Glen Echo Park Aquarium

Fantastic experience: Glen Echo Park Aquarium is a premier intimate educational experience on local Chesapeake aquatic life. The staff are engaging, deeply knowledgeable, and passionate about what they do. This is a rare hidden gem of an educational outing for the curious and for the outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.

Fantastic experience: Glen Echo Park Aquarium is truly a hidden gem. It's a wonderful place for both kids and adults to learn something new and interact with the friendly, knowledgeable staff. It's extremely clear that this aquarium values quality over quantity. Every one of their exhibits is carefully designed and the care they give to each of their animals is easy to see. One of the things I enjoyed most about the aquarium was learning the unique names and backstories of the animals. Their summer camp is on par with the aquarium itself, run by outstanding counselors who take the time to understand each child and create a fun, supportive environment for learning about the animals and the local ecosystem.

Fantastic experience: Helpful, local, and surprisingly packed with fish of all sorts and sizes. Young ladies will love the dashing lads doling out knowledge with a delightful smile amidst wisps of golden locks

Negative experience: It really is just a room with some tanks. While staff are knowledgeable and informative I thought there were too many and not enough fish. It's a good place for curious children but could be lost on the older crowd. Also $10 per person is just too much for what it is.

Negative experience: Staff was rude. They pick and choose who they will talk to and interact with. I think 10.00 a ticket is way too high for maybe what took us 5-7minutes to look at what they had. Very lackluster.

Fantastic experience: My 11 year old and I visited recently. It’s great to see the richness of local marine and aquatic life. The staff were great - very welcoming and informative. This is not a huge, fancy aquarium but from a child’s perspective there is plenty to see - and there is a cute playground and charming pathways to explore. Seen through a child’s eyes this is a really magical space and as an adult I learned plenty as well.

Negative experience: I thought $10 was too much for what they have to offer

Positive experience: Extremely educational experience for adults and kids ! Staff were great and very knowledgeable. Kids loved to pet the horseshoe crabs . Would definitely recommend for families or school trips

Fantastic experience: We had our 5-yr old grandchildren’s birthday over the weekend at Glen Echo Park Aquarium and can’t say enough good things about it. The details were easy to plan and the staff was extremely accommodating and helpful. The children had an amazing time - they had fun learning about the different animals and were captivated by the touch tank! Also, Greg did an awesome job teaching the kids about sharks and helping our grandkids feed the shark there. Ariel was wonderful in helping plan the event. A big thank you Greg, Kalysse, Kitt and Sebastian for making this party perfect

Fantastic experience: After many fun afternoon trips we decided to host my daughter’s birthday here. It was wonderful. The staff were super helpful and kind- great with the kids too. The location is gorgeous with plenty of room for them to explore in and outside of the aquarium. We can’t thank everyone enough for a wonderful birthday!

Fantastic experience: My favorite part was the baby turtle.

Fantastic experience: Kids bday party ....it was a great idea for a bday spot. loved the tour

Fantastic experience: No frills sort and sweet visit to a off the beaten path aquarium. Great for kids between 2-8 years old. The gentle man who welcomed us was very knowledgeable and gave us quite a bit of background about so that we were looking at.

Fantastic experience: Feels like you traveled back in time. And it's perfect for a large group of kids. Plenty to see and do outside of seeing fish

Fantastic experience: Friendly staff and really fun little aquarium. Great programs for kids including the summer camp.

Positive experience: It’s an oasis in the middle of such crowded localities. Place needs an uplift but much needed and appreciated.

Fantastic experience: This aquarium was so neat! Our homeschool group (PreK, Kindergarten, & 1st graders) arranged a field trip on a weekday morning. Mr. Wilson, a marine biologist and the creator of the aquarium, took us on a fantastic and educational tour. He kept our 3-6 year olds interested and entertained throughout the whole visit with fun facts, hands-on activities, and question & answer opportunities. We saw a few feedings (horseshoe crabs, fish, and even a small shark!) and the kids got to hold various creatures from the supervised touch tank. The staff were friendly and helpful. We look forward to visiting again!

Negative experience: I'm giving 2 stars only because after making the 45min drive there, they were closed for 2 different parties and there was nothing posted about being closed, except for a sign on the gate.

