There are many aquariums in the United States. Some are worth a few hours on a rainy afternoon, others are the kind of place you build an actual itinerary around, the kind where you look up and realize three hours passed. This list is about the second kind, the ones that show up consistently across traveler rankings, hold AZA accreditation, and have something specific going on that makes them worth the detour and worth being on our list of the best aquariums in the US.
Our List of the Best Aquariums in the US
Georgia Aquarium — Atlanta, Georgia
225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is one of the largest aquariums in the world, with tanks holding over 11 million gallons of water total. The Ocean Voyager gallery alone holds more than 6 million gallons and houses whale sharks, one of the few places in the Western Hemisphere where you can see them in person. Beluga whales, dolphins, sea lions, penguins, and more than a few sharks round things out across eight galleries.
The newest addition is Explorers Cove, where two touch pools let you get your hands near rays and sturgeon, and there’s interactive technology to design your own fish, which sounds gimmicky but kids genuinely like it. The dolphin shows are a consistent crowd favorite. Timed entry is required, so buy tickets online. Add-ons like shark dives, penguin encounters, and a Behind the Seas tour are available for an additional fee.
Parking on-site runs about $20 prepaid. The Atlanta Streetcar stops near Centennial Olympic Park, which is within walking distance, and MARTA’s Civic Center station is roughly half a mile out. If you’re spending more than a day in Atlanta, the CityPASS bundles the Georgia Aquarium with World of Coca-Cola and Zoo Atlanta at a discount.
TripAdvisor currently ranks the Georgia Aquarium third in North America for zoos and aquariums, with over 24,000 reviews averaging 4.5 out of 5.
Shedd Aquarium — Chicago, Illinois
1200 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
The Shedd Aquarium has been a Chicago fixture for nearly a century, and it still draws both locals and first-timers in serious numbers. The range here is wide, Great Lakes fish, Wild Reef sharks and coral, dolphins, belugas, sea otters, and a dedicated section for aquatic animal health and welfare that includes an anesthesia machine custom-built for fish, which is either unsettling or impressive depending on your disposition. Probably both.
In warmer months, two outdoor terraces open up with views of the lake and the skyline, and they’re worth the visit on their own. The Shedd also has daily animal presentations and seasonal programming. Parking around the museum campus is genuinely expensive, city lots range from $12 to $35 and up. SpotHero is worth checking before you go, or just take the CTA or Metra, both of which drop you close to the entrance. The Chicago CityPASS includes Shedd admission if you’re planning to hit multiple attractions.
Monterey Bay Aquarium — Monterey, California
886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940
The Monterey Bay Aquarium sits at the far end of Cannery Row and has a reputation that holds up. The Open Sea exhibit gives sea turtles, stingrays, and large schools of fish a million gallons to move through, and the scale of it is hard to appreciate until you’re standing in front of it. Southern sea otters, penguins, and giant Pacific octopuses are the other draws — if you can time it around a feeding, do it.
In summer 2025, the aquarium opened a new exhibit called Living Seas, covering Pacific ecosystems from the Pacific Northwest down through the tropics. TripAdvisor has this one at 4.6 out of 5 with over 14,000 reviews. General admission is on the higher end, check the current website for pricing since it updates seasonally. Free parking near Cannery Row is basically nonexistent, so budget for a garage.
National Aquarium — Baltimore, Maryland
501 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
The National Aquarium on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is one of the most visited in the country, and it’s structured in a way that actually works well as a walking experience. You start at a ground-level open pool filled with stingrays and fish, move upward through increasingly varied marine exhibits, hit a full rainforest replica near the top, and spiral back down through a large shark tank. Over 16,000 animals representing more than 660 species live here.
The Blacktip Reef exhibit is a $12.5 million space modeled on the Indo-Pacific reef system — 20 blacktip reef sharks, zebra sharks, clown triggerfish, and a 500-pound green sea turtle named Calypso. The Dolphin Discovery gallery has seven resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. A newer Jellies Invasion exhibit focuses on how jellyfish have changed ocean ecosystems over time. The Inner Harbor location means there’s plenty to do in the surrounding area before or after.
New England Aquarium — Boston, Massachusetts
1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
The New England Aquarium opened in 1969 and is physically one of the smaller aquariums on this list, but it punches above its size. The centerpiece is a four-story, cylindrical ocean tank you spiral around as you climb, surrounded by tropical fish, sharks, and sea turtles. African penguins and Southern Rockhopper penguins live on the ground floor and are visible almost the moment you walk in.
The Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, which operates out of the aquarium, focuses on marine research and conservation. Tickets sell out frequently, so book in advance. The aquarium has no dedicated parking lot, but five garages within a third of a mile offer validation. Even easier: the MBTA Blue Line has an Aquarium stop that puts you about 100 yards from the front door.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies — Gatlinburg, Tennessee
88 River Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
This one surprises people. Gatlinburg isn’t exactly the first city that comes to mind for world-class aquariums, but Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies consistently ranks among the best in the country, 4.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor across more than 15,000 reviews. It’s open 365 days a year, which matters in a mountain tourist town where the weather can be unpredictable.
The main draw is the 340-foot underwater tunnel, where a slow-moving conveyor belt takes you through while sharks, sea turtles, and fish swim around, directly overhead. There’s also a jellyfish touch tank, a tropical rainforest section with poison dart frogs, and stingray touch areas. A city-owned parking garage sits directly behind the aquarium and maxes out at $10 a day. Combo tickets with other Ripley’s attractions in the area are available if you want a full day out of it.
Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium — Springfield, Missouri
500 W Sunshine St, Springfield, MO 65807
Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield is genuinely massive, and it’s the kind of place that’s easy to underestimate because it’s in Missouri. Founded by the Bass Pro Shops owner, the complex covers over 15 aquarium exhibits and 10 wildlife galleries, and the combination is unusual, the aquarium sections are legitimately impressive, and the wildlife galleries are more engaging for adults than you’d expect. Two exhibits worth seeking out specifically are the Swamp at Night and Amazon Rainforest sections.
Budget at least three hours, more if you’re going with kids. USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards have ranked this the number one aquarium in the country. There’s ample on-site parking. Springfield itself is a solid family destination with good restaurants and other things to do nearby.
South Carolina Aquarium — Charleston, South Carolina
100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC 29401
The South Carolina Aquarium in downtown Charleston has a Sea Turtle Care Center operating inside the building, which means visitors get an actual look at sea turtle rehabilitation in progress — injured turtles brought in from the wild, recovery tanks, and yes, a CAT scanner specifically for sea turtles. It’s one of the more unusual things you’ll see at any aquarium in the country.
Beyond the turtle hospital, there are stingray and starfish touch tanks, a Carolina Seas exhibit covering local coastal fish, and a salt marsh aviary. Timed entry tickets are recommended and sell out. No dedicated parking lot, but a City of Charleston garage is nearby, and metered street parking is available throughout the area.
Texas State Aquarium — Corpus Christi, Texas
2710 N Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78402
The Texas State Aquarium sits right on the coast in Corpus Christi and has a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits that make it feel different from a lot of aquariums, which are entirely indoor experiences. Highlights include the Blue Hole, Coral Reef, Jungle, and Tortuga Cay exhibits. Admission includes access to the H-E-B Splash Pad, 15,000 square feet, open during spring break and summer months, weather permitting.
The Wildlife Rescue Center, open weekends from noon to 4 p.m., is the largest coastal wildlife rescue facility in Texas, and it has its own wildlife-specific CAT scanner. The aquarium ranks fifth on USA Today’s 10Best list.
Maui Ocean Center — Wailuku, Hawaii
192 Maalaea Rd, Wailuku, HI 96793
The Maui Ocean Center opened in 1998 and focuses specifically on Hawaiian marine life, it’s not trying to be a broad global aquarium, and that focus works in its favor. The Open Ocean exhibit holds sharks and rays native to Hawaiian waters, and the Turtle Lagoon is a consistent highlight. There’s also a Humpbacks of Hawaii 3D experience that covers the humpback whale population in the area.
The aquarium was spared during the 2023 Lahaina fires and is fully operational. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking on-site runs $2 per hour. Plan for two to two and a half hours. It makes a good half-day activity either on a rainy day or as a midday escape from the heat before heading back to the beach.
OdySea Aquarium — Scottsdale, Arizona
9500 East Vía de Ventura, Suite A-100, Scottsdale, AZ 85256
OdySea is the desert outlier on this list, and it leans into that role. Located in the Arizona Boardwalk development in Scottsdale, it works well as a midday escape from the heat, which in summer is not a small thing. Exhibits include Rivers of the World, Otter Banks, and Penguin Point, and the experience skews younger — it’s well-suited to families with kids more than adults traveling solo or as couples.
Combo tickets are available with nearby attractions, including Butterfly Wonderland and Pangaea: Land of Dinosaurs. Parking is free in the paved lot. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A few that didn’t make the deep cuts here but show up on enough lists to mention: the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, and the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey, which has hippos, the world’s smallest penguin species, and the world’s largest hammerhead shark species in residence. All three are AZA-accredited and have strong traveler ratings.
