Who doesn’t love aquariums? The different species of fish and exotic marine animals are a spectacular sight to see for anyone of any age. Here are some of the best aquariums to check out this summer in the United States.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located in Monterey, California. In 2007, this aquarium was named by Parents Magazine as the best aquarium in the United States for kids. It features over 100 different tanks filled with 550 various fish species. Exhibits include Tentacles which features Caribbean Reef Octopus, Stumpy Cuttlefish and Hawaiian Bobtail Squid. The Monterey Bay Exhibit is more than 90 feet in length and features habitats of Monterey Bay including California Halibut and Broadnose Sevengill Shark.
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Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium is located in Atlanta, Georgia. The aquarium opened its doors in 2005, so it is fairly new when compared to other aquariums in the United States. The aquarium features over 10 million gallons of water, making it the world’s largest aquarium by volume. The aquarium is over 600,000 square feet and features over 100,000 animals from 500 different species including Manta Rays, Whale Sharks and Beluga Whales.
Texas State Aquarium
The Texas State Aquarium is located in Corpus Christi, Texas. The aquarium opened in 1990 and features several exciting exhibits and shows. The Dolphin Bay Exhibit is a 400,000 gallon tank with two Atlantic Bottles Dolphins. The Islands of Steel Exhibit is 125,000 gallons and includes Sand Tiger Shark, Nurse Shark and Barracuda.
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John G. Shedd Aquarium
The John G. Shedd Aquarium is located in Chicago, Illinois. The architectural structure of this aquarium features embedded fossils. The aquarium opened in 1930 and has more than 32,500 fish throughout five million gallons of water. In 2005, the aquarium was the most visited aquarium in the United States, with two million visitors annually. The Amazon Rising Exhibit is 8,600 square foot walk through recreation of the Amazon River and the Amazon Jungle. It features 250 species including piranhas, freshwater stingrays and anacondas.