Downtown Aquarium
700 Water St., Denver, Colorado
This downtown destination is more than just a state-of-the-art aquarium with over 500 species of fish and sea animals. It's also a dining and entertainment complex, as well as a place for aquatic adventures. Host to sea otters, a Stingray Reef touch tank, and even a dive tank where you can snorkel or scuba dive with the sharks, the Downtown Aquarium is one of Denver’s most popular family attractions.
Several ticket options are available for the Downtown Aquarium, including aquarium only, 4D film-experience packages, and interactive “Zoologist for a Day” tours. Kids won’t want to miss the mermaid shows, the hands-on hermit crab exhibit, or the immersive 4D theater. The aquarium also features storytime for young children, summer camps, and up-close animal encounters. A restaurant with floor-to-ceiling aquarium views and an upscale bar serving tropical cocktails are also on-site.
The Downtown Aquarium is a fun, family-friendly attraction in downtown Denver.
Save on admission with the Denver CityPASS, which also includes discounted entry to other attractions.
Arrive early for the Mystic Mermaid shows to ensure a good seat in front of the glass.
The Downtown Aquarium is both wheelchair and stroller accessible, and strollers are available for rent.
The Downtown Aquarium is in northwest Denver, close to the Denver Children’s Museum and Elitch Gardens. You can easily reach the aquarium via Interstate 25; pay parking is available at the museum. Bus 10 also stops directly in front of the aquarium.
The aquarium exhibits are open daily from morning to evening, with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant opens mid-morning, and the lounge opens in the afternoon. Weekends are busiest, so visit midweek if you can to avoid the crowds.
Watch mermaids swim among the fish during the aquarium’s Under the Sea shows. Divers in mermaid costumes free-dive into the tanks and perform a show choreographed to music. This family-friendly, interactive performance takes place several times daily during the summer months, and on weekends the rest of the year. Children can meet the mermaids out of the water after the show.
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