Travel plans sometimes change, and when that happens it is important to make the best of it. When a family emergency brought us back to the Pennsylvania/Maryland area, we found ourselves looking for activities to keep us occupied until we could resume our trip again.
Kelly has 3 young cousins, age 13, 15 and 16, with whom we have been looking to spend more time. We had just been through a difficult family time together and all needed a good day of just being kids. When an in-service day at school came up, we took the opportunity to have some fun!
Baltimore is only a short drive of about an hour from where we are staying. The Inner Harbor of Baltimore has been built up as a large tourist destination, with shops, restaurants and other attractions, including The Maryland Science Center and the Baltimore National Aquarium. We talked it over with the kids, and decided an Aquarium trip was just what we all needed.
After a short one hour car ride (in which we discovered we are nowhere near as cool as we thought we were, at least in the eyes of teenagers), we arrived at our destination. Parking in the Inner Harbor is pretty tough to find outside of the pay lots. We decided to suck it up and shell out the $20, which put us right by the Aquarium (Da-da-da-da-daaaaa!)
Sorry, inside joke. Every time Kelly and I said the word ‘Aquarium‘ we added the ‘da-da-da-da-daaaa‘, to the tune of the Grateful Dead’s ‘Terrapin Station’. “Terrapin! Da-da-da-da-daaaaaaa!!” Yeah, you probably don’t get it. The kids didn’t get it either. That’s why it’s called an inside joke.
We had already done the research, so we were not as shocked as we would have been to see the prices at the ticket window: $24.95 for the basic entrance. If you want to see the dolphin show, it’ll be an extra $3 per person, and the “Total Experience Package” which admits you into the dolphin show and a show at the 4D Immersion Theater runs an extra $5 each. We figured our experience would be total enough without Dolphins and 4D Theater, limiting our entertainment to 3 dimensions that day.
As you enter the Aquarium (Da-da-da-da-daaaaa!) the first encounter is with a photographer. Every visitor has a photo taken, which the Aquarium will try to sell you later, much like on a roller coaster, but without the awkward screams. We had our group photo taken, got our map of the aquarium and moved on to the exhibits.
The first exhibit we visited was the restroom. 
We then found the bubble tubes. While not actually an exhibit, just a decoration in the hallway, we still found them to be really cool.
We then moved on the the first pool or tank or whatever you would call it. It was filled with giant rays, sharks and other big fish. At this point it wasn’t yet too crowded, so we had plenty of time to linger and really watch all the marine life interact. We hung out here for a while, observing the scuba men as they fed lettuce to the various creatures. Lettuce seemed to be one of the most popular cuisines, which was odd to us since it doesn’t normally grow beneath the sea. I guess these creatures were more accustomed to the salad bar. If we waited long enough we would most likely see a scuba man with a plate of breadsticks. For what we paid to get in, I hoped they would be endless.
We continued on to what would prove to be one of the highlights for our teenage companions – the first of many moving sidewalks and escalators. I had been made aware of a game earlier, one that, should I choose to play, I am bound to for life. While the details of this game are shrouded in secrecy, I will tell you that the penalty for losing involves dropping and giving 10 push-ups, regardless of the situation. Needless to say, I enjoyed getting cousin Isaac to serve his punishment right there on the moving sidewalk. Beat him at his own game, I did.
We went through several more exhibits, seeing a variety of colorful and unique animals along the way.
Eventually we arrived at what would become another highlight of the journey – the revolving door. As big a hit as the escalator, if not bigger, the revolving door proved to be entertaining and functional, admitting us into the Upland Tropical Rain Forest. Showcasing some of the coolest animals in the aquarium, the rain forest was also the environment in which Kelly and I felt the most at home. After our recent adventures in the Amazon, we thought the kids would enjoy stories of seeing some of these creatures and fauna in real life. Alas, they were more impressed trying to touch a turtle before returning to the revolving door.
One of the most impressive exhibits in the Aquarium (da-da-da-da-daaaaaa!) is the Underwater Viewing Area. A zig-zagging ramp descends through the middle of a four-story tall cylindrical aquarium. This tank is filled with all kinds of different creatures, including several impressive species of shark, many rays, grouper, turtles and more. A salad bar had been laid out, so the animals were actively feeding when we passed through.
We took our time descending, all the while trying to keep Isaac from launching himself from level to level in his freestyle walking practice. By the time we reached the bottom, we were pretty hungry. We had lunch in the car, but thought we would hit up one more exhibit before stopping. Of course, to reach this exhibit, we had to pass directly through the cafeteria in which several hundred children were engaged in a pizza party. The amount of pizzas was staggering. On some tables they were piled eight or nine high. Surely, no one would notice if we nonchalantly grabbed one on our way through? Hungry as I was, my role for the day as Uncle Jason got the best of me, and I decided not to risk getting kicked out of the aquarium. Yet.
Our last exhibit before lunch was awesome, and not just because of the name. Well, mostly because of the name. It was “Jellies Invasion.” All different types, sizes and colors of jellyfish. While not my favorite creature when in the water, through the safety of a glass tank they are fascinating!
We entered a packed cafeteria at about 1 P.M., which began to empty out as we sat and ate. We enjoyed our bag lunch, which is definitely the suggested way to go if you’re trying to work on a budget. I’m pretty sure a slice of pizza in the aquarium café (not from the pizza party) was about $5. I had thought the seafood here might be cheaper, but couldn’t find it on the menu. No salad bar or breadsticks, either.
After lunch we continued our journey through the Aquarium, excited to explore the Australian Outback exhibit, harboring visions of boomerangs and kangaroos. While it didn’t quite live up to our expectations, we did get to see some really cool bats clinging to the ceiling, and some crocodiles and terrapins (da-da-da-da-daaaaaa!).
Australia proved to be a much shorter exhibit than we had anticipated, but it did have revolving doors at the entrance and the exit. We decided this was a good enough reason to go through it once more.
We left Australia to discover we had seen the entirety of the Aquarium. Considering our successful return to Australia, we decided to revisit the entire Aquarium from the beginning.
Our first trip through began just after 10 A.M. We didn’t break for lunch until 1:00. We relaunched our journey at around 1:30, and noticed quite a difference in crowd levels. There were hoards of children amassed in every available viewing portal. The fish were all hiding in terror, and I fought back the urge to do the same. As we began to descend the Underwater Viewing Area, Kelly shouted, “Abort! Abort!” and we all agreed. We quickly headed to the safety of the exit area, jumping over screaming sticky toddlers all the way out.
Before we could leave, there was one last stop to view the photo which was taken upon our arrival. For a mere $30 we could purchase a 5×7 of the group. Prices for other options went up from there. While it was a nice shot, I opted for the more affordable option.
Overall, we had a great experience at the Baltimore National Aquarium. My immediate impression, however, is that it is a bit overpriced. The entire Aquarium can be viewed in about 3 hours. That being said, the experience is what you make it. Go early, and bring your own lunch. The people you are with, as in any activity, can make a world of difference. Go with a fun group that creates a good time wherever they are, and you will find the Aquarium to be an exciting underwater playground.
Da-da-da-da-daaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
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