America's Best Aquariums

BeardsleyZooFan

BeardsleyZooFan

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Travel Channel has rated what they think are the top aquariums in the United States.
Best US Aquariums
They don't give any info on why they picked these, making me wonder the reliability of this list, although I agree with assessments such as Montrey Bay Aquarium.
What is your view on the best aquariums in America, and what do you think of this list?
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
Travel Channel has rated what they think are the top aquariums in the United States.
Best US Aquariums
They don't give any info on why they picked these, making me wonder the reliability of this list, although I agree with assessments such as Montrey Bay Aquarium.
What is your view on the best aquariums in America, and what do you think of this list?
Click to expand...

I wonder if the Travel Channel has a show about their rankings of the best aquariums? They seem to have all the major aquariums in the country thrown together somewhat randomly in this photo collage.

The U.S. has had an aquarium renaissance in the last 30 years and there are outstanding aquariums seemingly all over.

I would argue that the Monterey Aquarium is not only the best aquarium of all the aquariums that I have visited, but the best captive wildlife facility: http://www.zoochat.com/22/put-me-zoo-monterey-bay-aquarium-265908/

Some of the other aquariums that people rank very highly in discussion threads here are the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta due to their diverse collections and outstanding exhibits. I've not yet visited these aquariums.

Some zoos have great aquariums that serve their communities, and this seems to be overlooked. The Omaha Zoo has a great aquarium that just underwent some major renovations. It has a great penguin exhibit, shark exhibit, and a good diverse collection.
 
DavidBrown said:
I wonder if the Travel Channel has a show about their rankings of the best aquariums? They seem to have all the major aquariums in the country thrown together somewhat randomly in this photo collage.

The U.S. has had an aquarium renaissance in the last 30 years and there are outstanding aquariums seemingly all over.

I would argue that the Monterey Aquarium is not only the best aquarium of all the aquariums that I have visited, but the best captive wildlife facility: http://www.zoochat.com/22/put-me-zoo-monterey-bay-aquarium-265908/

Some of the other aquariums that people rank very highly in discussion threads here are the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta due to their diverse collections and outstanding exhibits. I've not yet visited these aquariums.

Some zoos have great aquariums that serve their communities, and this seems to be overlooked. The Omaha Zoo has a great aquarium that just underwent some major renovations. It has a great penguin exhibit, shark exhibit, and a good diverse collection.
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Thanks for your imput. I look forward to hopefully visiting some of these aquariums one day, especially Montrey Bay.
 
In addition to the 3 aquariums DavidBrown mentioned, Baltimore and Tennessee seem to be the other top 5 aquariums in America based on what I see on here. I personally have not been to Tennessee or Georgia and would rank them as follows:

Monterey Bay
Baltimore
Shedd
Sea World SD
Adventure Aquarium
Aquarium of the Pacific
Steinhart
Maui Ocean Center
Virginia
 
In my opinion and what I specifically look for in an aquarium is the education and scientific value they give guests and visitors. Attention to exhibit detail and a strong conservation message is what really sells the aquarium experience for myself. As a result, I have formulated my list of the top 10 aquariums in the country.
1) Monterey Bay Aquarium
2) National Aquarium
3) New England Aquarium
4) Shedd Aquarium
5) Steinhart Aquarium
6) Aquarium of the Pacific
7) Seattle Aquarium
8) Tennessee Aquarium
9) Mystic Aquarium
10) Georgia Aquarium
 
Thank you mweb08 and NAIB Volunteer. You have confirmed some aquariums that I want to visit as good aquariums, and have made me think of some more aquariums I want to visit one day, as the number of aquariums I have visited is very low.
 
NAIB Volunteer said:
In my opinion and what I specifically look for in an aquarium is the education and scientific value they give guests and visitors. Attention to exhibit detail and a strong conservation message is what really sells the aquarium experience for myself. As a result, I have formulated my list of the top 10 aquariums in the country.
1) Monterey Bay Aquarium
2) National Aquarium
3) New England Aquarium
4) Shedd Aquarium
5) Steinhart Aquarium
6) Aquarium of the Pacific
7) Seattle Aquarium
8) Tennessee Aquarium
9) Mystic Aquarium
10) Georgia Aquarium
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Your list is a great one, with 10 notable aquariums that are all considered to be excellent. Many people might have the same 10, although in a much different order. I have visited 8 of the 10, and I have plans to tour both New England and Mystic this July. Also, I have plans to see New York Aquarium and Florida Aquarium this summer, two others that often appear in top 10 lists. Here is my list of 8 great American aquariums, as well as the year of my most recent visit. It will be interesting to see if New England, Mystic, New York or Florida crack a revised list by the end of this summer.

