Adventure Aquarium

With nearly 20,000 Google reviews and a 4. 6-star rating, Adventure Aquarium is one of the Philadelphia region's most visited and most loved family attractions — and spending a few hours inside quickly makes it clear why. Located on the Camden Waterfront directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the aquarium delivers the kind of immersive marine experience that children talk about for years after a single visit.

The signature draw is the shark exhibit. Walking through an underwater tunnel while sand tiger sharks, sawfish, and other species glide silently overhead is the kind of experience that freezes even the most distracted kid in their tracks. It's genuinely impressive, and the close proximity to some of the ocean's most formidable predators — separated only by thick acrylic — produces a visceral thrill that no nature documentary can replicate.

Beyond sharks, the aquarium packs in a remarkable range of exhibits. Hippo Haven features one of the few hippo habitats in any aquarium in the country, and watching these enormous animals move gracefully underwater is consistently ranked as a family highlight. The stingray touch tank offers a hands-on interaction that younger kids particularly love — supervised and safe, but genuinely tactile in a way that indoor museums rarely offer.

For Philadelphia families, the logistics are worth thinking through. The aquarium is technically in Camden, NJ, but it's a quick PATCO High Speed Line ride from Center City — often faster and less stressful than driving and parking. The aquarium is stroller-friendly throughout, has nursing and changing facilities, and provides on-site food so you don't need to plan around finding lunch externally.

Annual passes are worth serious consideration for regional families. At roughly the cost of two individual admissions per person, a pass covers unlimited visits plus parking — ideal for families with young kids who will happily come back season after season as they grow and notice new details in the exhibits each time.