Fantastic experience: Great team of folks who were quite understanding of the children and fostered their curiosity.

Fantastic experience: Been here twice now, both times were great. The staff and head know a lot and go out of their way to make it a positive experience. It’s not a giant and expensive aquarium, but it’s delivers well and is worth a short visit. I plan to return.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic experience with great staff dedicated to teaching. Worth a drive to visit.

Negative experience: I was not expecting such a little place... is basically a home aquarium. They charger me 8 USD for an 30 minutes tour, since there was a Birthday... my kid didn't get to touch many life creatures... Very disaponted. It should not be call an aquiarium...

Positive experience: We liked the puppet show, and my daughter loved riding the carousel again and again. I loved meeting the potter in the pottery yurt. I bought several lovely things there.

Fantastic experience: What a marvelous gem of an aquarium. It’s only open from 9 to 5. You want to call or email in advance. It is a wonderful little play room for kids. Educational of everything about the Chesapeake. Most everything in here is a local variety. They are doing their part for preservation, but also education. An enthusiastic set of people working there.

Fantastic experience: I'm a child at heart and it was beautiful nice cool areas to cool off in the theater for the kids was nice

Positive experience: Small little aquarium but staff was nice and knowledgeable. They had a cute horse crab tank where a sweet lady showed them to the children. Got to see them feed the fish too! There were also moments where you could take photos at cut out boards and an adorable ship plank/dock treehouse style where children could play. As well as a sandbox for kids to play at too. It would be nice to see it expand one day. A big plus that there’s a carousel, little play ground and other activities for children once you’ve gone through the aquarium.

Positive experience: Small! Cute and interesting but only ~30 minutes worth of fun.

Negative experience: We didn’t have a great experience. Came here and it was closed for a birthday party until 2pm. We came back at 2:05pm then waited in line for 15 minutes to get in. $8/person. Then in 40 minutes we were asked to leave because there was another birthday party at 3pm. Paid $24 for 40 minutes. We asked if we could come back another day instead but they said no. We would have not gone in if they told us we would have to leave in 40 mins when we bought our ticket. We are very unhappy with the experience. They shouldn’t close it all down just because there’s a birthday. Our 4 year old didn’t understand why we were being kicked out :(. The fish were kind of cool, you get to touch a horseshoe crab.

Fantastic experience: You can pour millions and millions into a project and it can still fall flat, as many of the soulless, impersonal tourist attractions of the DC area prove. This place is an aquarium with soul. My kids came back feeling not only that they learned a fair bit about marine wildlife, but that people at the museum took a personal interest in their learning. With all due respect, Smithsonian museums tend to employ staff from a certain stage of life not known for its energy. The fact that this place is staffed by aspiring marine biologists with immense passion and enthusiasm for their work makes the experience a fundamentally different one. And a great one.

Positive experience: The aquarium is interesting, but very small. The set up is clever and convenient to be able to move from fresh water species to brackish to salt water. My kids really liked seeing the small shark they have. I was ok with the $8/ea admission cost. I would suggest this place for the very young children. My kids are a little older and were done with the place very quickly.

Fantastic experience: A small place with fish tanks and interactive environment inside the Glen Echo park. It's a quick and informative tour specially for the young kids.

Positive experience: Small interattive local aquarium where adults and kids will both learn.

Fantastic experience: It’s a beautiful place to visit with young children. Aquarium has so many kinds of sea life, from turtle to horse shoe crab and the ladies are very kind and friendly to share the information. The carrousel is a big hit for children.

Fantastic experience: Not your fancy aquarium but a true educational small hidden gem which I value way more. My 2.5 year old really enjoyed herself and I did as well! Ariel was our guide and she taught us so much. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: I feel like this place is a hidden gem. It's wonderful for young children to engage with marine life at a such a young age. The creatures are very accessible and help expand the children's minds beyond fish. The fish are cool (puffer, rainbow trout, minnows, etc.) but there's also a gar, eel, blue crabs, and bamboo shark. The touch tank houses a few horseshoe crabs, a sea snail, and hermit crab among others. The in-house turtles have personalities and the staff is knowledgable, passionate and professional. We brought our son here on a cold winter day b/c he loves turtles. He was enthralled. We then brought him back when the weather was nicer and the whole outdoor play area, which includes a huge sand box, water play table, and pirate ship tree house deck, became available. We ended up having his birthday party here and the staff did not disappoint. I was concerned over the large number of guests but Andrew the director knew exactly the right flow and ended up splitting the group into two. One that would explore the touch tank and the other that would go learn about the pirate ship deck. The tour was awesome and the kids were in awe. The kids could do a craft as well. Fun was had by all, and there was learning and playing included.

