Unforgettable Marine Life Encounters Await At This New England Aquarium

Boston has always embraced the sea. From its privileged position on The Shawmut Peninsula, it gazes east to the Atlantic Ocean, across which the Puritans came to found the city in 1630. The sea also set the foundations of Boston's economy — trade, fishing, banking, and shipbuilding — for centuries to come. Recent decades have established more harmony, thanks to intensive clean-up efforts of Boston Harbor that transformed a badge of shame into a symbol of success.  The waterfront may not meet the zest of its heyday, but the ocean remains embedded in the genetic code of the city as the increasing numbers of great white sharks off shore keep reminding. Perhaps nowhere is that connection more tangible than at the New England Aquarium on Boston's historic Central Wharf, built in 1817 by Boston Brahmin and America's first professional architect, Charles Bullfinch.

In fact, the aquarium starts just outside the front entrance, where Atlantic harbor seals glide and dart through a glassed-in section of a 42,000-gallon tank. This also makes the seals the best advertisers for the aquarium, transforming the coos and squeals of children into ticket sales. This delight only multiplies once guests are through the door, as the New England Aquarium provides a journey below the waves with 10,000 marine animals and 70-plus exhibits. The majority of creatures swim inside the massive central tank that forms the centerpiece of the experience. A variety of exhibit rooms also branch off, and an Animal Care Center provides education on the rescue and rehabilitation of sea life.

All life at the New England Aquarium revolves around the massive central tank — literally and figuratively. In fact, the 200,000 gallon, 23-foot deep tank was the first structure built for the aquarium in the late 1960s, and the rest of the building was sculpted around it. Inside the tank, sea turtles, sharks, rays, eels, barracuda, and hundreds of tropical fish gently coast along a constructed Caribbean coral reef painted by aquarium artists. Visitors also get to circle the tank at their leisure on the spiral ramp that runs in a gentle incline or decline around the tank from top to bottom. Where you start also determines if the 50 penguins living around the base are flapping hello or goodbye.

Extending in multiple directions alongside the central tank are smaller galleries highlighting fresh and salt water creatures of all types. The Tropical Gallery, for example, shows off butterflyfish and lionfish, while the Freshwater Gallery displays piranhas, salmon, and an electric eel. Jellyfish, on the other hand, float with giant groupers and sea dragons in the Temperate Waters Gallery. Other rooms offer education and hands-on experiences, including the Shark and Ray Touch Tank, Blue Planet Action Center, and Yawkey Coral Reef Center. Regular, daily presentations about the tank and the aquarium's residents enhances it all.

If the modern architecture doesn't betray the fact, this theater next to the aquarium came later than the main building. Opened in 2001, the Simons Theatre significantly boosted entertainment and education efforts with a massive screen that shows IMAX and 3-D movies. At 65 feet high and 85 feet wide — taller than a six-story building — and with curved edges, it's a fully immersive experience. The New England Aquarium makes the most of the immersive experience with films that might sweep across the Pacific Ocean's most remote islands, introduce strange and spectacular animals, or soar with birds over vital wetlands. Multiple shows run per day with most running from 30-45 minutes, making them a fun and welcome respite after exploring the central tank and galleries.

The Central Wharf offers more reasons to stick around. It's a kinetic hub of seaside activity that echoes the buzz of Boston's colonial ports. Whale watching and duck tours depart from here, and Classic Harbor Line Boston foliage tours are not far away. There's also a beer garden, Ben & Jerry's, and other restaurants offering a convenient ocean-side pit stop. Otherwise, catch a broadside of the Atlantic winds on the Harborwalk that wraps around the outside of the aquarium. Keep going in either direction and connect to a 43-mile circuit running from East Boston to Dorchester. You're also just steps away from Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, a favorite summertime hang out for all. All offer more reasons why why Rick Steves recommends a trip to Boston.