Underwater Adventures at the Downtown Houston Aquarium with CityPASS

Home to over 200 species of aquatic life, the Downtown Houston Aquarium is an impressive & entertaining place to visit with the entire family. You can truly spend an entire day watching the adventures of your favorite sea creatures under 500,000 gallons of wonderment, dining within a full service restaurant and enjoying a variety of amusement rides to thrill kids of all ages. Grab your Houston CityPASS and save 49% off your visit to the aquarium and four other top attractions in the city at just $59 for adults and $49 for kids.



As you make your way through the Louisiana swamp you’ll spy gators, snapping turtles, crayfish, bullfrogs and more that will make you feel like you’re really exploring the bayou. Within the Shipwreck exhibit you’ll view a colorfully diverse array of coral, tangs, groupers and moray eels.

 

 Aside from the red bellied piranhas and venomous freshwater stingrays they featured in the Rain forest exhibit, we were all happily surprised by the handful of other inhabitants to view, like the emerald tree boa, vibrant birds and tree frogs.

If you’ve ever found yourself curious about the day to day travels of a shark, OCEARCH‘s global shark tracker enables scientists, explorers and even families at home to follow the tagged sharks in real time.

Discovering that the Downtown Houston aquarium has 4 majestic white tigers named Nero, Marina, Coral and Reef in the Maharajah’s Temple was an unexpected surprise. Coral had just awaken from a nap but we were told she’s normally quite the feisty firecracker. The state of the art exhibit is temperature regulated with multi-level areas for the tigers to climb, a large pool for water play and is one of 230 exhibits that have been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Hands down, the stunning restaurant was definitely a feature of the Downtown Houston Aquarium that stood out to me.It felt like a scene from the Little Mermaid with twinkling fish shaped, light fixtures above us. While dining you can take in the mesmerizing views of the beautiful sea creatures swimming by, so why not take a few pictures with family and friends.The sting rays and eels were not shy for the camera at all so snapping pics are a great way to pass the time before your meals arrive.

I’m all for trying new things, so feeding the sting rays at the reef was a must do! Now please keep in mind that this experience is not included with your CityPASS but it’s totally still worth the additional $5.99 for the value pass which includes the entry and the food. If you’ve never done this before it’s really fun, I didn’t realize their mouths were beneath them and when you place your hand below to feed them it’s pretty interesting how they suck up the tiny fish like a vacuum. If they aren’t too grossed out by the idea, kids will get such a kick out of this.

 

Afterwards we headed back outdoors to check out their 5 amusement park rides. Guests can ride aboard the C.P Huntington train through the Shark Voyage a 200,000 gallon tank filled with a variety of sharks that you can get up close and personal with from every angle. If you’re a fan of being up in the air then take a spin 100 ft. up in the Diving Bell Ferris Wheel or drop 65 feet from the Lighthouse Dive all while catching spectacular views of Downtown Houston. Visitors will also have a good time riding on the back of a dolphin or alligator of the Aquatic Carousel or bounce around on the Frog Hopper. Additional pricing ranges from $3.99 to $5.99 per ride.

Spending the day at the Downtown Houston Aquarium is guaranteed to be a good time for all and with your Houston CityPASS you’ll get the most bang for your buck! 
What would you want to check out first?
 
Downtown Houston Aquarium // 410 Bagby St @ Memorial Dr. HoustonTX 77002

World Oceans Day Celebration

Join us at the aquarium for a weekend of ocean-themed events to celebrate World Oceans Day! People around the world rely on oceans to survive and thrive, and we’re celebrating with the help of Bubble Guppies, kid-friendly activities, and family fun.
pic10

Activities Include:

Bubble Guppies
Celebrate the seas with Nickelodeon’s Bubble Guppies! Molly and Gill, the stars of the show, will be at the aquarium along with Bubble Puppy to meet and greet guests. Five attendees will have a chance to win a fin-tastic prize-pack, featuring an assortment of Bubble Guppies product.
Where: Oceanic Deck
Time: 11am; 1pm & 3pm

Crafts
Create a recyclable craft!
Where: Ocean View Room
Time: 11am – 4pm

Sea Life Beach Cart
Come learn about local marine biodiversity & The Aquarium’s NY SeaScape through chats and interactive experiences.
[Read more…]

Adventure Aquarium in NJ

This winter has been interminable, but there is plenty to do indoors.  Just a short drive from NY, NJ, or PA, is the Adventure Aquarium- formerly the Camden Aquarium.  There are many things to see and do inside, from new exhibits, to interactive touch pools, and educational experiences.  You can get a hot lunch there, bring your own and grab a table, and spend the whole day inside.  (There are also outdoor penguin enclosures, but bring your coats! Baby, it’s cold outside.)

2 25 14 toys and aquarium 032

The latest exhibit, running through March, is all about our favorite amphibian- frogs.  Everything and anything frog related can be found here- and your children can even see (and touch, if they are brave!) a tiny poison froggie.  Don’t worry- it’s harmless to people.  Unless you eat it.  So, don’t.   🙂

Featuring more than 8,500 aquatic species throughout two million gallons of water, Adventure Aquarium is the only aquarium in the world to exhibit hippos and also home to the largest collection of sharks on the east coast – including a Great Hammerhead SharkLocated just minutes from downtown Philadelphia on the Delaware waterfront, visitors can get up close and personal with sharks and stingrays they can touch. They can also explore one-of-a-kind exhibits, including hippos, penguins and a shark tunnel.

2 25 14 toys and aquarium 031

The NJ of Adventure Aquarium on the Delaware Waterfront’s newest exhibit, Frogs: Natures Messenger hops on to the scene and opens to the public, bringing the opportunity to come face-to-face with frogs of all types, sizes and vivid colors. More than 20 species of frogs and amphibians will invade the Aquarium through April — from the red-eyed tree frog, the poison dart frog, the tiger-legged monkey frog and the enormous African bullfrog, there will be something for everyone to croak about.
[Read more…]