The National Aquarium in Baltimore was originally opened August 8th, 1981 and has since expanded to become one of the top U.S. aquariums. As a large Baltimore attraction, the aquarium draws approximately 1.5 million visitors annually. This facility holds more than 17,000 animals across more than 750 species. This collection is housed in approximately 2.2 million gallons throughout the aquarium. There are 12 notable exhibits throughout the aquarium and they are detailed below.
Amazon River Forest
Containing both land and water dwelling creatures, the Amazon River Forest exhibit features fish such as discus, silver arowana, and white-blotched river stingrays. Giant South American river turtles roam the waters of the exhibits as well, and perched above, you’re likely to see giant waxy tree frogs or an emerald tree boa. The dual exhibits show stages of the Amazon tributary both during the rainy season and the dry season.
Featured in exhibit
Discus
Emerald Tree Boa
Giant South American River Turtle
Giant Waxy Tree Frog
Silver Arowana
White-Blotched River Stingray
Atlantic Coral Reef
This 335,000 gallon, 13 foot deep exhibit features more than 500 fish. As you descend through the exhibit you might be lucky enough to see the exhibit being fed by a diver, an occurrence which happens several times throughout the day.
Featured in exhibit
Bonnethead Shark
Green Moray Eel
Spotfin Porcupinefish
North Atlantic to Pacific
This unique exhibit shows the differences between Atlantic and Pacific environments with both Atlantic sea cliffs to a lush kelp forest, to a vibrant Pacific reef. If you’re an avid birder you might be interested to see the only black guillemots on display in the United States.
Featured in exhibit
Anemones
Atlantic Puffin
Banggai Cardinalfish
Garibaldi
Horn Shark
Leopard Shark
Percula Clownfish
Sea Stars
Wolf Eel
Yellow Sea Cucumber
Yellow Tang
Australia: Wild Extremes
This exhibit features a northern Australian river gorge. This look into Australia allows visitors to walk through the bottom of the mock gorge and get close to 1,800 native animals across 120 different species. Some of these unique animals occur natively only in Australia.
Featured in exhibit
Australian Freshwater Crocodile
Barramundi
Black-Headed Python
Broad-Shelled Turtle
Death Adder
Gouldian Finch
Grey-headed Flying Fox
Irwin’s Snapping Turtle
Kimberley Snake-Necked Turtle
Laughing Kookaburra
Mouth Almighty
Pig-nosed Turtle
Spiny-Tailed Monitor
Swainson’s Lorikeet
Tawny Frogmouth
Blacktip Reef
The Blacktip Reef exhibit is an award-winning exhibit that recreates an Indo-Pacific reef. This exhibit is full of coral and allows visitors to see some great marine organisms from unique vantage points.
Featured in exhibit
Blacktip Reef Shark
Clown Triggerfish
Emperor Angelfish
Green Sea Turtle
Guineafowl Puffer
Harlequin Tuskfish
Humphead Wrasse
Reticulated Whiptail Ray
Slingjaw Wrasse
Spotted Unicornfish
Wobbegong Shark
Zebra Shark
Dolphin Discovery
This exhibit is the largest exhibit in the aquarium and was first opened in 1990 and features eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Guests can visit the exhibit to learn more about how dolphins learn, play, and interact with each other. Marine mammal experts are present to answer any questions one might have about these unique animals. Guests can also partake in Keeper Talks to hear a formal presentation about the exhibit.
Featured in exhibit
Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins
6 females: Nani, Jade, Spirit, Maya, Bayley, Chesapeake
2 males: Beau, Foster
Jellies Invasion
Jellyfish live across the globe in every ocean, thrive in coastal and open waters, and live even in freshwater environments. This exhibit features nine different jelly species and is sure to be an eye catching exhibit.
Featured in exhibit
Atlantic Sea Nettle
Blue Blubber Jelly
Moon Jelly
Northern Sea Nettle
Pacific Sea Nettle
Purple-Striped Jelly
Upside-Down Jelly
Living Seashore
The living seashore exhibit features touch tanks and a variety of other hands-on experiences. In this unique exhibit visitors can explore all aspects of the seashore including approximately 150 animals. Visitors can learn more about the seashore as well as conservation efforts to protect these unique areas.
Featured in exhibit
Clearnose Skate
Horseshoe Crab
Moon Jelly
Sea Stars
Maryland Experience
Four exhibits give visitors the Maryland experience through habitats ranging from an Allegheny stream, to a tidal marsh and coastal beach, to the continental shelf.
Featured in exhibit
American Bullfrog
Blue Crab
Diamondback Terrapin
Northern Hogsucker
Rosyside Dace
Striped Blenny
Striped Burrfish
Shark Alley
This circular 225,000 gallon exhibit features a number of different sharks as well as some other fish of the sea.
Featured in exhibit
Largetooth Sawfish
Nurse Shark
Roughtail Stingray
Sand Tiger Shark
Sandbar Shark
Surviving Adaptation
This exhibit features several different tanks showing a diverse range of species all with important adaptations suited for survival. Some of the notable species include a giant Pacific octopus which can change color and electric eels which generate electricity.
Featured in exhibit
Atlantic Creole Fish
Banggai Cardinalfish
Black Grouper
Chambered Nautilus
Electric Eel
Fairy Basslets
Giant Pacific Octopus
Graysby
Longhorn Cowfish
Longnose Gar
Longsnout Seahorse
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Spotfin Butterflyfish
Tropical Rain Forest
This aquarium contains more than just some aquatic companions as shown in the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit. While walking through this exhibit, it would be worth looking up as well as around as some of the animals might be perched high above.
