I love this aquarium and it has so many different animals, however, it was so crowded and I could barely see the animals sometimes. Also feels quite claustrophobic in some areas, but it's easy to ignore because there's fish everywhere you look. I saw all of my favorite fish which is enough for me, but I do appreciate how this place has benches. Love this aquarium, but will come back one day when it is less busy. read more

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This aquarium is pretty cool to come with your family. They have seals outside by the gate, a huge aquarium tank that's in the middle that spans the middle of all the floors of the building, and sea lions outside. My favorite things to see here were the giant turtles, penguins, sea horses, jellyfish, and stingrays. Their gift shop is decent and has a lot of stuffed animals that is good for kids. I did overall enjoy the aquarium, but the pricing, time you can spend here, and parking situation make it difficult to justify going here. It's $40 a ticket for regular price. You get $5 off if you're a resident. The best deal is to get free tickets via the Boston Public Library, but there's often a wait and you have to be a resident. The aquarium is small, I came here with my family and we finished everything in an hour and a half. However, when I came here myself I was done in less than an hour. The nearest parking garage is only validated for aquarium members and is expensive otherwise. I parked at the Rowes Wharf garage but that was still $28 after validation. read more

I must say, I was not impressed with this place at all. Luckily I was able to use my local library passes to get in for $20 instead of $40, because this place is definitely not worth it.. First off the only nearby parking garage is $50, honestly the most expensive one I've seen yet in Boston for one hour. Yes, It only took me and my group 1 hour to explore the aquarium. The place was extremely crowded. It seems like they have no limit or capacity... I went on a Friday afternoon in the summer. People bumping into you, felt like I was jampacked at a concert. The bathroom is pretty gross and smell smells like dirty diapers seeing as they had five trash cans full of diapers. The baby changing area was very unsanitary. It's pretty much a giant cylinder tank in the middle of a building that you spiral around until you get to the top and see one stingray in a tank with coral.. each floor has little side exhibits with pretty basic fish. I was very disappointed that they only had one jellyfish tank. There were no sharks. The seal show was pretty lame, nothing like the one at Mystic aquarium. I would go to Mystic aquarium over and over and over again. Mystic is by far my favorite aquarium in New England, they actually have sharks and they have some fish that you can actually pet. They have a lot more, including an outdoor exhibit. Overall, I do not recommend going here, especially for the price between parking and entry tickets. read more

New England Aquarium - Turtle - Aquariums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The New England Aquarium is a nonprofit organization and public aquarium located in Boston, Massachusetts. They have so many of my favorite species on exhibit. I love the harbor and northern fur seals, California sea lions, African and southern rockhopper penguins, giant Pacific octopuses, loggerhead and green sea turtles, and thousands of saltwater and freshwater fishes. In addition to the main aquarium building, attractions at Central Wharf include the Simons Theatre and the New England Aquarium Whale Watch. Just like me my friend Keith loved to go in trips with his mother (my best friend Shirley). Keith lived amusement parks most. This Aquarium has a special spot in my heart. I have inherited Keith's Key Chain. And I've got the pictures In my head. read more

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As a swimmer who dreams of diving into a large aquarium tank, I LOVED this aquarium. I am from the PNW so I am deeply familiar with the ocean and have been to my fair share of aquariums. This aquarium does not have a specific direction of flow, but it is still pretty easy to tell which places you have and have not been so you don't miss anything. The giant cylindrical tank in the middle that you can walk on a spiral ramp around is definitely the focal point. There isn't much information on its contents as you walk around, but there is lots of other information sprinkled around the aquarium. It is home to literally the biggest sea turtle I've ever seen, and I've been to Hawaii four times. We happened to be at the top as they were feeding the sea turtles so that was super cool to watch. We were also around during penguin feeding, during which one person is feeding and taking notes, and another is giving so much cool information and taking questions. The setup they have for the electric eel is fascinating. They convert its electrical energy to sound and show you in a meter the strength of electricity it's sending out. Super convenient to get to via transit, with lots of stuff nearby. It is a little pricy, but no more so than other aquariums, and they describe a lot of their conservation efforts inside so it feels like your money is going to a worthy cause. If you like aquariums, you don't want to miss it!! read more

