The ocean can be a mysterious place, and one of the only ways that the average human has of getting to experience the true depths of this mystery for themselves is by visiting an aquarium. There are numerous impressive aquariums throughout the United States, and we’ll be going over the absolute best ones in this article. From the Maui Ocean Center in Hawaii to the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, join us as we take a look at the best aquariums in the US.
Maui Ocean Center
The Maui Ocean Center is located in Hawaii and one of the best aquariums in the US, and it’s the first United States aquarium that we’ll be taking a look at in this article. Located on it’s namesake island in the area of Wailuku, the Maui Ocean Center showcases some incredibly impressive sea life, with an emphasis on the kinds of sea creatures that can be found in the nearby waters of the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium’s aim seems to be to allow visitors to experience all the wonders that the waters of Hawaii have to offer without ever actually having to venture into the ocean.
Even if you’ve put in hours scuba diving around the island of Maui, you’re still liable to find plenty within the Maui Ocean Center that impresses. The aquarium features an incredibly unique and widely diverse array of sea life that you won’t be able to find anywhere else in the world.
In addition to the numerous tanks housing sea creatures from the nearby waters of the Pacific, the Maui Ocean Center also has numerous interactive exhibits that should be more than enough to keep visitors of all ages entertained. Whether you’re there to have fun or to learn, the Maui Ocean Center will have what you’re looking for.
If you’ve found yourself on the island of Maui and you want to become immersed in Hawaii’s unique sea life, this is the place to do it. Some of the many creatures you’ll get the chance to see include sharks, jellyfish, and sea turtles. The aquarium also features an impressively large collection of live corals.
Mystic Aquarium
Clear on the other side of the United States, near the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll find Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium. The Mystic Aquarium, located in Mystic, Connecticut, has come to be known as one of the most impressive aquariums in all of New England. It’s said to be the only aquarium in New England featuring beluga whales, with there being six beluga whales located on the premises. It’s also one of only a small number of aquariums in the area housing Steller sea lions, which are much more common in the waters of the Pacific.
The Mystic Aquarium doesn’t just gather up rare sea creatures and show them off for a profit. Instead, it does it for a noble cause. The aquarium is a center for research and conservation of sea life first and foremost, and the fact that the aquarium is open to the public is essentially incidental. That means that by going to the aquarium, you’ll not only be getting the chance to see some beautiful and unique sea life, but you’ll also be helping to ensure that the sea creatures that you are witnessing continue to thrive both within the aquarium and within their natural environment.
Beyond it’s plethora of unique sea creatures, the Mystic Aquarium also has a few interactive exhibits, including touch tanks. In addition to the above sea creatures, visits will also get the chance to see a variety of different seals, an entire colony of African penguins, numerous tropical fish, crabs, sharks, and even an octopus! If you’re looking for a staggering variety of sea creatures housed in one location, the Mystic Aquarium certainly doesn’t disappoint. You’ll have plenty of fun when you’re there, you’ll be helping towards a noble cause, and you may even learn a thing or two!
Tennessee Aquarium
While the Mystic Aquarium is a conservatory that houses different kinds of sea creatures from all over the world, the Tennessee Aquarium goes back to the style of the Maui Ocean Center by having a more specific emphasis on the sea creatures of it’s region. However, the region of the Tennessee Aquarium is a bit different than the region of the Maui Ocean Center! The Tennessee Aquarium is located along the Tennessee River in Chattanooga. The aquarium is comprised of two different areas, with one of those areas showcasing freshwater creatures like the kinds you’ll find in the nearby Tennessee waters.
The freshwater area of the Tennessee Aquarium is considered to be the largest freshwater exhibit in the entire country, and it’s no surprise that such an exhibit should show up along the Tennessee River. Those who are more into the freshwater lifestyle than the saltwater lifestyle should get a kick out of this impressively large freshwater exhibit, which houses all of the different types of fish that avid fishermen will be expecting, from brook trout to yellowtail snappers.
While the most interesting and unique aspect of the Tennessee Aquarium in the context of this article has to be it’s massive freshwater section, that freshwater section is only half of the overall aquarium. The other half features a more traditional saltwater section housing all the different ocean creatures that one would expect in a modern aquarium. From stingrays to sharks, the Tennessee Aquarium has sea creatures from all over, and getting the chance to visit them is sure to be a treat for tourists.
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Heading back across the country, let’s talk about the Oregon Coast Aquarium and one of the best aquariums in the US. Located along the coast of Oregon in the area of Newport, the Oregon Coast Aquarium is sure to impress. The aquarium draws in visitors from all over the world, and those who find themselves in the area will surely want to make some room on their itinerary to spend at least a good few hours in the amazing location.
The Oregon Coast Aquarium features a variety of interesting exhibits, and new ones are being added all of the time as one of the best aquariums in the US. One of the newer additions to the aquarium is it’s prehistoric Cruisin’ the Fossil Coastline exhibit. As one might infer from the title, this exhibit is a bit more ambition than the average aquarium exhibit.
Other things that make the Oregon Coast Aquarium stand out from the competition include it’s incredibly large octopus, which hails from the nearby waters of the Pacific Ocean. There are also a host of interesting interactive displays, allowing visitors to get the chance to see the difference between the types of sea creatures that can be found on the contrasting types of terrain along Oregon’s coast.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Further down the West Coast is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is located in California. The aquarium finds its home in its namesake city of Monterey, and is settled specifically along the city’s historic Cannery Row. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is considered not only to be one of the preeminent aquariums in its region, but also in the entirety of the country! As with the aforementioned Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Monterey Bay Aquarium houses an octopus from the nearby waters of the Pacific. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the stunningly diverse array of sea life on display at this popular aquarium.
One of the things that makes the Monterey Bay Aquarium so special in comparison to the variety of other aquariums that we’ve already explored in this article is the fact that the aquarium features it’s very own living kelp forest! This living kelp forest allows the aquarium to house some unique species that you aren’t liable to find in many other aquariums, with those species including leopard sharks and wolf eels.
Besides these creatures, visitors will also get the chance to see such creatures as penguins and sea otters. As with the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, the Monterey Bay Aquarium functions with an aim of preservation. Those who attend the aquarium will be helping fund the conservation of the deep-sea reefs in nearby waters.
New England Aquarium
The Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut is commonly brought up as being one of the best aquariums in the New England area, but it doesn’t have the designation of being referred to as the New England Aquarium! The New England Aquarium is located along Massachusetts’ Boston Harbor. Though it doesn’t have beluga whales like the Mystic Aquarium, it is home to the largest tank of sharks and rays on the entirety of the East Coast. Those who aren’t so keen on sharks and rays may be more interested in the cute seals that can be found at the aquarium’s Marine Mammal Center, which is dedicated to caring for northern fur seals from all around.
The centerpiece of the New England Aquarium is it’s Giant Ocean Tank, which holds 200,000 gallons of water. Besides sharks, rays, and seals, visitors to the aquarium will also get the chance to see sea turtles and African penguins. Those who find themselves in the New England area won’t be disappointed by visiting this impressive aquarium, which rightfully maintains it’s reputation as one of the best in the entirety of the United States.
National Aquarium
If the previously mentioned aquarium attempted to one-up the Mystic Aquarium by calling itself the New England Aquarium, the National Aquarium has them both beat! With a name like the National Aquarium, it’s not hard to assume that this aquarium’s goal is to be the absolute best in the country. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, the National Aquarium certainly lives up to it’s name, though the United States’ various aquariums are so diverse that it’s really hard to pick one clear winner amongst them all. With nearly 1000 different species of sea creatures, the National Aquarium is certainly something. Despite it’s name, the aquarium houses sea creatures from all over the globe, and not just from all over the country.
In fact, the most amazing part of the aquarium would be it’s many different areas that each attempt to showcase the marine habitats of different world locations. Going from the Amazon rainforest section of the aquarium to it’s lovingly faked Australian river gorge is enough to make any visitor feel like they’re trotting the globe!
Alaska SeaLife Center
If the National Aquarium attempts to be as encompassing as possible with it’s array of sea creatures, the Alaska SeaLife Center is more emblematic of the sea life in it’s region. As it’s name suggests, the Alaska SeaLife Center is the place to go if you want to experience Alaskan sea life. Some of the many amazing sea creatures that visitors will get the chance to see include sea lions, seals, king crabs, and sea urchin. To top it all off, there’s also an interactive area for kids.
New York Aquarium
Heading to the East Coast yet again, there’s a fairly impressive aquarium in Brooklyn by the name of the New York Aquarium. This aquarium features the traditional variety of exhibits one would expect, as well as a 4D movie theater. There’s also an Aquatheater, where sea lion shows are performed. Whether you’re looking to get informed about sea life or merely to be entertained, the New York Aquarium has you covered! It’s even got five different types of sharks.
All of the different aquariums that we’ve taken a look at in this article offer a relatively unique experience, so it may be difficult for tourists to make the decision to prioritize one over the other. If you’re looking for a wide variety of sea creatures from all over the world, the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut and the National Aquarium in Maryland are both great options.
However, if you’re interested in seeing unique regional sea life that you’ll have a hard time tracking down anywhere else, any of the other aquariums will provide just that! From the Hawaiian sea life at the Maui Ocean Center to the Alaskan sea life at the Alaska SeaLife Center, there’s no shortage of aquatic wonder in the United States.