Fantastic experience: Great aquarium, though very small. Wonderful staff... friendly and super-informative

Fantastic experience: The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable about the fish. Every time I go I learn something new. My children love the animals and outdoor play area

Positive experience: I visited that place 47years ago.It was amazing

Fantastic experience: Took kids to small aquarium with touch tank and had fun exploring the ground. Kids had fun in playground area. Bonus there were literally refreshments for sale in Cafe w friendly staff.

Fantastic experience: Fun and educational for the family!

Negative experience: Imagine a small pet store in a dying shopping center, except that it charges admission, you can’t buy any animals, and most of the turtles are missing legs.

Fantastic experience: I visited the Glen Echo Aquarium with my Girl Scout Troop today. The troop (3rd grade) and adults were very entertained by our expert Hostess Aerial. She was fantastic at grabbing their attention, sharing fun facts, and asking interesting questions. It’s a small place, but we spent 2 hours learning something about each tank. We had the opportunity to feed fish and touch many creatures from the touch tank. The cutest eel possible came out to eat, and a blow fish sprayed the girls who wanted to be sprayed with water. We could have easily gone another 30 minutes and spent some time running around outside. I highly recommend visiting with a guided tour.

Negative experience: After standing on the patio in front of the aquarium to read the flyers about what the place was offering before entering the aquarium, I was told I already owed the entrance fee just because I was standing in front of the entrance with my kid, even if I was not entering the aquarium. That is scam-level ridiculous.

Fantastic experience: Took my family with a 2yr old and 10mth old and It was a wonderful experience for us. We can tell that our guide loved what he did and was very knowledgeable. We learned a lot and had fun. My 2yr old especially loved her experience with the touch tank.

Fantastic experience: 100% worth the money! It is a small space but the information and the personable staff made it not seem small at all. I recommend to anyone who loves nature or learning in general. Or anyone who has social anxiety, we were the only ones in there for a while. Due to that we got to spend the whole time learning and getting to experience it in a different way than you would at a big aquarium. It’s not just for children either. My boyfriend and I are in our 20’s and both had a great time! So if you are thinking about it, just go for it!

Positive experience: Variety of local aquatic animals that is fascinating to see up close with hands on demonstrations and lots of information

Fantastic experience: this was the coolest place I’ve ever been in my entire life. they had a puffer fish just like the ones in minecraft… literally epic

Fantastic experience: This is a small but mighty aquarium with a focus on children's activities and learning. The interior of the aquarium features all local water life and is broken into freshwater and brackish water varieties. The staff take time to talk and interact with children, allowing them to touch and observe in ways that enhance curiosity. The outside has a wonderful play area so come in your play clothes to get in the sand and dig! Because of the picturesque setting nestled next to Glen Echo Park, you may even see some local wildlife like rabbits. I understand that some of the other reviews have complained about cost and that is always a factor when taking children places, especially those run as small private projects like this. But whether you spend an hour learning about fish or 2 hours playing on the grounds, I think it's money well spent!

Fantastic experience: This is a perfect place for toddler to learn and interact with local fish and water creatures! there are also fishing pools and water toys available around the acquarium. the price is 8 dollar per adult and free for toddler below 2 year old. my baby girl loved the sea horses and we pet the horseshoe crabs and conch and founder fish!!!

Fantastic experience: The aquarium, offers a small and cozy atmosphere with approximately 11 tanks. It's a perfect destination for families with toddlers and elementary age children, as there are both indoor and outdoor areas to explore. The facility boasts interactive features such as touch tanks, a water table, a sandbox, and a charming play area complete with a pirate ship tree house. The admission price of $8 per person for ages 2+. The staff at the aquarium stood out with their attentive and welcoming demeanor. One person who made a significant impact on our experience was Mr. Lee, a knowledgeable and engaging member of the staff. He took on the role of our science guru, captivating us with his informative talks and demonstrations. We had the pleasure of witnessing him feed various fish and gained a wealth of knowledge about animals and scientific concepts. Mr. Lee was not only enthusiastic but also readily available to answer any questions we had, leaving us impressed with his expertise.

