Yes! Your National Aquarium membership provides you unlimited daily admission for one full year from the date of purchase at both the Baltimore and Washington, DC, venues.

Adults on the membership must have a valid photo ID to enter. Membership cards are requested to speed entry, but are not required.

Yes! You must mail in the original receipt along with the application for membership within 30 days of your visit. Only those on the receipt who are also eligible to be listed on the membership may be deducted. For online purchases, the $1.95 per-ticket fee cannot be applied toward a membership. Membership must be purchased within 30 days of the date on the receipt. Download the membership application form, fill it out, and send it in along with your ticket receipt.

Yes, you can pay for two guests per member entering at the Members’ Entrance. An additional benefit of membership is the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance (please allow two weeks) for your guests to enjoy the Aquarium without waiting in the general admission line, whether you accompany them or not. These tickets will be mailed to your home and expire one year from date of purchase. Call 410-659-4230, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. ET, to order.

No, you can list only immediate family members who are living in your household. Children must be your own children who are 21 and younger.

Yes, if neither adult on the membership is present. The sitter must have the membership card and a signed, dated note from the parent listing the sitter's name, your membership number, and signature. The sitter will be required to show photo ID and the children must be listed by name and birth date on the membership. This applies only to memberships with named children. It does not apply to Grandparent memberships.

Changes can be made at time of purchase or renewal. No changes can be made during the membership and the membership is not transferable to others.

We offer separate memberships for family and grandparents.

Those tickets are valid for one full year only.

Yes, if the child is at least 16 years old and shows valid photo ID and the membership card.

By renewing your membership prior to the expiration date on the card, you receive the lowest possible price.

Please call 410-659-4230 for questions about membership. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

The National Aquarium opened its marine mammal pavilion in 1990. Seven of our eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins were born in American aquariums, six of which were born right here at the National Aquarium. One was collected in the late '70s or early '80s from U.S. waters by other aquariums, when the practice was still approved by the U.S. government agencies.

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the inhumane killing of dolphins that occurs during the Japanese drive fisheries, and it has created some confusion: none of our animals were acquired this way—we do not support, fund, or acquire animals from these drives, and neither do any other zoos or aquariums in the U.S. that are accredited, like we are, by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums.

We are opposed to the inhumane slaughter of dolphins and applaud the creators of "The Cove" for raising public awareness of this terrible practice.

If you’d like to have this special opportunity, you can book a Dolphin Encounter Immersion Tour here.

Right here in the pools! Dolphins don’t sleep the same way humans do. Researchers think dolphins rest only one half of their brain at a time, so they’re always partially awake and aware of their surroundings, and can continue to come to the surface to breathe. Sometimes a dolphin will continue to swim slowly around the pool, or sometimes the sleeping dolphin will float at the surface of the water.

On average, a bottlenose dolphin is expected to live about 25 years, but they can live much longer. One of our dolphins is 40!

We use positive reinforcement, rewarding the dolphin for performing the behavior. Depending on the behavior, it can take anywhere from a week to a year. Typically, it takes two to three years to fully train a dolphin. Read more about how we train our dolphins here.

Our dolphins are guest favorites and we wanted everyone to have the opportunity to see them. So now all of our guests will be able to enjoy the dolphins and spend as long as they like with these fascinating animals!

The traditional scheduled show format created capacitylimitations and the perception that our general admission did not afford guests a complete Aquarium experience. It also created overcrowding and traffic patterns that were disruptive to the remainder of the guest experience.

Dolphin Discovery, which replaces our previous dolphin shows, is an exciting new experience that allows our guests to set the pace of their visits and interact with our dolphin experts, observing our dolphins throughout the day.

Now, you can spend as much time with the dolphins as you’d like, and watch and possibly even participate in dolphin enrichment activities, like behavior training, feeding, and other exciting activities led by trainers and our other animal experts. There will still be jumps, tail walks, haul-outs, play activities with balls, and a lot more. You’ll also get to watch feeding, enrichment, and play sessions! Every hour of every day is different.

Dolphin Discovery is now open all of the time and there are always experts there to talk with you about the dolphins. So any time is a great time to see the dolphins!

In Baltimore, we have more than 16,000 animals representing more than 660 species. In Washington, DC, we have more than 1,500 animals representing more than 250 species.

In general, the National Aquarium does not accept animal donations. We appreciate your thinking of us in finding your pet a new home. However, we simply do not have enough suitable exhibit or quarantine space for the number of animals we are offered.

