Incredible American Aquariums to Visit Across the US if You Love Sharks

Jul 14, 2025

Shark Week is not just an annual experience, it’s a lifestyle. If exploring the open ocean in person doesn’t seem quite your style, you may wish to adventure more safely to these local aquariums! Today on the blog, we’re sharing our picks for the best aquariums to check out this summer with your families, especially if you love sharks!

Here at Classic Auto Group, we’re thrilled to not only be doing our part to move towards sustainability and protect these creatures, but we’re honored to sell vehicles from brand manufacturers that have committed to the same! Thanks to combined conservation efforts of zoologists and marine biologists, green initiatives of major automotive manufacturers to reduce carbon footprint, plastic recycling and garbage reclamation efforts worldwide in our oceans, and intensive breeding and research programs at global aquariums, these majestic sea dwelling predators will continue to thrive for decades to come!

Here are some wonderful facilities that are worth visiting this summer with your family and friends:

The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is home to more than 20 sharks in its 400,000 gallon habitat! You’ll find Blacktip Reef Sharks, Sandbar Sharks, Japanese and Spotted Wobbegongs, Zebra Sharks, Bamboo Sharks, Bonnethead Sharks, Horn Sharks, Dogfish, Leopard Sharks, and Swell Sharks! The field scientists of Shedd Aquarium are working tirelessly on conservation efforts, and currently conducting research in the Caribbean to learn about how to best safeguard these majestic ocean predators. Permanent exhibits include a 90,000 gallon Caribbean Reef aquarium display; the Amazon Rising display featuring wildlife from the rainforest and river, the underground Wild Reef wing featuring the largest public display of live corals in the Midwest; the Abbott Oceanarium featuring Pacific Northwest aquatics, an indoor rainforest, and coastal display as well as penguins; Waters of the World featuring 7 different habitats from around the globe! There’s also a 4D movie, live demonstrations and shows, and a play zone for younger visitors. The aquarium also offers weekly and seasonal special events, so you should check their upcoming calendar to see what’s in store. If you’ve got curious travelers in tow, then the numerous Animal Encounters options will appeal such as the Penguin Encounter, Shark Feeding Tour, and the unique guided “Must See Tour”.
Seven Seas at the Brookfield Zoo in Riverside has a wonderful aquarium feature with gorgeous bottlenose dolphins as their star attraction. It’s also been home to two types the Horn Shark and the Leopard Shark, and has played home to a rotating cast of characters from the deep blue sea over the years!
Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky has created an immersive experience for visitors walking through 85-feet of seamless tunnels winding through the shark exhibit! You’ll get an up-close look at sharks, sting rays, and special schooling fish in this 385,000 gallon aquarium exhibit. The Shark Tank Overlook and Shark Bridge offer a birds-eye view of the Surrounded by Sharks Exhibit; you’ll walk over the world’s first suspended rope bridge just inches above these majestic ocean creatures. You’ll also have the opportunity to take a top-side viewing experience of one of the largest open-air viewing tanks in the US! This aquarium is considered the Shark Capital of the Midwest, and visitors can observe rare Shark Rays, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Japanese Bull HEad Sharks, Port Jackson Sharks, and more.
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, IA is a pinnacle research center and museum associated with the Smithsonian Institution that helps connect visitors with the importance of the Mississippi River. Their “Rivers to the Sea 2.0” exhibit explains how major waterways across the US contribute to larger environmental and biological effects. You’ll learn about aquatic environments and the different species that live in each, and even get to learn about how Great White Sharks breed. The facilities offer outreach programs to the Midwest including a mobile shark touch tank, and the Conservation Lab provides virtual and physical labs to connect folks with research and exhibits.
Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee offers a wonderful dual-ticket option combining your aquarium visit with an enhanced IMAX movie viewing. The museum is very excited to announce they’ve recently started the new “Deeper Dives” in-depth tour experience, allowing small groups of visitors to choose between two different options for a behind the scenes look at the magic that it takes to run the aquarium; select the 90 minute Guided Tour of the Ocean Journey and River Journey buildings and meet an animal ambassador; or select the Feeding Frenzy and follow an Aquarium Educator and Aquarist around the Secret Reef exhibit for feeding time, and during your 30 minutes you’ll get to experience rays, sea turtles, reef fish, and of course sharks! Exhibits on site include the River Journey featuring global river aquatics and reptiles, the Ocean Journey featuring penguins, a shark reef, tropical cove area, and a butterfly garden, as well as an invertebrate species display and island life display. The aquarium also offers the TNACI which helps conduct scientific research and conservation efforts to regional ecosystems and educates the public on the importance of conservation actions.