Best aquarium in the US?

[Anonymous]

If Shedd is under construction, Atlanta is the better bet. I enjoyed the Shedd on my one visit many years ago but it did feel like it needed some maintenance (broken interactive exhibits, some murky areas). Atlanta has some flashy exhibits and of course the whale sharks. I have not been to Monterey or any other California aquariums, but California tide pools are a good idea.

I agree that New England whale watching can be very fun. You can do it from Bar Harbor, Maine and go to the Bar at low tide and look for creatures out in the open. When we went to Maine, there was a lobster hatchery and lobster exhibit non-profit in the Bar Harbor area that was fun to visit. Not sure if this same place is still open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Georgia Aquarium is amazing!!

No it’s not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the little one in Detroit.

It's a rule that any mention of the Belle Isle Aquarium must also reference parthenogenesis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Isle_Aquarium#Animals
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis#Sharks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the little one in Detroit.

How fun to read this. I used to go there all the time when I was a kid. So nice to see it underwent restoration

[Anonymous]

I loved Long Beach aquarium.

[Anonymous]

I also have an aquarium loving son and I have to say I think honestly think Camden is best out of the bunch mentioned here (although we have not been to Atlanta...but Atlanta in August sounds pretty miserable to me).

If you do opt for Camden, NJ you can make an easy weekend of it staying in Philly and visiting the Mutter Museum too which is very interesting.

We live in Boston and the aquarium here is decent. As someone pointed out you can also do a whale watching trip right from the Boston harbor so that can be a nice long weekend. If you have a few extra days you can drive down to the Cape Cod and do a fishing trip where someone on board is likely to catch a shark.

If you have a full week, you could take the train to Philly to see the Canden Aquarium, then continue train to NYC (which has an amazing Natural History Museum), train on to Boston for Boston Aquarium and whale watching and then fly back home. That trip actually sounds like fun to me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a teen who loves aquariums. We have a few days in August earmarked for travel.

Which aquarium is worth traveling to? The only one we know is the one in Baltimore. Monterey Bay? Georgia Aquarium?

Best Monterey. No comparison to anything else in the U.S. I was spellbound as an adult.

[Anonymous]

Monterey

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked Georgia better than Shedd but haven't been to Monterey. It's often a lot cheaper to fly to Atlanta or Chicago, though, if budget matters. The Embassy Suites at Centennial Olympic Park is right by Georgia Aquarium and also the College Football Hall of Fame and World of Coke mentioned by a PP.

Atlanta is a pretty easy trip if you really meant it's for only "a few days." I'd want longer to go to California.

Note there was just a shooting in this area. Atlanta is not safe anymore.

No one is going to be shooting in an aquarium. Just stay home and hide in your basement PP.

[Anonymous]

Surprised no one has mentioned New Orleans which is also very cool and a good look weekend trip (although maybe not in summer).

Also many people don’t know it but the aquarium at Epcot at disney world is the second largest in the U.S. — second only to the Atlanta one.

[Anonymous]

man i gotta do Monterey again. went few years ago but couldn't remember anything! visited baltimore, boston, atlanta and easily remember something cool in each.

also went to va beach one and actually liked it quite a bit. check it out next time you go to va beach.

[Anonymous]

ok PP here just to add: va beach one won't blow anyone away but it'd be a nice surprise for many i'm sure.

[Anonymous]

Monterey for sure. As others have pointed out, lots of sea-related activities nearby.

Also have to mention the one in Osaka. It was a few years ago, but I still remember some of their unusual creatures I hadn't seen elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

I love aquariums. Here are my grades:

Monterrey: A+
National (Baltimore): former A, currently B-/C
Mystic: B (not a destination)
Georgia: C (very overhyped. I went for the aquarium, it was a dud trip. Coke museum was more interesting!)
New England (Boston): A+
Any of the Sea Life chain: C
Seattle: C


For me, Monterey wins overall bc of the surrounding wildlife (otters, seals, tide pools with anemones, crabs, invertebrates). New England is the best of the east coast.

Behind the scenes tours can add a lot to an aquarium visit. You can feed the animals, dive in the tanks, see the infrastructure req to keep thousands of gallons of saltwater running (more interesting than you may think).

For Monterrey and Boston, whale watching is a must.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Georgia Aquarium is amazing!!

Maybe if it’s the only aquarium you’ve ever been to? Otherwise no.