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Albuquerque Aquarium – Things to do in Albuquerque – ABQ BioPark

Looking for things to do in Albuquerque, New Mexico?  A day out at the Albuquerque Aquarium is sure to delight. It is part of the ABQ BioPark system.

The Albuquerque Aquarium  exhibits saltwater species from a variety of habitats in the Gulf of Mexico and South Pacific. 

One of the nice aspects of the entry to the aquarium and nearby botanical garden are large bronze statues of children playing.Bronze statues at ABQ aquarium

About ABQ BioPark

Albuquerque is lucky to have the ABQ BioPark for both local and visiting tourists as an attraction.  This environmental park consists of the Albuquerque Aquarium, a Botanic Garden and a Zoo. Train at the Albuquerque Aquarium

My husband and I visit Botanical gardens to share with readers of this blog during the summer months.  We also spent time at the ABQ Botanical Gardens.

The Botanic Gardens and Aquarium are located next to each other and a fun train ride connects these two to the ABQ BioPark Zoo.

Tingley Lake, a separate attraction offers locals and visitors a place to fish, picnic and walk with your dog.

The ABQ aquarium is a great place to observe nature up close and personal. They even have a Spanish Pirate Ship display! Find out more on The Gardening Cook. ⚓🏴‍☠️🐬🐋🐟 Click To Tweet

They even have a Spanish Pirate Ship!

One fun displays that the kids will really enjoy is a life size Spanish Pirate Ship display outside the main building of the aquarium. The viewing area allows visitors to get very close to the ship so you can see the detail well.

I love to find attractions with areas that really make for a great trip for the children to enjoy.  Beech Creek Nature Preserve is another fun outing that the kids will love.

shipwreck at the Aquarium in Albuquerque

Photos of the Albuquerque Aquarium

The Albuquerque Aquarium features exhibits with live fish and aquarium exhibits.  

Watch river otters having fun and get a feel of the aquarium inhabitants in the Mangrove Touch Pool.Stingrays in a touching pool

A highlight of the Albuquerque Aquarium is a 285,000 gallon shark tank with a 38 foot wide viewing window.Atlantic Coral Reef Aquarium at ABQ

There are hundreds of species of fish from estuaries, shallow waters, coral reefs and the oceans to view. Individual fish are very large and the viewing tanks allowed close up inspection.Fish swimming at the ABQ aquarium

Exhibits feature fish from the Rio Grande, the nearby river, including those currently found and those no longer in the river today. One large viewing area showed lots of crustaceans, as well as fish varieties.Crustaceans in the ABQ aquarium

We had lunch in an adjoining cafe and were treated to a live feeding of a huge puffer fish as well as other fish in a large aquarium.Feeding the fish at the ABQ aquarium

As soon as this ended, another diver entered with scuba gear and started cleaning the rocks in the aquarium as well as passing fish. Turtles seemed to enjoy having their backs scrubbed!Cleaning the turtles

Glass aquariums of all sizes abound showing the various species of fish, as well as jellyfish, live nautilus shells, turtles and coral.Fish on display in a large aquarium

The movie theater onsite had supporting graphics, films and interactive exhibits, as well.

Movie Marquee about ocean life

A movie theater is part of the Aquarium and features several movies.  On the roster when we visited was a weekly roster that featured;

  • A plastic ocean
  • In Hot water
  • Seasons of the Otter
  • Coral Sea Dreaming
  • Call of the Ancient marines
  • One River, Many voices
  • The End of the line

Many exhibits feature Conservation as part of the theme of the exhibit. The use of plastic in our lives and how it affects ocean life is one that was a common idea.

A huge display hangs overhead in this area of a large metal fish with a mouth full of trash that might end up in the sea. It makes one very aware of the need for conservation and care of our environment.Metal fish with a mouth full of trash

For details of another great family nature day trip, see my post for the Cleveland Zoo.  It’s a great day out.

Visiting the ABQ Aquarium

If you have a love of ocean life in general and fish in particular, this Aquarium is for you. It is small but offers a great experience.jelly fish

Admission to the aquarium can be purchased as a single ticket or as part of a combination ticket that includes the Botanic Gardens and nearby Zoo, as well.

The single ticket for the Aquarium also offers admission to the nearby Botanical Gardens.

The ABQ aquarium offers discounts for children and seniors and is well worth a visit. Be sure to start early if you plan to do all three venues, since the parks close at 5 pm.

Visit the ABQ BioPark Albuquerque Aquarium at 2601 Central Ave. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104. The park is open 7 days a week from 9 am to 4:30 pm. The park closes at 5 – and is also closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Pin this post on the Albuquerque Aquarium for later

Would you like a reminder of these details on the ABQ Aquarium at the BioPark?  Just pin this image to one of your travel boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.Visiting the ABQ Biopark Aquarium in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Have you visited the ABQ BioPark Aquarium?  Please leave your thoughts and impressions in the comments below.

 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission from the sale, but the price is the same for you. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."