New England Aquarium
4.4(28K)google
3.5(1.2K)yelp
aquariumInteractiveFamilyKidsEducationalMust-See
Overview
The New England Aquarium is a nonprofit organization and public aquarium located in Boston, Massachusetts. The species exhibited include harbor and northern fur seals, California sea lions, African and southern rockhopper penguins, giant Pacific octopuses, loggerhead and green sea turtles, and thousands of saltwater and freshwater fishes. In addition to the main aquarium building, attractions at Central Wharf include the Simons Theatre and the New England Aquarium Whale Watch.
Practical Info
Every day9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Suggested Duration2.5-4 hours
Best TimeBest visited during winter weekdays (November to March) right at 9:00 AM opening to bypass massive summer family crowds. If visiting in summer, arriving after 3:30 PM offers a quieter experience and lets you enjoy outdoor sea lion feedings against a golden harbor sunset.
Getting ThereTake the MBTA Blue Line directly to Aquarium station, located less than a 1-minute walk from the venue. From South Station, you can also enjoy a scenic 15-minute walk north along Atlantic Avenue to reach the Central Wharf.
Travel Tips
- Strict online timed-entry ticketing applies on weekends and holidays; the onsite box office does not hold walk-up tickets, and tourists without scanned electronic time slots will be denied entry.
- The seasonal Whale Watch Cruise runs from April to November; ocean winds cause temperatures on deck to drop 10+ degrees below onshore conditions, making windproof layers and motion sickness pills essential.
- The spiral walkway around the Giant Ocean Tank experiences heavy congestion at midday; optimize your pace by arriving right at 09:00 or delaying entry until after 15:30 to bypass school field groups.
Reviews
Positive
- The four-story Giant Ocean Tank is absolutely spectacular, and walking up the open spiral walkway offers an incredible, close-up look at sea turtles and sharks.
- Situated right on historic Long Wharf, the signage is crisp, and the harbor seal outdoor exhibit and indoor accessible ramps are sleek and modern.
- The timed fur seal training presentations and diver feeding demonstrations are led by highly professional educators, delivering deep marine conservation value.
- The location is premier, steps from the waterfront and the T Blue Line (Aquarium station), allowing visitors to seamlessly pair it with a whale-watching cruise from the adjacent pier.
Heads up
- The main building's interior feels small and cramped compared to other modern aquariums, and aside from the central tank, the peripheral small exhibits look dated.
- The indoor lighting is kept intentionally dim for the marine life, making narrow corridors prone to bottleneck bumps when crowded, and trash cans are sparse.
- On public holidays, the place is overwhelmingly swamped with people, and the spiral walkway gets choked with strollers, making it hard to get close to the glass.
- The ticket prices are quite expensive given the relatively compact size of the aquarium, which takes only 1-2 hours to finish, and the gift shop items are heavily marked up.