The kids loved it, they took so much time explaining everything to the kids and let them feed the fish.

Amazing staff! Very friendly and accommodating. I would 100% recommend for kids!! Disability friendly as well! read more

See all

Plenty of free parking. If you have kids, this place is worth checking out. Their price of admission is much cheaper than other aquariums. Great spot for hosting events such as children birthday parties. We came here for a social event and were very surprised that there was a small aquarium located in the area. They have plenty of water tanks filled with animals. See attached photos. They even offer a hand on exhibit where your children to physically touch sea creatures. Definitely worth giving this place a visit when you are in the area. The staff here are very friendly and eager to answer any of your questions that you may have. read more

See all

Visited Saturday 9:30AM on a holiday weekend, even though online reservation system was all booked sold out the aquarium wasn't that crowded. This is really small but entertained my toddler for about 30 minutes. Lots of tanks of local dish and aquatic animals (I personally liked the baby horseshoe crab and seahorse). My toddler liked the touch tank too, staff was very good at explaining features and picking out certain animals that kids can touch. Toddler also played with the felt sea creatures board and sandbox for a long time. They are booked for birthday parties very often during the weekend and those usually start around 10AM, expect the aquarium to be not open to the public. read more

Lauren and the team at Glen Echo Park Aquarium made such an impression on my daughter last year that her only spring break request was for a return visit to see if they got the sea horses in (spoiler alert, they did!). Our tour guide this time was Mr. Andrew Wilson and he did an AMAZING job keeping our group of preschoolers entertained and informed. They came prepared with lots of questions and he was so patient, enthusiastic and had a special talent that allowed him to break down marine biology so it was understandable fo the five-year old set. We got to touch a hermit crab, learn how to use a microscope, see a puffer fish get fed, and he even taught the children some sign language! The children also loved playing in the sand box and giant pirate ship outside as well. My daughter said she likes this aquarium more than the Baltimore aquarium which is saying something! This spot is perfect for a day trip or even a class field trip. They even will travel to classrooms or do virtual tours. This treasure of a place must be protected at all costs! read more

This is a very small aquarium (1 room) but we still had a good time. Our 3 year old toddler enjoyed looking at the tanks. They also had a little sand table for the kids to enjoy. They do also have a playground outside but we went on a day where the weather wasn't good. Overall it's a nice place for the price and for young kids just don't compare it to the national aquarium because it definitely isn't that. read more

What a neat little spot! We found a Groupon and went this past weekend and our 2 year old absolutely loved it! With covid you have to make an appointment but we enjoyed having it private and we chose the first slot. The girl who showed us around was so friendly and knowledgeable. She was great with our girl who wanted to run from one tank to another lol. Lots to do afterwards too. They have some sand tables and places to play outside. We also enjoyed walking the park trail. The carousal just opened this weekend too! We will def return! read more

See all

Wonderful place for kids to learn about local marine life. The staff was very patient with our four grandchildren. And they learned a lot.

Nice place for young children. Very small exhibit but worth the trip. Older kids would most likely not enjoy this but any child five and Under will love it read more

I went during January with young children and will definitely going back! Covid safe - only one family group at a time! The staff is very invested in the aquarium and you can tell! Took my 4 and 2 yr old and they LOVED it. Touch tank was open and there were fun little outdoor sandboxes and playground equipment to explore, including a giant wooden pirate ship. I'm not sure if the playground is even open right now (it was raining when we went) but the aquarium and sandboxes themselves were enough to occupy my kids for the full hour (45min? Can't remember). Thanks for a great afternoon! read more

I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but I'm so glad I took my kids (10, 11). I thought they might be too old but I think their age aided in our experience. Staff was super friendly and shared a lot of information about the animals. Because my kids are older, they listened well and learned a lot. There's several little play spots just outside that are more geared toward younger kids. It was worth the trip! We spent about an hour inside. I could see spending less time inside with much younger children. read more

Decent aquarium, but was not as big as I was hoping for. Plus is they have a guy standing in front of an open aquarium sink area showing off different crabs, seashells, etc, and giving a great presentation. The place was difficult to find (across from the gas station) and there is PLENTY of open parking. They charge $7 per adult (under 2 is free) - I believe... in my opinion, good, not great. read more

See all

Love this gem. Small and perfect for toddlers and middle schoolers to explore sea life from the Maryland waters.

