48 Best Sights in USA

This giant aquatic showplace perched on the Mississippi riverfront has four major exhibit areas: the Amazon Rain Forest, the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Maya Reef gallery, all of which have fish and animals native to their respective environments. The aquarium's spectacular design allows you to feel like you're part of these watery worlds by providing close-up encounters with the inhabitants. The entire facility received a sleek new upgrade in 2023 after a $41 million renovation, and the most stunning addition is the massive "Life in the Gulf" exhibit, where visitors can peer over an open tank to observe the movements of sharks, schools of fish, sting rays, and giant sea turtles. In the Amazon gallery, walk among the lush forest while 25 species of colorful birds fly above, before discovering Amazonian animals like Linnaeus, the two-toed sloth. Woldenberg Riverfront Park, which surrounds the aquarium, is a tranquil spot with a view of the Mississippi. Your aquarium tickets include a visit to the Butterfly Garden and Insectarium within the same building. Advance ticketing is recommended but not required.

The most-visited attraction in Maryland has nearly 20,000 fish, sharks, dolphins, and amphibians dwelling in 2 million gallons of water. The Blacktip Reef exhibit mimics a coral reef in the Indo-Pacific waters. It features pufferfish, stingrays, and more unusual creatures, such as the tasselled wobbegong, a carpet shark. In the Living Seashore exhibit, visitors can touch live stingrays. The aquarium also features reptiles, birds, plants, and mammals in its rain-forest environment, housed inside a glass pyramid 64 feet high. Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are part of several entertaining presentations that highlight their agility and intelligence. The aquarium's famed shark tank and Atlantic coral reef exhibits are spectacular. Arrive early to ensure admission, which is by timed intervals; by noon, the wait is often two to three hours, especially on weekends and holidays.

The Seattle Aquarium ranks among the best in the country, sitting right on the water's edge and housing exhibits that highlight the beauty and biodiversity of the Pacific Northwest. Inside, darkened galleries and glowing tanks showcase everything from hypnotic jellyfish to clever, color-shifting octopuses. The Life on the Edge tide pools recreate Washington’s rocky shores, letting kids get hands-on with sea stars, urchins, and sponges. If you’re visiting in fall or winter, bundle up—the Marine Mammal area sits outdoors along the waterfront, where brisk Puget Sound breezes are part of the experience.

One of the most popular aquariums in the country, the Shedd houses more than 32,500 creatures from around the world. A shark-filled 400,000-gallon tank is part of "Wild Reef," which explores marine biodiversity in the Indo-Pacific. The exhibit also has colorful corals, stingrays that slide by under your feet, and other surprising creatures, all from the waters around the Philippines. Whales and dolphins live in the spectacular Oceanarium, which has pools that seem to blend into Lake Michigan. The aquatic show here stars dancing belugas, leaping dolphins, and comical penguins. Be sure to get an underwater glimpse of the dolphins and whales through the viewing windows on the lower level, where you can also find a bunch of information-packed, hands-on activities. In 2022, the Shedd implemented a dynamic pricing plan for non-Chicago residents: advance ticket prices will vary based on projected attendance. Lines for the Shedd often extend all the way down the neoclassical steps. Buy a ticket in advance to avoid the interminable wait, or spring for a CityPASS.

A research center as well as a fascinating aquarium and natural history museum, Alaska SeaLife rehabilitates injured marine wildlife and provides educational experiences for the general public. The facility includes massive cold-water tanks and outdoor viewing decks as well as interactive displays of cold-water fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, including harbor seals, puffins, King crabs, and a 2,000-pound sea lion. The center was partially funded with reparations money from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Films, hands-on activities (including touch tanks), a particularly good gift shop, an observation deck overlooking the bay, and private small group tours where you can interact with different animals complete the offerings. Ticket prices vary a bit depending on the day; you can often save a few bucks by booking online ahead.

