Nathan Gross | Feb 22, 2018

My family and I loved the time we spent here. I recommend arriving early. It seemed like a lot of feedings were happening (especially penguins ). The animals were active and there was a lot to see. The 4 story deep sea tank at the center was really cool. We stood there forever watching for the sea turtles and sharks. My personal fave was the giant octopus. It's movement is somehow hypnotic! The whole things is designed to show animals in naturalistic surroundings, including animals they coexist with--even an anaconda in the Amazon exhibit. Very cool.

Daniella Steinmetz | Feb 24, 2018

There was a group of us, 4 adults and a toddler. I do wish there were more interactive exhibits, for all ages. Also there elevator (which of you have a stroller is required to get to the top floor) was incredibly, horrendously SLOW. Took about 10 min just to get the cart to us.. :/ Also, for a toddler under 2, may not be the best idea. My son got pretty overwhelmed. Maybe it's just that he's not used to crowds but he seemed to have had a hard time with all the stimulation. We had to find windows around the center tank that weren't so crowded for him to be comfortable looking at at them and looking at the fish. Overall we had fun and I think my son did for the most part too. :) Though it's pretty expensive, and since we got there two hours before it closed, I would have expected tickets to be discounted,v but they weren't. If we were there earlier and would have had more time to enjoy then the pricing would have made more sense..

kathryn peters | Jan 16, 2018

Great place to take kids. We went a couple of years ago and now that the expansion is complete it is even better than the last time we visited. The kids loved the hands on activities and the huge 4 story aquarium. So many different species of sea life that a day is not really long enough to see and read everything. Plus the shows with the sea lions! Great place to see while in Boston!

Erin Frey | Mar 1, 2018

Awesome experience. A lot to see and learn with a wide variety of marine life for you to learn about. They have talks from the staff available several times a day and you can see training sessions with the seals too. The four story tank is amazing to walk around. Got to see the titles being fed at the bottom of the tank. A few interactive exhibits, so you can touch the sting rays, hermit crabs and starfish. Just be prepared for a lot of children and the noises and running around that come with them.

Dayna Doolittle | Feb 22, 2018

I have been to this aquarium 2x now. First time was a few years ago I went with my boyfriend and our kids (3&4 years old) I thought it was awful but kept it to myself because kids seemed to like it. Today I brought my now six year old. First, we had to stand in line for approximately 45 minutes (longer than it took to look at exhibits) . Then to pay about $50.00 just for entry! To go in to a crazy mob scene. People EVERYWHERE no maximum capacity? Strollers all over, the lighting was awful, tanks were filthy, two sea turtles except one was just plunked on a rock lifeless. No sharks. Forget the touch center total chaos my daughter couldn't even see over the wave of people. So over priced for nothing. Not to mention paying $32 just to park my car for two hours .. Mystic aquarium is so much bigger more beautiful, bigger variety, fair in price with discount.

CS Mo | Apr 28, 2018

I've been coming to the New England Aquarium since I was a child. Either it has gotten smaller, or I've gotten bigger - when I was younger I used to think it was immense. But now it seems much smaller, especially to other aquariums I've visited. The main tank, which is still impressively massive, was refaced a few years ago and is now a 'Caribbean reef' instead of basically a shark and large creature tank. Personally I liked the old tank better. The coral in the tank is in poor condition - there just isn't enough light for the coral to thrive and a lot of the more colorful fish would be better presented in a smaller tank, I think. I did like the new sea dragon, with leafy and weedy sea dragons, display, although we saw a similar display in Melbourne which was better (of course, Melbourne is a bit closer to where they actually live!) I was also sad that the sea lions and dolphins that used to inhabit the Discovery barge are gone, along with the barge! All in all, we went through the entire aquarium, including visiting the harbor seals and the cafeteria, at a very slow pace, in a little under two hours. At $50 for one adult and one child ticket, that seemed like a poor value to me. Also, we happened to visit on a day when there were several high school groups visiting so the aquarium was super super crowded. While I love aquatic life and aquariums, if you aren't a super fan, there are probably better museums to visit in Boston!

Jasmine Islam | Apr 29, 2018

Large tank in the middle with a variety of fish swimming around, very nice. Smaller displays on the periphery of the central tank that are nicely curated as well. Most of the exhibits are in the main building so if you like staying away from the sun it's a good thing. Much smaller than other aquariums like the one in NY but that perception is also due to everything being inside. The sharks are very small if you are a shark lover. Penguins have a very large section to play.

