Adventure Aquarium
4.6(19K)google
3.7(631)yelp
Wildlife WatchingKidsIndoorMust-SeeImmersiveEducationalWildlife
Overview
The Adventure Aquarium, formerly the Thomas H. Kean New Jersey State Aquarium, is a for-profit educational entertainment attraction operated in Camden, New Jersey on the Delaware River Camden Waterfront by Herschend. Originally opened in 1992, the facility re-opened in its current form on May 25, 2005 featuring about 8,000 animals living in varied forms of semi-aquatic, freshwater, and marine habitats. The facility has a total tank volume of over 2 million US gallons (7,600,000 L), and public floor space of 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2).
Practical Info
Every day9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Suggested Duration2.5-4 hours
Best TimeA world-class year-round indoor marine paradise anchoring the Camden waterfront. To optimize your family experience, arrive on a non-holiday weekday after 1:30 PM; morning school field trip crowds vacate the halls early, granting open, crowd-free access to their world-famous underwater hippopotamus viewing portal and the suspended Shark Bridge under clear gallery lighting.
Getting TherePerfectly positioned on the Camden waterfront at 1 Riverside Dr. Drivers can directly utilize the massive, well-striped official surface pay parking lots wrapping the facility off Mickle Blvd. Public transit is exceptionally viable; ride the NJ Transit River Line light rail straight to the Aquarium Station and walk less than a block west directly to the glass rotunda turnstiles.
Travel Tips
- A timed-entry reservation system is strictly enforced for all ticket and pass holders; booking a precise 15-minute entry window online is mandatory as physical ticket windows are closed.
- The official waterfront parking lot enforces high flat event rates; mitigate costs and heavy gridlock by parking in Philadelphia and riding the RiverLink Ferry directly to the venue.
- Traversing the suspended Shark Bridge requires securing all loose personnel gear; dropped devices or sunglasses entering the apex predator tanks below cannot be retrieved under safety law.
Reviews
Positive
- The only aquarium in the US where you can see hippos swim underwater, featuring a thrilling shark-bridge walk with immense visual impact.
- The touch tank experiences are outstanding, letting children touch gentle stingrays, small sharks, and starfish for amazing family learning.
- The layout and visitor flow are logically designed, featuring strong A/C and comprehensive ADA access for easy stroller and wheelchair navigation.
- Perfectly situated on the Camden Waterfront, offering a stunning backdrop of the Philadelphia skyline directly across the river.
Heads up
- Admission tickets are very pricey, compounded by steep mandatory parking fees and overpriced cafeteria food, lowering overall family value.
- Weekend and holiday crowds are overwhelmingly chaotic; every popular tank window is packed, and long lines to enter take forever.
- Some older sections have dim lighting, and the floors near touch tanks can get dangerously slippery during peak hours.
- The surrounding Camden neighborhoods suffer from poor safety reputations; while the aquarium zone itself is secure, exploring outside is discouraged.