Best Public Aquairums in the USA!

[ecoman001]

What are some of the best public aquairums on the main land.
My wife and me love PA's and were just curious.
I think the New Orleans is nice alot of jellyfish but this is the only one that
we have been to. Any pic's??

 

[reefland]

The one in baltimore was pretty nice.

 

[ecoman001]

What is the largest reef tank you guys have seen at one.

 

[64Ivy]

Don't recall tank volumes but I like the one in Monterey, CA.

 

[Anonymous]

The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is top notch.

Louey

 

[Mac1]

I've been to the one in Baltimore, very nice. Easily a whole day affair. The City's nice too (*in parts*), and the waterfront as a whole proves for an enjoyable atmoshpere. They placed that thing in a very nice location. I liked the touch tanks too (especially good if you have kids).

A guy from our local club actually just got back from visiting "Atlantis" out on Long Island, NY, and had great things to say...:

http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126871

- Mac

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I am not sure about the best but Seattle Aquarium is really nice especially for kids.

 

[mgk65]

Here is how I would rate the ones I've seen:

1) The one in New Orleans is very nice

2) the Aquarium of the Smokies in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains was great!

3) Baltimore was pretty good.



Newport aquarium near Cincinnati was a joke. Rated poor.

mgk

 

[ReefMon]

Of the public aquariums in the U.S. that I've visited I'd give Monterey and Baltimore top marks. Baltimore's Reef having an advantage over Monterey's.

While not in the U.S, the Vancouver Aquarium is in the top 3, but their reef needs enlarging.

The Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco has a nice 6000 gal reef, but the rest of the displays are a bit outdated. There is a commercial aquarium in San Francisco (I forget the name) that has the wildest walk through tank with the coolest sardines schooling over your head!

But the Mecca for reef's (other than Hawaii, which I have not see, YET...) is Monaco.

Here's some pictures I took 4 years ago at the Monaco Aquarium.


Musée océanographique de Monaco

 

[ecoman001]

Thanks guys
Reefmon those pics of the Monaco Aquairum are nice.
I especially like that gorge reef any idea how deep it is.

 

[delbeek]

Here is how I would rate the ones I've seen:

1) The one in New Orleans is very nice

2) the Aquarium of the Smokies in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains was great!

3) Baltimore was pretty good.



Newport aquarium near Cincinnati was a joke. Rated poor.

mgk

mgk ... when was the last time you were at the Newport Aquarium? Can you elaborate why it was a "joke"?

What did you like about the one in Tennessee?

Aloha!
JCD

 

[bdelaney]

The Chatanooga aquarium in Tennessee is pretty good. It has a lot of freshwater exhibits from places around the southeast and one large salt water tank but no reef exhibits (at least not when I was last there).

There is a new aquarium in Riverhead, L.I. which was surprisingly good, especially for kids.

The Monterey aquarium is my favorite so far. The large tank with tuna in it was amazing.

 

[Anonymous]

Florida Aquarium has a great theme to it, and the 500,000 gallon reef tank is very well pulled off. Mote Marine Aquarium in Sarasota FL has one of only two preserved Architeuthis giant squid on display in the entire world, not to mention the biggest.

 

[Reefguide]

Galleon, the Florida aquarium in Tampa ya mean? I just might make it a trip for next weekend. The drive is about 4 hrs from me... Is it worth the drive ?

 

[mgk65]

mgk ... when was the last time you were at the Newport Aquarium? Can you elaborate why it was a "joke"?

What did you like about the one in Tennessee?

Aloha!
JCD

I was at the Newport Aq about 1.5 years ago. The biggest disappointment there was the reef display that was quite large, I think 20-30 ft long, but nothing much in it. Outside of that, there wasn't anything striking or unique that I can remember. The tunnel was pretty good.

The Ripley's Aquarium had something like a 50,000 gallon reef fish display full of tangs, angels, clowns, and may other fish. It was quite a sight. There were smaller (2-300g) reef displays of anthias, jawfishes, wrasses and others. The actual live reef they had was not doing so hot, mostly some brains, softies, and a few snails and shrimp. There was also a large shark/large fish tank something like several hundred thousand gallons. There were some freshwater displays that were pretty cool like the piranas.

New Orleans had a great seahorse display.

I hope to one day make it to the Waikiki Aq, because the pics I have seen look great.

mgk

 

[Anonymous]

For reef stuff the best I have seen is the Waikiki Aquarium. Fantastic corals well kept.

For sheer impact the Monterey Aquaruim - plus you can dive right there!

RR

 

[Anonymous]

I disagree with the comments on Baltimore- I didn't care for it. Boston is better but not much.

Monterey is miles above those two. Haven't been out to riverhead, I heard he had problems with the reef there but still would like to see it.

 

[Jana]

From the couple I've seen:

1. Monterrey Bay Aquarium-it has a little bit of everything, takes most of
the day to see it all.
2. The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago-lot's of fun, can easily see everything
in an afternoon. They have divided all the waterways in different
sections. The newest section is the Amazon basin which has fish as
well as birds in some of the same displays. As you travel around you
are supposed to see a whole year in the life of the Amazon as the
water floods the surrounding flood plain & then recedes back into
it's banks.
3. The Steinhart Aquarium in Golden Gate Park-I agree some of the
displays are a little dated, but the Penguin display was fun, the
penguins would come right up to the glass & interact with you. Can
easily see it all in an afternoon plus do some other things in Golden
Gate Park.
4. The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi-it's OK, especially if you
happen to be in Corpus Christi & have an afternoon to kill plus there
is an old Navy ship next door that you can walk on, that's lots of fun
for the kids.

Now granted, some of these aquariums I saw 2-10 years ago & they have
probably changed & updated things. All in all I thought it was time well spent going to any of the aquariums.

 

[Anonymous]

The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is top notch.

Louey

Since when? Shedd *used* to be awesome about 15 years ago. Now it's rather mundane, if you ask me. The tanks are nice and all, but when my wife and I were there over the summer we walked around saying, "Geese, our tank is nicer than this." We did enjoy the big central tank, though.

 

[Anonymous]

Newport aquarium near Cincinnati was a joke. Rated poor.

mgk

Really? Wow, I rather enjoyed that one! 8O Certainly a lot better than the overpriced public aq. on fisherman's warf in San Francisco.