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It's always a good experience here. Things are always a tad different every time you visit, and there are so many species you can never get bored! The only complaint I have is no matter when you go, it always seems to be extremely busy and can be difficult to view the aquatic animals. read more

New England Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The admission cost was quite pricey considering you can easily see everything from top to bottom in like 30-40 mins max. My kids were like, "that's it"? You can possibly double that time if you decide to walk through it twice to see if you miss anything, watch a sea lion or seal presentation & go to the touch tank to pet the sharks & stringrays, which is what we did. Mostly penguins here- lots of penguins, no shark realm, saw a few sea turtles, snakes & a variety of fishes. Overall, decent spot, just smaller than expected with strollers everywhere :o read more

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Loved our visit to the aquarium. Buying tickets online in advance was a breeze. I chose our timed entry slot and skipped the main line completely. It was a busy day but they kept things moving quickly. Despite being a popular spot, the layout helped spread people out. It never felt overly crowded. My little guy loved all the animals and presentations. This was a spot that I was told I couldn't miss during my trip and I am so happy we were able to visit. read more

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My daughter suggested coming to the New England Aquarium. It was our first day in Boston so why not? We wanted the full Boston experience so we started our vacation off at the aquarium. We could have purchased our tickets online but we decided last minute to go to the aquarium. We initially had other plans but opted to start with the aquarium first. So, we just purchased them at the venue. While waiting in line, we got to see some of the cutest and fattest sea lions swimming in the tank that's located outside of the aquarium. What a neat way to start off our experience here. Sea lions greeting us with their cuteness. Walking in, you're instantly hit with the sweetest penguins. Some are chillin on the rock. Some were swimming together. It was just a fun exhibit to start with. They are just too cutie! You also see this giant tank in the middle of the venue with all these stunning sea animals. Fish, turtles and sting rays. It was mandatory to see every part of this tank. You don't want to miss anything. As you're making your way through the aquarium, you're seeing so many tanks of fun fish. Fresh water fish, salt water fish, tropical fish. You see every fish from every environmental element. It's amazing what kind of fish are within our bodies of water on this earth. Some of these fish I have never seen! And some will always be known, like your classic puffer fish. My daughter and I made our way through this whole aquarium. Going down the spiral ramp and checking every part of this big tank. It's amazing what fish hang out at each depth of the tank. Checking out the jelly fish, seeing all the vibrant salt water fish and being mesmerized by the massive sea turtle. It's truly magical seeing all of it! But as magical as this place is, it's crowded, congested and honestly small. You basically pay 80 bucks to get done with the aquarium in less than an hour. It's hard to see the tanks with that many people trying to look as well. You're waiting for a good amount of time to look at a tank real fast so you're not holding up the line. It was really overwhelming with the amount of people there. And quite honestly, this aquarium is truly not that big. I'm happy I got to experience this aquarium with my daughter. It's been a while since I have been to one. It was nice to share this experience with my daughter. She will never be too old to look at fishes. I get to mark it off my bucket list, especially with my daughter. read more

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The experience was packed with penguins, sea turtles, seals and other marine life including starfish, an electric eel, poison dart frogs, and a South American sea nettle The only reasons I didn't give it 5 starts were: 1. As a popular tourist destination/attraction, entry times could be staggered to allow for overflow. I ended up getting over stimulated and had to leave before seeing all the exhibits 2. The exit was confusing to navigate as you don't exit the same way you entered read more

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The central tank is by far the coolest part of this aquarium housing the most massive puffer fish and sea turtle. We could have spent a lot of our time just staring into the tank. The aquarium also features penguins, seals, sea lions, sting rays, snakes, an octopus, sea horses, jelly fish, and of course lots of fish! We watched the sea lion show which was fabulous! After the show they would repeatedly come over to the kiddos to say hi! Only complaint is it is expensive and you can get through the entire place in about an hour. We're on vacation so don't mind but definitely pretty spend for a larger group read more

