> Public Aquariums & Clubs> Public Aquariums - USA

Public Aquariums
Running out of things to do during school breaks? Find yourself with extra time on your hands during a business trip? Need something fun to do for a special event? Pencil in a visit to a public aquarium.

AL - Alaska SeaLife Center
Offers a-close and personal experience with Gulf of Alaska marine wildlife. Exhibits offer underwater viewing of sea lions, puffins diving in a carefully crafted naturalistic habitat, and harbor seals hauled out on rocky beaches. Open year round.

AL - The Estuarium
Located in Dauphin Island, Alabama. Features exhibits of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta wetlands, as well as the Mobile Bay estuary. Open year round.

CA - Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Centered on science education, the aquarium has two seawater-equipped classrooms that adjoin the public display areas. A variety of educational programs are offered.

CA - Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific
The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the largest aquariums in the United States. Home to 550 species, the exhibits takes visitors on a journey throughout the Pacific Ocean's three regions: Southern California/Baja; the Tropical Pacific and the Northern Pacific.

CA - Monterey Bay Aquarium
Home to 300,000 individual plants and animals, the exhibits re-create Monterey Bay's habitats, from shallow tide pools to the open ocean and deep sea. One of the best exhibits in the nation. The web site offers webcams, photo galleries, and a wealth of information

CA - Sea World San Diego
Offers travel through a submerged viewing tube, a pipeline to the center of the shark's world, one of the largest displays of sharks. The website provides lots of information about exhibits, including an interactive map of the park.

CA - Steinhart Aquarium
Located in San Francisco, the Steinhart is opening a new facility in 2004 that promises to offer even more displays than the former site. Exhibits are both saltwater and freshwater, and are open year round.

CO - Downtown Aquarium
Located in Denver, Colorado. Re-creates the habitats of the Colorado River as it flows to Mexico's Sea of Cortez, and Indonesia’s Kampar River along it's journey to the South China Sea. Open year round.

CT - Maritime Aquarium
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is one of the few in the country solely devoted to one body of water: in our case, Long Island Sound. The Aquarium features more than 1,000 marine animals native to the Sound and its watershed. Features an IMAX theater and many special events.

CT - Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration
In addition to the many exhibits, educational programs geared for specific age groups. A great resource for teaching and vacationing alike. Open year round.

DC - Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Located in Washington, DC. Features a variety of exhibits, including an Amazonian fish display. Open year round.

FL - Florida Aquarium
Opened in 1995, this aquarium focuses on Florida's unique water story, as it follows a drop of water from its underground source to the open sea. Exhibits feature thousands of native plants and animals, as well as special presentations from all over the globe.

FL - Sea World Orlando
Everything from rides to exhibits where you can feed the dolphins. The site sports an interactive map so you can check out the exhibits before you visit. Open year round.

HI - Waikiki Aquarium
Founded in 1904, it is the third oldest public aquarium in the United States. Provides over exhibits represent that more than 326 species of aquatic animals and plants. Endangered and threatened species are among the unique organisms that visitors can see and appreciate. Located next to a living reef on the Waikiki shoreline.

IL - Shedd Aquarium
Located in Chicago, Illinois. Although many of the exhibits are saltwater, the Amazon Rising: Seasons of the River exhibit is an excellent freshwater display. Open year round. Website has lots of great interactive features.

KY - Newport Aquarium
Featuring 16 galleries, each with a different theme. They offer group rates, student programs, and are open for extended hours during the summer.

LA - Audubon Institute Aquarium of the Americas
Located on the Mississippi River bank in scenic Woldenberg Riverfront Park, the Aquarium of the Americas hosts daily 'expeditions' into a variety of aquatic habitats. The collection includes thousands of fish, reptiles and birds, including many creatures native to Louisiana waters. The web site offers virtual tours as well as many excellent photos.

MA - New England Aquarium
Open year round with a large variety of exhibits, including an IMAX theater. The website is just as good, with webcams, virtual tours, and educational information.

