Public aquariums are a great place to go for vacation, or for an educational outing. Here's where to find public aquariums and exhibits located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. If you know of a public aquarium in these states that is not listed here, please send an email to: freshaquarium@aboutguide.com
Located on the scenic shores of Alaska's Resurrection Bay the Sea Life Center is the only public aquarium in Alaska. Exhibits allow visitors to view wildlife in natural Alaskan marine habitats. Open year round, the Sea Life Center is a private, non-profit corporation. The center provides a nuber of educational programs to raise awareness of the local ecosystems. They even offer virtual learning programs that are open to students across the country. The website provides information about all their educational programs.
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Centered on science education, Scripps has maintained a public aquarium for over a century. The aquarium has two seawater-equipped classrooms that adjoin the public display areas, where a variety of educational programs are offered. Scripps has a conservation project that has provided corals and seahorses to other aquariums and zoos, thus reducing the need to harvest them from the wild. The website offers a virtual tour, as well as a wealth of information. Take some time some time to browse the blog, there's a lot of interesting reading there.
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The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the largest aquariums in the United States. Home to 550 species, the exhibits feature more than 11,000 ocean animals. The three main galleries highlight the major regions of the Pacific: Southern California/Baja; the Tropical Pacific and the Northern Pacific. If you wannt to see sharks, visit the Shark Lagoon, where they have over 150 shark, as well as a shark touch pool. The Molina Animal Care Center allows visitors to learn about veterinary science. Open year round, they also offer behind the scences tours. Memberships are available.
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Home to 300,000 individual plants and animals, the exhibits re-create Monterey Bay's habitats, from shallow tide pools to the open ocean and deep sea. One of the best exhibits in the nation. The web site offers webcams, photo galleries, and a wealth of information. I follow their blogs and greatly enjoy them. Be sure to check out the videos, podcasts and webcams, they are lots of fun.
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Not just an aquarium, Sea World has a number of rides, including the breathtaking Manta roller-coaster. Among the exhibits is the Shark Encounter, that takes visitors through one of the largest submerged viewing tubes to the center of the shark's world, one of the largest displays of sharks. The website provides lots of information about exhibits, including an interactive map of the park. Spend some time browsing it before taking your trip, otherwise you might miss out on some great exhibits.
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Located in Denver, Colorado, this is one of four locations that combines dining with an aquarium. This location re-creates the habitats of the Colorado River as it flows to Mexico's Sea of Cortez, and Indonesia’s Kampar River along it's journey to the South China Sea. Open year round, they offer a full-service restaurant, an upscale bar, a ballroom, as well as the aquatic exhibits.
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Founded in 1904, it is the third oldest public aquarium in the United States. Located next to a living reef on the Waikiki shoreline, the aquarium includes exhibits that represent that more than 500 species of aquatic animals and plants. Endangered and threatened species are among the unique organisms that visitors can see and appreciate. They have extensive educational programs, that include summer classes as well as school programs.
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This is not a traditional aquarium, but it certainly is worth including in this list. The Morrison Knudsen Nature Center has underwater viewing windows along the Boise River Greenbelt that allow visitors to see what is going on beneath the water. Very interesting concept, and worth a visit.
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A relative newcomer, the Idaho Public Aquarium is a non-profit facility with over 15,000 gallons of saltwater and over 250 different species of animals and marine life. They are currently in the planning stages for a large shark tank and other exhibits. If you are in the Boise area, consider giving this facility your support. The admission price is low, and well worth it. They also can use volunteers and sponsors to help with expansion.
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A small privately owned aquarium that offers visitors the opportunity to feed the seals. Descendants of the original owners are still involved in operations of the Seaside Aquarium. Open year round, they celebrated their 75th anniversary in May of 2012.
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Seattle, with its long maritime history, is a natural location for an aquarium. Geared towards marine exhibits, it offers a wide range of exhibits as well as educational programs, including summer camps. I particularly enjoy their blog that features interesting photos and videos.
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•Alaska - Alaska Sea Life Center
Located on the scenic shores of Alaska's Resurrection Bay the Sea Life Center is the only public aquarium in Alaska. Exhibits allow visitors to view wildlife in natural Alaskan marine habitats. Open year round, the Sea Life Center is a private, non-profit corporation. The center provides a nuber of educational programs to raise awareness of the local ecosystems. They even offer virtual learning programs that are open to students across the country. The website provides information about all their educational programs.