Fantastic experience: Small and cute aquarium with an attentive staff that know so much about each thing inside! Great to go with a toddler during the summer because they have touch tanks, water table, sandbox and a little play area with a pirate ship tree house. My 2.5 year old only spent about 25 minutes inside but spent a good 30 minutes outside playing. $8 per person and well spent.

Negative experience: There are no signs anywhere stating you need to pay $4 per person to just be on the grounds. I came here with my kids once before for a birthday party, so we came back last week on my day off because they liked the sandbox. It was completely empty, and there was no one outside to collect fees, and no signage stating you have to pay not just to go inside the aquarium but be in their sandbox outside. A man came out of the building and asked if we'd paid to go in. I told him no, we'd been inside before and the kids wanted to play in the sandbox. He said, "well, we have two prices, it's $4 per person to be here, or $8 per person to go inside." I couldn't believe I was being asked to pay for something free in every park I've been in, and asked, "I need to pay for my kids to play in the sandbox?" He said yes, and for yourself too. Oh, but we have memberships if you want to come back! Why would I pay a membership to play in a sandbox? Ha! I wondered because of his tone, if I didn't look like the "right" kind of person to be there, and this fee only applies when they want it to, since again there are no signs. We left, though the kids were disappointed, but there is plenty to do in Glen Echo for the same price or free, like see an entire play at The Puppet Co or Adventure Theater, or play on the playground father in, ride the carousel (for $4 all day!) or go hiking by the creek. We went hiking and had an amazing time. I recommend the carousel or a play if you have the money.

Negative experience: We went on a Monday when it was empty. It was super hot and humid and my kids and I went to see how much to go in. $8/pp. Isaid ok thank you, and we went outside to the sandbox to sit and play. The man who worked there came out and said that we couldn't be within their fence without paying, and would have to pay $4/pp just to be on the grounds! Thanks for making my kids cry.

Fantastic experience: Love this little aquarium! It's the perfect size for a toddler

Positive experience: 7-10 tank, enthusiastic staff which is why this gets three stars. Otherwise would likely not be considered an aquarium. Things for kids to touch. Sandbox with a cool treehouse ship. But love the staff.

Positive experience: It was a really fun day out with the kiddos. I recommend that if the family wants to spend a nice day out walking around and exploring. When the aquarium is packed, they will charge admission.

Fantastic experience: A fun hidden treasure. My 3.5 yr old and 18 month old enjoyed themselves. My youngest mainly had fun moving the step stools around, but my son really enjoyed the touch tank animals. Ariel was patient with my small children. She was very knowledgeable and helpful. Fun stuff to play with outside, in that general vicinity too. Really could spend whole day at glen echo. So many things to do with the kids. Total win to have nice clean bathrooms available too.

Fantastic experience: Great for 4 yr old birthday party, they feed the fish and the facts are fascinating! Indoor and outdoor, nice treehouse, sandbox, and water play activities, too!

Fantastic experience: I visited the Glen Echo Park Aquarium with my family on a cold and rainy day, and I must say it was a fantastic experience! The aquarium is a hidden gem that my family frequents, but this was my first time. It is smaller than the typical aquariums, but full of local educational opportunities. First of all, the staff were incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable about the exhibits. They took the time to explain everything to us and even engaged our toddlers in fun and educational activities. We felt like we were part of the aquarium family from the moment we arrived. The exhibits themselves were mesmerizing. We saw a variety of fish and other marine life that we had never seen before. The highlight for our toddlers was the touch tank, where they were able to interact with horseshoe crabs, hog chokers, and varieties of mollusks! The layout of the aquarium was also well-planned, with plenty of space for strollers and little ones to move around comfortably. There were also several stools for toddlers to step on for better views throughout the aquarium. Overall, we had an amazing time at the Glen Echo Park Aquarium, and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and educational experience. It is the perfect place to take your family on a rainy day or any day, really! Five stars all around.

