Five Reasons to Love the National Aquarium
Award-winning exhibits and more than 20,000 aquatic animals make this Inner Harbor destination Baltimore's most popular attraction.
Since 1981, the National Aquarium has been a can’t-miss destination in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and is consistently ranked as one of the best aquariums in the country. Come face-to-face with animals from all over the globe, including sharks, crocodiles, jellyfish and even two-toed sloths.
Besides the stunning habitats, you can also enjoy 4D immersion films about marine life and engage with some of the aquarium’s smaller animals like Australian bearded dragons, hyacinth macaws or tiger salamanders. Read on to learn why the National Aquarium is one of our favorite local attractions.
A family visits the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
1. Pet a stingray
At the aquarium’s Living Seashore exhibit, you can view and even touch more than 150 sea creatures from the Mid-Atlantic, like an Atlantic stingray or a pulsing moon jelly. Feel sand dollars and shell fragments on the tactile discovery wall.
2. Watch dolphins play
Since 1991, the National Aquarium has been a model for dolphins in human care. Each day, visitors can watch volunteers take them through their enrichment activities and continue developing their intelligence. You can also learn about the natural seawater sanctuary the aquarium has established to give its colony a healthier long-term home, which will be the first of its kind in North America.
3. Surround yourself with sharks
The stunning award-winning Blacktip Reef exhibit gives you the experience of diving to the bottom of an Indo-Pacific reef. Follow the sloped walkways downward to get a multi-floor view of blacktip reef sharks, tasselled wobbegong sharks, clown triggerfish and reticulated whiptail rays.
People silhouetted looking at sharks at The National Aquarium in Baltimore.
4. Go behind the scenes
Get a closer look at the majestic creatures that live at the aquarium with behind-the-scenes tours and experiences, guided by on-site experts. Explore a reef, meet Australian reptiles and get up close and personal with a bottlenose dolphin. There are even aquarium sleepovers for the whole family (ages 8 and up). Plus, adults can dive in the Atlantic Coral Reef for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
5. Contribute to conservation efforts
More than providing a fun place to learn about animals, the aquarium is also committed to environmental conservation, animal rescue and research. To help extend those efforts, the aquarium opened the Animal Care & Rescue Center in 2018 that houses sick or rescued animals and can be toured by the public on weekends.
A more recent conservation effort by the National Aquarium is the creation of Harbor Wetland. Located outside the aquarium between Piers 3 and 4, this floating wetland mimics a salt marsh habitat that naturally cleans the water and allows habitats to flourish. Nearly 40,000 grasses and shrubs remove harmful nitrogen and phosphorous from this section of the Harbor. The wetland, which is free to visit, also attracts a variety of marine life depending on the season, such as blue crabs, mummichog, phytoplankton, pumpkin seed fish and silversides fish.
The Harbor Wetland exhibit was complete in August, bringing a salt marsh back to the Inner Harbor. Photo by Philip Smith, National Aquarium.
The National Aquarium takes part in a variety of conservation initiatives, including animal rescue, protecting the Chesapeake, and advocating for responsible seafood consumption and production. Learn more about the Aquarium’s conservation efforts.
Plan Your Trip
Exterior view of The National Aquarium in Baltimore.
The aquarium can be a half-day experience if you want it to be, so come early and plan to spend a few hours here.
Pro tip: to save money on admission, visit on a Friday after 5 p.m. for half-price tickets.
For more details and to buy tickets, visit the National Aquarium profile page.
