Few travel experiences compare to coming face-to-face with a whale shark, watching a kelp forest drift in slow motion, or discovering the unexpected grace of a manta ray gliding through an open-ocean exhibit. The best aquariums in the US are more than just places to view marine life — they're gateway attractions that anchor full itineraries in some of North America's most rewarding cities.
From the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, the country's largest by water volume, to Chicago's celebrated Shedd Aquarium with its 32,000-plus marine animals, and from Boston's waterfront New England Aquarium to California's conservation-focused Monterey Bay Aquarium, these institutions draw millions of visitors every year.
And for travelers looking to combine aquarium visits with other city highlights, CityPASS® tickets offer admission to multiple top attractions at up to 50% off regular prices.
Iconic Marine Giants in Atlanta and Chicago
When travelers ask what the best aquariums in the US are, two names rise immediately to the top: the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium holds the title of the biggest aquarium in the US by total water volume, with more than 10 million gallons spread across its exhibits. It's the only institution outside Asia to house whale sharks, and a visit to the Ocean Voyager gallery, a 6.3-million-gallon tank, is the kind of experience that makes visitors stop mid-step and stare.
Alongside the whale sharks, the exhibit is home to manta rays, beluga whales, and sea otters, plus hundreds of other marine species. Atlanta CityPASS® tickets include Georgia Aquarium admission, making it straightforward to pair this stop with other top attractions across the city.
The Shedd Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium has been drawing visitors since 1930 and remains one of the most significant marine institutions in the country. Situated on Chicago's Museum Campus — a lakefront stretch that also houses the Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium — Shedd is home to more than 32,000 marine animals in freshwater and saltwater habitats. The Wild Reef exhibit recreates a living coral reef with striking detail, while the Abbott Oceanarium delivers memorable dolphin and beluga whale presentations.
Chicago CityPASS® tickets include Shedd Aquarium access alongside the city's other essential attractions.
West Coast Wonders: From California to the Pacific Northwest
California is home to two of the most respected aquarium experiences in the country, each shaped by the ecosystems just beyond its walls.
Seattle Aquarium
Set along Seattle's Elliott Bay waterfront, the Seattle Aquarium offers a distinctly Pacific Northwest perspective on marine life. Its exhibits focus on the region's cold-water ecosystems, highlighting species like sea otters, harbor seals, and the colorful fish that inhabit local rocky reefs. The Window on Washington Waters exhibit provides a sweeping look at a native marine habitat, while the underwater dome allows visitors to stand surrounded by schooling fish moving overhead.With its location near Pike Place Market and the city's central waterfront, the aquarium pairs easily with other Seattle highlights, making it a convenient stop in a broader itinerary focused on the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Aquarium is included in Seattle CityPASS® tickets.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium sits along the edge of one of the Pacific's most biologically productive ocean environments, and that connection informs everything it does. Its signature exhibit — a three-story living kelp forest — is genuinely impressive, with leopard sharks and schools of fish moving through swaying fronds in real time.
The Open Sea exhibit brings deep-water life into focus, featuring bluefin tuna, green sea turtles, and hammerhead sharks. Conservation runs through every aspect of the Monterey Bay experience, from its influential sustainable seafood program to active research partnerships with marine scientists.
Aquarium of the Bay
Located at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, Aquarium of the Bay centers on the ecosystems of the San Francisco Bay and surrounding coastal waters. Its most recognizable feature is a series of clear acrylic tunnels that guide visitors through habitats filled with sharks, bat rays, and schools of anchovies, creating an immersive, eye-level view of local marine life.
The aquarium places a strong emphasis on regional conservation and education, with exhibits that spotlight the unique environmental dynamics of the Bay Area. Its compact size and prime waterfront setting make it an easy addition to a day spent exploring nearby landmarks like Pier 39 and the Golden Gate waterfront. You can visit this aquarium and other top San Francisco attracions with San Francisco CityPASS® tickets.
Birch Aquarium
In San Diego, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps provides a more focused look at Pacific marine science. As part of UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Birch connects visitors to ongoing ocean research in a way that feels both educational and engaging. Its seahorse exhibit draws consistent acclaim, and the outdoor tide pools offer hands-on exploration of California's intertidal life. It's a hit with kids and adults alike.
San Diego CityPASS® tickets will get you into Birch Aquarium as well as other top attractions in San Diego.
East Coast and Great Lakes Exploration: From Boston to Toronto
Three standout destinations on the East Coast and Great Lakes combine large-scale exhibits with prime city settings.
New England Aquarium
The New England Aquarium anchors Boston's downtown waterfront and centers around one of the most impressive exhibition tanks in the country: the Giant Ocean Tank, a four-story, 200,000-gallon cylinder filled with Caribbean reef sharks, sea turtles, moray eels, and hundreds of tropical fish. A popular resident penguin colony, harbor seal exhibits, and daily dive shows round out the visit.
Boston CityPASS® tickets cover New England Aquarium admission along with several of the city's other top-rated stops.
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
Located in the heart of downtown Toronto next to the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada combines large-scale exhibits with a highly immersive visitor experience. Its signature feature, the Dangerous Lagoon, is a moving walkway tunnel that carries visitors through a massive shark-filled habitat, creating a close-up perspective that feels more like a slow glide than a standard walkthrough.
The aquarium houses more than 20,000 marine animals across freshwater and saltwater environments, with highlights including vibrant Indo-Pacific reef displays, graceful stingray touch experiences, and a striking collection of jellyfish exhibits. Its central location makes it an easy addition to a broader city itinerary, and Toronto CityPASS® tickets include admission, allowing visitors to pair the aquarium with several of the city's top attractions while maximizing overall value.
Planning Your Trip Around Top Marine Institutions
By water volume and exhibit scale, the five biggest aquariums in the US typically include the Georgia Aquarium, the Shedd Aquarium, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. Baltimore's National Aquarium features award-winning multi-level shark exhibits. While smaller overall, the Adventure Aquarium near Philadelphia offers one of the few hippopotamus habitats found at any aquarium in the country.
The most effective way to visit any of these institutions is to treat the aquarium as an anchor and build your itinerary outward from there. Identify one or two other nearby attractions, map your route in advance, and aim to arrive at the aquarium in the early morning or late afternoon, when crowds are typically at their lightest. This strategy works especially well in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, and New York City, where CityPASS® tickets connect aquarium admission to a curated selection of the city's most-visited sights in a single purchase.
Maximize Your Value With CityPASS® Tickets
A great aquarium is a compelling reason to visit a city, but the experience gets richer when it's part of a well-built itinerary. CityPASS® tickets are available in Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, New York City, and other major destinations across North America, giving travelers access to multiple top attractions at up to 50% off standard admission prices.
Each CityPASS® ticket set is designed to take the effort out of trip planning. No matter where your heart takes you, CityPASS® tickets pair those marquee visits to the aquarium with additional experiences — from observation decks and natural history museums to zoos and science centers — so your time in the city goes further.
Ready to start building your trip? Pick up CityPASS® tickets for your destination city today.