Best Aquariums in the USA
8 aquariums • Updated July 2026
The best aquariums in the USA for a family day out. We have rounded up 8 aquariums, from Shedd Aquarium to family favorites across California, ranked by what actually matters with kids: age suitability, ticket value and how easy they are to get to. Compare the top five below, then browse every aquarium by state. Need a different angle? Try our other things to do in the USA.
Reviewed by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
All aquariums
8 aquariums across the USA
Aquariums
Aquarium of the Pacific
Long Beach, California
Drift past glowing jellies and head out on a whale-watching boat to meet the Pacific up close in Long Beach.
Aquariums
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
La Jolla, California
Walk a fictional California mountainside and meet the marine life of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at this hands-on La Jolla aquarium.
Aquariums
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, California
Stand inside a towering Kelp Forest and watch playful sea otters off Monterey Bay.
Aquariums
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Clearwater, Florida
Meet rescued dolphins and seals, and Winter the dolphin's inspiring story, at this rehabilitation-focused aquarium.
Aquariums
Moody Gardens
Galveston, Texas
Walk through a rainforest pyramid and an aquarium pyramid at one Galveston Island destination.
Aquariums
Texas State Aquarium
Corpus Christi, Texas
A Corpus Christi aquarium where Gulf conservation comes alive through a hands-on kids' discovery center.
Aquariums
New York Aquarium
Brooklyn, New York
Sharks, sea otters, and penguins headline this oceanfront aquarium on the Coney Island boardwalk.
Aquariums
Shedd Aquarium
Chicago, Illinois
A Chicago landmark on the lakefront where penguins, stingrays, and freshwater wonders come within arm's reach.