Sea lions, zebra sharks, and penguins—oh my! This aquarium focuses on creatures of the Pacific Ocean and is home to more than 12,000 animals. The main exhibits include large tanks of sharks, stingrays, and ethereal sea dragons, which the aquarium has successfully bred in captivity. The museum's Pacific Visions area features a 29,000-square-foot multisensory experience in which attendees can immerse themselves in humankind's relationship with the natural world through video projections, soundscapes, tactile exhibits, a touchscreen wall, interactive game tables, rumbling theater seats, and more. The aquarium focuses on its local environment in its refreshed Southern California Gallery, where you'll explore kelp forests, learn about local species, and learn about the aquarium's conservation efforts. For a nonaquatic experience, head to Lorikeet Forest, a walk-in aviary full of the friendliest parrots from Australia. Buy a cup of nectar and smile as you become a human bird perch. If you're a true animal lover, book an up-close-and-personal Animal Encounters Tour (extra fee) to learn about and assist in the care and feeding of sharks, penguins, and other aquarium residents. Kids go wild for overnight camp experiences in the aquarium. Wildlife shows and special events for kids, teens, and adults abound; if you're interested in offsetting your travels with some local eco efforts, the whole family can join in local wetlands habitat restoration efforts held by the aquarium. Whale-watching trips on Harbor Breeze Cruises depart from the dock adjacent to the aquarium; summer sightings of blue whales are an unforgettable thrill.

This isn't your typical large-city aquarium. It’s more hands-on and personal, and it's all outdoors with several tiki huts to house the encounters and provide shade as you explore, rain or shine. Plan to spend at least two to three hours here. You’ll find a 200,000-gallon aquarium and plenty of marine encounters (extra cost), as well as guided tours, viewing areas, and a predator tank. The Coral Reef encounter ($95 snorkel, $130 regulator) lets you dive without hearing the theme from Jaws in your head (although you can see several sharks on the other side of the glass). Touch tanks have unique critters like slipper lobsters. Hungry? The on-site Eagle Ray Café serves up wings, fish tacos, salads, burgers, and more. Note that general admission is required, even if you've signed up for a marine encounter.

With more than 10 million gallons of water, this wildly popular attraction is the nation's largest aquarium. The 604,000-square-foot building, an architectural marvel resembling the bow of a ship, has tanks of various sizes filled with more than 100,000 animals, representing 500 species. The aquarium's 6.3-million-gallon Ocean Voyager Gallery is the world's largest indoor marine exhibit, with 4,574 square feet of viewing windows. But not everything has gills: there are also penguins, sea lions, sea otters, river otters, sea turtles, and giant octopuses. The 84,000-square-foot Dolphins in Depth exhibit includes a 25-minute show (reservations required). Hordes of kids—and many adults—can always be found around the touch tanks. Admission includes entry to all public exhibits, shows, and galleries. Forty-five-minute behind-the-scenes tours start at $15. There are often huge crowds, so arrive early or late for the best chance of getting a close-up view of the exhibits.

Try to buy your tickets at least a week ahead. Online ticketing is best, with discounted rates and digital tickets you can print out at home.

This 5-acre waterfront center, the cornerstone of the city's SoNo district, explores the marine life and maritime culture of Long Island Sound. The aquarium's more than 20 habitats include some 1,000 creatures indigenous to the Sound, including sharks, rays, sea turtles, harbor seals, river otters, and jellyfish. You can see toothy bluefish and sand tiger sharks in the 110,000-gallon Ocean Beyond the Sound aquarium. The Maritime Aquarium also operates an Environmental Education Center, and leads marine life cruises aboard R/V Spirit of the Sound through Norwalk harbor.

You'll get a full introduction to the sea life that makes Hawaii special at this aquarium, which focuses on creatures of the Pacific. One highlight is the acrylic tunnel that runs through the 750,000-gallon Open Ocean tank, providing an up-close, underwater look at more than 50 marine species, including sharks and stingrays. Shallow Reef and Living Reef exhibits enlighten you on the coral ecosystem, and a whale exhibit has interactive learning stations and a dome theater that uses 3D technology to give you a mesmerizing humpback-whale's-eye-view. Cultural exhibits focus on the First Hawaiians and their relationships with the sea and on the history of Kahoolawe, a neighboring island that can be seen just across the Alalakeiki Channel. 