Please contact an animal rescue organization to help you find a new home for your animal. Never release a pet into the wild. Many exotic animals are not adapted to local climates and will not survive. Even native species should not be released after they have been captive for a period of time. The animal's survival is unlikely and any released animals could spread diseases to local populations.

Aquarium operations require a wide range of jobs, from front-line staff to animal care, to building maintenance, to finance, to fundraising, and more.

To see current job openings and submit an application, visit the National Aquarium's career center.

The Aquarium receives a tremendous number of requests for job shadowing and interviews. Unfortunately, we are unable to meet the demand.

We do offer programs, such as Immersion Tours, for people to interact with our husbandry staff. Immersion Tours present a unique opportunity for personal time with certain staff, animals, and behind-the-scenes access at the Aquarium. Learn More

We also have an internship program for college students who can work 120 hours in a semester and receive college credit. Learn more about internships at our Baltimore or Washington venues.

For information on marine science education programs, check out BRIDGE at marine-ed.org/bridge.

More information on careers in marine science can be found at marinecareers.net.

The National Aquarium offers a number of ways for people to gain experience and lay the foundation for a fascinating and rewarding career in marine science.

Student Summer Program

Maryland high school students who have completed ninth grade and at least one biology course are invited to spend a summer learning, teaching, and having fun with other students. Community service hours are awarded. Applications are accepted in the fall, and this program fills up quickly!  Learn More

Internships

Internships are a great way to get on-the-job training. The Aquarium offers unpaid internships to college students. Interns must receive college credit for their internship and complete a minimum of 120 hours of work. Learn More

Volunteering

Volunteering at the Aquarium requires a one-year commitment and the equivalent of four hours of work per week. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and high school graduates. Volunteers not only learn a lot, they have a lot of fun. Learn More

Veterinary Preceptorship/Externship

This opportunity is specifically designed for students with an interest in aquatic and zoo animal medicine, laboratory medicine, and environmental medicine. Students spend six to eight weeks working in the Animal Health Department and are exposed to the multifaceted nature of veterinary practice in a major aquarium. Students applying for the Veterinary Preceptorship Program must be a student in good standing enrolled in an AVMA-accredited school of veterinary medicine and must have completed the first two years of basic courses. Positions are unpaid. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are considered as received. Inquiries may be directed to Dr. Ben Rossi.

To become a marine mammal trainer, we recommend you get a degree in biology, psychology, or zoology. Additionally, most of our trainers got involved first through internships or volunteer programs, either at the National Aquarium or at other facilities. You will also need SCUBA certification! Learn more about dolphin training.

BALT: The National Aquarium, Baltimore, began in the mid-1970s, when Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer and Commissioner of Housing and Community Development Robert C. Embry conceived and championed the idea of an aquarium as a vital component of Baltimore's overall Inner Harbor redevelopment.

In 1976, Baltimore City residents voted for the Aquarium on a bond referendum, and groundbreaking took place on August 8, 1978.

In November 1979, the United States Congress voted it a "National" Aquarium.

The grand opening was on August 8, 1981.

The City of Baltimore funded most of the Aquarium's $21.3 million construction cost. Other major sources include: $7.5 million from City capital funds generated by the sale of Friendship (now Baltimore-Washington International) Airport to the State of Maryland; another $7.5 million from the 1976 bond issue referendum; and $2.5 million from the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Commerce Department. The private sector contributed about $1 million.

The land and the buildings are owned by the City of Baltimore.

The Aquarium is run by a nonprofit corporation, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Inc., which consists of a volunteer board of directors and larger advisory board, plus a full-time paid staff.

Under the terms of its management agreement with the City, the nonprofit corporation strives to remain self-supporting for operations.

WASH: The National Aquarium was first established in 1873 in Woods Hole, MA, as part of the Federal Fish Commission.

In 1878, The National Aquarium moved to the site of the Washington Monument, and consisted of holding ponds, known as "Babcock Lakes."

In the 1880s, the National Aquarium consisted of a hatching station and small aquarium in Central Station, located near the present National Air and Space Museum.

The Fish Commission became part of the Department of Commerce in 1903, and changed its name to the Bureau of Fisheries.

With the building of the Department of Commerce Building in 1932, the National Aquarium was incorporated into the lower level of the building.

In the 1940s, the National Aquarium came under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, when the Bureau of Fisheries became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In 1982, federal funds were eliminated from the operating budget for the National Aquarium. With the threat of closing, The National Aquarium Society was formed to keep the National Aquarium operating.

