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New England Aquarium is a Great Family Destination


We’ve been to a few aquariums over the years, and one that really stands out is the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts.  We think it’s a perfect place to spend a day for some family fun!

Location

The New England Aquarium is located along the historic waterfront area of downtown Boston.  With so much to see and do in this area, a visit to the Aquarium can easily be made as a part of a family weekend getaway, as we did.

We stayed just a short walk away at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel.  You don’t have to stay here, you can probably find many other choices in the neighborhood using hotels.com

The aquarium looks huge from the outside, but you don’t really understand just how big it is until you walk through the doors and see what’s going on inside.

The Aquarium

Right in the middle is a giant vertical tank with a walkway that spirals around it, allowing visitors to view it at different levels. The Giant Ocean Tank, as it’s called, holds 200,000 gallons of water and features a coral reef environment with over 1,000 different animals inside!

They even have a live webcam of the tank!

The Giant Ocean Tank is so big, it was built first, and then the rest of aquarium was built around it.

In addition to the tank, the aquarium has some really cool exhibits.

  • Penguin Exhibit
  • Blue Planet Action Center with Shark and Lobster Nurseries
  • Coral Reef Center
  • Atlantic Harbor Seals
  • Amazon Rainforest
  • Shark and Ray Touch Tank
  • Edge of the Sea Touch Tank
  • and more…
  
  
We loved the hands-on exhibits like the Shark and Ray touch tank and the Edge of the Sea Touch Tank

Programs

The aquarium has something for the whole family, especially the little ones.  They offer family programs such as:
Blue Discover Family Days – Learn more about the blue planet through art, science, and storytelling.
Homeschooling Program – The Aquarium offers programs for homeschool families with topics that range from animals, habitats, conservation or global oceans.
Sea Squirts Program – Monthly classes that are perfect for children ages 1 to 4 years old and their caregivers to explore the aquatic world.
The aquarium was enough to keep us engaged and occupied for the better part of our visit. There is also an IMAX theater showing 3D movies about whales, sharks and other ocean creatures which we did not get to try.
In addition to all that, the aquarium also partners with Boston Harbor Cruises to run whale watching tours from late March through October.
If you’re looking for a reason to have a family adventure in the Boston area, the New England Aquarium is it!
For more information on the aquarium, hours and exhibit schedules, directions and such, visit the official website here.

Other Aquariums to read about:

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Our 2017 Travel Bucket List | Adventures in Familyhood

Tuesday 10th of January 2017

[…] of times a year.  But we don’t get into the city of Boston all that often. A return to the New England Aquarium, the Boston Children’s Museum, and taking in some of the historic sites is definitely in […]

Jennifer

Friday 1st of May 2015

How fun! I love that they offer educational programs for kids of all ages. Your pictures are great! :)

Rosanne

Thursday 30th of April 2015

Believe it or not, I attended a wedding in this aquarium! It was so much fun! The cocktail hour was in the area with the penguins and we loved every second of it.

Rosanne @ The Disney Point

Ashley Strawser

Tuesday 28th of April 2015

I've never been to Massachusetts, but it's on my list of places to go someday! I may have to check out this aquarium! It looks really nice! Ashley @ Ashley Aspires https://ashleystrawser.com

Julie Bigboy

Tuesday 28th of April 2015

Love those IMAX movies, but the ocean ones sort of make me seasick! LOL I like that webcam idea, what a neat way to "check in" from home on your favorite creatures.

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