Mystic Aquarium is home to thousands of marine life from penguins, beluga whales, seas lions to fishes. It’s so easy to spend the entire day there. It’s no surprise that Mystic Aquarium was named one of the best aquariums in the United States.
The aquarium is opened year round as it has both indoor and outdoor exhibits. The indoor exhibits include fishes, octopus, jellyfishes, sharks and many more! Another indoor exhibit is Dino Seas which is an interactive exhibit on the history of dinosaurs. The outdoor exhibits include beluga whales, seals, sea lions and penguins. There is also a marsh area where you can find turtles.
To make your visit more fun, look into the encounters with animals where you can interact with penguins, sea lions and seals. These experiences have an additional cost on top of admission cost. It will be worth it to have a memorable experience! I enjoyed my experience of feeding the stingrays — I was scared at first but then had fun!
What I love about the aquarium is the easy flow of the layout, I always start the visit at the beluga whales exhibit. Look for my friend, Juno. They are so fun and I love it when they are playful with the visitors. I head over to the penguins and watch them waddle and paddle! If I’m lucky, I enjoy watching them during feeding time. The sea lion show (indoors) is a must, it never gets old. The aquarium does a good job of switching up themes of the shows yearly. I tend to spend most of my time there at the outdoor exhibits. At the end of the visit, I always do a walkthrough of the indoor exhibits. It’s fascinating to watch the jellyfishes!
How I found out about the aquarium was through their Animal Rescue/Rehab Center. I attended a seal release in Charlestown, Rhode Island back in 2012/2013. I was very intrigued to learn about all they do for injured animals and how they get rehabbed for releases. They do several seal releases which I try to attend — it’s heartwarming to watch them go back in the ocean! To follow when seal releases happens, Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Program post updates on their Facebook page here. I do have to warn, these events do get very packed! I suggest getting to the beach early.
If you get hungry during your visit at the aquarium, there is a cafe where you can order food. There are several tables inside and outside where you can dine. Don’t forget to stop in the aquarium shop located next door. Pick up a souvenir to remember your fun memorable day there!
You can purchase tickets online at their website. There are ways you can save on your tickets, through a membership, special discounts for Military, First Responders, UConn, Foxwoods, etc. If you’re a resident in Connecticut, many libraries provide a day pass for discounted tickets. All information about hours, pricing, discounts are available here on their website. Parking is free on site.
