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Best aquarium destinations in North America

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Monterey (California)
Where Land, Sea and History Meet
8.1
On Cannery Row, the aquarium occupies the former Hovden sardine cannery, which closed in 1973. It opened on 20 October 1984 and keeps the old boiler house as an exhibit. The Kelp Forest tank is 28 feet tall. A jellyfish gallery has been open since 1996.
Highlights:
  • 🦦 Spot sea otters, seals, and whales from the shoreline
  • 🚗 Drive the scenic 17-Mile Drive along the Pacific coast
  • 🐠 Visit the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row
Toronto
A vibrant mix of cultures and skyline
8.2
Younger than most major aquariums, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada opened in October 2013. It stands just southeast of the CN Tower, near Rogers Centre. Its Dangerous Lagoon is an underwater tunnel with a moving conveyor belt. The aquarium holds about 1.5 million gallons and more than 450 species.
Highlights:
  • 🐠 Visit Ripley’s Aquarium and walk through the underwater tunnel
  • 🏺 Explore historic Distillery District’s cobblestone lanes and galleries
  • 🌆 Take in skyline views from the top of CN Tower
Atlanta
A City of Southern Charm and Surprises
7.0
A foundation of Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus gave $250 million towards the aquarium. It opened on 23 November 2005 and held the world's largest aquarium title until 2012. Its whale shark exhibit was the first outside Asia. More than 11 million gallons fill seven major galleries.
Highlights:
  • 🐠 Explore marine life at the Georgia Aquarium, one of the world’s largest
  • 💦 Walk through Centennial Olympic Park and see the Fountain of Rings
  • 🕊️ Visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
Vancouver
Where mountains, ocean and city life meet
8.5
Stanley Park's aquarium has welcomed visitors since 15 June 1956. Its Amazon gallery shows sloths, caimans, snakes and birds. A marine mammal rescue centre cares for about 100 injured, ill or orphaned animals a year, mostly harbour seals. The aquarium's last cetacean moved away in 2021.
Highlights:
  • 🛍️ Explore Granville Island’s public market and artisan shops
  • 🚡 Take a gondola up Grouse Mountain for city views
  • 🚴‍♀️ Walk or cycle around scenic Stanley Park’s seawall
New York City
Five boroughs of skyline, food and museums
9.5
A Coney Island day can combine a boardwalk stroll with the aquarium at 602 Surf Avenue. It opened in Manhattan on December 10, 1896 and is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States. The shark exhibit holds 784,000 gallons. The site covers 14 acres and houses 266 species.
Highlights:
  • 🌃 Visit Times Square at night for unforgettable neon views
  • 🎭 Watch a Broadway musical in the Theater District
  • 🏙️ Admire skyline views from the Top of a skyscraper
Chicago
Skyline, Deep-Dish and Jazz Nights
8.2
Windows in Whale Harbor frame Lake Michigan behind swimming belugas and dolphins. Shedd Aquarium opened on 30 May 1930 on the Museum Campus beside the Field Museum and Adler Planetarium. About 32,000 animals of 1,500 species live here. Amazon Rising is a walkthrough flooded forest with about 250 species.
Highlights:
  • ⛴️ Take an architecture boat tour on the river
  • 🚶‍♀️ Stroll along the scenic Chicago Riverwalk
  • 🏙️ Admire the skyline from the Willis Tower Skydeck
New Orleans
Jazz, Creole Flavors and Mardi Gras Vibes
7.9
Since reopening in June 2023 after a $41 million renovation, the aquarium also houses the Audubon Insectarium. It stands on the Mississippi River at the edge of the French Quarter. Exhibits include a 30 foot Caribbean tunnel, an Amazon greenhouse and a 400,000 gallon Gulf of Mexico tank.
Highlights:
  • 🏘️ Explore historic French Quarter’s colorful streets
  • 🍩 Savor beignets at iconic Café du Monde
  • 🎷 Experience live jazz on vibrant Frenchmen Street
California Academy of Sciences
Earth’s wonders under one roof
The Steinhart Aquarium joined this Golden Gate Park campus in 1923. Today it shares a Renzo Piano building, reopened in 2008, with a rainforest dome and a museum. A living roof of about 2.5 acres carries 1.7 million native plants. Coral reef, tide pool and swamp exhibits add variety.
Highlights:
  • 🌌 Experience immersive shows at the Morrison Planetarium dome
  • 🐠 Discover marine life in the Steinhart Aquarium exhibits
  • 🌳 Explore the vibrant Osher Rainforest dome full of wildlife
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