Summertime is the perfect time to get out and experience aquatic endeavors of many kinds. This includes visits to some of the most acclaimed fan-favorite aquariums throughout the immediate Mid-Atlantic region. It may surprise you to learn that aside from the more obvious options, there are many others you may be overlooking. Here are six sensational suggestions to have on hand as you make your rounds.
Adventure Aquarium
While technically located in New Jersey, this destination’s proximity to Philly makes it a quintessential Pennsylvania bucket list attraction for so many. Having opened back in 1992, Adventure Aquarium was rightly named.
This aquarium of acclaim boasts more than two million gallons of water and 8,5000 sea creatures. Guests get to enjoy a versatile range of onsite offerings and endeavors on every visit, with some of the most favored being hands-on activities (including feedings), venturing across the Shark Bridge, and standing in the Shark Tunnel—an enthralling experience beyond compare!
Adventure Aquarium is located at 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ 08103. Click on the link to learn more or plan your visit by clicking here.
Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den
Housed in an impressive facility spanning more than 20,000 square feet, this best-kept secret in Scranton, Pennsylvania, packs an array of endeavors into every experience. Their namesake Reptile Den is among their most popular highlights, providing permanent residency to countless creatures of the reptilian and amphibian variety. Then there’s plenty to be said about their awe-inspiring aquarium, of such great acclaim. Here you can see the sea and its exotic ensemble up close and personal. Furthermore, they offer special animal encounters and programs, including those with armadillos and hands-on coral reef management. Scheduled feeding times are also part of their optimal offerings.
Visit Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den at 300 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503. Go to their website and discover more.
Glen Echo Park Aquarium
Founded in 2015 by Under the Sea, a marine biology outreach company based in Sterling, Virginia, Glen Echo Park Aquarium provides a unique visitor experience to all who visit. The facility is situated within a historic building that dates back to 1921 and has served a diverse range of purposes throughout its history. Although old and storied, all exhibits and features within are state-of-the-art and up-to-date, making it possible to provide for a versatile array of animal exhibits, hands-on displays, and activities. Some featured favorites include a live touch tank, a giant sand pit, and a pirate ship in a tree. The goal is to allow visitors of all ages to discover more about the importance of conserving the bay and protecting the nation’s largest estuary.
Glen Echo Park Aquarium can be found at 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD 20812. Click here to learn more.
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Here, you have what is perhaps the most famous and obvious option for exploring the aquarium scene locally. Based in Baltimore, as the name implies, the National Aquarium has been one of the area’s top-touted tourist must-dos since opening back in August 1981. They boast an attendance exceeding 1.5 million visitors annually.
Some of their most impressive onsite highlights include an aquarium that holds more than 2,200,000 gallons of water, over 17,000 specimens representing 750 different species, and some of the most profuse, award-winning exhibits in the nation. These include the Upland Tropical Rain Forest, a multi-storied Atlantic Coral Reef, an open-ocean shark tank, and the Australia: Wild Extremes exhibit. The latter even won the “Best Exhibit” award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums back in 2008.
Other novelty delights to take in on a visit to the National Aquarium in Baltimore include its 4D Immersion Theater. As of 1990, the site is also home to several mammals via its resident marine mammal pavilion, housed along the adjacent south end of Pier.
You can discover the National Aquarium in Baltimore for yourself at 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. Click the website link for all other details.
Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium
Experience Pennsylvania’s largest aquarium right in the heart of Pittsburgh at this zoo/aquarium combo—one of just six of its kind in the nation. Home to over 8,000 animals, representative of more than 600 species, the vast menagerie of creatures culminates in land and sea favorites alike, including marine mammals.
Some of the friends you’re sure to make here include sea lions, otters, penguins, sharks, and many others. The zoo/aquarium operates as a nonprofit and even has a Sea Turtle Second Chance Program, which does wonders for animal and wildlife conservation efforts.
Visit the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium at 7370 Baker Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Click here to learn more.
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Center
Two impressive buildings house the multitude of versatile exhibits and attractions to be enjoyed on a visit here. Among the featured attractions are the more than 800,000 gallons of both fresh and saltwater displays and the 12,000+ animals representing over 700 diverse species. From fish to an abundance of other marine creatures that live in the water, reptiles, amphibians, and even mammals, they have an amazing collection of callouts to boot.
The two buildings are connected by a one-third-mile nature trail that runs parallel to their resident Owls Creek Salt Marsh. Another area attraction to check out on location is their resident aerial Adventure Park.
One of their most one-of-a-kind experiences, however, is Virtual Reality Pods. This original offering is designed to allow visitors a chance to enjoy fully immersive simulators with stunning wrap-around sound and multi-directional movement. It brings deep-sea animal encounters to a whole other level of engagement!
The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Center is located at 717 General Booth Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Visit the website for more.
There are many other smaller-scale aquarium features throughout the Mid-Atlantic in addition to the stellar selection highlighted here. As always, it is encouraged that you look around and see what works best for you and yours personally.