New England Aquarium

We visited here on a rainy Sunday afternoon. We just came to Boston for the afternoon and have been wanting to stop. The aquarium overall is fine. It’s not the biggest or most amazing aquarium but it has beautiful features and beautiful creatures. I think their exhibits are average but enjoyable.

Regular adult tickets are $34, kids (3-11) $25, under 3 free, and 60+ $32. They also give $2 off for veterans and $10 for active duty! Members get in for free and never have to make a reservation. If you are visiting and are not member, they recommend making a reservation. If you are purchasing veteran tickets you can’t do so online. You have to call or purchase in person but I tried and their phone system is an ABSOLUTE nightmare. I could not even get to a person to order my tickets! Very frustrating! They run on a ticketed time slot entry so they do run out of tickets sometimes on super busy weekends. They also have combo tickets for movies at the aquarium and whale watch activities. We didn’t purchase advanced tickets and were able to buy tickets when we got there and it was fine. Online when I checked around 12pm (we got to the aquarium around 4pm) there was still about 400 tickets left for the day for various time slots. The last entrance is 80 minutes before close. They are open until 5pm during the week and 6pm on the weekends. It is also four ‘stories’, has ramps/stairs but also elevators. The elevators are not large enough to turn a wheelchair in I think but a stroller, probably. (However I could be wrong about this).

When you walk up you purchase ticket at the outside ticket booth. Part of a tank faces outside so you can see the animals. The aquarium is also right on the water and is attached to a beautiful boardwalk. When you walk in there will be someone to scan your ticket. You can go straight into the exhibits or the gift shop is to your right. When you walk into the exhibits, you walk into the penguins, which is amazing. I could watch them and the seals all day! Then the bottom floor wraps around & will encourage you to move appropriately through the levels of the aquarium. It’s well mapped out that way. Very easy to navigate directionally. They offer some signage and some basic information about the creatures. I wish they had more fun facts or more information about the specific animal that is in their care. Like where they came from, their names, etc. They do for the seals but that’s all I noticed. I did enjoy all the sculptures they have throughout. There is an artistic element that really enhances the user experience. It also dimly lit inside for the creatures and nice on the sensitive eyes. When we were there a couple exhibits were closed and so was the touch tank. There is a giant circular tube tank like in ‘Finding Dory’ in the middle of the aquarium that is really neat. They had a beautiful giant turtle that I was obsessed with. The top of the tank is open and you can look into it from the top floor. Throwing things into any of the exhibits is strictly forbidden and staff will remove you. I’m not sure what happens if you are to accidentally drop your phone though. I think it would simply be gone forever? If you are extra clumsy, don’t test your luck. I was TERRIFIED to capture my video of the top.

We arrived there when they were doing a seal show (training session?) and the seals did seem to enjoy themselves but again, I have no idea what is normal, what hurts them, etc. I’ve never been to Sea World but it made me feel the way I do when I think about them? So take that how you will.

Aside from the seals, turtle, penguins, & fish, they also have an octopus, electric eel, corral, urchins, & giant lobster!