7 Reasons to take your kids to Baltimore National Aquarium
I have visited the Baltimore National Aquarium several times but never with the 3 kids so this was definitely an exciting experience. My 5 year old daughter was so excited to go there and shockingly when we got there, so were my 2 year old twins! My son was so glued to all the fishes and would refuse to leave the fishes each time we saw a new one.
It’s considered one of the top ten aquariums in the US and is one of the top things to do in Maryland with your kids. It has about 20,000 fishes, birds, amphibians, reptiles and marine mammals living in award-winning habitats.
Since we had such an amazing time at the aquarium, I decided to give you a few reasons why you need to visit and add this to your favorite list of kids play areas when visiting Maryland!
Top reasons to visit the National Aquarium in Baltimore
Tours and experiences
They have a ton of great shows to experience while there. We missed the dolphin show the last time we went, however previously I loved watching them. A few of them are:
Early access tour: Experience the aquarium before it opens and feed breakfast to fishes ($75 per person).
Dolphin training session: This is a great time to watch the dolphins being trained by the staff and see just how smart dolphins are ($95 per person).
Dolphin tour ($25 per person).
Aquarium sleep over: This is something I would honestly love to do someday, have a sleepover in the aquarium and tour behind the scenes with experts ($125 per person). Imagine sleeping and waking up to fishes swimming in the tanks around you, not sure I would be comfortable sleeping next to a shark though.
Shark alley
One of the reasons we really loved the National Aquarium was the Shark Alley. It was so amazing to behold, there was a huge 225,000 gallon exhibit of sharks as you take the stairs downstairs. You get to come so close to them in the water. My kids were however scared to get close to them.
Tropical rainforest
You can head into the tropical rainforest to experience the heart of a south American rainforest. It was great seeing the different birds, dart frogs etc however we sped through this part as we kept seeing bird poop dropping and some insects or things flying around and my daughter is not a fan of insects.
Nemo like fishes
Your kids would love the Baltimore National Aquarium for this: We found Nemo! My daughter was so excited to see these fishes. She kept pointing out which ones were Nemo and Dory and was shocked to see that there were several of them. This is a must see especially if you have kids who have watched the movie “Finding Nemo”.
Omega, The Skeleton
Hanging in the National Aquarium are the bones of an enormous finback whale. It was huge and was visible from all angles of the aquarium. Apparently, it is approximately 150 years old and weighs 5000 pounds.
Waterfall
As you make your way from outside and into the aquarium, you are greeted by this large waterfall on your left. Also when you walk in from the waterfall and into the building, you will walk through some bubble machines which were fun to see especially through the dark room.
Living seashore
On this level, you get hands on experience touching some of the exhibits such as moon jellies, horseshoe crabs etc. It’s a super interactive exhibit that contains over 5000 gallons of salt water. Again my daughter is scared of touching animals or anything that moves but she attempted to touch the horseshoe crab. She was also more fascinated to find out how many eyes the horseshoe crab had.
Sadly I had heard about Calypso the Green sea turtle in the past, but it died on February 3rd, 2020 when it was found unresponsive in the Blacktip Reef exhibit.
Things to know before you go
No strollers allowed
At the Baltimore National Aquarium, there are no strollers allowed. This was a bit of a downer when we went as we have toddler twins and so had a stroller for them. We got there and were told unfortunately that strollers were not allowed. Although it does make sense as strollers will clutter up the place. They also have a section to store away the strollers safely and get them tagged.
Advance tickets
The lines to purchase tickets can get really long so buying in advance will save you a lot of time especially if you have kids. They have timed entry tickets which is great as it prevents overcrowding of the aquarium.
Weekday visit
If possible, schedule your visits for weekdays or avoid holidays and weekends because they tend to be really busy and crowded. It is Maryland’s largest paid tourist attraction so expect a lot of people.
Plan to see a dolphin show
We unfortunately on this last visit did not plan to see the dolphins, then changed our minds last minute but it was too late as it was not scheduled to happen that day.
Download the app
They have a great app that lets you know about special feedings for the animals, shows, times for talks and also send you alerts to remind you.
Places to eat near the aquarium
The Baltimore National Aquarium has a few places to eat, however they can be a bit pricey. Outside food and drinks are not allowed inside the aquarium, although they do have benches and spaces to eat outside the building. Here are a few great places in different price ranges to eat nearby:
The Capital Grille
Fogo de Chao
Chick Fil A
Hard Rock Café
PF Changs
Shake Shack
Cheesecake Factory
Chipotle
Panera bread
Miss Shirley’s café
Information about Baltimore National Aquarium
Location
The Baltimore National Aquarium is located in Inner Harbor at 501 E. Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202.
The aquarium does not have parking, however they have two official parking partners nearby. You can get tickets from both Parkway Lockwood Place & the LAZ Inner Harbor Garage and get them validated for a discount. National Aquarium members receive a 25% discount at either of the Aquarium’s two partner garages.
Cost
Adults: $39.95
Child (Ages 3-11): $29.95
Seniors (ages 65+): $34.95
Free under 3 years old.
Hours of operation
The hours vary by seasons and days of the week, so definitely check the website for up to date information.
Mondays to Thursdays 9am-5pm
Fridays 9am-8pm
Saturdays to Sundays 9am-5pm
Frequently asked questions about the National aquarium at Baltimore
How long does it take to walk through the Baltimore Aquarium?
It really depends on various factors. With children, you should allow at least 2-3 hrs while adults can spend about 3-4 hours. When we went with our 3 kids we spent about 2 hours there, hence why its important to plan in advance when going taking a trip with kids. If you love aquariums, you will probably spend a longer time here.
Can you bring food to the aquarium?
Outside food and drinks are not allowed in the national aquarium. I listed a few restaurants nearby, plus the aquarium has some nice ones.
When is the best time to visit the National Aquarium?
You can visit anytime, however if you can beat the traffic by going in early morning of a weekday, you would not regret it.
Do you need a reservation for Baltimore Aquarium?
Reservations are not required.
Are strollers allowed at National Aquarium?
No strollers are unfortunately not allowed due to the escalators and moving walkways in the aquarium.
There you have it, next time you are in the Baltimore area with your kids, make sure to check out the aquarium, trust me you would not regret it. Yes I know the prices are a bit high, but still worth it!