Although it's not an enormous facility, you should allow two hours or so to explore it all. The center is part of a complex of retail shops and restaurants overlooking the harbor. Enter from Honoapiilani Highway as it curves past Maalaea Harbor.  The aquarium's gift shop is one of the best on Maui for artsy souvenirs and toys.

Playful otters and other sea creatures surround you the minute you enter this extraordinary facility, where all the exhibits convey what it's like to be in the water with the animals. Leopard sharks swim in a three-story, sunlit kelp forest exhibit; sardines swim around your head in a circular tank; and jellyfish drift in and out of view in dramatically lighted spaces that suggest the ocean depths. A petting pool puts you literally in touch with bat rays, and the million-gallon Open Seas exhibit illustrates the variety of creatures—from hammerhead sharks to placid-looking turtles—that live in the eastern Pacific. Splash Zone's 45, interactive, bilingual exhibits let kids commune with African penguins, clownfish, and other marine life. The only drawback to the aquarium experience is that it must be shared with the throngs that congregate daily, but most visitors think it's worth it.

A renowned research facility, the Mote is also a popular attraction that draws families and others interested in its international array of ocean creatures. It has a large outdoor habitat featuring a family of frolicking river otters. In the main building, a 135,000-gallon tank lets you view various types of sharks from above and below the surface.

Other tanks contain eels, rays, and additional creatures native to area waters. Touch tanks abound here for the little ones, and the not-so faint of heart can scope out a preserved giant squid—a rare find out in the wild.

The expanded Seahorse Conservation Lab offers a glimpse into the unusual creatures' lives and how the aquarium helps them survive and thrive. Hugh and Buffett are the resident manatees, and they have lived here since 1996 as part of a research program. There's also a permanent sea-turtle exhibit.

The famous Arctic Coast exhibit—which holds 750,000 gallons of water, measures 165 feet at its longest point by 85 feet at its widest point, and ranges from just inches to 16½ feet deep—is just a small part of this revered establishment and home to three graceful beluga whales and several species of seals and sea lions. You can also see African penguins, fascinating sea horses, Pacific octopuses, and sand tiger sharks. Don't miss feeding time at the Ray Touch Pool, where rays suction sand eels right out of your hand. The animals here go through 1,000 pounds of herring, capelin, and squid each day—Juno, a male beluga whale, is responsible for consuming 85 pounds of that himself.

As interesting and exciting as it is educational, this aquarium is a must for those who are curious about what lives in and around the sea. The building's glass-and-steel exterior is constructed to mimic fish scales, and seals bark and swim in the outdoor tank. Inside the main facility, more than 30,000 animals of 800 different species frolic in simulated habitats. Visitors can get up close to a variety of species of sharks and rays at the Shark and Ray Touch Tank.

In the semienclosed outdoor space of the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center, visitors can enjoy the antics of northern fur seals and sea lions while gazing out at Boston Harbor. The real showstopper, though, is the four-story, 200,000-gallon ocean-reef tank. Ramps winding around the tank lead to the top level and allow you to view the inhabitants from many vantage points. Up top, the Yawkey Coral Reef Center features a seven-tank exhibit gallery that gives a close-up look at animals that might not be easily seen on the reef. Don't miss the five-times-a-day feedings; each lasts nearly an hour and takes divers 24 feet into the tank.

Add on to the day at the aquarium's IMAX theater, which takes you on virtual journeys from the bottom of the sea to the depths of outer space in 3D films.  Planning to see an IMAX film or go whale-watching in addition to visiting the New England Aquarium? Ask about combo tickets to save some money.

Run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, one of the country's oldest continually operating aquariums is home to hundreds of aquatic species. At the Sea Cliffs, watch penguins, sea lions, sea otters, and seals frolic; the best action is at feeding time. The Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit holds a giant tank of sharks and rays—there's even a glass tunnel underneath you can walk through. The Playquarium, which features a Touch Pool of crabs, marine snails, and sea urchin, also invites children to imagine themselves as sharks, sardines, or whales amid a kelp forest, coral reef, and sandy shore. Purchase tickets online for discounted rates.

