Glen Echo Park Aquarium — Attraction in Glen Echo

What a great aquarium! This place is not huge but it's definitely one of the best aquariums I've been to. Since everything is in one big room and it's not overwhelmingly filled OR squished in there, we can actually pay attention and learn more about each individual animal. I wouldn't say it's an all day affair but we definitely stayed there for a few hours (longer than I expected this place to keep my children's attention).

The employees are very friendly and knowledgeable. They pay attention what what you're looking at and give you interesting tidbits of info as you go around to the different tanks. They are engaging and ask kids questions to get them involved.

There's a touch tank where you can learn about a few different shelled aquatic animals and touch their shells / bodies with help from the staff. They are respectful of the animals and don't let kids touch anything in the water without them lifting up the animal and instructing on how to properly touch them (without harming the animal).

Outside, they have a few small attractions that were fun to visit. They have a sand pit with a lot of toys and such strewed around it. There's a large part of a ship which they will lead you on if they are around and teach you about. There's a small rescued turtle who lives out in a small gated area they will talk to you about. And a little water spout spot with fake creature to play with. If you plan on being outside during bug season, prepare yourself for lots of bug bites, or put bug spray on before arriving! They have some picnic tables outside where we sat to have lunch but we were getting eaten by mosquitoes 😂

This is located near an old running carousel which was a fun plus for the kids.

One plus which some may think is a negative is...there is no gift shop 😬 I for one was glad to not have to worry about my kids asking for a billion things they don't need.

Loved this place! Will likely go back in the future. A great gem for a small, intimate, educational...

There are no signs anywhere stating you need to pay $4 per person to just be on the grounds. I came here with my kids once before for a birthday party, so we came back last week on my day off because they liked the sandbox. It was completely empty, and there was no one outside to collect fees, and no signage stating you have to pay not just to go inside the aquarium but be in their sandbox outside. A man came out of the building and asked if we'd paid to go in. I told him no, we'd been inside before and the kids wanted to play in the sandbox. He said, "well, we have two prices, it's $4 per person to be here, or $8 per person to go inside." I couldn't believe I was being asked to pay for something free in every park I've been in, and asked, "I need to pay for my kids to play in the sandbox?" He said yes, and for yourself too. Oh, but we have memberships if you want to come back! Why would I pay a membership to play in a sandbox? Ha! I wondered because of his tone, if I didn't look like the "right" kind of person to be there, and this fee only applies when they want it to, since again there are no signs. We left, though the kids were disappointed, but there is plenty to do in Glen Echo for the same price or free, like see an entire play at The Puppet Co or Adventure Theater, or play on the playground father in, ride the carousel (for $4 all day!) or go hiking by the creek. We went hiking and had an amazing time. I recommend the carousel or a play if you...

I visited the Glen Echo Park Aquarium with my family on a cold and rainy day, and I must say it was a fantastic experience! The aquarium is a hidden gem that my family frequents, but this was my first time. It is smaller than the typical aquariums, but full of local educational opportunities.

First of all, the staff were incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable about the exhibits. They took the time to explain everything to us and even engaged our toddlers in fun and educational activities. We felt like we were part of the aquarium family from the moment we arrived.

The exhibits themselves were mesmerizing. We saw a variety of fish and other marine life that we had never seen before. The highlight for our toddlers was the touch tank, where they were able to interact with horseshoe crabs, hog chokers, and varieties of mollusks!

The layout of the aquarium was also well-planned, with plenty of space for strollers and little ones to move around comfortably. There were also several stools for toddlers to step on for better views throughout the aquarium.

Overall, we had an amazing time at the Glen Echo Park Aquarium, and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and educational experience. It is the perfect place to take your family on a rainy day or any day, really! Five...