12 Renowned Aquariums in the USA for Your Unlimited Exploration

There are up to 150 aquariums/marine institutes rated as 'top-notch' in the land of the stars and stripes. Therefore, selecting a truly favorite destination is quite a daunting task. Despite sharing a common theme focused on the sea, each aquarium has its own allure and a variety of sightseeing, learning, and entertainment activities.

Understanding the dilemma of travelers amidst numerous enticing suggestions, Klook has teamed up with Mr. David Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of Everything Fishkeeping, to select the top aquariums in the United States.

All the names listed below meet the following criteria: providing a comprehensive experience and being a common home to many fascinating species. You will surely be amazed by the diversity of the ocean and have a great time capturing precious moments with friends and family. Without further ado, let's set out on an exploration!

If you want to explore the world's largest ocean without going far, head to the Pacific Aquarium in Long Beach, California! This place boasts a variety of exotic marine creatures originating from the Pacific Ocean, especially along the West Coast of North America.

You can explore rich indigenous flora and fauna in themed exhibition rooms such as the North Pacific, Tropical Pacific, and Southern California. Don't miss out on the sea otter and penguin exhibitions if #teamKlook wants to 'befriend' the cutest members of the aquarium. To add color to your journey, the rich coral reefs of Pacific Visions will surely satisfy you. The frog exhibit is also a favorite destination for many tourists.

At the Harbor Terrace patio - where there is a moon jellyfish touch pool - you can fully enjoy the bustling scenery of Rainbow Harbor port. If you're looking for a close encounter with nature, guests can pre-book a whale watching tour outside the aquarium. What could be better than witnessing the annual migration of gray whales, #teamKlook?

The majestic beauty of Northern California's ocean seems to be encapsulated within the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. This aquarium is home to over 20,000 marine species, including impressive names like sharks, rays, jellyfish, and more. There are many outstanding activities at the Aquarium of the Bay, but if we have to choose the must-not-miss experiences of the day, it would be: Discover The Bay - recreating 7 habitats with the presence of various animals, such as the vibrant orange Garibaldi damselfish, swirling schools of anchovies, or eye-catching baby seahorses; Go With The Flow, the home of glowing moon jellyfish under colorful lights. Touch The Bay is also a memorable experience, allowing guests to touch some marine animals like rays, sharks, starfish, and sea cucumbers.

SeaWorld San Diego is a fantastic entertainment destination for the whole family. Here, you'll find everything from thrilling, dramatic rides to fascinating educational exhibits.

First, challenge yourself on thrilling rides like Mako, Manta, or Journey to Atlantis. These rides will have you screaming with excitement as you plunge down steep drops.

Next, visit exciting exhibits like Pacific Point Preserve, Turtle Reef, and Dolphin Cove. Here, you'll meet adorable penguins, dolphins, beluga whales, and sea turtles. You can also learn about the lives of these marine creatures through informative narrations and interactive activities.

Finally, don't forget to visit SeaWorld's animal research center. Here, you'll learn about SeaWorld's conservation efforts for marine species.

New York Aquarium is a fantastic destination to explore the ocean world. Here, you'll find hundreds of marine species from around the world, including sharks, dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, and many other marine creatures.

When visiting the New York Aquarium, you'll marvel at the wonders of marine life. You'll see sharks swimming in vast tanks, dolphins frolicking, and playful sea lions. You'll also learn about the lives of marine creatures through narrations and interactive activities.

Key West Aquarium is one of the top attractions in Key West, Florida. Established in 1934, it's the perfect place to explore the ocean world.

The Key West Aquarium is home to hundreds of marine creatures from around the world, including sharks, dolphins, sea turtles, stingrays, and many other marine species. You'll marvel at the sharks swimming in vast tanks, dolphins performing acrobatics, and turtles leisurely gliding by.

Welcome to a new window overlooking the blue ocean. The predecessor of Monterey Bay Aquarium was... a sardine canning facility, which, in some ways, marked the local community's first interaction with marine life in the area. Monterey Bay Aquarium nurtures and showcases over 600 species of fauna and flora. One of the favorite experiences here is exploring the surreal world of the giant kelp forest. The crystal-clear water environment has created a perfect home for sardines, anchovies, leopard sharks, wolf eels, red octopuses, and many other brilliantly colored tropical fish. Perhaps the most special creature in this aquarium is the Mola Mola, or ocean sunfish. This giant and extremely rare fish can weigh up to 5,000 pounds; you should see it up close in the Open Sea exhibit.

It's time to enjoy a day of fun at one of the world's largest SeaWorld centers, SeaWorld San Diego! What awaits #teamKlook is not only an exploration of the giant aquarium but also many thrilling theme park activities. To make the trip smoother, make sure you visit adorable marine creatures such as beluga whales, seals, flamingos, dolphins, birds, and more! A trip to SeaWorld San Diego isn't complete without experiencing thrilling rides like Emperor roller coaster, Tentacle Twirl swing ride, Bayside Skyride gondola,... There are also plenty of interactive activities with marine animals and exciting slides, suitable for both adults and children. SeaWorld San Diego is definitely a fantastic travel suggestion for #teamKlook to enjoy with family or friends.

