9 Best Shark Aquarium Exhibits to Visit With Kids

Are you studying Marine Biology this year? If you are specifically learning about sharks or your kids just love sharks in general, then you must check out this list of the best shark aquarium exhibits.

The Best Shark Aquarium Exhibits

If you are studying marine animals or your children are taking Marine Biology in your homeschool, then a trip to an aquarium is a great way to help that learning come to life.

We have put together a detailed list (in alphabetical order) of some of the best aquariums to visit with your family that have some amazing shark species and shark exhibits.

1. Adventure Aquarium 

The Adventure Aquarium is located in Camden, NJ. It is home to more than 15,000 aquatic animals. There are some amazing up-close animal encounters and immersive experiences. There is even a shark bridge and shark tunnel!

Shark Exbibits 

• Shark Bridge – Walk over the bridge that hangs just inches from sharks!
• Shark Tunnel –  Walk through the 40 ft long shark tunnel and see dozens of sharks and other marine life as they swim up above and around you.
• Shark Realm –  This tank holds 550,000 gallons of water! It is home to sandbar sharks, sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks and more.
• Touch a Shark – This touch tank is a unique way to see and even touch sharks up close.

Other Attractions 

• Hippo Haven – This is the only place in the world that houses two Nile hippos.
• Ocean Realm – This 760,000 gallon tank holds loggerhead and green sea turtles, southern stingrays, silky sharks, Pacific black tip sharks, and a great hammerhead shark.
• Stingray Beach Club – Dip your hands into the stingray touch pool with a fun beach theme.
• Penguin Park – View African penguins and play in an outdoor play area..
• Pirate’s Passage – A fun tunnel adventure walk through where you can see tropical fish and eels.
• Little Blue Beach – See the smallest species of penguins in the world in this colony of Little Blue Penguins.
• Sea Turtle Cove – Learn about sea turtle conservation and view loggerhead and green sea turtles.

2. Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is located in New Orleans, Louisiana on the Mississippi River, right near the French Quarter. It is operated by the Audubon Nature Institute and offers many educational programs, interactive exhibits and conservation initiatives. It is also rated one of the top 10 best aquariums in the United States.

Shark Exhibit

Shark Discovery – This shark exhibit features a 13,000-gallon shark and ray touch pool. It has a variety of species including the white spotted bamboo shark, epaulette shark, southern stingray, coral cat shark, bullnose ray, blue-spotted stingray, and cownose stingray. 

There is also a giant LED screen that runs the entire length of the touch pool that shows images of sharks, rays, and fish.

Popular Exhibits and Attractions

• Amazon Encounters – Step inside a rainforest with toucans, colorful birds and sloths.
• Down the Bayou – Discover an indoor wetlands with trees full of birds, alligators, frogs, fish and other animals that live in the Louisiana swamp.
• Great Maya Reef – Go below the water’s surface to see remains of an ancient Mayan city now surrounded by tropical marine life. There is a 30 foot tunnel that surrounds you with parrotfish, angelfish, moray eels, slipper lobsters, coming in and out of colored coral, sunken artifacts, and forgotten treasure.
• Gulf of Mexico – The largest exhibit that holds 400,000 gallons of water and has sharks, schools of fish, sting rays, and an endangered green sea turtle.
• Penguin Paradise – This exhibit is home to two dozen African penguins

3. Aquarium of the Pacific

The  Aquarium of the Pacific is located in Long Beach, California and is the largest aquarium in the United States. It is home to 11,000 animals representing more than 500 marine species showcasing the marine life of the Pacific Ocean. It has over 100 exhibits and 19 major habitats.

Shark Exhibits

Shark Lagoon – This large outdoor exhibit houses many different species of saltwater sharks and rays. There are even daily feedings and presentations in the outdoor amphitheater. The shark touch pools will let you touch the gentle bamboo and epaulette sharks. 