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I had a great time at this aquarium! It had some of the coolest reef displays that I have seen in a public aquarium. There are species you don't see very often that aren't all flashy and bright. There was one very low in the main tank that I have only see once in an aquarium. It wasn't even shown on the species list. Some reef geek just got it in there somehow. LOL Cold water reef tank is probably the coolest single aquarium I have seen in a long time. It was full of extremely cool shit I have never seen before! SO MUCH AWESOMENESS! The octopus display is right next to it and their octopus is quite active and flirtatious. The big spiral show tank was ok. It had fake rock and fake coral. Some of the fish were neat. Coral tanks are where it's at!! Very impressed! '26 -41 read more

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Look, it's a nice aquarium. Huge in fact. When you walk in you get hit with the beauty of the penguins. The layout makes sense. You see nearly everything you need to see by walking along the path. I'm actually going to knock a star off for the rip off that is parking in the lot. If you're spending a normal amount of time there, you will pay over $40 to park. That's just unfair, considering how much you likely spent on the tickets. If was in your shoes, I would park at a different lot and take a gentle stroll to the aquarium. It's in a great area, so you'll be pleased if you do things that way. read more

As I've gotten older, I've definitely become more critical and cynical, and that may play a part in this review; nonetheless, I didn't like the New England Aquarium. First, I went on a charter bus, and they stamped our hand. Re-entry was allowed, but my stamp faded within minutes so I wasn't even able to test it, so I can see how that would be a problem if others did that option. Second, the theatre/movie presentation is in a different building on the property. It was a nice day when I went, but I can see that being a major pain in the you know what if it was raining or windy or whatnot. Third, the building is spiral-shaped and goes up, and pretty much only up. So there isn't much room for crowd flow, viewing windows get crowded and it can be a bit of a wait to be able to see things. It was very busy when I went, and people were constantly bumping into each other and having to wait for walking paths to clear up. And there isn't that much to see here either. Penguins, Seals, and fish, but nothing substantial, nothing at least to support the price. It's pretty much one big tank going up from top to bottom, a dozen or so small tanks, and the seals/penguins. Lastly, there wasn't much information about what was in the tanks. There was also a setup for a seal show, but no information on showtimes.nt Overall, it was a big disappointment. Of the three aquariums I've been to, I'd put them in 3rd behind the Mystic Aquarium and the one at the Amazing Dream Complex in New Jersey. read more

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Wow! This was one of the best aquariums I've been to, and I would totally go back again next visit. My husband brought me, knowing how much I love aquariums, and was so excited for me to experience this gem. It was a huge space, tons to see, lots of variety, and just so fun. I loved the experience and recommended for anyone, whether you have kids or not. read more

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OMG, these penguins are so cute but so stinky... bless those wonderful caretakers they have in the conservationist that make us aware of what their plate is to keep their diet regulated and try to introduce more of them into the population. All the knowledge gain in this sequence was wonderful and it is a nice place to take a stroll around great place to spend a few hours and learn and see all the different places this place has to offer. It was a nice afternoon spent thank you. read more

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I'm not quite sure why there are so many low ratings for this aquarium. While I do agree that this place isn't flashy and it's a bit small, what it lacks in wow, it makes up for in personal experiences and in-depth knowledge. We were lucky enough to stumble upon almost all of the interactive presentations and they were absolutely incredible. We watched the turtles and fish get fed at the top of the big aquarium in the middle of the building. Myrtle the Turtle was an absolute unit and menace while hungry. The person presenting this answered all the questions the crowd had. We watched the penguins get fed and I got to meet the love of my life, Roast Beef. I found out a lot of information on him. He's amazing and well worth the visit. The only interaction I didn't get to see was the sea lions and I was sad, but we had a boat reservation and had to leave right before it started. We made up for it by sitting with them and watching Farley be a menace to the ladies. He's amazing. Before you even enter the aquarium (even before you have to buy tickets) you can check out the gorgeous seals (which we also got to see being fed as we were leaving.) read more

