New England Aquarium Review

In July, I stayed in the Boston market to have a day to do some things in the city. I purchased a City Pass for only $46 and it gave me five tickets including the New England Aquarium.

It only cost $9 to use the one day pass on the MBTA Subway to go anywhere in the city. After looking at where the New England Aquarium was located near the shore, I decided to make it my first stop since everything else with the City Pass was inland.

Since I had the CityPass, it made it easy for me to go inside to look around as soon as they opened. I only toured the facility, and didn't check out the IMax theater or Whale Watch being it was the only day off of work to tour the city.

The New England Aquarium was founded in 1969 and is one of Boston's best city attractions. They also have a nice gift shop and option to have a photo montage to purchase at the facility, too.

My review

The bad: The facility has been open since 1969, so you can expect to see some wear and tear. Without a discount or CityPass, regular adult admission is a bit high at $22 which many first time visitors will notice about the city without knowledge of the cost of living there. If you do have to purchase tickets outside the facility, you can expect very long lines most days. I know it was that way when I went, but luckily, I didn't have to deal with that.

The good: I'm sure the IMax theater is great being I've always liked them at other zoos and aquariums I've seen across the country. I'm sure the same can be said for the Whale Watch. On tour, the penguins definitely stand out among the animals there. You can even go to the top of the tank where the sharks, fish, and other marine-types are at to look. You see attendants always taking care of the penguins and other animals as well as the medical clinics, too. I like the cool-looking jellyfish, especially the Moon Jelly.

Overall: To me, your best bet if you're a first time visitor is to purchase something like a CityPass or the Aquarium Package through Old Town Trolley. Or better yet, you can get discounts through hotel packages as well as grocery stores or restaurants in the surrounding area. Otherwise, it's going to get quite costly and the lines will be long. However, if you're a fan of penguins are unique marine life, then it is definitely recommended that you visit.

Info about New England Aquarium:

1 Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
(617)973-5200
If you're taking the MBTA Subway, then take the Blue Line to the Aquarium stop. The Trolleys in town can take you to the Aquarium as well.

You can checkout my New England Aquarium Pics at my site.