This 4½-acre complex brings visitors face-to-face with the creatures living in offshore and near-shore Pacific marine habitats: frolicking sea otters, colorful puffins, pulsating jellyfish, and even a several-hundred-pound octopus. There's a hands-on interactive area for children, including tide pools perfect for "petting" sea anemones and urchins. The aquarium houses one of North America's largest seabird aviaries, including glowering turkey vultures. In the popular Passages of the Deep exhibit, visitors walk through a 200-foot underwater tunnel with 360-degree views of sharks, wolf eels, halibut, and a truly captivating array of sea life. The aquarium is in the midst of a major renovation and expansion that has already added an outdoor amphitheater and play areas and will see the installation a new Indo-Pacific Coral Reef exhibit by 2024.

In the shadow of a 400-foot observation wheel and within the ICON Park entertainment complex stands a kaleidoscope of underwater colors, where you can see some 3,000 sea creatures and experience various habitats. Plan to spend the better part of an afternoon exploring, as all ages delight at the close encounters with the aquarium’s sharks, green sea turtles, and jellyfish. With an emphasis on education and conservation, exhibits are playful and informative, with fun features that include a 360-degree ocean tunnel and a virtual shark dive. Combo tickets are available for the aquarium, The Wheel at ICON Park, and Madame Tussauds.

This foray into the undersea world is tropical and humid for us bipeds but quite comfy for the golden crocodiles, endangered green sea turtles, water monitors, and the other 2,000-some creatures in residence. Descend through two glass tunnels, which lead you deeper and deeper under the sea (actually about 1.6 million gallons of water), where exotic tropical fish and other sea creatures swim all around you. The tour saves the best for last—from the recesses of a sunken galleon, sharks swim below, above, and around a skeleton ship. The Undersea Explorer VR Theater lets you swim with whales or dive with sharks. Elsewhere you'll find a petting zoo for marine life, a Komodo dragon exhibit, and a special jellyfish habitat. Animal-feeding add-ons are available.

This impressive facility displays numerous large tanks and many more smaller ones filled with fish and shellfish from the waters of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Rooms are small, but they are crammed with stuff to see. Magnifying glasses and a dissecting scope help you examine marine life. Several hands-on pools hold banded lobsters, crabs, snails, starfish, and other creatures. The stars of the show are two harbor seals, on view in the outdoor pool near the entrance; watch their feedings, most days, at 11 and 4.

This high-tech, hands-on science education center is the home of "Shark Realm," a 550,000-gallon tank stretching two stories high and thick with sharks, stingrays, and sawfish. The daring can traverse “Shark Bridge,” a V-shaped rope suspension bridge just above the exhibit. In the "Hippo Haven,” hippopotamuses cohabitate with birds, lizards, and tortoises also native to Africa. There are also up-close "animal experiences," penguin feedings, live animal talks, and immersive 3D theater presentations. The aquarium features a coffee shop, an eco-friendly marketplace, and a beer garden (with outdoor seating during the warmer months). To get here, drive or take the ferry from Penn's Landing. Tickets are cheaper if you purchase online ahead of time.

Affiliated with the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography, this excellent aquarium sits at the end of a signposted drive leading off North Torrey Pines Road and has sweeping views of La Jolla coast below. More than 60 tanks are filled with colorful saltwater fish, and a 70,000-gallon tank simulates a La Jolla kelp forest. A special exhibit on seahorses features several examples of the species, plus mesmerizing sea dragons and a seahorse nursery. Besides the fish themselves, attractions include interactive educational exhibits based on the institution's ocean-related research and a variety of environmental issues.

You'll learn all about local marine plants and animals from the hands-on exhibits at this science center next to the main beach.

This aquarium gives you the opportunity to participate in the work of saving and caring for endangered marine species. Many of the sea turtles, dolphins, and other animals living at the aquarium were brought here to be rehabilitated from an injury or saved from danger. The dolphin exhibit has an open-air arena giving the dolphins plenty of room to jump during their shows.

This aquarium is also home to Hope, star of the Dolphin Tale film franchise. The aquarium conducts tours of the bays and islands around Clearwater, including a daily cruise on a pontoon boat (you might just see a wild dolphin or two), and kayak tours of Clearwater Harbor and St. Joseph Sound.

