National Aquarium (Baltimore)

National Aquarium

The National Aquarium (angular building, rear right, and 2005 extension to its left) lies near historic ships in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, including USS Torsk and Lightship Chesapeake.
Date opened	August 8, 1981
Location	501 East Pratt Street Baltimore, Maryland 21202 United States
Coordinates	39°17′04″N 76°36′25″W / 39.284398°N 76.606936°W / 39.284398; -76.606936Coordinates: 39°17′04″N 76°36′25″W / 39.284398°N 76.606936°W / 39.284398; -76.606936
Land area	250,000 sq ft (23,000 m2)
No. of animals	17,000+
No. of species	750+
Volume of largest tank	1,300,000 US gallons (4,900,000 l)
Total volume of tanks	More than 2,200,000 US gallons (8,300,000 l)
Annual visitors	1.5 million (2009)
Memberships	AZA
Website	www.aqua.org

The National Aquarium (formerly known as the National Aquarium in Baltimore) is a non-profit public aquarium located at 501 E Pratt Street in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. Constructed during a period of urban renewal in Baltimore, the aquarium opened on August 8, 1981. The aquarium has an annual attendance of 1.5 million. The Aquarium holds more than 2,200,000 US gallons (8,300,000 l) of water, and has more than 17,000 specimens representing over 750 species. In 2003, the National Aquarium and the independent National Aquarium in Washington joined as one National Aquarium. The National Aquarium's mission is to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures. The aquarium's stated vision is to confront pressing issues facing global aquatic habitats through pioneering science, conservation, and educational programming.

The National Aquarium houses several exhibits including the Upland Tropical Rain Forest, a multiple-story Atlantic Coral Reef, an open ocean shark tank, and Australia: Wild Extremes, which won the "Best Exhibit" award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2008. The aquarium also has a 4D Immersion Theater. The aquarium opened a marine mammal pavilion in 1990 and currently holds eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Of the eight, six were born at the National Aquarium, one was born at another American aquarium, and one was collected by another aquarium in the late 1970s or early 1980s from U.S. waters.

In 2012, the National Aquarium was named one of the best aquariums in the United States by the Travel Channel and also received the popular vote as one of the top five best aquariums to visit by 10best.com. Coastal Living magazine named the National Aquarium the #1 aquarium in the United States in 2011. In November 2006, the National Aquarium won a Best of Baltimore award from City Paper as the "Best Over Priced Destination for Families." In September 2011, the City Paper Reader's Poll awarded the National Aquarium with the title of "Best Attraction" and the "Best Place to Take Kids".