Looking to shorten the distance when interacting with marine creatures but not ready for scuba diving yet? Then meet at Newport Aquarium one day soon! The highlight here is the Shark Bridge - a suspended bridge spanning a 75-foot-long large aquarium, built from 1.5 tons of sturdy steel and 4 miles of cable. When crossing the Shark Bridge, #teamKlook will get a unique view of various sharks, stingrays, and more. If you crave thrills but aren't ready to conquer heights yet, the Shark Touch exhibit is the perfect choice for you. Sensory tanks or tidal pools, featuring the presence of venomous stingrays, starfish, sea urchins, and sea anemones, are also 'very much this and that' activities. Additionally, the observation tunnel enveloped in a large water tank will give visitors the feeling of walking through a coral reef or even the mysterious Amazon river.

#teamKlook will have a journey like 'getting lost in a dream' at the Georgia Aquarium, as it is one of the largest aquariums in the United States. With exhibition tanks holding a total of over 10 million gallons of water, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Florida is also the only place in the U.S. to own a whale shark - the largest surviving marine creature in the world. The tank where this species lives is over 100 feet long, transparent, and installed above the tour tunnel for easy viewing by visitors. Passing through this aquarium tunnel, you will have the opportunity to meet bottlenose dolphins, beluga whales, penguins, seals, sea lions, stingrays, American alligators, otters, reptiles... Don't forget to visit the SHARKS! Predators of the Deep exhibition area as well as the River Scout freshwater exhibition area containing over 90 thousand gallons of water.

It would be a huge miss to skip SEA LIFE Orlando on your journey to explore the top aquariums in the United States. The 'pearl' of this venue is the 360-degree ocean tunnel, providing a breathtaking underwater visual experience; especially significant for #teamKlook who doesn't know how to dive. This winding tunnel lies beneath a large tank full of sharks, stingrays, and sea turtles, as well as hundreds of smaller but equally remarkable fish species. There's another 180-degree tunnel at SEA LIFE Orlando, offering a spectacular view of the Pacific ecosystem.

Interactive touch pools allow visitors to experience real-life encounters with coastal residents such as starfish, sea anemones, or even a school of clownfish (a colorful tropical fish species related to Dory from the animated movie Finding Nemo). You won't be able to take your eyes off the stunning Jelly Wall, a mesmerizing light show of glowing moon jellyfish combined with spotlights. Since SEA LIFE Orlando is located in the state of Florida, there are also activities that recreate images of the famous Everglades National Park stretching from ceiling to floor.

Shedd Aquarium allows #teamKlook to explore the world's oceans without leaving Chicago; as well as providing an opportunity to learn about the unique ecosystem of the nearby Great Lakes. With the At Home on the Great Lakes exhibition, you'll get to see sturgeon - a prehistoric fish species unchanged for over 200 million years. You can also touch starfish in the Polar Play exhibit; and if you're looking for a close and amusing experience, you'll surely laugh when feeding the tropical stingrays. Some other notable observation areas for #teamKlook include the Amazon River Basin - a close-up of the Amazon River basin and its residents; Abbott Oceanarium - the home of Northwestern Pacific Ocean creatures such as beluga whales, white-sided dolphins, seals, sea lions, and sea otters.

With diverse themes and dynamic presentations, aquariums in the United States never fail to bring joy to visitors. Most of the aquariums on this list have already started selling single tickets or are integrated into exclusive sightseeing tour packages on Klook Vietnam at great prices. All you need to do is choose the right sightseeing spot that fits your schedule and budget for a fantastic adventure.

If you have some extra time during your trip to the US, take a stroll to Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. This is a large outdoor beluga whale sanctuary, allowing #teamKlook to learn more about these adorable creatures like in this cartoon. If you happen to fall in love with beluga whales, you can even schedule direct interactions with them. Visitors can also observe sharks at close range without prior appointment. The SHARKS Touch Habitat experience allows guests to 'zoom in' on 5 different species of sharks and rays. Other interactive attractions with a 12-foot underwater level offer you the opportunity to meet some native marine life in Long Island Sound like lobsters or horseshoe crabs. The Underwater Explorer virtual reality experience is where #teamKlook encounters humpback whales and sharks in their natural habitat. Regular exhibitions are also an impressive 'encyclopedia' about seals, sea lions, penguins, fish, reptiles, and more. 

Hey, don't forget to visit Klook Vietnam's Blog to check out information about traveling to the US in the New Normal era, update on Hawaii travel news post COVID-19, shopping guide in the US, review of New York Museum of Modern Art and many other interesting articles. 

With the Klook app in hand, exploring the top aquariums in the US is convenient and easy.