1- John G. Shedd Aquarium (2008)
2- Georgia Aquarium (2008)
3- Monterey Bay Aquarium (2011)
4- National Aquarium in Baltimore (2010)
5- Tennessee Aquarium (2010)
6- Aquarium of the Pacific (2011)
7- Steinhart Aquarium (2011)
8- Oregon Coast Aquarium (2011)
 
snowleopard said:
1- John G. Shedd Aquarium (2008)
2- Georgia Aquarium (2008)
3- Monterey Bay Aquarium (2011)
4- National Aquarium in Baltimore (2010)
5- Tennessee Aquarium (2010)
6- Aquarium of the Pacific (2011)
7- Steinhart Aquarium (2011)
8- Oregon Coast Aquarium (2011)
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Where would the Vancouver Aquarium be on your list snowleopard?
 
DavidBrown said:
Where would the Vancouver Aquarium be on your list snowleopard?
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I added Vancouver (#7) and Seattle (#10) to round out a top 10 list. My gut feeling is that the top 5 will not change after this summer's road trip, but perhaps New England, New York, Mystic and Florida have a shot at making the bottom half of this list. It is important to consider that Vancouver has just begun a construction project that will cost almost $100 million and there will be an overhaul of the entire outside portion of the aquarium. I would not be surprised to see that Canadian facility rise a few places when the revitilization is complete by 2016 as the goal in their latest newsletter was to be one of the top 5 aquariums in the world. A bold statement!

1- John G. Shedd Aquarium (2008)
2- Georgia Aquarium (2008)
3- Monterey Bay Aquarium (2011)
4- National Aquarium in Baltimore (2010)
5- Tennessee Aquarium (2010)
6- Aquarium of the Pacific (2011)
7- Vancouver Aquarium (2012)
8- Steinhart Aquarium (2011)
9- Oregon Coast Aquarium (2011)
10- Seattle Aquarium (2012)
 
Hey I’m new here to ZooChat. I travel all over visiting zoos and aquariums and have been to over 30 marine institutions across North America and Europe. IMO the Georgia Aquarium is without comparison the best. I love returning there frequently to scuba dive in the superb Ocean Voyager exhibit. As for other US institutions, the others that I think are the best are:

2. Shedd Aquarium
3. (Tie) SeaWorld Orlando & SeaWorld San Diego
5. National Aquarium in Baltimore
6. (Tie) Dallas World Aquarium & Tennessee Aquarium
8. Monterey Bay Aquarium
Then, off the top of my head, either Adventure Aquarium or New England Aquarium.

I think the National Aquarium in Baltimore (near where I live) is one of the best but IMO has been suffering recently from bad management decisions. Most recently, the elimination of the extremely popular dolphin show and raising admission prices totally baffles me. It will be unpopular and will hurt the aquarium’s attendance.

Although I liked the Monterey Bay Aquarium a lot and thought it was a really good facility, I wouldn’t put it in my top 5. I have not been to the new Steinhart Aquarium in CAS since it opened.
 
snowleopard- Mystic might make your top 10. After looking at your Vancouver Aquarium photos, it seems that Mystic is kind of like it. Both seem to be relatively small aquariums with some of the same species (Belugas, Steller Sea Lions, African Penguins,etc.). It seems that Vancouver has a few more species though, and you have to take into consideration that with a bunch of new aquariums on your list, Mystic might be edged out of the competition (New England, New York, and Florida might edge out Mystic).
 
The new york aquarium i believe is a top 10 aquarium. They have 2 nice fish buildings, a great location on the boardwalk and a large marine mammal collection. They are also adding a 100 million dollar shark exhibit with 3 large shark tanks.
 
WhiteTiger said:
I think the National Aquarium in Baltimore (near where I live) is one of the best but IMO has been suffering recently from bad management decisions. Most recently, the elimination of the extremely popular dolphin show and raising admission prices totally baffles me. It will be unpopular and will hurt the aquarium’s attendance.
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I'll just re post what I conversed with snowleopard about in another thread.

The National Aquarium ending its dolphin shows were in response to two problems. First, on peak summer days only about 50% of the visitors were able to see the dolphin show. Second, dolphin show times forced people to leave the one way traffic pattern of the aquarium building to get to the show which caused headaches for both staff trying to direct people and visitors trying to find their way. Now, the next exhibit named Dolphin Discovery allows guests to come and go as they please from the amphitheater. At scheduled times, trainers will do a "behind the scenes" look at how and why dolphins are trained, certain dolphin behaviors, and the care these animals need. Overall, the atmosphere is much more relaxed, especially for the dolphins and it allows visitors to interact more with the dolphins and staff. It really is a nice experience and doesn't have any of that corny crap associated with dolphin shows. Now, its more practical, educational, and scientific.
This new exhibit is part of the National Aquarium's effort to engage more people with the amazing animals at the aquarium. With over 40 presentations and feedings a day, the new experience will hopefully engage the thousands of guests which visit the Aquarium.