Sumit Ghosh | Apr 15, 2018

Very beautiful and well-maintained. Loved the penguin exhibits. A special treat for the eyes was the 538 pounds sea turtle, the green eel, moon jelly fish, the sea dragon, and the interaction with stingrays. We took almost 2 hours to visit all the exhibits, though it was a bit crowded being a Saturday. It is a perfect place for a family outing. Kids too will love the place. Marine biodiversity at best!!!

Holly Grimm | Apr 24, 2018

The aquarium was a fun stop for our family on our last visit to Boston. Their are hundreds of exotic fish that are mesmerizing to watch. The tank in the center of the aquarium extends 4 stories high and is spiraled by a walk way. The layers of seaside were incredible. We watched a sea lion show, enjoyed the sea turtles and loved the ray touch tank.

David Lamb | Mar 24, 2018

Decent aquarium, but far from the best. This aquarium is okay. Essentially, the building is one large tank with a spiraling ramp going around it. It is also way to busy to be completely enjoyable. I would love to see the aquarium incorporate more of the natural environment like the Monterrey Bay Aquarium in California. I'd also recommend checking out the nearby Mystic Aquarium as an alternative. Regardless, it is still worth a trip. Many local libraries offer discounted or free passes to visit and they have good deals for community employees like teachers.

Anthony Porter | May 23, 2018

We were in Boston on a cold December Sunday and decided the aquarium would be a good place to get warm and spend some time. The setup of the aquarium has you start with penguins, and who doesn't like penguins? We watched a little show also about penguins and it was very interesting. The aquariums main large circular tank spirals through the center of the building and goes from top to bottom. On the opposite wall from the tank on each floor are some different exhibits, some interactive. The staff was super friendly. We also went outside to a small theatre and watched a show on seal training. That was actually really fun and the seals were great. Some of them were rescued and all of them liked to ham it up for the crowd and their meals or fish treats. The cost of entrance was a bit expensive, about $75.00 for the three of us. We did get a discount for being AAA member and my daughter's university discount. We were there from about noon to 3:00 PM and fortunately there were not any large crowds. We enjoyed our visit!

Christopher Brockway | May 31, 2018

How can you not love a place that has penguins right when you step in the front door?! This place is amazing for all ages and is always a fun and interesting time. Every time I go I feel like I learn something new. The staff is always super friendly and they all appear to love their jobs which really improve the atmosphere there. Prices may seem a bit high at first glance but it is definitely worth the price, trust me!

Garry Thompson | May 28, 2018

I've been to the Aquarium to many times over the last 20 years and it never gets old. The last visit we were here was a couple of months ago and we had a private behind the scenes visit of the Aquarium which was very nice and personal so it holds a special place in our hearts. I noticed that they've moved some things around which was nice. I love the tank. I think there's been some fish missing though... i think one of the turtle is no longer there?? Anyways, if you get the chance you must visit. My girlfriend loves the place and got us a membership as a Valentine's Day present so we will be back soon again!

Lianna Manos | May 15, 2018

Love, love, LOVE the New England Aquarium. I really appreciate the fact that they have a dedicated team of scientists and employees that truly love their job and realize what a rewarding place it is! The shark and Ray tank is.... AWESOME! That, and meeting Myrtle, the sea turtle, who has been living at the aquarium since 1970-something, were our highlights of the day. It is just a nice way to spend a day in Boston, and learning how to love and respect the ocean and the life it gives us. Thank you so much New England Aquarium, for making lasting memories for my daughter and I.

Stephanie Verret | May 31, 2018

This is an incredible experience. Some of our favorite animals were the ball pythons, which they were feeding when we were there (awesome), the sea turtle, and all of the penguins. Kid friendly, and they have many restaurant options around to go grab a bite to eat, which are also posted on the website. For parking purposes, the parking garage is a steep $40+ dollars, and when you drive into the entrance of the parking garage there is not a way to really turn around if you do not want to go in, so park on the street if you want to save some cash. But the parking garage was convenient and is close to the entrance of the aquarium.

