New England Aquarium
A four-story Caribbean reef, penguin colony, marine mammals, touch habitats, research stories, and harbor setting make ocean systems visible at city scale.
Artwork inspired by Gyorgy Kepes
A four-story Caribbean reef, penguin colony, marine mammals, touch habitats, research stories, and harbor setting make ocean systems visible at city scale. The central tank organizes both circulation and interpretation. Visitors repeatedly meet the same reef from new depths while exhibits connect local fisheries, climate, rescue, and conservation to charismatic animals.
Reserve timed entry, arrive before the middle of the day, and move upward gradually around the tank. Whale watches and the Simons Theatre are separate products with weather and schedules of their own. The spiral can be loud and crowded, with limited places to reverse direction. Strollers, sensory needs, and timed films benefit from advance planning.
- Opened
- 1969
- Centerpiece
- 200,000-gallon Giant Ocean Tank
- Setting
- Central Wharf
Quick guide
- Circle slowly
- Each level reveals a different reef zone.
- Watch penguin behavior
- Individuals and colonies reward time.
Know before you go
- Circle slowly
- Each level reveals a different reef zone.
- Watch penguin behavior
- Individuals and colonies reward time.
- Connect to New England
- Local water stories matter beside the tropics.
- Separate the cruise
- Whale watches need their own half day.
Good to know
The spiral can be loud and crowded, with limited places to reverse direction. Strollers, sensory needs, and timed films benefit from advance planning.
Notice these
- Giant Ocean Tank
- Penguin exhibit
- Harbor seals