Featured in exhibit
Blue Poison-Dart Frog
Blue-Crowned Motmot
Linne’s Two-Toed Sloth
Golden Lion Tamarin
Scarlet Ibis
Screaming Piha
South American Yellow-Footed Tortoise
Subittern
Tarantula
Turquoise Tanager
White-Tailed Trogon
Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot
Amazon River Forest
Containing both land and water dwelling creatures, the Amazon River Forest exhibit features fish such as discus, silver arowana, and white-blotched river stingrays. Giant South American river turtles roam the waters of the exhibits as well, and perched above, you’re likely to see giant waxy tree frogs or an emerald tree boa. The dual exhibits show stages of the Amazon tributary both during the rainy season and the dry season.
Featured in exhibit
Discus
Emerald Tree Boa
Giant South American River Turtle
Giant Waxy Tree Frog
Silver Arowana
White-Blotched River Stingray
Atlantic Coral Reef
This 335,000 gallon, 13 foot deep exhibit features more than 500 fish. As you descend through the exhibit you might be lucky enough to see the exhibit being fed by a diver, an occurrence which happens several times throughout the day.
Featured in exhibit
Bonnethead Shark
Green Moray Eel
Spotfin Porcupinefish
North Atlantic to Pacific
This unique exhibit shows the differences between Atlantic and Pacific environments with both Atlantic sea cliffs to a lush kelp forest, to a vibrant Pacific reef. If you’re an avid birder you might be interested to see the only black guillemots on display in the United States.
Featured in exhibit
Anemones
Atlantic Puffin
Banggai Cardinalfish
Garibaldi
Horn Shark
Leopard Shark
Percula Clownfish
Sea Stars
Wolf Eel
Yellow Sea Cucumber
Yellow Tang
Australia: Wild Extremes
This exhibit features a northern Australian river gorge. This look into Australia allows visitors to walk through the bottom of the mock gorge and get close to 1,800 native animals across 120 different species. Some of these unique animals occur natively only in Australia.
Featured in exhibit
Australian Freshwater Crocodile
Barramundi
Black-Headed Python
Broad-Shelled Turtle
Death Adder
Gouldian Finch
Grey-headed Flying Fox
Irwin’s Snapping Turtle
Kimberley Snake-Necked Turtle
Laughing Kookaburra
Mouth Almighty
Pig-nosed Turtle
Spiny-Tailed Monitor
Swainson’s Lorikeet
Tawny Frogmouth
Blacktip Reef
The Blacktip Reef exhibit is an award-winning exhibit that recreates an Indo-Pacific reef. This exhibit is full of coral and allows visitors to see some great marine organisms from unique vantage points.
Featured in exhibit
Blacktip Reef Shark
Clown Triggerfish
Emperor Angelfish
Green Sea Turtle
Guineafowl Puffer
Harlequin Tuskfish
Humphead Wrasse
Reticulated Whiptail Ray
Slingjaw Wrasse
Spotted Unicornfish
Wobbegong Shark
Zebra Shark
Dolphin Discovery
This exhibit is the largest exhibit in the aquarium and was first opened in 1990 and features eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Guests can visit the exhibit to learn more about how dolphins learn, play, and interact with each other. Marine mammal experts are present to answer any questions one might have about these unique animals. Guests can also partake in Keeper Talks to hear a formal presentation about the exhibit.
Featured in exhibit
Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins
6 females: Nani, Jade, Spirit, Maya, Bayley, Chesapeake
2 males: Beau, Foster
Jellies Invasion
Jellyfish live across the globe in every ocean, thrive in coastal and open waters, and live even in freshwater environments. This exhibit features nine different jelly species and is sure to be an eye catching exhibit.
Featured in exhibit
Atlantic Sea Nettle
Blue Blubber Jelly
Moon Jelly
Northern Sea Nettle
Pacific Sea Nettle
Purple-Striped Jelly
Upside-Down Jelly
Living Seashore
The living seashore exhibit features touch tanks and a variety of other hands-on experiences. In this unique exhibit visitors can explore all aspects of the seashore including approximately 150 animals. Visitors can learn more about the seashore as well as conservation efforts to protect these unique areas.
Featured in exhibit
Clearnose Skate
Horseshoe Crab
Moon Jelly
Sea Stars
Maryland Experience
Four exhibits give visitors the Maryland experience through habitats ranging from an Allegheny stream, to a tidal marsh and coastal beach, to the continental shelf.
Featured in exhibit
American Bullfrog
Blue Crab
Diamondback Terrapin
Northern Hogsucker
Rosyside Dace
Striped Blenny
Striped Burrfish
Shark Alley
This circular 225,000 gallon exhibit features a number of different sharks as well as some other fish of the sea.
Featured in exhibit
Largetooth Sawfish
Nurse Shark
Roughtail Stingray
Sand Tiger Shark
Sandbar Shark
Surviving Adaptation
This exhibit features several different tanks showing a diverse range of species all with important adaptations suited for survival. Some of the notable species include a giant Pacific octopus which can change color and electric eels which generate electricity.
Featured in exhibit
Atlantic Creole Fish
Banggai Cardinalfish
Black Grouper
Chambered Nautilus
Electric Eel
Fairy Basslets
Giant Pacific Octopus
Graysby
Longhorn Cowfish
Longnose Gar
Longsnout Seahorse
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Spotfin Butterflyfish
Tropical Rain Forest
This aquarium contains more than just some aquatic companions as shown in the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit. While walking through this exhibit, it would be worth looking up as well as around as some of the animals might be perched high above.
Featured in exhibit
Blue Poison-Dart Frog
Blue-Crowned Motmot
Linne’s Two-Toed Sloth
Golden Lion Tamarin
Scarlet Ibis
Screaming Piha
South American Yellow-Footed Tortoise
Subittern
Tarantula
Turquoise Tanager
White-Tailed Trogon
Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot