1 of only 2 aquariums to exhibit Great Hammerhead. There are also lots of educational programs and a 4-D theater.
No matter where in the USA you’ll be traveling this year, make it a point to stop in to an aquarium. Particularly during the week when crowds are low, it can be very relaxing to stroll through, watching how animals live under the sea.
