The New England Aquarium is one of Boston’s most popular attractions, especially for families, and sees over 1.3 million visitors each year. As a leader in ocean exploration and marine conservation, the Aquarium teaches and advocates for global change, education and scientific research through their exhibits and activities.
At the New England Aquarium, you’ll find thousands of aquatic animals that both kids and adults will be amazed by. Whether you’re into the little blue penguins, green sea turtles or northern fur seals, you can guarantee you’ll see and learn about interesting animals during your visit.
Aside from animals and exhibits, the Aquarium also has the Simons IMAX Theatre, where you can experience animal-related films on the big screen, such as “Turtle Odyssey,” “Great White Shark” and “Oceans: Our Blue Planet.”
The New England Aquarium Whale Watch is another popular activity, which takes you on an adventure to spot whales via the Boston Harbor Cruises. These leave from Central Wharf, a short walk from the Aquarium.
Exhibitions at the New England Aquarium
There are many exhibits to check out at the New England Aquarium, including two shark-related exhibits: Science of Sharks, which highlights sharks from around the world, and the Shark and Ray Touch Tank, the largest of its kind on the East Coast.
The new Indo-Pacific Coral Reef exhibit takes you right into a coral reef via the floor-to-ceiling windows that surround the 9,000-gallon tank. Here you’ll find over 1,000 fish and other marine animals as it’s intended to resemble the tropical waters found in the Indian Ocean and western and central Pacific Ocean.
And right across from the Indo-Pacific Coral Reef is the Giant Ocean Tank, which has been an Aquarium staple for quite some time. It has four stories and is filled with hundreds of reef animals from the Caribbean, including the popular Myrtle the green sea turtle.
Kids will also get a kick out of the Penguin exhibit, another go-to attraction at the Aquarium as it’s home to over 80 penguins. And then head over to the Marine Mammal Center to check out the northern fur seals. This Aquarium is one of three in the country where you can see these mammals in action.-
Trip Savvy
New England Aquarium occupies the cyan Connecticut Avenue space on a regulation Monopoly board.