Fantastic experience: I adore this aquarium. The people who work there obviously care about the animals, and are full of exciting facts! We got to handle animals in the touch tank and watch a bunch of amazing aquatic creatures be fed! Ariel was attentive and fantastic with children, she helped us acquire magnifying glasses and use the microscopes. It’s always worth a visit and we WILL be going back again!!

Fantastic experience: Grear small indoor place to be with kids!

Fantastic experience: Perfect introduction to animals and sea creatures for my toddler! The staff was super knowledgeable and introduced us to all the animals that were available. We got to see lots of fish, a shark, frogs, and got to touch horseshoe crabs and hermit crabs. There’s a fee of $8/person, but kids under two are free! There’s ample parking (at least on weekday mornings), and the aquarium is the first building on the left if you park in the lower parking lot.

Fantastic experience: Exceeded our expectation. Personal tour in an intimate & welcoming environment.  Ariel was fantastic. She was friendly and knowledgeable, and kept my 4yr son engaged. She kept my son's interest by following his lead. My son enjoyed touching the horse shoe crab, hermit crab, snail, and shrimp. We spent an hour exploring the aquarium despite its small size. Leading up to the entrance, there is a boat tree house, water/sand play, and amusing Halloween decorations. We ended the the tour with Boo-Aquarium. Highly recommended for both children & adults.

Positive experience: I loved the experience because we got to see a variety of fish. The staff was really nice by explaining to us every detail about an animal. They let us touch some of the fish very gently. This experience is great for younger kids so they get to interact with the fish. We would definitely recommend coming here with your family.

Negative experience: I think this is a good place for children 2-3, but if you have an energetic 6 year old then the 10 minutes it takes to look around the Aquarium itself isn’t worth the $8 per person. It was a little frustrating that their email says to walk to the yellow area of their building but it turns out it’s actually blue, so that was a bit confusing. The touch tank mainly consisted of a horseshoe crab and snail for our visit. However, the staff member was very friendly. I just expected a little more.

Fantastic experience: Support your local shops- this was a small quaint neat aquarium. Nothing crazy but spent a good hour here. I learned a lot and had a good time. $8 per person. There's a sandbox and games outside the aquarium.

Fantastic experience: Hands on activities for kids. We were able to see a feeding and touch horseshoe crabs. Tanks of local fish turtles crabs to see

Fantastic experience: A truly unique and special place. Each child gets a personal tour and individualized introduction to the sea creatures of the Chesapeake. Great staff and an amazing touch tank. Highly recommend!!!

Fantastic experience: My 1.5 yo and I had a great time at the Glen Echo Aquarium! We learned so much! Highly recommend. The owner is very knowledgeable and friendly!

Fantastic experience: We had an informative session with Ariel. It’s a small aquarium but it packs a lot in terms of knowledge

Fantastic experience: We brought our 3 and 6 yr old. This magical place, starting from the activities leading to the entrance (sand play areas, pirate ship) far exceeded expectations. Extremely engaged staff will walk your children through local marine life and the touch tank (!!), don’t miss it!!

Fantastic experience: We come from PA to visit family in Potomac and we always come to Glen Echo Park. The carousel is a must see! We tried the aquarium this trip and it was awesome!!! Small exhibit but worth it! They have seahorses and an eel and really unique creatures. They have a table that you can touch some animals like a horseshoe crab. There are play areas outside with sand and water tables and a wooden pirate ship structure. My son would have stayed here all day!!!

Fantastic experience: Great place for kids bday and visits

Fantastic experience: It’s a small place but the information and interaction with the fish is definitely worth the visit. We enjoyed seeing them feed sea horses as well as the puffer and flounder fishes and learning about horse shoe crabs. There’s also ample parking space.

Fantastic experience: Great place for kids with an interactive aquarium and knowledgeable and fun staff. The carousel is fun and climate controlled. The park is well shaded suitable for picnics and a nearby creamery and playground for kids. Overall, a great time and recommend fir all.

Fantastic experience: A+ aquarium for kids and honestly I learned so much and had fun touching the conch and crabs and seeing the seahorses eat shrimp. Small yes thus private. Sarah, our educator, was stellar. Her knowledge and gentleness had my kids up to their elbows in discovery. Try for an early morning and you're sure to have an incredibly engaging good time.

