What aquariums have you been too

[ourcoralreef]

I was reading a article about OdySea aquarium spending a million dollars on new exhibits “Our goal is to be the most interactive aquarium in the world for guests of all ages.”
So i was thinking about how many aquariums
I have been to and of how many cool ones i haven't been too

Share
what aquariums you have been to
Let us know which was your favorite
Post photos if you have some

 

[ourcoralreef]

My list is the Brooklyn aquarium, seaworld (dono if it counts) and a aquarium in Mexico City (really cool concept i think my favorite so far)

Can't really find my good photos but here are some

 

[Waters]

I have been to one lol....the Cleveland Aquarium...and it was highly disappointing

 

[Maritimer]

I've been to a few, over the years...

One of my earliest memories is of the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, and on a later trip, saw a baby narwhal there. This was long before digital photography . . . They're rebuilding after "Superstorm Sandy", and IIRC, will be fully open this summer.
North Carolina has two small-but-nice Aquariums, on the coast at the northern and southern borders of the state.
The big central cylinder tank at Boston's New England Aquarium blew me away as a lad.
Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium has a magnificent marine mammals program, and you can meet pinnipeds there that you won't often see elsewhere - from fur seals to elephant seals and Steller's sea lions.
Riverhead, Long Island in New York has a fun aquarium with an "Atlantis" theme - and one of the most spectacular reef tanks anywhere, at 20,000 gallons.

The one I visit most, though is the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk ( www.maritimeaquarium.org ) which is my second job. I started there as a volunteer in 1988, and have been there almost every weekend since. (>_<)

~Bruce

 

[jonneyb]

Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium, very nice.
Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN great aquarium, my favorite fresh water on one side ocean on the other. you start at the top with otters and birds and walk your way down very cool.
National Aquarium, Baltimore, MD.
and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.

 

[Fishgeek88]

Monterrey in California and Shedd in Chicago. A handful of other small ones here and there. And Im from the Detroit area so of course Belle Isle Aquarium. Which is tiny and a 30 minute walk through but the history is cool.

 

[Rory's Reef]

I have not been to as many as I would like to have been

Georgia Aquarium... It's been a few years but this one is definitely my favorite
Chicago Shedd Aquarium...I also really liked this one
Denver Aquarium... Not nearly as exciting as the others
Florida Aquarium in Tampa... TBH I don't really remember this one all too well

Now I just mostly go diving when I can

 

[Nano man]

Will have to find pics but back in early 2000 I went to the then worlds largest in Valencia Spain
And now the GA aquarium in Atlanta many times.

 

[JBradford]

Chicago Shedd Aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium (1st aquarium experience when I was a kid. 13 I think), and living in Tulsa the Oklahoma Aquarium. Not as nice as big as the other 2 but it's pretty cool.

 

[Coastie Reefer]

Aquarium of the Americas - New Orleans
Vancouver Aquarium - Vancouver, BC, Canada

Would love to see the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and the National Aquarium in Baltimore

 

[Peter Blue Reef]

Baltimore Aquarium was expensive and lame. Mall of America has a great one though. Shedd in Chicago was good too.

 

[AcanSkywalker]

If you are coming through the Chicagoland area the
Shedd aquarium is nothing less than amazing if you have a lot of time. If you are just coming through either of the airports you're only a short ride from the Bass Pro shop in Bolingbrook where you'll find the second largest aquarium in Illinois. This massive 13,000 gallon saltwater tank is surrounded by Bass Pros Islamorada restaurant & bar. Lunch or drinks at the bar can be amazing. The food is good, the seating better. Here you are only feet away from this well kept, well stocked saltwater beauty. A few times we were lucky enough to be there when their full time Marine biologist dove in for a cleaning.

 

[FishGuyBri]

I've been to a few, over the years...

One of my earliest memories is of the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, and on a later trip, saw a baby narwhal there. This was long before digital photography . . . They're rebuilding after "Superstorm Sandy", and IIRC, will be fully open this summer.
North Carolina has two small-but-nice Aquariums, on the coast at the northern and southern borders of the state.
The big central cylinder tank at Boston's New England Aquarium blew me away as a lad.
Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium has a magnificent marine mammals program, and you can meet pinnipeds there that you won't often see elsewhere - from fur seals to elephant seals and Steller's sea lions.
Riverhead, Long Island in New York has a fun aquarium with an "Atlantis" theme - and one of the most spectacular reef tanks anywhere, at 20,000 gallons.

The one I visit most, though is the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk ( www.maritimeaquarium.org ) which is my second job. I started there as a volunteer in 1988, and have been there almost every weekend since. (>_<)

~Bruce

The aquarium in Manteo is small but neat!! I used to go to Virginia Marine Science Museum when I lived in Virginia Beach, loved it. The Virginia Living Museum in Newport a news is really cool too, not an aquarium but has GREAT fish and nature setups.

