Along the Niagara River North of Niagara Falls on the American side sits a large round building that is home to the Aquarium of Niagara. Founded in 1965 the Aquarium plays host to several species of Fresh and Salt Water fish and other marine life. The Aquarium is easy enough to get too and has it's own free parking lot that rarely fills. It proves to be a nice alternative to paying the $10 parking fee at the park next to the falls because you can simply walk from the Aquarium to the falls along the river. The Aquarium boasts approx. 40 exhibits including the largest tank in the center for the California Sea Lions. The Center tank is quite large and deep but does lack any natural look for the animals and plays home to their daily sea lion show which does prove to be quite interesting and informative. The tank has several unique viewing options with several wall backed benches surrounding the tank on the lower level and a upper viewing gallery on the second floor. Outside the Aquarium for no charge is a small Harbor Seal exhibit with a rocky shore and small waterfall. Once inside it is very easy to navigate as everything is in a loop around the Central Tank and some small upstairs exhibits. The first animals you see inside are the Humboldt Penguins one of the most popular animals here. A small all indoor exhibit is home to about 10-12 Penguins and plays host to a daily feeding. Not the largest exhibit for Penguins but I have seen worse. Continuing on are a few saltwater tanks including Black Tip Reef Sharks, on a past trip the larger "Shark Shanty" tank had several smaller species but now appears to be home to several mounted species instead no longer holding live animals. Past the Sharks are several Freshwater exhibits including fish from the nearby Great Lakes, as well as distant lands such as Asia and the Amazon. Most of these tanks are large and hold impressive looking specimens. Other smaller tanks hold small saltwater exhibits and even an Electric Eel and Giant Pacific Octopus. There is also a small Tide Pool but this is not a touch tank, however every other day you can watch as they feed the inhabitants. The second floor contains a few small exhibits like seahorses, Cichids and even Blind Cave Fish but nit much else. There is an overview deck but it is hard to see the Falls from here. Outside the main entrance is a mural by famed artist WyLand depicting Humpback Whales. For the price of $10 per adult the Aquarium is not the best value and can be easily seen in about 30-60 minutes when it is not crowded, still the collection is impressive for a smaller Aquarium and worth a quick stop if you have time and are near the falls.