Fantastic experience: Just took the kids this morning since it's spring break. Mr. Andrew and his small scale aquarium made such an amazing experience for my 5 and 2 year olds. For kids of this age, having a calm experience is great, and having a few tanks helps us pay more attention to each animal. Definitely was less stressful than the Baltimore aquarium, both in terms of volume of people and the pressure to see all of the animals. Also, he was able to give us dedicated attention without being overbearing. We LOVED our visit and will come back again (and again and again)! P.S. My five year old says it'll be best if we just keep coming back instead of trying to have our own fish tank at home. Thanks, Andrew!

Fantastic experience: Fun for the whole family

Fantastic experience: My toddler and I had a wonderful experience! Our guide was so friendly, knowledgable, and encouraging of little learners! He was our own personal tour guide and taught my son and I lots of fun facts. What I appreciated most was that he let my son's interests lead the way. My toddler was fascinated by the microscopes and water filtration systems and our guide got down on his level and taught him all about how they work. It was lovely! Thank you!

Fantastic experience: A terrific tiny spot to learn about all kinds of sea creatures from Chesapeake area. The staff running the place are highly knowledgeable, engaging and good with pre-schoolers. The indoor and outdoor play areas with a sandbox, mock wooden ships, and other play things made the place extra memorable for my little one.

Fantastic experience: Great place to go for a vacation trip with the kids

Negative experience: Worst experience. They closed without letting us know. We got there for my son's 7th birthday with 20 kids in 20 degree weather, carrying all their birthday goodies. The gate was locked. I called Andrew and he sounded very surprised. He claimed that they are closed because of snow and he has called everyone on his list. Except, I was on their list (see pic below) and I had already sent the check. The lack of accountability and communication is hard to explain. My husband stayed by glen echo park to redirect the guests to our house for an hour, He missed his son's birthday. Andrew called and he said he is SORRY! to which my son responded "you ruined my BD!" and I think that just sums it up. Please do not book this venue unless you have a plan B. They are as unreliable and untrustworthy as it gets. Very very very disappointed.

Positive experience: Went to the Aquarium at the Park with our 2.5 year old grandson. Was perfect for him. Staff was Fantastic.

Fantastic experience: The best aquarium experience ever. Our family was the only group during the visit in a weekday morning. A very friendly and knowledgeable guide walked us through each tank and all species, and tried all efforts to maximize our experience. My son had such a great fun and definitely we will come back.

Fantastic experience: Amazing hidden gem, very clean. Very professional educated staff. I was impressed the kids loved it and learned a lot. I will highly recommend. Very nice small aquarium

Fantastic experience: We had the most fantastic time today at Glen Echo Aquarium as they hosted our Son’s 5th birthday. The curator and volunteer at the aquarium put on an incredible program and we had the whole place to ourselves. Every parent who bought their kid said it was the best party they’ve ever been to! Highly, highly recommended!

Fantastic experience: Great use of space in this aquarium. It has a great assortment of fish and has a touch tank!

Fantastic experience: 100% worthwhile experience. It's a small room lined with aquariums, but full of fun. The staff was excellent and age appropriate for two, 2 year olds. The touch tank is awesome. The private showing feels perfect, personal, and pandemic safe. The park itself is still a waste of time, but the aquarium is a great hidden gem. There is also this felt board and microscope that entertained the kids. I liked the standing outside sand box which is way less messy than a regular sand pit, but provided joy. It's probably a one and done, but what a great one!

