Baltimore’s National Aquarium is one of the largest in the United States. The Aquarium exhibits are known for re-creating natural habitats.
Unlike many other aquariums, this one lets visitors touch moon jellyfish in the North Atlantic to the Pacific exhibit. You can also pet stingrays and whelks in this exhibit. You’ll be glad you read this!
Admission
National Aquarium offers many opportunities for visitors to engage with marine life. These include interactive animal encounters, expert talks, and 4D immersion films. Educational programs are designed to align with Next Generation Science Standards.
Ranked among the nation’s top three aquariums, National Aquarium Baltimore MD showcases thousands of aquatic species in awe-inspiring habitats. Highlights include a multi-level tropical rainforest, a simulated Atlantic coral reef, and a simulated Australian outback.
Guests can also see dolphins in their natural habitat at Dolphin Discovery. The exhibit houses a large pool where visitors can watch dolphins train, play and interact with trainers. They can also opt for a dolphin tour or a Dolphin Immersion Experience. Other popular exhibits include the Blacktip Reef, a simulated coral reef, and the North Atlantic to Pacific Exhibit. Lastly, the Jellyfish Invasion features several different types of jellyfish that visitors can touch and hold.
Exhibits
Located at Inner Harbor Pier 3, the aquarium offers award-winning exhibits featuring unique aquatic habitats. Discover how animals survive through adaptations like an electric eel that can produce 500 watts of electricity to scare off predators or a chambered nautilus that can regrow its intestines to avoid being eaten.
A highlight is the Living Seashore, a multilevel exhibit designed to replicate Maryland’s wondrous beaches and ocean waters. Here you can touch crabs, stingrays, and whelk in two large touch pools or learn how to identify seaweed, sea cucumbers, and jellyfish with interactive touchscreens.
Other highlights include Shark Alley—a multiple-level tank showcasing different types of sharks and rays, and the two-story rainforest, home to golden lion tamarins, scarlet ibis, black-crowned motmots, hyacinth macaws, and poison dart frogs. The Umbrawarra Gorge exhibit of Australia is also a must-see, winning the aquarium a Best Exhibit award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Browse around this site to check more places to visit.
Food & Drink
The National Aquarium is located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor at 501 E. Pratt St. It’s a day trip for many families who want to see the animals up close and learn about ocean conservation.
The aquarium has several cafes and food options throughout the facility. The Harbor Market Kitchen aims to promote earth-friendly food practices and features seasonal produce, artisan cheeses, grass-fed beef, humanely raised chicken, and sustainably harvested seafood.
It’s also a great place to crack open some crabs. There are several crab houses in the area including L.P. Steamers (laid-back), Choptank, and Nick’s Fish House on the water. They are known for their steamed and fried crabs, sandwiches, fish tacos, and clam cakes. SeaQuench Ale is a session sour ale by Delaware-based Dogfish Head Brewery that highlights lime and salt and marks a new partnership with the aquarium that’s not your typical cause marketing campaign.
Parking
Located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the National Aquarium is one of the most popular attractions in the city. It is a non-profit, public aquarium that is at the forefront of marine conservation and awareness. It houses more than 17,000 fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles from 750 different species in award-winning habitats.
It opened on August 8, 1981, and has been a huge success ever since. Mayor William Donald Schaefer envisioned and championed the project in the 1970s, and residents voted to approve it in 1976. The United States Congress designated it a “national aquarium” in 1979, a designation that is now shared by the Baltimore and Washington, DC, locations.
Visitors will enjoy exhibits such as the Upland Tropical Rain Forest, Blacktip Reef, and Australia: Wild Extremes. The aquarium also offers special tours and experiences, including behind-the-scenes visits and animal encounters.
Tips
The National Aquarium is a must for animal lovers visiting Baltimore! It has a lot to see including a cool waterfall right when you walk in. I also really enjoyed the Blacktip Reef exhibit which features floor-to-ceiling windows that allow visitors to feel like they are underwater.
You can also learn about the life of Horseshoe Crabs here and check out a giant tank full of sharks. There’s even an exhibit on Jellies that will teach your kids how graceful these sea creatures are.
If you visit during the summer and especially weekends you’ll want to get there early to avoid crowds. Buy tickets online ahead of time to skip the line at the ticket booth and reserve your entry time. Also, take the Charm City Circulator or park at the Lockwood Place Garage which offers a discount for aquarium guests. Continue reading the next article.
Driving directions from Superior Soft Wash to National Aquarium
Driving directions from National Aquarium to American Visionary Art Museum