There are interactive exhibits where you can learn all about sharks and see the size of their teeth and jaws. Learn about why they are important to the ocean’s food chain and how they are misunderstood.

Featured Exhibits

There are so many other exhibits to see while you visit the aquarium. The featured exhibits are:

• June Keyes Penguin Habitat – This exhibit houses 20 Magellanic Penguins in a beautiful habitat. Walk and crawl through tunnels to see them swimming underwater.
• Sea Otter Habitat – View a beautiful habitat of curious and fun sea otters and learn about their natural habitats and what they eat and how they live.
• Tropical Pacific Gallery – This exhibit features the marine life that would be found off the coast of Palau. See coral reefs, zebra sharks, porcupine puffers and sea turtles. There are also many venomous creatures.
• Southern California/Baja Gallery – This exhibit showcases the diverse marine life found along the coasts of Southern California and the Baja California Peninsula. including kelp forests, rocky shores, and sandy beaches.
• Lorikeet Forest – In this interactive aviary, visitors can feed nectar to colorful lorikeet birds while learning about their natural behaviors and habitats.

4. The Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium is located in Atlanta, GA. This is one of the largest aquariums in the world! It is  dedicated to education, conservation, and research, and it plays a significant role in marine conservation efforts around the world.

They even have a Live Webcam where you can see the Ocean Voyager (the largest tank at the aquarium that houses the the largest shark, the whale shark).

Shark Exhibit

Sharks! Predators of the Deep – This is one of the largest shark exhibits in North America and home to the great hammerhead shark, sand tiger shark, silvertip shark and tiger shark.

Other Attractions

• Ocean Voyager – This exhibit features one of the largest aquatic habitats in the world with over  6.3 million gallons of water. It’s home to whale sharks, manta rays, and other marine life. The highlight of the attraction is a 100-foot-long acrylic tunnel that you can walk through and be surrounded by swimming creatures.
• Dolphin Coast – Admire bottle nose dolphins in their aquarium and see them perform in an auditorium show.
• Cold Water Quest – Get up close with cold water animals like beluga whales, sea otters, puffins and African penguins.
• Tropical Diver – Learn about the tropical marine ecosystems with vibrant coral reefs and colorful tropical fish, including seahorses, jellyfish, and reef fish.
• River Scout – Learn about the ecosystems of rivers and freshwater habitats, with species like piranhas, alligators, and river otters. 

5. Mandalay Bay Shark Reef Aquarium

The Mandalay Bay Shark Reef Aquarium is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. This popular aquarium is known for its focus on sharks and other predators of the deep. 

Exhibits

• Shark Tunnel – The highlight of the aquarium is the shark tunnel that you can walk through and be surrounded by many different sharks including species like sand tiger sharks, white tip reef sharks, and nurse sharks
• Shipwreck – This life size ship wreck is full of sharks and colorful tropical fish and marine animals that are normally found living around ship wrecks.
• Reef – The reef exhibit features vibrant coral reefs teeming with colorful fish, invertebrates, and other reef dwellers. 
• Predator Exhibit – This exhibit focuses on predatory marine species, including sharks, barracudas, and other apex predators. 
• Touch Pool – Touch and learn about creatures like stingrays, horseshoe crabs, and other invertebrates.

6. Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located in Monterey, California on the historic Cannery Row. It is considered one of the best aquariums in the United States and a leader in ocean conservation and education.

Shark Exhibit

Into the Deep: Exploring Our Ocean Twilight Zone – This exhibit focuses on the mysterious world of deep-sea creatures, including various species of sharks. While the primary focus of this exhibit is not solely on sharks, visitors can still observe several species of sharks and other deep-sea predators that inhabit the ocean twilight zone.