Fantastic experience: What a great aquarium! This place is not huge but it's definitely one of the best aquariums I've been to. Since everything is in one big room and it's not overwhelmingly filled OR squished in there, we can actually pay attention and learn more about each individual animal. I wouldn't say it's an all day affair but we definitely stayed there for a few hours (longer than I expected this place to keep my children's attention). The employees are very friendly and knowledgeable. They pay attention what what you're looking at and give you interesting tidbits of info as you go around to the different tanks. They are engaging and ask kids questions to get them involved. There's a touch tank where you can learn about a few different shelled aquatic animals and touch their shells / bodies with help from the staff. They are respectful of the animals and don't let kids touch anything in the water without them lifting up the animal and instructing on how to properly touch them (without harming the animal). Outside, they have a few small attractions that were fun to visit. They have a sand pit with a lot of toys and such strewed around it. There's a large part of a ship which they will lead you on if they are around and teach you about. There's a small rescued turtle who lives out in a small gated area they will talk to you about. And a little water spout spot with fake creature to play with. If you plan on being outside during bug season, prepare yourself for lots of bug bites, or put bug spray on before arriving! They have some picnic tables outside where we sat to have lunch but we were getting eaten by mosquitoes This is located near an old running carousel which was a fun plus for the kids. One plus which some may think is a negative is...there is no gift shop I for one was glad to not have to worry about my kids asking for a billion things they don't need. Loved this place! Will likely go back in the future. A great gem for a small, intimate, educational birthday party :)

Fantastic experience: Our six year old granddaughter wanted to return to the aquarium after having visited it only two months previously. We were not disappointed. The second trip was as interesting, informative and fun as the first. The guide answered her many questions and was great at keeping all of the children there involved. I highly recommend this as a place to visit for families!

Negative experience: Must make an appointment to fo anything other than walk around. Looked like ghost town in the buildings. Tried to call and no one answered.

Positive experience: Cute but expensive. This is about a 30 minute activity so the price is a bit steep but it was certainly worth doing. Our 4 and 2 year old enjoyed the personal tour. They especially liked watching the seahorses get fed. I wished there were more things open at Glen Echo Park itself.

Fantastic experience: The aquarium stock with local fish. A wonderland for a child who is learning about creatures underwater. Both exhibits and staff creates the great exploratory environment for the young brain. In my opinion it is a hidden gem. The aquarium's effort to introduce regional aquatic fauna (Chesapeake Bay watershed) is commendable and opens up the young mind to further explorations. The staff is very friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Most of all their patients with energetic kids are amazing!

Fantastic experience: We had a great visit to the Glen Echo Aquarium. We loved that is focused on local marine life, and that is was accessible and interesting for our four year old. Andrew was funny, lively, and informative. What a special experience. We hope to be back soon!

Fantastic experience: Thank you so much to Andrew Wilson & his sea creatures for coming to us & giving us a full touch the sea experience! It was the “MOST AWESOME PARTY EVER!!!” We learned a lot, saw & touched creatures we had never seen! Andrew was very animated & just a delight. After such a hard year, we were hoping for a great day & he truly delivered. We will be visiting your aquarium as soon as possible. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Positive experience: It is pretty expensive for what amounts to about 10 medium sized tanks worth of fish in a fairly small room. The guide was very nice and informative though. I think it is probably good for children 3-6 or so. It might be better when there aren't COVID restrictions, I'm not sure. We basically only had half an hour before the next group was being filtered through.

Fantastic experience: This is a lovely little aquarium that I would never have known existed if a friend hadn't let me know about it. It is in a single small building, so not going to rival the National Aquarium anytime soon, but it is very well set up, covering a number of aquatic species native to the streams, bay, and ocean around Maryland (who knew there were puffer fish in Maryland?) It is great for families with young children (there's a touch tank with hermit crabs, whelks, horseshoe crabs, etc. along with a felt board and other touch and learn exhibits) or just for anyone interested in the marine life around the area. The volunteers are very helpful and knowledgeable, and I definitely intend to go back.

Positive experience: Parking is a short walk away so you need extra time to get there from your car. Aquarium displays are well organized and specific to Chesapeake bay and rivers feeding into it. My 2yo absolutely loved our friendly HS/College age tour guide, and was happy carrying around the provided step stool from tank to tank, looking at the creatures and checking out the other activities- sensory tables and sandboxes, and several separate small play structures. We stayed for less than 2 hours, so cost is a consideration but I like to think we fed the fish for the day.

Fantastic experience: Amazing people, the two volunteers were so knowledge, and the boss was amazing, he speaks both English and Spanish... Thanks for the amazing experience

Fantastic experience: Great birthday experience! We have reserved the place for a small birthday party and we couldn’t be more pleased with Andrew and his wonderful approach to kids and interesting and fun explanations of the exhibits. We used picnic tables outside and kids were happy to run and explore the yard. Thank you for the amazing time!