Best Aquariums in the United States
Aquariums offer a great way for people of all ages to immerse themselves in the underwater world.
From shimmering schools of tropical fish to the slow, graceful drift of a sea turtle, aquariums let us step into another world without leaving dry land. Across the United States, these aquatic wonders offer more than just glass tanks. They tell the stories of oceans, rivers, and the creatures that call them home. Some captivate with vast underwater tunnels, others with hands-on touch pools or rare species you won’t see anywhere else. Whether you’re looking to be dazzled, educated, or simply calmed by the rhythm of the water, these aquariums promise a journey into the deep that will stay with you long after you leave.
Best Aquariums in the United States:
Georgia Aquarium
I was in awe the moment I stepped into the Georgia Aquarium. It was like I had wandered into the ocean itself. I watched manta rays glide overhead in the massive Ocean Voyager tunnel, their wings casting shadows that seemed to brush my shoulders. I lingered at the whale shark tank, amazed by the way these gentle giants moved with such grace. I couldn’t stop smiling as I stood in front of the jellyfish exhibit, watching them pulse like living lanterns.
What I Loved Most: I loved how every corner offered something new, penguins waddling right up to the glass, dolphins leaping mid-show, and playful sea otters rolling in the water.
My highlights? I touched a stingray in the touch pool, felt my heart race during the dolphin presentation, and stood still for a long time just watching the beluga whales float like ghosts in their icy blue world.
Plan your Georgia Aquarium visit:
- Address: 225 Baker Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
- Drive Time from Downtown Atlanta: Just a few minutes; walking distance from Centennial Olympic Park
- Vibe: Immersive, awe-inspiring, family-friendly
- Highlights: Ocean Voyager tunnel, whale sharks, manta rays, beluga whales, touch pools
- Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings for lighter crowds
- Cost: General admission typically $40–$50; special experiences extra
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary by season
Monterey Bay Aquarium
I could hear the waves before I even stepped inside the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I felt the salty breeze drift in through open doors, mixing with the scent of the sea. I walked straight to the kelp forest exhibit, where sunlight streamed down through swaying fronds, and I thought, “I could stand here all day.” I watched leopard sharks weave between the kelp, their sleek bodies vanishing and reappearing like shadows.
What I Loved Most: I loved how the aquarium felt like part of the bay itself, windows opening to the real ocean, sea otters playing in the waves just beyond the glass.
My highlights? I leaned over the touch pools to feel the cool, rough texture of sea stars, stood still as sardines shimmered past in perfect unison, and lost track of time watching jellyfish drift like living art in their glowing tanks.
Plan your Monterey Bay Aquarium visit:
- Address: 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940
- Drive Time from Carmel-by-the-Sea: About 15 minutes
- Vibe: Immersive, scenic, connected to the ocean
- Highlights: Kelp forest, sea otters, Open Sea exhibit, touch pools, jellyfish gallery
- Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings for lighter crowds
- Cost: General admission typically $50–$60; discounts for children and seniors
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary seasonally
New York Aquarium
I could hear the sound of the Atlantic before I even reached the New York Aquarium, the crash of waves blending with the hum of the Coney Island boardwalk. I stepped inside and felt a rush of excitement, city energy meeting the calm of the underwater world. I found myself face-to-face with sea lions, their curious eyes following me as if they were in on the secret that this was the best place in Brooklyn to slow down and just watch.
What I Loved Most: I loved how the aquarium opened right onto the boardwalk, so I could step from ocean exhibits straight into the salty seaside air.
My highlights? I stood in the blue glow of the Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit, watching sand tiger sharks glide silently overhead. I lingered at the penguin habitat, smiled at the sea otters playing in the water, and ended my visit with a quiet moment at the coral reef tanks, where bright fish darted between swaying anemones.
Plan your New York Aquarium visit:
- Address: 602 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224
- Drive Time from Manhattan: About 45 minutes by car; accessible via subway (Q, F, D, or N to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue)
- Vibe: Urban, lively, family-friendly
- Highlights: Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, sea lions, penguins, coral reef tanks
- Best Time to Visit: Mornings on weekdays for fewer crowds
- Cost: General admission typically $27–$30; discounts for children and seniors
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary by season
Shedd Aquarium
I could see Lake Michigan behind me as I walked up to the Shedd Aquarium, its white columns gleaming in the sun. I stepped inside and felt the cool hush of the grand rotunda wrap around me. I started in the Caribbean Reef, where I stood for a long time watching a green sea turtle glide in slow, graceful circles, and I thought, “This is exactly where I want to be.”
