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    New England Aquarium

    3.5 (1.2k reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Big ass Cerith snail!!
    Adam H.

    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

    Sasha P.

    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.

    Kathleen L.

    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.

    Electric eel
    Oanh K L.

    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.

    Turtle
    Rosie P.

    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.

    Jellyfish
    Frances P.

    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.

    Michelle Y.

    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

    Christina R.

    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.)

    David H.

    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.

    Green moray
    Rachel S.

    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!

    Penguins!
    Jasmine D.

    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.

    Penguin Exhibit on Floor 1
    Wesley K.

    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!

    Jason C.

    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.

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    New England Aquarium Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - New England Aquarium

    Do teachers get in free with ID? Out of state teachers?

    No- you need to be part of the teacher pass program.

    Is it Stroller friendly?

    Yes

    How much time to a lot for the aquarium?

    I would say two hours for the aquarium.

    About how long does it take to see the aquarium?

    You could probably rush through it in an hour or two... but if you want to see the shows and really enjoy it, I suggest 3 or 4 hours.

    Do they have otters at this aquarium?

    No they do not.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - New England Aquarium

    It feels a bit like a treasure hunt trying to spot certain hard to find sea animals (eg octopus).

    Mentioned in 231 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

    Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

    4.5(670 reviews)
    0.5 miWaterfront, South Boston
    Takes reservations
    Private events

    We were so lucky to be in Boston for the 252nd anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. They were…read moreallowing people to experience it for free so we did. I'm so glad we did because it was a fun and interesting experience. The actors are in character and passionate about their roles which makes it fun. They also ask people from the audience to have a speaking part which makes it interactive. It was neat going on one of the ships and kids threw tea over the side. It was interesting to hear the story of the day, what happened to some of the people who participated and how they kept the story alive for so long. Loved seeing one of the crates that was thrown over and how families kept it and some tea safe. Everyone in our group had fun and enjoyed the experience. It's definitely worth it. Abby's Tea Room at the end is nice too.

    This was unexpectedly fun. We happened to be walking passed the museum on our way to another event…read moreand found out they were offering free entry for the 252nd anniversary. Who could say no to that? It starts out in a meeting room where everyone is given a profile card of a real person from the period. My wife even got a speaking role. Then thy take you out to one of the two ships where you get to tour the ship as well as throw tea boxes and loose leaf tea overboard. You then move inside again for some video presentations as well as a chance to see actual artifacts from the tea party like an actual tea crate. Had no idea that even still existed. And you finish off with a gift ship and cafe with some darn good cookies. Overall a fun and educational experience.

    Photos
    Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum - Interior

    Interior

    Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum - On the boat

    On the boat

    Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum - Abigail herself

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    Abigail herself

    Boston Harbor City Cruises

    Boston Harbor City Cruises

    3.7(453 reviews)
    0.1 miWaterfront

    I love being on the water, so anytime I visit a place that's on the water, I naturally have to take…read morea cruise (or be on the water somehow.) Booking this was super easy through my CityPass. We were already next door at the aquarium so it was very easy to get here. The line was a bit confusing because they said that they would tell us where to go but I had to go to the box office to find out. She was actually quite rude and not helpful, so we ended up just joining the line we saw because we figured it was it. It was, so all was well. The boarding process was easy enough and we boarded the ship pretty quickly, even with the photos being taken at the beginning. The boat itself was a little bit worse for wear and smelled weird but we went up top on the highest deck so we were outside. The chairs up there were also pretty worse for the wear but it was good enough. I loved the guides dad jokes and weird humor. He made it all better and I appreciated that. To be honest, weird jokes make it much easier to remember the historical facts and my husband is still spouting some it it to this day.

    I was super excited to visit the East Coast from Maine to Boston with the hopes of taking the old…read moreman to see some whales! Guess what, whale watching season had not started as we came to early. Good news we avoided the crowds, bad news some things were not open. Arrive into Boston and look at taking a tour and lo and behold, that weekend is the first weekend for Boston! So, we book those tickets for that morning and are out on the boat in less than 1 hour from start to finish. Waiting in line, a breeze! Getting tickets, a breeze! The crew was amazing and happy to see all of us (it was the first weekend of whale watching)! Our captain took us out and spent the longest time with us on the water as it was difficult to catch those whales! We were able to see a couple of brief glimpses, which really made the entire trip worth it. As we were going back to shore, we were told that our tickets would be reissued for another tour with them since we had really seen whales on the tour. That was amazing! Best part of the trip, the lovely Linneea who seriously had the best voice and demeanor for talking about the whales. You could really feel her passion and empathy for the creatures through her voice! WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. I was even out on the side and the captain peaked over to say he was hoping that we would find some whales today! They really do care about the experience but also about the sanctity of the whales and their environment. PROS Good sized ship Good areas to whale watch Restroom facilities Food/drink available Depending on the time, take a sweater BEST CREW AROUND CONS Parking to get to the boat!

    Photos
    Boston Harbor City Cruises
    Boston Harbor City Cruises
    Boston Harbor City Cruises

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    Boston Duck Tours - The Captain giving his speech

    Boston Duck Tours

    4.3(1.2k reviews)
    1.7 miBack Bay

    Coming from California, I had thought we were going to go duck watching. Another thought we were…read morepaddling around in a kind of swan boat. Turns out the Duck Tours were tours in semi-aquatic buses that mix history, jokes, and sightseeing. We also got to go into the water and folks took turns driving the duck boat. What was delightful about our tour was our captain who entertained us with magic tricks, punny jokes, dad jokes, and history. We quacked at passerbys, other duck tours, recent graduates, kids in hi-vis vests. He pointed out the marines organized in a park with the Osprey and other planes. I left my knowledge of American history in elementary school, so everything was super fascinating to me. I thought my honey would enjoy this being a historian and all but he didn't care for the jokes, which I thought were the best part. Oh well. Worth a tour when you're in the Boston area!

    We enjoyed our Boston Duck Tour earlier this month and the tour itself was amazing. Our narrator…read more(The detective?) and the driver were fantastic and our whole family was laughing the entire time. When I took my kids on the tour in 2019, I was so impressed with the professionalism of the attendants who help out beforehand. They were all wearing khakis, had their shirts tucked in, and there were no phones in sight. I remember one lovely young man who was wearing a Vineyard Vines belt and my son was obsessed with it, and he graciously told me what the print was called and I was able to purchase it for him for Christmas that year. This time around, it was shocking to me how opposite our experience was pre-tour. I recall in 2019 receiving a warm welcome walking up to the boarding location, but not this time. They were all huddled in a pile by the umbrella, and no one greeted us. I approached an employee who identified himself as a driver and instead pointed me to an attendant who could "better assist". When I asked which boat to board, we were rudely told to "Just wait here until we announce it", which felt like a big departure from the friendliness of a few years ago. The attendants themselves just looked messy, and it seems the standards went down significantly. We had so much fun on the tour itself, but the end to end of an experience is really what makes or breaks it, and the bad customer service before boarding left a sour taste in our mouths.

    Photos
    Boston Duck Tours - The original map of Boston

    The original map of Boston

    Boston Duck Tours - Inside the trolley/bus

    Inside the trolley/bus

    Boston Duck Tours - Get ready!

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    Get ready!

    New England Aquarium - aquariums - Updated May 2026

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