These new changes are all in response to visitor feedback. Last summer during the suspension of the dolphin shows due to loss of the two dolphin calves, visitors loved the open amphitheater feel. As mentioned above, the whole experience proved to more relaxing and enjoyable. The prices were increased to compensate for the loss of the dolphin show and it still remains an affordable family destination.

As for the management, the National Aquarium Institute received a new chief executive officer named David Racanelli last summer to replace the retired David Pittinger. Mr. Racanelli has had plenty of experience in the aquarium world having oversall the construction and early years of the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. He has worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a number of conservation organizations, and has even worked for Google to help launch Google Ocean.

The National Aquarium will continue to change in order to offer guests interactions and educational experiences which will, as the mission says, "to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures."
 
As some Zoochatters know, I have no interest in "Best of" or "Top 102 of..." threads.

Still,

IMO, two exhibits at the Georgia Aquarium are perhaps the best of any aquarium in the hemisphere. I could spend an hour sitting at either one and feel as though I was transported to a better place. But overall, I didn't love the institution.
There are a variety of pleasures to be found at aquariums... soul stirring exhibits being one. And then I think of a very happy hour I spent at The Maritime Aquarium, which is so small and so intimate that I could slow down and marvel at their marvelous creatures. Then there's the Shedd which has such a variety of experiences that makes for a certain richness in the visit. New England and Baltimore are fantastic if you are there on a slow day and horrendous if you are there on a crowded day.

I don't rank any institution but I can appreciate the pleasures each has to offer. How did aquariums and zoos become a competition?
 
Zooplantman said:
I don't rank any institution but I can appreciate the pleasures each has to offer. How did aquariums and zoos become a competition?
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I think like any business (I use this term loosely with zoos and aquariums) there is a need to compete with one another to attract guests. Like you mentioned, each zoo or aquariums is unique and is special in its own way. However, people like to order things and just like food they have a favorite and a least favorite and everything else just falls in the middle.
 
NAIB Volunteer said:
I think like any business (I use this term loosely with zoos and aquariums) there is a need to compete with one another to attract guests. Like you mentioned, each zoo or aquariums is unique and is special in its own way. However, people like to order things and just like food they have a favorite and a least favorite and everything else just falls in the middle.
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This particular sort of competition and ranking is something that the media and some authors (well they are media I suppose) and some individuals like to do. I don't think that the institutions should get the "blame." ;) And locals like to ask about the "rank" of their institution as they might about their football team. But at least your football team and "mine" play against each other.

Zoos and Aquariums do of course use such favorable rankings for local marketing, but they don't get their visitors from the small number of people who travel long distances to see a collection. Zoo's and aquarium's markets are local and regional. They are not competing with each other for the most part (even Cleveland and Akron have their separate fans!) With whom is NAIB competing for visitors? The Inner Harbor yes, even the zoo, but not with NY Aquarium or Georgia.
I don't doubt that at the AZA meetings, some staff may have an attitude, but it is Not because The Travel Channel or Zoochat ranked their institution higher than another :D
 
Zooplantman said:
This particular sort of competition and ranking is something that the media and some authors (well they are media I suppose) and some individuals like to do. I don't think that the institutions should get the "blame." ;) And locals like to ask about the "rank" of their institution as they might about their football team. But at least your football team and "mine" play against each other.

Zoos and Aquariums do of course use such favorable rankings for local marketing, but they don't get their visitors from the small number of people who travel long distances to see a collection. Zoo's and aquarium's markets are local and regional. They are not competing with each other for the most part (even Cleveland and Akron have their separate fans!) With whom is NAIB competing for visitors? The Inner Harbor yes, even the zoo, but not with NY Aquarium or Georgia.
I don't doubt that at the AZA meetings, some staff may have an attitude, but it is Not because The Travel Channel or Zoochat ranked their institution higher than another :D
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90% of visitors live within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed with heavy traffic from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and obviously Maryland. I wouldn't argue there is much competition as the National Aquarium is the only aquarium really within the immediate region. Although, heavy advertising in PA and NJ is no coincidence considering that the Adventure Aquarium pulls potential visitors from the Philly and NYC area.
 
NAIB Volunteer said:
90% of visitors live within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed with heavy traffic from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and obviously Maryland. I wouldn't argue there is much competition as the National Aquarium is the only aquarium really within the immediate region. Although, heavy advertising in PA and NJ is no coincidence considering that the Adventure Aquarium pulls potential visitors from the Philly and NYC area.
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Good points.
But I suggest that the out-of-town visitors are not in town because of the Aquarium. Whether someone ranked it #3 or #5 changes nothing in reality
 
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