What I Loved Most: I loved how each exhibit felt like a journey, one moment I was in the flooded Amazon rainforest, the next I was surrounded by the icy blues of the Polar Play Zone.
My highlights? I watched beluga whales surface with a soft puff of air, leaned in close to see tiny seahorses curl their tails around swaying plants, and sat in awe during the aquatic presentation as dolphins leapt in perfect arcs against the backdrop of the lake.
If you can, avoid going on weekends because of long lines and stroller traffic.
Plan your Shedd Aquarium visit:
- Address: 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
- Drive Time from Downtown Chicago: About 5 minutes; walkable from many central hotels
- Vibe: Expansive, immersive, world-spanning
- Highlights: Caribbean Reef, Amazon Rising, Wild Reef, beluga whales, aquatic presentations
- Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings for lighter crowds
- Cost: General admission typically $40–$45; special exhibits and experiences extra
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary by season
National Aquarium
I could see the glass walls of the National Aquarium reflecting the harbor as I walked up, the water shimmering just beyond. I stepped inside and felt instantly drawn to the spiraling walkways that seemed to promise new discoveries at every turn. I started in the tropical rainforest, where warm, humid air wrapped around me and birds darted overhead, and I thought, “This feels like stepping into another world.”
What I Loved Most: I loved how the aquarium kept revealing surprises, from the open ocean shark tank to the quiet beauty of the jellyfish drifting in their glowing tanks.
My highlights? I watched a massive green sea turtle glide through the Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit, followed a school of silvery fish moving as one in the Blacktip Reef, and pressed my hands to the glass to get closer to the sleek sandbar sharks. I ended the day with a moment in the Australia: Wild Extremes habitat, where waterfalls and free-flying birds made me forget I was in the middle of Baltimore.
Plan your National Aquarium visit:
- Address: 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
- Drive Time from Washington, D.C.: About 1 hour by car
- Vibe: Expansive, immersive, diverse
- Highlights: Blacktip Reef, Atlantic Coral Reef, Australia: Wild Extremes, shark tank, jellyfish gallery
- Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings or late afternoons to avoid peak crowds
- Cost: General admission typically $40–$50; discounts for children and seniors
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary seasonally
Oregon Coast Aquarium
I could smell the salty air before I even reached the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the crash of Yaquina Bay just beyond its walls. I stepped inside and felt the pull of the Passages of the Deep tunnel, where I walked beneath sharks, rays, and schools of fish swirling in a world of blue. I paused mid-tunnel, looking up at a leopard shark gliding overhead, and thought, “I’ve never felt this close to the ocean without getting wet.”
What I Loved Most: I loved how the aquarium connected directly to its surroundings, open-air habitats letting me hear the gulls and feel the breeze even as I explored marine life up close.
My highlights? I watched sea otters float and groom in their pool, stood eye-to-eye with a tufted puffin, and traced my hand along the glass as jellyfish drifted like delicate lanterns. I even stepped outside to see seals lounging in the sun, their whiskers twitching in the coastal wind.
Plan your Oregon Coast Aquarium visit:
- Address: 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, Newport, OR 97365
- Drive Time from Portland: About 2.5 hours
- Vibe: Immersive, coastal, family-friendly
- Highlights: Passages of the Deep tunnel, sea otters, puffins, seals, jellyfish gallery
- Best Time to Visit: Mornings for fewer crowds; spring and summer for mild coastal weather
- Cost: General admission typically $25–$30 for adults; discounts for children and seniors
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary by season
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
I could hear the music from the French Quarter mixing with the sound of the Mississippi as I walked up to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. I stepped inside and felt the cool air wrap around me, the dim light drawing my eyes straight to a wall of shimmering fish. I wandered into the Caribbean Reef tunnel, watching tarpon and angelfish sweep past, and thought, “This is New Orleans magic with a splash of the sea.”
What I Loved Most: I loved how the aquarium blended Gulf Coast creatures with far-off ocean wonders, letting me feel connected to both home waters and distant reefs in a single afternoon.
My highlights? I watched penguins dart through the water like tiny torpedoes, traced the smooth arc of a stingray in the touch pool, and stood still as a sand tiger shark passed close enough for me to see the details of its teeth. I ended my visit in front of the jellyfish tank, their slow dance matching the easy rhythm of the city outside.
