Although there are over 150 incredible aquariums in the United States, determining which one is the best may be like picking a favourite child. Since you have so many options, deciding and putting your thoughts into action will likely take several days. Consequently, to make planning your vacation easier, we’ve produced a list of the best nine aquariums in the USA.
The aquariums described in this article stand out because they offer visitors one-of-a-kind activities, unusual animals, and an overall experience that will leave them more knowledgeable and in awe of our oceans than before while also providing a lot of fun for the entire family.
Here Are The 9 Must-Visit Aquariums In The USA
#1. Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium, the country’s largest aquarium, will transport you to another planet. It is also the only aquarium in the United States that exhibits whale sharks, the largest fish living today, with display tanks totaling more than 10 million gallons. The 100-foot-long tunnel underneath it provides the best views of the massive tank they inhabit.
This tunnel is the closest you can get to swimming with whale sharks without having a single hair on your head wet. There are also bottlenose dolphins, six beluga whales, penguins, seals, sea lions, manta rays, American alligators, otters, reptiles, and other animals in the aquarium. Remember to check out the shark exhibit! More than 90,000 liters of fresh water in the River Scout freshwater exhibition and Predators of the Deep.
Location: 225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313, United States
#2. Aquarium of the Pacific
If you want to learn about the world’s most Aquariums in the USA without actually going there, visit the Aquarium of the Pacific! This aquarium houses some of the rarest and most exciting marine animals in the Pacific Ocean, particularly along the North American West Coast.
The Northern Pacific, Tropical Pacific, and Southern California galleries have extensive natural flora and wildlife to examine and appreciate. Visit the sea otter and penguin displays to closely explore the aquarium’s prettiest creatures. To add some colour to your journey, stop into Pacific Visions to observe the many coral reefs on show while the frog gallery more than holds its own.
The Harbor Terrace, which has a spectacular view of adjacent Rainbow Harbor and a moon jellyfish touch tank, is another attraction. If you want a more natural and immersive experience, schedule a whale watch out of the facility to see if you can see the grey whales on their yearly migration.
Location: 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States
#3. SeaWorld San Diego
Spend a fun-filled day at one of the world’s largest SeaWorld parks, SeaWorld San Diego! You will not only be able to tour a massive aquarium, but you will also be able to ride attractions as if you were at an amusement park. Enjoy your stay by seeing their magnificent and adorable creatures, such as beluga whales, walruses, flamingos, dolphins, birds, and more!
Your visit to SeaWorld San Diego will be complete once you experience the Emperor roller coaster, the Tentacle Twirl swing, the Bayside Skyride gondola, and other attractions. There are so many aquatic species to view and rides for kids and adults to experience that everyone in the family will have a great day.
Location: 500 Sea World Dr., San Diego, CA 92109, United States
#4. Newport Aquarium
Make your next trip to one of the best Aquariums in the USA if you want to get up and personal with fish and aquatic life without learning to scuba dive! The most amazing of these opportunities is Shark Bridge, a 75-foot suspension bridge erected with more than four miles of rope and 1.5 tons of steel directly over the aquarium’s shark display. If you’re brave, you may cross for a thrilling glimpse of the sharks, rays, and fish below.
If you want to experience thrills but are terrified of heights, the Shark Touch exhibit is a good option. It’ll be an intriguing experience as well. Touch tanks containing stingrays and tidal pool fauna such as sea stars, sea urchins, and anemones are also available. If you need more distance, tunnel tanks replicate driving through or under a tropical coral reef or even the Amazon River.
Location: 1 Levee Way, Newport, KY 41071, United States
#5. Aquarium of the Bay
Visit the Aquarium of the Bay to learn about and appreciate the beauty of Northern California’s aquatic life! This tank is home to over 20,000 marine organisms, including sharks, rays, jellyfish, and other fish species. There is a lot to see in this aquarium, but here are some highlights: Moon jellyfish are housed in a tank with several coloured lighting settings at Go With The Flow.
