This Fall our area has had a ton of rain – and with temps currently in the 40s and 50s – Fall is quickly starting to give way to Winter. I don’t know if everyone has this issue during cold, rainy or wintery days but cabin fever takes hold and finding things to keep the kids entertained is a serious struggle. Enter the Adventure Aquarium located in Camden, NJ where you will experience a full-on immersion into all the different aquatic ecosystems. Inside you will find two huge hippos named Genny and Button, stingrays you can touch and feed, a huge kids zone that is completely hands on, and a gigantic panoramic view of the shark tank that include over 30 different sharks including the Great Hammerhead. The aquarium is divided into 4 zones – A, B, C, D making it super easy to navigate and check out everything it has to offer. I listed a few of my favorite exhibits as well as some handy tips to prepare for your visit.
Our Favorite Exhibits
The Shark Bridge
Adventure Aquarium also offers a thrilling way to see all those sharks. The Shark Bridge is an 81-foot, V-shaped, suspension bridge—which takes you across the 550,000-gallon Shark Realm exhibit, inches above the water. If that doesn’t sound appealing to you, no worries. You can also see the sharks and rays from a panoramic, 40-foot glass tunnel. Both offer amazing photo opportunities. My kids loved this unique opportunity. They even went across it twice for good measure.
Hippo Haven
By far one of my favorite attractions at this aquarium are the hippos. Adventure Aquarium houses two female hippos name Genny and Button – and weighing in at 3,100 and 4,200 lbs – they are huge. Their alcove has a nice window into their underwater world and having them swim by you on the glass is a humbling but beautiful experience. There are a couple of feedings for the hippos throughout the day – so if you missed one, you can definitely catch another. The trainers throw the food into the water and to see these marvelous beasts daintily swim for their snacks was quite a treat.
Kid Zone
There’s yet another touching pool in the Kid Zone, this one filled with more than a dozen warm-water invertebrates. We were able to touch sea stars and shrimp. This area was designed specifically for kids 6 and under. The Kid Zone is loaded with interactive exhibits and activities that are meant to get children playing and investigating the underwater world. There are musical instruments and interactive games and lots of different aquariums with different kinds of fish to look at and learn about.
Other Handy Things to Know
Pricing
Tickets are priced at $31.99 for Adult General Admission and $23.99 for kids. The website offers a small discount ($29.99 for adults and 21.99 for kids) – but I found an even better discount on Groupon ($27.99 for adults and $19.99 for kids). There are also various vendors and places that offer coupons as well.
Lunch
Bring your own or buy it at the aquarium’s Marketplace, which serves salads, sandwiches, pizza, cheesesteaks, chicken tenders and hot dogs. We ate a chicken tender basket (that comes with waffle fries) and it was $9.99 for 4 pieces of chicken and an overly generous portion of waffle fries. No outside food or drink is allowed, so I would plan to eat at the aquarium. There’s not much in the immediate vicinity around it.
Parking
There’s secure parking next to the aquarium. It’s $5 for members, $10 for everyone else. (Mastercard and Visa are accepted.)
Strollers
It’s OK to bring your own, but they aren’t allowed in certain areas, like the Shark Bridge. Strollers are also available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis. They’re $6 for a single and $8 for a double for the entire day, plus a $10 fully refunded deposit.
Timing
You can spend as much time as you’d like touring the aquarium—it’s all self-guided—but three hours should be plenty of time to see everything without feeling rushed. We arrived at the aquarium around 12pm and saw everything, including the 3D movie, and hung out with the sting rays twice to feed them, as well as hit up the gift shop. We were out of there right at 5pm. After the aquarium we walked down to see the USS New Jersey – a battleship that also serves as a museum. It provided a nice backdrop for pictures with the family.
Have you been to the Adventure Aquarium? What is your favorite exhibit? Leave a comment down below!