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We finally did adult night at the Aquarium and it was great. They had several different talks about the penguins, sea lions and the touch tank. They served food and beverages the entire time. The talks were probably the best part. We had a chance to learn all about the penguin couples - including the love triangle and the one penguin who won't choose one female partner. We also got to learn about all the ways sea lions experience enrichment. All in all, a very fun night! read more

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Bigger aquarium than I expected. Short drive from our hotel. There is an area where you can see sea lions right away when you head to main entrance. My son was so excited. I booked on Viator a day before so admission was smooth & easy with just QR code on my phone. Aquarium has a big exhibit for penguin, they are just so cute. A huge giant tank that you can go on different levels to have a closer look. I was pretty happy as certain creatures I haven't see at all. There is bench on each level so you can take a quick break. We spent a good 2 hours there. The stingray & the shark area near bathroom area were not so impressed. Other than that, it is a great visit & a must go for little one. read more

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Bought tickets for a Friday at 11:20 am. There were lots of field trips and families with kids which is to be expected. We have been to quite a few aquariums and this one was smaller than most of the others we have been to. The penguin exhibits were adorable but we were disappointed that there were no sharks or dolphins. The tank in the center with the fish was clean and well stocked with fish. They also had a very nice looking octopus. It's a good distraction for about an hour but I recommend going later in the day to avoid the field trips. read more

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A lot better than the one we have Arizona... it did feel a little claustrophobic at some point bc there was so many people in there but overall it was neat.. Right by the pier so it was nice read more

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Amazing aquarium! My toddler son loved it. I visited here a long time ago on a school trip and it was very awesome to be able to bring my wife and our son. read more

Came with my wife on a Friday morning. Not as busy as past visits, where you can see nothing given the crowds. We had a library pass so half price tickets. Overall, the wharf area was really busy, nice weather, sunny and cool. Staff and volunteers everywhere. Need more seating snd other aquariums restrict strollers, which is difficult to manage in aisles with lots of kids. Did not visit the cafe, but the store had overpriced souvenirs and kids crying for something. We walked back to the Coast Guard Station where we parked. Hanover street was partially closed due to some festival. read more

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We really enjoyed this aquarium! My girls took lots of pictures of so many living creatures! The staff were friendly and kind.

I do like this aquarium, and I think it's in a perfect location. Especially in boston and we were staying at the hotel right across the street. I do think the price is pretty expensive for going in. My son really enjoyed it but the problem is it's really hard to do the touch tank, because there's so many people. I really enjoyed the penguins and seeing the big tank.But I definitely think it could be better. I think the seals outside are super cute But it feels like it needs a good cleaning especially the tanks. read more

Clean and exhibits were well put together and informative. The store was mostly well stocked, I wish they had more sizes. Crowd management was appreciated and made our visit enjoyable. read more

I learned 1 thing at shark exhibit. this is not the place to see one. What's the point of a timed ticket if you're going to let everyone in anyway. read more

Wow! What an awesome aquarium! We saw the biggest collection of penguins ever. They have a really nice scavenger hunt sheet that we filled out during our journey throughout the aquarium. Some highlights include the rheotaxis exhibit where you can change the current inside and the fish will move against the current, the giant ocean tank of course, and the sealion/seal show. We were there for about four hours and we caught the seal show, sealion show, penguin feeding, giant ocean tank, and the dart frog meeting. The layout is a spiral which makes it easy to see everything. I enjoyed the electric eel a lot cuz they have a little gauge of how much electricity it produces, which was very interesting. The sealion show is a must see... the sea lions are so great at their tricks! read more

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Not understanding the 5 star reviews, this is a tiny, jam packed fish tank. My overwhelming take away is how small each enclosure is for the animals, and for the humans too. Prices is expected, but not worth it. read more

Fairly small but nice aquarium to visit, and you can easily spend a couple hours here. Various exhibits and animals to see, including penguins, sea lions, and even a shark & ray touch tank! Military/veterans discount saved us quite a bit off the regular admission price of $39/adult. I recommend visiting early (when they open at 0900) to avoid the crowds, as it quickly got busy and uncomfortably hot. read more