I'm always on the hunt for new things to do with the kids and was eager to check out the Glen Echo Aquarium. Admission is $6 per person. Children 2 and under are free. The Glen Echo Aquarium is a Chesapeake Bay discovery center geared towards younger children (toddler - early elementary). The majority of the experience takes place in a medium sized room with several fish tanks. Each tank is filled with local fish, crabs, eels, and more. It has several interactive elements that keep the young ones engaged as they learn about what lives in the water local to them. To name just a few, there was an aquarium felt board, a submarine model to go inside, and a "fishing" game. The highlight of our visit was the touch tank. Sarah really made our visit special. She introduced us to several creatures including a horseshoe crab (which apparently is more closely related to a scorpion than a crab - who knew?!). She was great with kids of all ages and knew how to keep a crowd of kids interested! She presented the information in a way that kept both the kids and us grown ups entertained. This is not an easy task. Sarah even fed the horseshoe crab some squid while we were there! So cool to see them eat! I really hope the other employees are as interactive and informative as Sarah. We would have not had such a great time if it wasn't for her! You get the best bang for your buck by coming here on a decent day where you can spend some time outside. There is a large sandbox with toys, a "pirate ship", and a few small ponds to walk around in the front of the aquarium. Luckily, it was nice enough out that we were able to stop by the Glen Echo playground afterwards. This was the perfect ending to an afternoon of fish fun! There are several picnic tables by the playground if you decide to pack lunch. We probably spent about 2 hours here (including the good amount of time we spent in the sandbox out front). The kids had a really great time and even learned a few things! I look forward to seeing what else this place has to offer in future months! Since it's a small space, it's easy to feel that you have seen everything in one visit. Hopefully they keep the displays and interactive tables fresh so we can become regulars! read more

See all

Small but interesting aquarium. My kids all loved it, and we learned a lot about local water-dwelling life. We especially loved the Touch Tank. Appointments are required right now which was great because we had the place all to ourselves. There is a sand table outside that my children (ages 7, 3, and 3) all enjoyed. We will come again. read more

Such a fun aquarium. It's small but perfect for little kids under 8/9. Ms Lauren was our guide and the older kids loved talking to her and she encourage their questions/conversations. There's a sand pit for little kids outside and timed passes allowing for social distancing was awesome!! Tip- if you want to go on the carrousel- you have to book in-advance/online. read more

What a great find - perfect activity for my kids (1) & (3)! Great indoor exhibit and outside play and discovery area.

Not what I expected for an aquarium. This place is the size of a bedroom with small fish tanks lined up against the walls. Staff is friendly but for the cost I was expecting a much grander experience read more

100% worthwhile experience. It's a small room lined with aquariums, but full of fun. The staff was excellent and age appropriate for two, 2 year olds. The touch tank is awesome. The private showing feels perfect, personal, and pandemic safe. The park itself is still a waste of time, but the aquarium is a great hidden gem. There is also this felt board and microscope that entertained the kids. I liked the standing outside sand box which is way less messy than a regular sand pit, but provided joy. It's probably a one and done, but what a great one! read more

Lauren was very knowledgeable! She could answer all and every question that was thrown at her. She clearly knew her stuff. 10/10 great experience read more

I took my ten-month-old here today to take a look! We are always looking for fun things to do. It is a small space, but if you can schedule a visit when there's a puppet show or other children's activity it's worth it! We had a great time and enjoyed the touch tank! read more

This isn't your regular large aquarium. It is a large room with many tanks and a touch and feel station. I found it to be very fun and educational for my toddler, and something nice to visit while visiting Glen Echo. The staff was very nice and even played with my daughter. read more

We didn't go to the aquarium - they came to us. My daughter had an under-water-themed birthday party and the aquarium show was a perfect surprise for her. Andrew brought several live creatures and was a great presenter keeping kids fully engaged. He was very knowledgeable and great with kids. Thank you for making our party so much fun! read more

I read the previous review so thought we would give it a try. definitely toddlers, we had a 2 1/2 , 7,8, 2-9's . should be priced 1/2. you can't put any hands in the "touch" tank. there are more fish at the fish store. I understand they are bay fish, but , if we had not bean there at feeding time it would have bean so much worse. the two year old like the fishing for paper fish, submarine definitely needs help. the pictures in the brochure and on the web site are no where near accurate. the kids even said they would definitely not want to go back, well maybe for a quick visit after a puppet show or a carousel ride, but honestly for 48$ I wish some one had warned us .we love glen echo and if you do too, see a show ,take a ride on the carousel and if you want to check out the aquarium wait for certi-fakid or groupon to get 1/2 price tickets because sadly it just is not worth it. I am a mom of 4 and used to enjoy the dc aquarium this not so much. it could be such a great addition to the park. one shining light the two woman working there were kind and happy to talk to the children ,my children love going to the zoo and have been to small aquariums in new England. but sadly this was very disappointing. ' read more