Adventure Aquarium
1 Riverside Dr, Camden, NJ
Camden, NJ
A big riverfront aquarium on the Camden waterfront where you can watch hippos glide underwater and walk a rope bridge suspended over a tank of sharks.
Adventure Aquarium sits right on the Delaware River in Camden, a large waterfront aquarium looking across the water at the Philadelphia skyline. It is best known for a handful of standout residents and experiences: a pod of Nile hippos you can watch swim underwater, a walkable rope bridge strung over a tank of sharks, and colonies of penguins.
The aquarium grew out of an earlier state aquarium that opened on the Camden waterfront in the 1990s as an anchor for the city's riverfront revival. Over the years it was expanded and rebranded, adding the hippos, sharks, and hands-on exhibits that draw families from across the region and from Philadelphia just across the river.
What Guests Love
- Watching hippos swim underwater through a big viewing window, an unusual sight for an aquarium
- Crossing the rope shark bridge suspended above a large shark tank
- The touch tanks and penguin exhibits that make it a favorite with children
- The riverfront setting with views of the Philadelphia skyline across the water
Worth Knowing
- This is one of the region's most popular family stops, so weekends and school breaks can be busy
- Plan on a couple of hours to see the exhibits, more if children want time at the touch tanks
- It is a short walk from the Battleship New Jersey, so many visitors combine the two on the same waterfront
- Timed entry is common at peak times, so it helps to plan your arrival ahead of a busy day
Details
Camden, NJ
Learn about Adventure Aquarium
The Camden waterfront
Camden sits on land that was long home to the Lenape people, whose descendants today include the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape of southern New Jersey. The city grew into a busy industrial and shipbuilding center on the Delaware, home for a time to the poet Walt Whitman and the great RCA Victor recording works whose logo, the listening dog, was famous worldwide.
As heavy industry faded, Camden turned to its riverfront to rebuild. The waterfront was reimagined as a cultural and entertainment district anchored by the aquarium, a concert venue, and the retired battleship moored nearby. Adventure Aquarium became one of the biggest draws, pulling visitors down to a stretch of river that had long been shuttered warehouses and docks.
The hippos, the sharks, and the animals
The hippos are the signature attraction, a small group of Nile hippos in a large habitat with an underwater viewing window. Hippos rarely appear in aquariums at all, and watching these huge animals move with surprising grace beneath the surface is the kind of sight most visitors remember longest.
The sharks are the other headliner. A large ocean tank holds sharks, rays, and sea turtles, and a rope bridge lets brave visitors walk suspended directly over the water. Elsewhere the aquarium keeps penguins, a wide range of reef fish, and touch pools where children can meet rays and other creatures up close, making it a place built as much for hands-on wonder as for quiet watching.
What a visit is like
The aquarium is laid out as a loop through themed zones, from the ocean tank and shark bridge to the hippo habitat and the penguin colony, with touch tanks and feeding presentations spaced along the way. Most families spend a couple of hours working through it, longer if the children linger at the touch pools.
Because it sits on the busy Camden waterfront, many visitors pair the aquarium with the neighboring Battleship New Jersey or with a ferry ride across to Philadelphia's Penn's Landing. The riverfront walkway offers open views of the water and the city skyline, a pleasant place to stretch between stops.
Planning your visit
The aquarium is an indoor, year-round attraction, which makes it a reliable option in any weather and a favorite on rainy or cold days. Weekends, holidays, and school breaks are the busiest times, so an early arrival or a weekday visit means shorter lines and more room at the popular exhibits.
The waterfront around it comes alive in the warm months, when the ferry runs, concerts fill the nearby venue, and the riverfront walkway is at its best. In winter the aquarium itself stays comfortable indoors while the outdoor waterfront quiets down.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Travelers Rest Motel
Honorable Mention3701 Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourse, PA
52 miles away|Learn More ›
Things to Do Near Camden
Battleship New Jersey
About a quarter mile
A retired World War II battleship moored on the Camden waterfront and open for tours, a short walk from the aquarium.
Philadelphia's Penn's Landing
Across the river
The Philadelphia waterfront, reachable by ferry from Camden, with museums, dining, and historic ships.
Camden Waterfront
At the site
A riverfront district with a concert venue, walkways, and open views of the Delaware River and Philadelphia skyline.