National Aquarium

When the National Aquarium opened in 1981, Baltimore was in the midst of transforming its faded industrial waterfront into the lively Inner Harbor. The aquarium was the centerpiece of that ambitious effort, a bold modern building set out on a pier, and it quickly proved a runaway success, drawing millions of visitors and helping to remake the city's image.

Decades later it remains one of Maryland's top attractions and a proud emblem of Baltimore. Its distinctive silhouette, with a glass pyramid crowning the main building, is instantly recognizable, and its presence continues to anchor the waterfront that grew up around it.

The aquarium is designed as a journey upward through connected exhibits. Visitors climb through levels recreating a range of watery worlds, from Atlantic coral reefs and a jungle river to the shores and marshes of the Chesapeake Bay, each populated with the fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds that belong there. The path is choreographed so that the experience builds toward its dramatic finale.

That finale for many is the open-ocean exhibit, a huge ring-shaped tank encircled by a descending spiral ramp. As visitors wind down through it, sharks, rays, and large fish cruise past on every side, an immersive plunge into the open sea. It is one of the most memorable exhibits in any American aquarium.

At the top of the building, beneath the glass pyramid, lies a lush tropical rainforest, warm and humid and alive with free-flying birds, sloths, frogs, and reptiles among the greenery. Stepping into it from the harbor outside feels like being transported to the tropics, and it is a favorite pause on the way through.

The aquarium is also home to a colony of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, whose habitat lets visitors watch these intelligent animals up close. Across its exhibits the aquarium weaves in the stories of the many other creatures in its care, from jellyfish to venomous frogs, always with an eye to the wild places they come from.

The National Aquarium sees itself as more than an attraction. Conservation runs through everything it does, from rescuing and rehabilitating stranded marine animals to habitat restoration work in and around the Chesapeake Bay and beyond. Its exhibits are threaded with messages about ocean health, plastic pollution, and the fragility of the ecosystems on display.

Its dedication to the Chesapeake is especially fitting given its home on the bay's harbor. Exhibits devoted to Maryland's own waters help visitors understand the estuary right outside, connecting the exotic creatures of distant reefs to the crabs, terrapins, and marsh birds of the local shore.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.