Disclosure: I was provided four complimentary admission tickets to Adventure Aquarium to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
If you were following along on facebook last week, you know that my kids and I took their Grandma on an adventure and went to visit family in New Jersey for a long weekend. We decided to make a surprise stop along the way and spend an afternoon at Adventure Aquarium in Camden.
Our family had visited this aquarium two summers ago, but since my son loves sharks, and since we learned about their special guest Mighty Mike, we decided a return visit was in order!
The first thing I love about the aquarium is access. Less than five minutes and a few turns off of Route 676 along the Camden waterfront. There are multiple large parking lots right next to the aquarium (although beware of the $10 parking charge - ouch!).
Since my kids are 5 and 3 and we were limited on time, we opted for regular admission, but you can also add a 4-D theatre show or a special experience. The first stop once we got inside was to see the big guy - Mighty Mike - a 14-foot American alligator that is at the aquarium until September. We were all in awe at just how big this guy was and the fact that you could be nose to nose with him except for a piece of glass.
That's the other thing I love about Adventure Aquarium - the height of the exhibits. My daughter is just 3 and was able to see almost everything on her own without having to be lifted or climb on anything. Each of the windows also is fairly wide so that the kids could stand as long as they like to watch - like they did with the baby loggerhead turtle on display.
But by far the kids' favorite were the touch pools, Touch a Shark and Stingray Beach Club. The stingrays were very playful and splashing at the edges of the water, and both my son and I were surprised at how soft and smooth they felt. There was even a beautiful large leopard stingray in the exhibit.
Some of our other favorite things about the aquarium were watching the feeding of their two Nile hippos, and the Shark Realm, including the tunnel where sharks, including hammerheads, swim right over your head!
If you have little ones, also make time for the Kids Zone, a special area just for children age 6 and under. Meet Gill the shark and his friends, play on ocean musical instruments and visit the kid-sized touch tanks with starfish, baby stingrays, horseshoe crabs and more.
Some other items of note... there is a cafe on site for lunch or snack options, but you can also bring food into the aquarium, although please note that it is only allowed in specific areas. Strollers are also allowed in most of the exhibits, and are available for rent for a small fee.
Learn more about the fun your family can have at Adventure Aquarium by visiting their website and liking them on facebook.