MA - The Berkshire Museum
Located in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Offers exhibits of the freshwater fish of the Amazon. There are a number of educational programs offered. Open year round.

MD - National Aquarium in Baltimore
The Located on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary. Home to more than 10,000 marine and freshwater animals in a variety of exhibits.

MN - Great Lakes Aquarium
Located in Duluth, Minnesota. America's only all freshwater aquarium, it houses 70 species of fish. Open year round.

MN - Underwater World
Located in Bloomington, Minnesota. Built below the Mall of America, this aquarium features a variety of exhibits. Your Guide shares her visit, complete with photos of the displays.

NJ - New Jersey State Aquarium
Located in Camden, New Jersey. Offers a wide range of fresh and salt water exhibits. Freshwater displays include: South American Electric Fish; Australian Pacific Blue-Eyes; Central American Blind Cavefish; Asian Bumblebee Fish and American Licking River Darters. Open year round.

NM - Albuquerque Aquarium
Offers exhibits that encompass the habitats of the Gulf of Mexico. Open summers only.

NY - Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium
Located in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Houses the largest living collection of New York State freshwater reptiles, fish and amphibians. Presents many educational programs for students within the state. Open year round.

NY - New York Aquarium
Situated by the sea in Coney Island, the New York Aquarium is home to thousands of fish and a multitude of marine creatures, including beluga whales, sharks, walruses and dolphins. The Aquarium is the longest operating facility of its kind in the country.

OR - Oregon Coast Aquarium
One of the largest aquariums in the country, and a member of American Zoo & Aquarium Association. Offers a variety of educational programs, many of which provide 'close encounters' with the the exhibits. Open year round.

OR - Seaside Aquarium
A small privately owned aquarium that offers a visitors the opportunity to feed the seals. Open year round.

SC - Ripley's Aquarium South Carolina
Located in Mrytle Beach, South Carolina. Offers both saltwater and freshwater exhibits, including a re-creation of the Amazon rain forest habitat. Open year round.

SC - South Carolina Aquarium
Offers exhibits that span mountain streams through rivers, lakes and saltmarshes to the still depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Offers educational programs, including free homeschool programs.

TN - Tennessee Aquarium
Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this is the world's largest freshwater aquarium. It features over 9,000 animals in natural habitats. Summer and special event programs offered, including an IMAX theatre. Open year round.

TX - Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park
Located in Dallas, Texas. Has both saltwater and freshwater exhibits, including several rare desert fishes that have been bred at the aquarium. Open year round

TX - Dallas World Aquarium & Zoological Garden
Located in Dallas, Texas. Offers one of the largest freshwater fish exhibits in the world. The website has many photos, and a live cam of the manatees. Open year round.

TX - Moody Gardens
Located in Galveston, Texas. The Rainforest Pyramid includes exhibits of fish native to the rainforest of Africa, Asia and the Americas. A virtual tour is provided on the website. Open year round.

TX - Sea World Antonio
Patterned after the other Sea World exhibits, this one contains many of the same features. Visit the site to see a preview of the exhibits. Open year round.

VA - Chicoteague Island Aquarium
The Island Aquarium provides a unique opportunity to experience local marine life up close doing everyday things such as eating, shedding, or just swimming around. A 'touch tank' allows visitors to actually touch live horseshoe crabs, spider crabs, starfish, whelks, and other marine animals.

VA - Virginia Marine Science Museum
The museum introduces you to the variety of aquatic animals and plants that are native to Virginia. From the freshwater of a coastal river to the Chesapeake Bay to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Many hands-on displays and educational programs, as well as an IMAX theater. One of the top ten most visited aquariums in the nation.

WA - Seattle Aquarium
Seattle, with its long maritime history, is a natural location for an aquarium. Geared towards marine exhibits, it offers a wide range of exhibits as well as educational programs, including summer camps.