On the north side of the South Platte across from Elitch Gardens, this is the only million-gallon aquarium between Chicago and the West Coast. It has four sections that show aquatic life in all its forms, from the seas to the river's headwaters in the Colorado mountains. The 250-seat Aquarium Restaurant surrounds a 50,000-gallon tank filled with sharks and fish. Other highlights include an expanded stingray touch pool, a gold-panning area, animatronic creatures, and an interactive shipwreck. The aquarium also has a lounge with a weeknight happy hour, and the truly adventurous can learn how to scuba dive or snorkel in the tanks.

Beside a small beach, this modest but nicely designed sea-life center has a perfect location right along the Port Angeles waterfront near the ferry terminal. Murals of historic Port Angeles scenes decorate the outside; inside are plenty of touch tanks where kids can say hello to sea creatures.

Although eels, sharks, and stingrays are the headliners, this aquarium is much more than a giant fishbowl. The architectural landmark features an 83-foot-high, tiered glass dome; 250,000 square feet of air-conditioned exhibit space; and more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals—from blacktip sharks to leafy sea dragons—from Florida and elsewhere in the world. Interactive displays, behind-the-scenes tours, and in-water adventures let you get hands-on—and get your feet wet.

The 500,000-gallon Coral Reef Gallery has a 43-foot-wide panoramic opening, viewing windows, and a walk-through tunnel where you feel as if you've entered the depths. A thicket of elkhorn coral teems with tropical fish, a dark cave reveals sea life normally seen only on night dives, and South African penguins make daily appearances. Another highlight is the Indian Ocean coral reef at the Journey to Madagascar exhibit, which also features ring-tailed lemurs and hissing cockroaches.

Younger kids love the Explore a Shore, an aquatic playground with a waterslide, water-jet sprays, and a climbable replica pirate ship. If you have an extra 90 minutes, try the Wild Dolphin Cruise, which takes up to 130 passengers onto Tampa Bay in a 72-foot catamaran to see bottlenose dolphins and other wildlife. 

A beloved local attraction since 1955, this marine adventure park is home to dolphins, otters, penguins, alligators, harbor seals, and sharks. In addition to a range of exhibits, there are daily dolphin and sea lion shows, penguin and otter chats, and premium animal encounters including a VIP Trainer Experience and interactive swims or feedings. The Gulfarium is also home to the C.A.R.E. Center, which rescues and rehabilitates injured sea turtles and, when possible, releases them back into the wild.

Run by beach conservation group Heal the Bay, this live marine-life menagerie contains more than 100 species of marine animals and plants, all found in Santa Monica Bay. The Dorothy Green Room features live and interactive exhibits about local watersheds and shark feedings and short educational films on the weekends. The Kid's Corner provides books, games, and a puppet show. Don't miss this chance to learn about the area's ecology and the staggering evidence of how pollution is affecting ocean life. The aquarium can be tricky to find—look for it tucked under the eastern end of the Santa Monica Pier bridge along Ocean Front Walk. Follow the colorful seascape murals that cover the outside walls. Free admission for kids ages 3 and under.

Pet a nurse shark and explore the fascinating underwater realm of the Keys without getting wet at this historic aquarium. Hundreds of tropical fish and enormous sea creatures live here—all locals. A touch tank enables you to handle starfish, sea cucumbers, horseshoe and hermit crabs, and even horse and queen conchs—living totems of the Conch Republic. Built in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration as the world's first open-air aquarium, most of the building has been enclosed for all-weather viewing. Guided tours, included in the admission price, feature shark feedings. Tickets are cheaper when booked online.

This classic family attraction promotes environmental education and raises conservation awareness yet stages shows with sea lions, dolphins, and other marine animals (including killer whales). Discovery Bay, an endangered-mangrove habitat, is home to sea turtles, alligators, herons, egrets, and ibis. You can also visit a shark pool, a tropical reef aquarium, and West Indian and Florida manatees. A popular interactive attraction is the Stingray Touch Tank, where you can touch and feed cownose rays and southern stingrays. Another big draw is the Dolphin Interaction program, including the quite intensive Dolphin Odyssey ($219) experience and the lighter shallow-water Dolphin Encounter ($159).