Adventure Aquarium is located at 1 Riverside Drive in Camden, New Jersey. Camden is just across the Schuylkill River from Philadelphia. The aquarium boasts 15,000 aquatic animals, several touch tanks, a shark bridge, and much more.
Adventure Aquarium Parking
Parking for the aquarium is located in a parking lot just across the street. For general admission guests, parking is $10 (subject to change). Those with aquarium memberships receive discounted or free parking depending on their membership level. The parking lot is large, and parking can be paid in advance or when you leave.
Adventure Aquarium Tickets
Tickets to Adventure Aquarium are timed entry tickets, and they are limited. It is best to reserve tickets well before your trip date, as certain days / times may sell out. School holidays are particularly busy. If you have tickets, you can also skip the ticketing services line that you will pass as you walk to the front door of the aquarium.
Once inside, you’ll head upstairs to the exhibit level. If you’re excited about the sharks and hippos, they can be found in zone D. There are particular times of the day when the hippos are fed, so get a good vantage point as they devour their snacks in the water.
Next, continue from the Hippo Haven to enter the realm of the sharks. This is where the well-known shark bridge is located. The enormous shark tank can be viewed from the side, and then from underneath the shark tunnel!
After viewing the sharks from behind glass, if you’re brave enough you can walk above the shark tank on the aquarium’s shark bridge. This bridge is made of ropes, but has a narrow, solid base at the bottom for walking.
This can be a popular attraction, so if the aquarium is busy expect at least a bit of a line. The V-shaped suspension bridge puts you right above the aquarium’s nurse, sand, and sandbar sharks!
After crossing the shark bridge, this zone exits into the aquarium’s gift shop. There is a wide variety of apparel and accessories to remember your trip.
After completing the shark and hippo attractions in Zone D, you can head to the other side of the aquarium to explore Zones A, B, and C. In the middle of the building is Zone E, where the marketplace dining hall is located.
There are separate stands for meals, as well as snacks, treats, and coffee. The menus include kid-friendly favorites, like hot dogs, chicken tenders, pizza, burgers, and mac and cheese.
This area is also home to the Flying Fish Beer Garden (open seasonally). For nice days, outdoor seating is available while you enjoy your food. The outdoor seating overlooks the Philadelphia skyline and the river.
Other popular attractions at the aquarium include the touch tanks and the penguins. The touch tanks are located throughout the remaining zones A, B, and C. Zone A, located right beyond the dining marketplace features the touch-a-shark tank. These sharks are much smaller than the ones under the shark bridge.
Zone A also includes the Ocean Realm theatre, where you can talk with divers under the water. Check showtimes for this theatre each day.
Tucked in a corner of Zone A is Little Blue Beach, which is home to a colony of Little Blue penguins. This type of penguin is the smallest in the world!
Moving on the Zone B, this zone includes Stingray Beach Club, where you can touch and feed ($5 charge) a stringray! This is one of our favorite areas. The Beach Club is beside the doors to head outside to the penguin island with African penguins and children’s play area.
Finally, Zone C features the 3D movie theatre with rotating movies. Check the movie times for your particular visit days. We had the choice of a shark movie or a more kid-friendly turtle movie on the day we visited.
Zone C also features a toddler / young child play area with a pretend ship and some musical toys.
Tips for Visiting
Be sure to reserve your tickets and entry time in advance. There’s a short walk from the parking lot to the aquarium, so factor that into your arrival time.
Check their wagon / stroller policy before you go, and know the size of your stroller. As of this post, wagons/wagon-style strollers of any size and strollers larger than 31” X 52” are not allowed inside the aquarium. They post any policy changes on their website.
Be sure to check all show times and feed times when you arrive, to ensure that you don’t miss the special events you’d like to see.
Bring extra clothes for little ones who may get too up close with the touch tanks.