 

[jsker]

The St. Louis Zoo aquarium, the Shed in Chicago, stand out to me now but I have been to a few others. Just visited the Mote Research, Laboratory, and Aquarium this past weekend.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Boston's New England Aquarium - Attended a scientific symposium in Boston and they rented the aquarium one evening where we had cocktails and hors d'oeuvre around the big aquarium, with a lobster dinner on the pier next to the aquarium overlooking Boston Bay. This main aquarium is a massive cylinder were the walkway wraps up around the outside of the cylinder and takes you up maybe 3 or 4 floors, as a guess. Along the outside walls are other species specific tanks.

Baltimore Aquarium - Right on the bay....when I was there in the 80's, you didn't want to wander a block away from the aquarium....not in a good neighborhood. I think things have changed.

Atlantic City (NJ) Aquarium - Very small....kid's oriented with touch tanks. When you need something other than the gambling. When our local club hosted MACNA in 2009, we rented the aquarium to have the speakers come for cocktails and hors d'oeuvre at the aquarium.

Seattle Aquarium - Extremely nice aquarium able to handle crowds. Very large amount of diversity. Right on the water....not far from Pikes Market. This would be a favorite for many

DIPAC's Macaulay Aquarium and Salmon Hatchery, Juneau, Alaska - Not very big, but only had local fish and invert's in their tanks. Had one large cylindrical tank with multiple fish and inverts and then a number of smaller species specific tanks. Fasinated by the diversity in cooler waters. No tropical fish...all local.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps, La Jolla, CA. - Another nice aquarium. If your thing are seahorses, this is the place. I believe they have an active breeding program supplying seahorses to other research facilities. A good number of different species of horses. Another favorite for the reefer crowd.






Sea Life Aquarium (Phoenix Area, Tempe) - Hard time finding this one because it was in a Shopping Mall. Otherwise, it really was for the young and uninformed....but I still enjoyed myself. One tank was a big donut that was itself a room, and you were in the center with some schooling fish in the tank....100's of them....swimming around you.


Adventure Aquarium, Camden NJ - This is my home aquarium. Been there a number of times. Nice aquarium with great diversity, but the turnoff for me are the number of people. Even going on a school day were you figure you wouldn't have screaming kids...they're there on a school trip. Otherwise a little bit of everything.

 

[Coronus]

Ok so here's my list.
Shed Aquarium Chicago
Georgia Aquarium
Brooklyn Aquarium New York
Waikiki Aquarium Oahu Hawaii
Aquarium Florida Keys
The best one was in Hawaii. Reason is because it was very natural. Not a lot of bells and whistles but super advanced in that they has a full blown sps tank out side with sunlight and everything was colored nice. No browns at all and no light colors. The other thing was an outside clam tank and a mixed reef pool surged every couple minutes straight from the ocean. Amazing.

 

[BillFragnormous]

I've actually worked at the New England Aquarium in Boston, MA for 2 years as an events manager (Private parties/events after aquarium hours).. Growing up in Boston I have visited it hundreds of times so it was a dream come true to get to work there when I was in my early days. I've also been to the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT (the only time ever seeing and being up close to a Beluga Whale...Really cool) . The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT. The Dolphin Research Center in Marathon, FL (if that counts), Theater of the Sea in Islamorada, FL, The Key West Aquarium in Key West, FL, The Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY (Not Impressed), The Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium in Phoenix, AZ (Again not impressed).

 

[BillFragnormous]

I've been to the Maritime many times. Back in the late 80's I lived in both Stamford and Westport and would visit often

The one I visit most, though is the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk ( www.maritimeaquarium.org ) which is my second job. I started there as a volunteer in 1988, and have been there almost every weekend since. (>_<)

~Bruce

 

[sundog101]

The St. Louis Zoo aquarium, the Shed in Chicago, stand out to me now but I have been to a few others. Just visited the Mote Research, Laboratory, and Aquarium this past weekend.

Is there an aquarium exhibit in the zoo now? Or do you mean the World Aquarium?
I've been to the world aquarium at the city museum once...I won't go back. It's ridiculously bad. I think they got fined or something for bad conditions. When I went (not joking!) the shark tank was solid green. You couldn't see more than a couple feet!

 

[jsker]

Is there an aquarium exhibit in the zoo now? Or do you mean the World Aquarium?
I've been to the world aquarium at the city museum once...I won't go back. It's ridiculously bad. I think they got fined or something for bad conditions. When I went (not joking!) the shark tank was solid green. You couldn't see more than a couple feet!

Its been 25 years since I have lived in St. Louis if that is what you are referring too. My thought would be is when I am at these exhibits they are so bland. I would rather see a big tank with coral and reef safe fish of different varieties and then a big tank with predator, and then some smaller tanks. It is odd that I can walk into my LFS and see more variety and fish then I can see in an aquarium. My suggestion would be to run an Public Aquarium like a business, cut frags and sell them instead of looking for donations and charging a hefty fee at the front door