Colorado Travel Tips: Denver Aquarium

Denver Aquarium Review

During a recent trip to Denver, we stopped at the Downtown Aquarium. We had a great time and I thrilled to tell you more about it. The Downtown Aquarium in Denver has something for everyone- beautiful fish tanks, live mermaids, real tigers and so much more! Even at the young age of six months old, my son really enjoyed seeing the fish and the mermaids. It is worth noting, my husband and I have gone through the aquarium a few ago and enjoyed it as adults without kids.

Downtown Denver Aquarium Exhibits

The Downtown Aquarium has nine adventure exhibits inside and two outside adventures, plus a 4-D theater! Each exhibit demonstrates the marine life you would see in the natural environment, along with a lot of information. After seeing all the interesting fish and habits, we were thrilled to see real live tigers. There is also another cool area that you can walk under the aquarium and watch the fish (and sharks!) swim right over you.

Indoor Adventure Exhibits:

North America
In The Desert
Under The Sea
At The Wharf
The Rainforest
Coral Lagoon
Sunken Temple
Shipwreck
At The Beach
Stingray Touch Tank

Outdoor Adventure Exhibits

Aquarium Express Electric Train ($3.00 per person)
Aquatic Carousel ($3.00 per person)

denver aquarium review — Another cool thing you can do is snorkel or scuba with the fish!

Aquarium Restaurant

The restaurant inside the aquarium is much better than you would expect. Owned by Landry’s, the Aquarium Restaurant serves lunch and dinner with incredible views of a gigantic aquarium home to over 100 species of aquatic life from around the globe. You can make a reservation on OpenTable, which may be helpful in the evening. Side note, parking is validated after 6 pm when you dine at the restaurant.

Know Before You Go

The aquarium opens at 10 am daily and stays open until 9 pm (9:30 pm Friday/Saturday). The entry cost depends on which experiences you would like to have. Basic entry to walk through all the exhibits is free for kids under 2, $14.99 for kids age 3-11, $20.99 for ages 12-64, and $19.99 for seniors (65+). You can add tickets to the 4-D theater, face painting, stingray food and a coconut tree climb. There is a 10% military discount offered.

There is a large parking lot located directly across the street from the aquarium. The cost is $7 and the parking lot is staffed between 10 am and 9 pm. If you dine at the restaurant after 6 pm you can have your parking validated.

Downtown Denver Aquarium Review

We had a really great morning at the aquarium. It took us about two hours to get through the aquarium and then we had lunch after. We saw some really interesting fish, coral, and sea life (plus tigers!). We appreciated all information available about each exhibit and look forward to returning with my son when he is older and can learn more about the featured exhibits and habitats.

The mermaids were a huge hit for my son and appeared to be a huge hit with the other kids that saw them. We were able to take a photo with them and during our lunch one was actually swimming in the aquarium!

The close proximity to Downtown makes the aquarium a must stop attraction for anyone visits the Denver area (with or without kids). We have been to many aquariums around the US and considering this one is landlocked, it is very impressive.

Other Kid Friendly Things To Do Nearby The Aquarium

Once you are finished with the aquarium, there are other things you can do with the kids nearby. The Children’s Museum of Denver is a 6-minute walk down the street and worth a stop with your kids. Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park is a 15-minute walk. Check their event schedule for concerts, movies, and other special events. The REI Flagship Store is about a 7 minute walk away and features a massive indoor climbing wall. If you are up for a walk, the 16th Street Mall is about 25 minutes away.