Other Attractions

• Kelp Forest – A signature exhibit at the aquarium, the Kelp Forest recreates the underwater ecosystem found off the coast of California. The kelp sways gently as visitors can observe a variety of fish, sharks, and other marine creatures that inhabit this dynamic environment.
• Open Sea -This exhibit features a large, open-ocean tank to watch schools of fish, including tuna, sharks, and sea turtles, swim by. 
• Sea Otters -The sea otter exhibit is a popular exhibit where you watch these adorable marine mammals play, groom, and eat. Learn about the conservation efforts aimed at protecting sea otters, which are a keystone species in the kelp forest ecosystem.
• Penguin Habitat – This habitat is home to both African and Magellanic penguins.
• Rocky Shore – This exhibit replicatess the intertidal zone, where land meets sea. Visitors can explore tide pools and observe creatures like sea stars, anemones, and hermit crabs.

7. National Aquarium

The National Aquarium is located in Baltimore, MD and is known for its extensive collection of marine life and educational exhibits. 

Shark Exhibits

Shark Alley – This exhibit features several species of sharks, including sand tiger sharks, blacktip reef sharks, and nurse sharks. Learn about their biology, behavior, and conservation of these apex predators.

Other Attractions

• Blacktip Reef – This exhibit replicates a vibrant Indo-Pacific coral reef ecosystem with fish, sharks, and other marine creatures. It has a large cylinder tank with viewing windows.
• Atlantic Coral Reef – View the biodiversity of coral reefs found in the Atlantic Ocean and see colorful fish and corals.
• Maryland: Mountains to the Sea: Learn about the ecosystems found within the state of Maryland, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. See native species like river otters, terrapins, and horseshoe crabs.
• Jellies Invasion – There is a variety of jelly fish species in illuminated displays.
• Living Seashore: An interactive exhibit to explore a seashore habitat and interact with creatures like horseshoe crabs, sea stars, and stingrays.

8. New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium is located in Boston, Massachusetts and sits on the Boston Harbor. This aquarium has the biggest shark and ray tank on the East Coast.

Shark Exhibits

Shark and Ray Touch Tank –  This exhibit features shallow pools where visitors can touch and interact with small sharks and rays under the supervision of aquarium staff. Learn about these fascinating creatures and conservation awareness about their importance in marine ecosystems.

Giant Ocean Tank – The Giant Ocean Tank is a prominent exhibit that features several species of sharks, including nurse sharks and sand tiger sharks, among other marine life.

Other Attractions

• Penguin Colony – Home to a colony of African penguins that you can see above and below water on a rocky shoreline.
• Atlantic Harbor Seals –  This exhibit showcases the harbor seals native to the New England coast. Watch the seals swim and interact with each other in a spacious habitat designed to mimic their natural environment. 
• Gulf of Maine Touch Tank – An interactive exhibit that you can touch and handle different marine creatures found in the Gulf of Maine, such as sea stars, hermit crabs, and snails. 
• Tropical Fish Gallery – See a variety of tropical fish species from around the world, including colorful reef fish, angelfish, and butterflyfish. 

9. Newport Aquarium

The Newport Aquarium is located in Newport, Kentucky, USA, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Shark Exhibit

Shark Bridge – One of the main features is the Shark Bridge, which is a 75-foot-long suspension bridge that spans a tank filled with sharks, rays, and other marine life. Visitors can walk across the bridge and observe these creatures swimming beneath them.

Other Attractions

• Gator Alley – See a variety of reptiles, including American alligators, snapping turtles, and other species native to the southeastern United States.
• Amazon Rainforest – Be transported to the jungles of the Amazon, featuring Amazon plants and animals, including freshwater fish, amphibians, and reptiles.
• Penguin Palooza – This exhibit is home to a colony of African penguins and opportunity to learn about their behaviors and habitats.
• Coral Reef – This exhibit features colorful coral formations and a variety of tropical fish, including angelfish, tangs, and butterflyfish. 
• Stingray Hideaway – An interactive exhibit allows visitors to touch and feed stingrays in a shallow pool.

Field Trip Journal Pack 

Highlight your next trip to an aquarium with our Field Trip Journal Pack. Turn any field trip into a nice record for your end of year portfolio with this printable pack.