Kerr Berr | Jul 4, 2018

Lot's of Marine life to see and learn about. I would say it is interesting for ages two to ten. Worth spending around two hours or so... We come from Rhode Island so we took the baby on the train for the full exciting experience. Train ride was not very expensive. We walked to the aquarium admiring the tall buildings in the city of Boston. Wasn't a long walk. You have to bring a picnic or money to eat. Not many cheap places to eat, but we found a pizza place not too far. We had to wait a while before we could catch a train back so we walked to China Town. That place was quite crowded and not very clean. The Aquarium has an enormous round tank in the center and you climb stairs around the tank to get to the top. On each floor you can step off and walk around to check out snakes, frogs, etc... Nice day out for the baby's second birthday!

Geoffrey Mobisson | Jul 11, 2018

Wonderful and special place, but it desperately needs a major update. While the exhibits are as good as they used to be... Used to be equals 40 years ago. I understand the challenges of a non-profit, but it's time that this place work its way into the 21st century. The people here really care about what they do... I'd say the Aquatic Life, the employees, and the patrons deserve better from Boston's top Aquarium. Alas, this takes funding. It's no one's fault but a 5-star ranking in 1979 is equal to a 3 star ranking in 2018, from my perspective.

Nathanael Walker | Jul 2, 2018

This is a nice aquarium. Small for where I normally go (Camden NJ and Baltimore MD). They have a creative take on how to experience their setup but no one really follows the arrows and are not forced a specific way around. This creates crowd mayhem. Is this the best aquarium I have been to? No. That goes to the Tampa Bay Aquarium. When I am back in Boston I will definitely think about coming back.

Jim Daily | Jul 9, 2018

Always a great experience coming hear. Before you even enter, you can see some seals in their rocky tank. The first floor is almost totally devoted to various penguins. In the center of the building is a cylindrical aquarium that goes up to the top floor. It's open at the top, and you can see the various fish and turtles being fed by divers a couple of times a day. Around the tank on each floor are exhibits of electric eels, starfish, jellyfish, piranhas, snails, and all sorts of other sea life. There are two touch-tank exhibits, one featuring local waterlife (starfish, horseshoe crabs, and the like), and the other featuring sharks and sting rays. There's a large seal/sea lion training and exhibition space outdoors with a few great shows daily. Admission is a little steep, but you can often score passes at a local library good for $10 off per ticket (check the library websites). There's a cafeteria on site, as well as locker rentals. You can probably see everything in about 4 hours. To get the most out of your visit, plan ahead to ensure that you catch all of the shows you want. BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE IF YOU CAN. This allows you to skip the ticket line, and they'll just scan your ticket at the door, straight from your phone. There are a few quiet and dim spots around to sit and decompress if needed (right near the jellyfish exhibit, for example).

Christina Jinbo | Aug 15, 2018

I’m not quite sure why this aquarium is getting all of the 5 star ratings. I expected more. There aren’t any knock your socks off exhibits. They’re all pretty typical. I appreciate the conservation efforts. The staff is genuinely friendly and knowledgeable. They’re also pretty patient with the many, MANY people that just can’t seem to get their children to follow directions at the touch tanks. The crowds are almost suffocating (to be fair I went on a rainy Monday afternoon.) The overall experience doesn’t justify the $27 per person price tag.

jyssica boudreault | Aug 14, 2018

Very cool aquarium! We really like the set up!! Lots of fish to check out too. Love the penguins! Can be a little over crowded at times, but that’s Boston. Staff is friendly and very knowledgeable about the sea life.. Over all, I definitely recommend to anyone looking to check out a neat/good sized aquarium in New England!

Kevin Rollins | Aug 1, 2018

The aquarium wasn't fabulous and wasn't terrible. They had a ton of tropical fish and unusual fist, so that was pretty cool. We loved seeing things like penguins, the giant sea turtle, dragon fish, lion fish, and even an anaconda. Cool stuff! However, we were super disappointed that there are basically no sharks at all. I was like, wait, there's a shark wing, but there were no real sharks, only info on sharks. So, that sucked. Other side note, the jelly fish tank was pretty lame compared to some I've seen. The Imax theatre was fine, although we saw Galapagos and it was not good. I wish we would have picked one of the other ones, but we had to pick it when we bought our ticket. It would have been preferable if we could decide on a movie after more consideration...but that's more our own fault. One great thing about the aquarium overall, you can leave and come back in. This was great because the food choices looked suspect, so we were able to walk to a market and get some fabulous chowder bowls, and then come back and finish our visit. So, we had a good time, but there were just a few things that I would have liked to see that they didn't have.