Our Trip to the Florida Aquarium

I recently visited The Florida Aquarium with my wife, Monica, and 18 month old son, Henry, on a spur of the moment outing. This three story attraction is located in downtown Tampa Bay and it did not disappoint. Our visit began with a family photo taken by the aquarium staff and then we entered the Wetlands Garden: a completely immersive botanical garden. This exhibit made you feel like you were walking through the everglades (minus the humidity,) while surrounded by amazing wild life. The plants and animals are so close, you could literally reach out and touch them (but that wouldn’t be a good idea.) Henry absolutely loved this area. He was amazed by the ducks and fish, reaching out for each tank we passed. Then we went to the third floor exhibit called Welcome to Madagascar, which housed hissing cockroaches¸ snakes, spiders, and lemurs. Next we went into the Coral Reef exhibit. Monica and I loved how interactive everything was for Henry. As you walk around there are learning stations where you can stop and a recording will play to tell visitors about the animals that they are looking at. While there was an Outdoor Water Fun Zone with age appropriate areas for kids and toddlers (Explore a Shore and Shipwreck Shore respectively,) the weather was not in our favor for a trip outside. Overall our experience at The Florida Aquarium was amazing. I would highly recommend this attraction to visitors of all ages. If you want to something out of the heat and appropriate for all age groups, then this is the place to go!