Plan your Audubon Aquarium visit:
- Address: 1 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
- Drive Time from French Quarter: About 5 minutes on foot along the riverfront
- Vibe: Colorful, lively, Gulf-connected
- Highlights: Caribbean Reef tunnel, Gulf of Mexico exhibit, penguins, stingray touch pool, jellyfish gallery
- Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings or late afternoons for lighter crowds
- Cost: General admission typically $30–$35; discounts for children and seniors
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary seasonally
Seattle Aquarium
I could smell the salt and hear the gulls before I even walked through the doors of the Seattle Aquarium. I stepped inside and found myself face-to-face with a massive Window on Washington Waters tank, where salmon, rockfish, and wolf eels moved through a rocky seascape that felt like a living slice of Puget Sound. I stood there for a while, watching a diver wave to the crowd from inside the tank, and thought, “This is the Pacific Northwest at its most alive.”
What I Loved Most: I loved how the aquarium connected me directly to the waters just outside, every exhibit felt like a deeper look into the bay I’d just walked past.
My highlights? I watched sea otters tumble and roll through the water, leaned in close to spot giant Pacific octopus arms curling along the rocks, and paused in the tide pool touch zone to feel the cool, rough surface of sea stars. Outside, harbor seals lounged and blinked in the soft Seattle drizzle, perfectly at home.
Plan your Seattle Aquarium visit:
- Address: 1483 Alaskan Way Pier 59, Seattle, WA 98101
- Drive Time from Pike Place Market: About a 5-minute walk along the waterfront
- Vibe: Coastal, interactive, region-focused
- Highlights: Window on Washington Waters, giant Pacific octopus, sea otters, harbor seals, tide pool touch zone
- Best Time to Visit: Mornings on weekdays for lighter crowds
- Cost: General admission typically $25–$35; discounts for children and seniors
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary by season
Aquarium of the Pacific
I could feel the ocean breeze on my face as I walked up to the Aquarium of the Pacific, the sails of the Queen Mary visible across the harbor. I stepped inside and was immediately surrounded by the shimmer of tropical fish, the soft whoosh of water filters, and the laughter of families leaning over touch pools. I wandered into the Honda Blue Cavern, a towering kelp forest alive with giant sea bass and rays, and thought, “This is California’s coastline brought to life under glass.”
What I Loved Most: I loved how the aquarium showcased so many different parts of the Pacific, from the chilly Northern waters to the warm coral reefs of the tropics, without ever feeling rushed.
My highlights? I watched playful sea lions dart through their habitat, let a bat ray’s smooth skin brush my fingertips in the touch pool, and stood still as delicate sea jellies floated in glowing blue tanks. I finished the day outside, where colorful lorikeets landed on my hand to sip nectar.
Plan your Aquarium of the Pacific visit:
- Address: 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
- Drive Time from Los Angeles: About 30 minutes by car (traffic permitting)
- Vibe: Bright, diverse, hands-on
- Highlights: Honda Blue Cavern, Tropical Pacific Gallery, sea lions, bat ray touch pool, lorikeet forest
- Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings for lighter crowds
- Cost: General admission typically $40–$45; discounts for children and seniors
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary by season
Florida Aquarium
I could feel the humid Florida air give way to a cool rush as I stepped inside the Florida Aquarium. I started in the Wetlands Trail, where mangroves arched over clear water and roseate spoonbills waded just feet away. I followed the path, spotting playful otters darting between logs, and thought, “This hidden gem feels like the wild heart of Florida brought indoors.”
What I Loved Most: I loved how the aquarium took me on a journey from freshwater springs to coral reefs, letting me see the state’s ecosystems unfold in a single afternoon.
My highlights? I watched sharks glide past in the Coral Reef habitat, leaned in to see tiny seahorses clinging to sea grass, and wandered through the Moon Bay exhibit where glowing jellies drifted in slow motion. I finished outside at the splash pad, where kids laughed and the Florida sun poured down.
If I could change one thing...ticket prices are expensive! ($30-$40)
Plan your Florida Aquarium visit:
- Address: 701 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602
- Drive Time from Downtown Tampa: About 5 minutes
- Vibe: Tropical, immersive, family-friendly
- Highlights: Wetlands Trail, Coral Reef, Moon Bay, otters, jellies
- Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings for lighter crowds
- Cost: General admission typically $35–$40; discounts for children and seniors
- Hours: Open daily; hours vary seasonally
