From the huge Texas State Aquarium to smaller, but no less awe-inspiring smaller aquariums, there is something for everyone at these 14 aquariums, located across the state!
Several of these aquariums also have exhibits from the famed Texas Flower Garden Reef in the Gulf of Mexico. This amazing reef is a Texas gem, located 60 feet under the water and home to all types of marine life, even sharks and manta rays!
Life can be a little crazy, but there’s nothing quite as calming as watching fish, and if you can throw in a little learning for your kids, and inspire them to want to learn more, and hopefully protect our world, then you’ve had a great day.
Here’s a great tip for visiting any aquarium, slow down and enjoy the Keeper Talks. Every aquarium has them, so find out their times so you can at least listen to a few of them. They are all really informative, and can help you and your children appreciate the wonders of the animals you are seeing!
1. Moody Gardens, Galveston Explore the Aquarium Pyramid at Moody Gardens, with sea life from around the world, including sea lions and seals!
2. Aquarium Restaurant, Kemah Located on the Kemah Boardwalk, you can dine surrounded by sea life and walk through the aquarium. There is even a place where you can hand feed the stingrays, which are very friendly!
4. Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park, Dallas A small but amazing aquarium for kids and families, you can meet MJ, a huge green sea turtle who was rescued from South Padre island. She lives in the big shark tank, and the feeding shows are very good. You can also feed the stingrays and enjoy a touch tank and daily animal interactions.
5. Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas Walk through a rain forest in this huge aquarium, built inside an old warehouse in Downtown Dallas’ West End! You can see a huge variety of fish, birds and monkeys, as well as penguins and manatees.
6. Downtown Aquarium, Houston Owned by Landry’s, as is the Aquarium Restaurant in Kemah, this one is a little larger and also has white tigers. There are also games and rides, including a large ferris wheel that looks out over the highway and Buffalo Bayou, which runs through the city!
8. Sea Center Texas, Lake Jackson A Texas Parks and Wildlife Aquarium, you can learn about the native Gulf Coast animals, as well as special exhibits and a hatchery tour.
9. Sea Life Aquarium, Grapevine A fun aquarium in Grapevine Mills Mall, with touch tanks and child=friendly exhibits, including a sea turtle exhibit. Well informed keeper talks happen daily, and really make the visit. The behind the scenes tour is great, too.
10. Sea Life Aquarium, San Antonio Sister site to Sea Life Grapevine, and located in Rivercenter Mall on the San Antonio Riverwalk.
11. Seaquest Aquarium, Fort Worth A very hands-on aquarium and petting zoo, and you can suit up and swim with the stingrays, or have dinner with an otter!
12. SeaWorld, San Antonio While the park is slowly transitioning to more rides and activities, there are still a lot of amazing fish to be seen here!
13. Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, Athens A Texas Parks and Wildlife project, you can take a tour of the hatchery, go fishing, watch a feeding show and see native freshwater fish and even alligators.
14. Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi One of the biggest and the best, this great aquarium has a huge Caribbean Reef exhibit, rescued dolphins and sea turtles, you can feed the stingrays and a bird show! There is also a fun splashpad for keeping cool on a hot day!
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
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