New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium is a nonprofit aquarium on Central Wharf along Boston’s waterfront, steps from Faneuil Hall and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Its 70 exhibits hold thousands of aquatic animals, from African penguins and California sea lions to Myrtle, the green sea turtle in the Giant Ocean Tank. Visitors can touch sharks and rays at the Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank and watch northern fur seals at the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center.

The Simons Theatre shows nature films on New England’s largest screen, and from April through October whale watch trips depart right from the Aquarium. Behind the exhibits is the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, a research arm with about 40 scientists working on issues such as shark research off Nantucket and right whale protection; its 2020 survey helped extend a vessel speed restriction for right whales. The Aquarium also advises lawmakers, fisheries and bluetech startups.

What to Know

• Boston school-aged children and two guests get free admission on the first and second Sunday of each month.
• The Aquarium is wheelchair accessible and group friendly.
• Lunch packages are available at the cafe and aboard the whale watch.
• The Marine Conservation Action Fund awards microgrants and fellowships to conservation leaders in low- and middle-income countries.
• The Aquarium opened in 1969.