Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ is one of the top 10 aquariums in the US! I wish I could give a 3.5 star rating. If the price was a lot lower, I would be happier giving 4 stars.
I visited on a Saturday with a plus one and we enjoyed ourselves. It's definitely geared towards younger children, but you can still learn a lot and have fun as an adult. After all, don't we all have an inner child?
This is my most important tip. If you're visiting on a weekend, COME AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. Weekends are filled with families, strollers, and tons of kids. Nothing against them, just giving y'all a heads up. If you can come right at opening time, that's perfect. It's the quiet before the storm. It's a lot less crowded, so you'll be able to get a good view of the animals. It starts to get very packed towards the late morning/early afternoon.
PARKING: There's a lot right across the aquarium. It's $10 to park.
TICKETS: Tickets are very overpriced and cost anywhere between $30.99-$49.99. They're limited by timed entry reservations on a first-come, first-served basis. Pricing depends entirely on the date of your visit and how early you buy. The earlier you buy, the cheaper. Depending on demand, the prices will either remain the same or increase. They take factors like day of the week, holidays, weather, and projected attendance into consideration. If you wait to buy them at the box office, prices could be higher or you may need to wait for the next available entry time. Or worse, they could be sold out.
We messed up and bought ours a day before. It was ~$105 for two adults ($47 per ticket, $6 tax, $4 fee). Seniors save $2 and children (12 and under) save 15% off. To offset high prices, they offer military discounts, a free pre-K pass for toddlers, and free admission on your birthday. They also have an annual membership, which might be worth it if you plan on visiting multiple times a year.
ATTRACTIONS: We were able to see everything we wanted in about 2-2.5 hours. The aquarium is easy to navigate - they have 5 zones of animals and attractions. The most notable ones are:
*Hippo Tank & Feeding - A MUST SEE!!! They are huge, chunky, and adorable!!!
*Shark Tunnel - This is a 40-ft tunnel (longest in NJ) that surrounds you with dozens of sharks.
*Stingray Touch Pool - You can feed them for $5.
*Penguin Island & Feeding - The cutest flightless birds!!!
They have a large variety of other marine animals and ocean life. The animals look healthy and the tanks are clean. Every exhibit is labeled with tons of fun facts. It's a great educational experience if you take the time to immerse yourself in it.
They have other attractions and activities like trivia games, 3D movie showings, a shark bridge, virtual reality, interactive play areas, up-close encounters with animals, etc. Some are included in admission and some come at an additional cost.
I recommend looking at the aquarium's schedule for the day because some of the attractions (like the feedings and shows) are at specific times... and you don't want to miss them!
FOOD/DINING/SHOPPING: The food scene is not too impressive. There's a main dining area that serves hot dogs, pizza, burgers, chicken tenders, sandwiches, etc. There's also a coffee shop, a beer garden, and a sweet treats cafe. We didn't eat anything here, so I can't speak on the food. They have a large gift shop near the exit.
SERVICE: All of the employees we encountered were helpful, friendly, and enthusiastic. They seemed happy to work there and to take care of the animals. I'm glad the animals are in good hands.
Was it worth the $105? Hmmmm, maybe for a one-time visit. I'd be more willing to pay that much if the aquarium was much larger and included more attractions/experiences/vouchers with admission. We already pay a steep price, and they still try to upsell us with more things. The food is expensive, the gift shop is expensive... you have to pay to get your photos taken... you have to pay for the more interactive animal encounters. Way too much $$$$. Based on the price alone, I wouldn't come back. read more