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•California - Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Centered on science education, Scripps has maintained a public aquarium for over a century. The aquarium has two seawater-equipped classrooms that adjoin the public display areas, where a variety of educational programs are offered. Scripps has a conservation project that has provided corals and seahorses to other aquariums and zoos, thus reducing the need to harvest them from the wild. The website offers a virtual tour, as well as a wealth of information. Take some time some time to browse the blog, there's a lot of interesting reading there.
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•California - Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific
The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the largest aquariums in the United States. Home to 550 species, the exhibits feature more than 11,000 ocean animals. The three main galleries highlight the major regions of the Pacific: Southern California/Baja; the Tropical Pacific and the Northern Pacific. If you wannt to see sharks, visit the Shark Lagoon, where they have over 150 shark, as well as a shark touch pool. The Molina Animal Care Center allows visitors to learn about veterinary science. Open year round, they also offer behind the scences tours. Memberships are available.
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•California - Monterey Bay Aquarium
Home to 300,000 individual plants and animals, the exhibits re-create Monterey Bay's habitats, from shallow tide pools to the open ocean and deep sea. One of the best exhibits in the nation. The web site offers webcams, photo galleries, and a wealth of information. I follow their blogs and greatly enjoy them. Be sure to check out the videos, podcasts and webcams, they are lots of fun.
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•California - Sea World San Diego
Not just an aquarium, Sea World has a number of rides, including the breathtaking Manta roller-coaster. Among the exhibits is the Shark Encounter, that takes visitors through one of the largest submerged viewing tubes to the center of the shark's world, one of the largest displays of sharks. The website provides lots of information about exhibits, including an interactive map of the park. Spend some time browsing it before taking your trip, otherwise you might miss out on some great exhibits.
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•Colorado - Downtown Aquarium
Located in Denver, Colorado, this is one of four locations that combines dining with an aquarium. This location re-creates the habitats of the Colorado River as it flows to Mexico's Sea of Cortez, and Indonesia’s Kampar River along it's journey to the South China Sea. Open year round, they offer a full-service restaurant, an upscale bar, a ballroom, as well as the aquatic exhibits.
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•Hawaii - Waikiki Aquarium
Founded in 1904, it is the third oldest public aquarium in the United States. Located next to a living reef on the Waikiki shoreline, the aquarium includes exhibits that represent that more than 500 species of aquatic animals and plants. Endangered and threatened species are among the unique organisms that visitors can see and appreciate. They have extensive educational programs, that include summer classes as well as school programs.
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•Idaho - Morrison Knudsen Nature Center
This is not a traditional aquarium, but it certainly is worth including in this list. The Morrison Knudsen Nature Center has underwater viewing windows along the Boise River Greenbelt that allow visitors to see what is going on beneath the water. Very interesting concept, and worth a visit.
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•Idaho - Idaho Public Aquarium
A relative newcomer, the Idaho Public Aquarium is a non-profit facility with over 15,000 gallons of saltwater and over 250 different species of animals and marine life. They are currently in the planning stages for a large shark tank and other exhibits. If you are in the Boise area, consider giving this facility your support. The admission price is low, and well worth it. They also can use volunteers and sponsors to help with expansion.
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•New Mexico - Albuquerque Aquarium
Open year round, with the exception of holidays, the Albuquerque aquarium offers exhibits that encompass the habitats of the Gulf of Mexico. A theater is incorporated into the facility as well as a touch-pool and classroom programs. They also allow rental of the aquarium facility for special events.More »•Oregon - Seaside Aquarium
A small privately owned aquarium that offers visitors the opportunity to feed the seals. Descendants of the original owners are still involved in operations of the Seaside Aquarium. Open year round, they celebrated their 75th anniversary in May of 2012.
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•Washington - Seattle Aquarium
Seattle, with its long maritime history, is a natural location for an aquarium. Geared towards marine exhibits, it offers a wide range of exhibits as well as educational programs, including summer camps. I particularly enjoy their blog that features interesting photos and videos.
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