One of my favorite Aquariums happens to be the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT, and my wife and I recently (2012) took a trip to Mystic and this was one stop we were not missing. Mystic may not be the largest aquarium but is does feature several unique exhibits and experiences that some Aquariums just cannot offer. The Aquarium does a nice job catering to the tourist crowd with a very nice cafe and gift shop and even has a 4-D movie theater, something that seems to be more common nowadays with the increase in competition. However the staple is still the animals and thus aquarium features a strong collection indoors and some very nice outdoor exhibits. One major addition does not feature animals but instead explores the story of the Titanic using several artifacts and graphics as well as hands on exhibits to show how researchers are learning about what happened and how they are exploring the wreckage. Its a fascinating exhibit especially if your really into Titanic stuff and its all included. Outside the Main building is an outdoor Ray touch tank that is like any other you may have seen but being that its outdoors is seasonal. Above the main building is the Foxwoods Marine theater featuring the aquariums sea lions in a fun but educational show. This has got to be one of the nicest Aquarium shows outside of the Seaworld parks, and takes place in a very large theater that also has a great lighting package and sound system to really get people into the mood for seeing the show. The main pool is also seen below in the Main Aquarium, and the show at one pint was home to the Beluga whales before the Arctic Coast was completed. The Main Building is like any other Aquarium, featuring several tanks and exhibits with nothing really standing out as a must see, bit nothing in my opinion was really lacking. A nice series of exhibits is the Amazon exhibits showing off including an electric eel and Piranhas. The shark touch tank was a pleasant surprise and my more intriguing than the ray tank outside. There was also a nice Jellyfish exhibit and was the first time for me to be able to see the dangerous Sea Nettles up close. Other exhibits feature coral tanks, Eels, touch tank, two large exhibits with one exhibiting Sharks and another with Large Stingrays and the indoor centerpiece; the Coral Reef tank. The reef features a large cylindrical tank with a massive coral in the middle surrounded by your typical reef fish, and when entering the Marine theater guests can catch a rare overhead view of this massive tank. Outside exhibits feature larger animals and also has a seasonal bird feeding exhibit. Instead of the traditional lorikeets, they feature Australian Budgies which are fun to feed as they eat seeds of plants on little sticks they give you instead of the usual nectar. Along the path is a natural marsh with wild birds and other animals and you can follow that path to the Marine Mammal observatory which at the time was hosting the seals from the Roger Williams Park Zoo which we had visited early on our trip. Also down this path was the Roger Tory Peterson Penguin Exhibit featuring several African Penguins. I honestly have seen better and larger exhibits than this one but it was still much nicer than some and at least has an underwater viewing area for guests. The final exhibits feature the largest animals on display at the aquarium, the Pacific Northwest which is two separate exhibits showing off Stellar Sea Lions, Northern Fur Seals and a harbor seal. These exhibits may seem a but outdated by today's standards and don't feature an underwater view like many newer exhibits but is still quite impressive especially being home to Stellar Sea Lions. The final exhibit is the crowning achievement of the Aquarium, the Arctic Coast Beluga Whale exhibit, a massive recreation of an Alaskan Coastline complete with rocky coves and Pine trees and holds over 750,000 gallons of water. There are several viewing locations as well giving guests a great chance to see these creatures up close, one that not many zoos or aquariums can keep. Overall Mystic is definitely one of the most impressive Aquariums in the United States and one of my personal favorites to visit with it's unique collection and extra offerings, we easily spent several hours here with all there was to see and do. Aquariums tend to be pricier than zoos but it is well worth the money to see thus world class attraction.
Thanks for the great review, and I toured Mystic Aquarium in the summer of 2012. Having been to around 45 aquariums in my lifetime I'd not hesitate to put Mystic in the top 10. You are right about the disappointing penguin exhibit, and that is something that will hopefully be altered in the future.
I have been going there since I was a toddler. I remember what is was like before the renovations (beluga's inside sharing the pool with 2-3 bottlenose dolphins, front part has been completely redone). I don't like how it has become so touristy and I can no longer tolerate the sea lion show as they have taken to loud noises and strobe lights, which are not aspergers friendly. That said it is one of my favorite aquariums, and I hope that they can breed their beluga's.