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My mom, John, and I got the impeccable inside glimpse and further understanding of oceanography visiting the New England Aquarium in Boston seeing all the exhibits, seeing all species of fish , sea lions , stingrays, penguins , large sea turtles , barracuda, octopus , and a variety of sharks was a feast for the eyes and imagination! I got a snow globe from the gift shop. Then, we had a scrumptious lunch there consisting of: sandwiches and chips which is each what my mom and John had, but then I had a cup of clam chowder, a chicken cesar wrap, an organge, and a yogurt parfait. read more

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I'm always amazed at how beautiful the creatures of the sea are. Every time I visit Boston I always make a stop to the aquarium, sometimes it's a little crowded but it's worth it. My favorite attractions always the jelly fish, and the tank right beside the beautiful great pacific octopus. read more

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It was a fun experience for the kids. It was super crowded when we went on Saturday midday in late summer. I didn't mind the crowds, as I was expecting it. However, I was a bit caught off guard at how LOUD it was!! Wow! My ears were numb by the time we left. Most of the exhibits were accessible for all, which was nice for the kids. Our favorite was the penguins, which can be viewed from a few floors. I liked looking down because you could see how they were enjoying the sprinklers. The entry was easy, if you pre purchased tickets. The gift shop was fun - a lot of options for the kids. Some branded items and other generic stuffies. It's tricky though...once you exit into the gift shop, you can't re-enter through those doors. I would recommend visiting if you haven't. I'm not sure I would come back, unless the family wanted to. read more

Truly cute animals! More for kids, but a must if you are an adult who loves sea animals! Not the biggest fan, but understand the significance of the aquarium! Came to spend time with family! read more

New England Aquarium - Penguin Exhibit on Floor 1 - Aquariums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is a small aquarium with limited things to see. Mainly a lot of fish along with seals, penguins, & a couple large sea turtles. It is "disappointing" relative to the fact that it borders the coastline & is located in such a big city. However, we enjoyed our time here. There's probably more to read than to actually see, but if you're someone that enjoys taking time to read & learn, then this is still worth the trip. Side note, avoid peak hours. It gets absolutely packed. We came on a Sunday afternoon & it was shoulder to shoulder & I wouldn't visit at that time again. The 3D Dolphin movie was cool & we enjoyed that. read more

New England Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This aquarium is really beautiful - I love aquariums and try to visit one in every new city. The exhibits were super clean and all the creatures seemed happy and well taken care of. Things that would have made the experience better: Some knowledgeable people located around the aquarium who could speak intelligently about the exhibits. Some themed educational information - like camouflage, symbiotic relationships - or anything about the creatures besides photos and species names. The giant sea turtle - what is its name? How old is it? Boy or girl? Nobody could tell me. Finally, what aquarium doesn't have a lion fish??? And the promised axolotl was nowhere to be found. Overall, a beautiful facility and the penguins were a joy. But it could be so much better. read more

Possibly the worst aquarium experience I've ever had, tiny space inside and constant echos of little idiots yelling. Parents bringing small children that won't even remember being there and having strollers blocking paths and their kids running through getting in the way lifting the kids up so they can see and blocking views. The aquarium is supposed to be one of the best and most of what is advertised isn't findable. Parents stop bringing strollers and stupidly loud kids into small enclosed spaces, thanks parents and kids for ruining the fun read more

Very nice aquarium, very busy on a holiday weekend. The penguins were the highlight! Scenic view of the harbor. Appreciated the elevators.

The aquarium is compact with a lot to see. With multiple penguin exhibits and one large circular tank, along with many smaller ones in walls it's a good place to take the whole family for a few hours. read more

New England Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Place is very fun! Place is clean inside as well!! There is a sea lion exhibit (my favorite), some at the front where the ticket station is, and some inside. There are fish, some sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, and penguins!! Fish are all around the place upstairs (on every level), Sharks are on the 2nd and 3rd floor! Stingrays are all upstairs as well! And penguins are 1st floor (near main entrance). If you are traveling like I did I would recommend going here because it's fun and awesome to hang out with friends/family. read more