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National Aquarium, Baltimore

	Explore top attractions in Baltimore's Inner Harbor and save 25%! Call 1-877-Baltimore or click here to purchase online.

Jumping jellyfish! Leaping lizards! Diving dolphins! Don't hide your enthusiasm for Baltimore's National Aquarium! Over 1.6 million visitors per year sure don't!

Opened in 1981, the National Aquarium is world-famous and undoubtedly Maryland's leading tourist attraction. Whether you're an educator, a student or simply a visitor wanting to look at the magnificent exhibits, the National Aquarium in the Inner Harbor has a lot to offer.

The mission of the National Aquarium is to "provide transforming experiences that encourage people to enjoy, respect, and protect the aquatic world." And that is precisely what it does. View a life-size model of a Humpback Whale, see the concepts of surviving through adaptation come to life, visit a coral reef, and learn what jellies are telling us about the health of our oceans.  

Housing more than 16,000 creatures, the National Aquarium exhibits a variety of species in their naturalistic habitats. You'll find animals such as stingrays, sharks, sea turtles, bullfrogs, phytoplankton, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, puffins and thousands more. You can watch training, feeding, and play times with the dolphins and interact with our dolphin experts in Dolphin Discovery.

The latest exhibit, Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance offers a stunning display of these colorful and unique pre-historic creatures. Jellies live in every ocean, thrive in coastal and open waters, and even live in fresh water. With the use of video and narrative elements, Jellies Invasion tells the story of how recent changes to jellies populations including massive swarms, voracious eating habits, and habitat invasions, are changing the balance of the earth’s aquatic ecosystems.

Other must see attractions include the Aquarium's 4-D Immersion Theater and Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes, where visitors will travel through a spectacular river gorge of Australia's Northern Territory. With a 35-foot waterfall, free-flying birds, free-roaming lizards basking on rocky cliffs, and freshwater crocodiles (safe behind a thick acrylic barrier) it's an interactive experience you won't want to miss.

A self-guided tour on the National Aquarium's first level includes a gallery that traces the water cycle from a freshwater pond in the mountains of Western Maryland through the tidal marsh, into the coastal beach and out into the deeper, darker waters of the Atlantic shelf.

The National Aquarium is also an ideal place for corporate events, meetings, banquets, and special group celebrations. Whatever the reason for your visit, the National Aquarium is sure to please everyone.

Click here to view program information, and to purchase tickets online. Be sure to use the interactive trip planner to view show times and map out your visit.

Gift shops and cafes further enhance your visit to the National Aquarium. Add this world-famous cultural attraction to your Baltimore vacation planner.