In 2003, The National Aquarium Society board of directors signed an alliance agreement with the board of directors of The National Aquarium in Baltimore, enabling the two aquariums to work together to strengthen the animal collection and educational impact of the Aquarium.

In 2004, initial planning for the National Aquarium, Washington, DC, renovation project took place, with receipt of a $573,000 grant from NOAA.

Though the National Aquarium has changed locations, it is considered the longest continuously operating aquarium in the United States.

The Aquarium’s original building, the Pier 3 Pavilion, was designed by Peter Chermayeff of Cambridge Seven Associates in Boston, MA. It measures 115,000 square feet and holds more than 1 million gallons of water.

The Pier 4 Pavilion is a 94,000-square-foot building designed by Grieves Associates of Baltimore, which opened to the public in December 1990. This building houses a 1.3-million-gallon pool for the Aquarium’s Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, a traveling exhibit area, and a cafe, and is linked to the main building on Pier 3 by an enclosed footbridge.

The 65,400-square-foot Glass Pavilion, which opened in December 2005, was also designed by Peter Chermayeff. It features the award-winning Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes exhibit, a 6,650-square-foot cafe, a 5,000-square-foot gift shop, and a remarkable 35-foot waterfall.

The National Aquarium, Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest paid tourist attraction, and the economic impact of Aquarium visitors on the State of Maryland has been tremendous. A study by the Maryland Department of Economic and Employment Development determined that the Aquarium annually generates nearly $220 million in revenues, 2,000 jobs, and $6.8 million in State and local taxes. The Aquarium's success has contributed to the development of more than 3,000 new hotel rooms in Baltimore.

BALT: More than 1.4 million visitors pass through the National Aquarium, Baltimore's doors every year.

WASH: More than 200,000 visitors pass through the National Aquarium, Washington, DC’s doors every year.

The National Aquarium in Baltimore was originally distinct from the National Aquarium in Washington, DC. Both used the title "National Aquarium," but the two were not affiliated.

In 2003, The National Aquarium Society Board of Directors signed an alliance agreement with the Board of Directors of The National Aquarium in Baltimore, enabling the two aquariums to work together to strengthen the animal collection and educational impact of the Aquarium. We are now one National Aquarium, with two venues.

The National Aquarium, Washington, DC, started as an outdoor exhibition of fish established in 1878 on property now known as The Mall. In 1903, the Department of Commerce and Labor was created and the Fish Commission put in its charge.

In his first annual report, President Theodore Roosevelt’s new Secretary of Commerce and Labor George B. Cortelyou called for the construction of a dedicated Department of Commerce Building and the inclusion of “...a national aquarium of such size and architectural excellence that it will be a credit to the nation.”

Groundbreaking for the Department of Commerce Building was celebrated on October 4, 1927. Blueprints had been drawn by York & Sawyer Architects, a firm most famous for the design of 1920’s skyscrapers in its native New York City. The building site at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue covered 8 acres of land over three city blocks.

President Herbert Hoover, after whom the building was renamed upon its 50th anniversary in 1982, laid the cornerstone in July of 1929. Construction was completed in January 1932. At the time, the Department of Commerce Building was the largest office building in the world, with the National Aquarium tucked into its lower level, where the Aquarium still finds its home today.

No. Neither National Aquarium venue is managed or funded by the federal government. The National Aquarium Institute, which oversees both Aquarium venues, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We rely on the generosity of our donors, members, and volunteers to operate this world-class aquarium enterprise with conservation-based programs, education, and research.

Yes! From weddings to corporate events, you can rent out the Aquarium for various indoor or outdoor events.

Plan an Event in Baltimore

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Yes!

See Birthday party options in Baltimore

Host a Birthday party in Washington, DC 

BALT: We offer you a choice of two caterers: The Classic Catering People and Harbor Market Catering. Our caterers will provide all food and beverage under separate contract from the rental contract with the Aquarium.

WASH: The National Aquarium, Washington, DC, provides clients with a suggested list of recommended caterers whose menus and services have created successful and praise-worthy events. Caterers must agree to observe guidelines that meet safety and legal requirements of the facility.

BALT: There are no limitations on types of music in the main Aquarium building. In the Pier 4 Pavilion, the limitations concern the sensitivity of the dolphins to certain types and decibel levels of music. No steel drums are allowed in the dolphin building, and no amplified music is allowed in the Underwater Viewing Area.

Candles are permitted at the Aquarium as long as they are surrounded by glass, e.g., votives, hurricanes.

Yes! Talk to our event planners about your various options.

Yes! Both Aquarium venues have excellent meeting space available.

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