Explore The Bay has seven distinct wildlife habitats and a wide variety of creatures, such as the brilliant orange Garibaldi, a whirling school of anchovies, underwater babies, and more. Touch Visitors to the Bay may interact with various species, including rays, sharks, sea stars, and sea cucumbers.
Location: PIER 39 The Embarcadero & Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States
#6. Monterey Bay Aquarium
Welcome to your underwater viewing window! The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the best aquariums in America that is built in what was formerly a sardine cannery, which should provide some insight into the area’s history of interactions between humans and marine wildlife. This aquarium now has considerably more intriguing things than just a few sardines, with over 600 kinds of marine creatures and plants on show.
One of the most unusual displays allows you to experience the bizarre world of a vast kelp forest. Sardines, anchovies, leopard sharks, wolf-eels, scarlet octopi, and many brightly coloured tropical species find refuge in this ethereal underwater world. The Mola mola, or ocean sunfish, is one of the aquarium’s most unusual inhabitants. This gigantic and seldom-seen fish may weigh up to 5,000 pounds, and you can get up close and personal with one at the Open Sea exhibit!
Location: 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, United States
#7. Shedd Aquarium
This aquarium allows you to explore the world’s oceans without leaving Chicago and learn more about the unique and complicated ecosystem of the Great Lakes right outside the aquarium’s door. Touching a lake sturgeon at the At Home on the Great Lakes exhibit may be the closest you’ll ever come to cuddling a dinosaur since the fish hasn’t changed in over 200 million years.
You may also touch sea stars in the Arctic Play exhibit, and if you want a warmer but still delightful experience, you can massage or even feed a tropical stingray. One of the additional exhibits is a thorough look into the Amazon River Basin and the creatures that reside there. There’s also the Abbott Oceanarium, which houses beluga whales, white-sided dolphins, seals, sea lions, and sea otters from the Pacific Northwest.
Location: 1200 S DuSable Lk Shr Dr, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
#8. SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium
The SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium is one of the Aquariums in the USA to begin your aquarium trip! The aquarium’s crowning accomplishment is its 360-degree ocean tunnel, which gives non-scuba divers the most immersive underwater experience. The tunnel runs under a massive tank containing sharks, eels, sea turtles, and hundreds of smaller but no less amazing creatures.
Another 180-degree tunnel offers a similarly stunning view of the Pacific Ocean’s ecosystem. You may engage with the residents of a coastal rock pool, such as sea stars and anemones, and even feed a swarm of tangs, thanks to many touch tanks.
Another highlight is the wonderfully beautiful Jelly Wall, a brilliantly lighted display of translucent moon jellyfish that change colours depending on the illumination in their tanks. A floor-to-ceiling reproduction of the state’s unique Everglades environment is also on display, which is only suitable for a Florida aquarium.
Location: 8449 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819, United States
#9. Mystic Aquarium
Visit the Mystic Aquarium, the world’s most extensive outdoor beluga whale exhibit, for a look inside the life of a beluga whale! If you’re really into these beautiful aquatic creatures, you can even plan an in-person visit to get up close and personal with them. You may also get up and personal with sharks without making a reservation. Visitors to the SHARKS Touch Habitat may feel five distinct types of sharks and rays.
Additional interactive attractions include a 12-foot water table where you may meet and engage with some of Long Island Sound’s native aquatic creatures, such as lobsters and scup. The Underwater Explorer, a virtual reality experience, allows you to interact with humpback whales and sharks in their natural environment. Regular shows also include many seals, sea lions, penguins, fish, reptiles, and other aquatic species.
Location: 55 Coogan Blvd, Mystic, CT 06355, United States
Conclusion
While looking for one of the most incredible Aquariums in the USA, it might be challenging to choose just one. Since they house a diverse array of marine life, the Georgia, Monterey Bay, and New York Aquariums should all be on your list of the best aquariums in the US to see before you die.
On the other hand, a trip to any of the best aquariums in America listed above will provide us with an experience that will stay with us forever and the opportunity to get acquainted with unusual species of marine life that we would not typically see.
