Are you looking to create an unforgettable adventure in New Hampshire for the young marine enthusiast in your family?
These interactive aquariums in New Hampshire provide a fun and educational way to showcase diverse marine life and offer a unique bonding opportunity for the whole family through hands-on play.
Many families in the Northeast and New England have visited Mystic Aquariumย in Mystic, CT and theย New England Aquarium in Boston, MA, but finding an interactive aquarium in New Hampshire can be challenging.
This guide showcases the top Aquariums inย New Hampshire, offering young marine enthusiasts the chance to interact with their beloved sea creatures.
Fromย touch tanksย to participating inย educational experiences, these aquariums are ideal for families looking to inspire a love of the ocean andย marine scienceย in their children.
Let's Discover Which Aquariums in New Hampshire Offer the Best Experiences!
Stingray Touch Pool
Living Shores Aquarium, located next to Story Land Amusement Park in Glen, NH, is more than just a New England aquarium; it’s a dedicated marine adventure tailored for children.
At Living Shores, your kids can explore and interact with an array of fascinating creatures.
They can experience the texture of sea stars and engage gently with horseshoe crabs in the touch tanks, or they can visit the Stingray Touch Pool to feel the silky glide of stingrays.
Our favorite touch tank has to be the Nibble Fish Tank! It is such a fun and tickly experience.
Your family can even book a session to feed the stingrays or the colorful tropical birdsโhow exciting!
Living Shores Aquarium is renowned for its educational programs, which focus on ocean conservation and are designed to make learning enjoyable and memorable.
With a host of daily talks led by expert animal educators, children of all ages gain insights into the lives of the aquatic animals they encounter.
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After exploring the underwater world, keep the adventure going with a meal thatโs just as memorable.
Check out our Quirky Restaurants in New Hampshireย for fun, offbeat dining spots the whole family will love.
Touch Tanks at the Seacoast Science Center
Located in Rye, NH, within the beautiful Odiorne Point State Park, the Seacoast Science Center offers families a dive into the coastal New England world.
This premier destination stands out among aquariums in New Hampshire with its engaging, educational environment where interactive exhibits meet diverse local marine life.
Children love getting hands-on at the touch tanks, where they can feel the textures of sea stars and sea urchins, turning their learning into an interactive adventure.
The center’s exhibits, like the “Dynamic Gulf of Maine” and the fun-filled indoor sandbox at “The Beach,” transform complex marine science concepts into tangible experiences.
For a unique family activity in New Hampshire, the Science Center’s Nature@Nite is a must-visit. Held on the third Friday of each month, this free event features S.T.E.A.M. activities and guided nature programs, providing an enjoyable and educational evening for all.
If the kids still have energy to burn after your aquarium visit, a trampoline park is the perfect next stop.
Our Guide to the Best Trampoline Parks has all the top spots to jump, flip, and bounce the day away.
Hands-on marine education at Explore the Ocean World Oceanarium
Explore the Ocean World Oceanarium is located on the sandy shores of Hampton Beach, NH. This delightful educational facility is perfect for families and young marine enthusiasts exploring the New Hampshire coast.
Despite its smaller size, the Oceanarium offers richย educational experiences for the whole family.
It features interactiveย touch tanksย where children can get up close and personal withย aquatic animalsย such as starfish, lobster, sea urchins, and hermit crabs.
These touch tanks provide a tactile way for kids to learn about marine life, making the experience fun and educational.
The intimate setting allows for more focused and meaningfulย educational experiencesย for all.
After a morning of exploring the touch tanks and learning about marine ecosystems, families can enjoy a relaxing afternoon on Hampton Beach, making it an ideal day trip on the New England coast.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerย in Holderness,ย New Hampshire, is a fantastic destination for families with young animal enthusiasts.
This nature center offers a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits featuring live animals and interactive educational stops along scenic trails.
While exploring the outdoor trails, children can marvel at native animals such as black bears,ย river otters,ย aquatic animals, mountain lions, bald eagles, and more.
This fantasticย educational facilityย features numerousย interactive exhibits, including “Life Underground” and the “Songbird Feeding Station,” with manyย educational experiencesย along the nature trail.
Kids adore the Gordon Children’s Barn, where they can engage all of their senses and unleash their creativity. In this exciting space, they can explore a giant spider web, design their own insect, crawl through an underground tunnel, listen to nocturnal animal sounds, and enjoy many other interactive activities.
The fun also extends outside of the Barn to the exciting and creative playground outside.
Visit the Water Matter Pavilion and enjoy water-themed exhibits and live animal displays. You can take a virtual tour of the Squam Watershed, listen to enchanting frog calls, experiment with kinetic sand to observe water movement, explore the mysteries of ice, observe live mink, turtles, and frogs, and marvel at the diverse fish in theย underwater world.ย
On your way out, visit The Howling Coyote Gift Shop featuring items made by local businesses and artisans. All proceeds support the Science Center’s mission to advance understanding of ecology in New Hampshire.
If your kids enjoy getting up close and personal with animals, be sure to check out our guide to the Best Farms in Southern New Hampshire, where they can pet and interact with a variety of friendly creatures!
Bubble Show at SEE Science Center
The See Science Center in Manchester, New Hampshire, stands out as an interactive and engaging science center that offers a unique experience loved by families.
Although not exclusively focused on marine science, the SEE Science Center offers plenty to excite the whole family.
This center provides a wide range of hands-on interactive exhibits designed to make learning about science fun and engaging for kids.
The SEE Science Center’s main attraction is the large LEGO Millyard Project, depicting Manchester’s Amoskeag Millyard in 1900.
It is such an epic display that it even holds a Guinness Book of World Records title for the Largest Permanent LEGO Minifigure-Scale Installation in the World!
The Physics Fun Lab and Cooking with Chemistry are funย interactive exhibitsย that cover various scientific principles through hands-on play.
The SEE Science Center provides opportunities to explore marine and aquatic sciences for those fascinated by the underwater world.
Children can experience being inside a giant bubble and discover how bubbles play a role in supporting marine ecosystems. They will also learn about the interconnectedness of wind, waves, water, and air with all living things.
What Top 5 Things Do Aquariums in New Hampshire Offer Families?
Kids love getting up close to an array of sea-life
Family-Friendlyย Touch Tanks
Interactive touch pools allow children to gently touch and learn about various aquatic animals.
Kid-Centric Educational Programs
Workshops and classes designed specifically for young learners to engage with marine science in a fun way.
Interactive Exhibits
Encouraging kids to play and learn with interactive displays enhances their learning experience of marine ecosystems.
Family Bondingย
Visiting an aquarium in New Hampshire is a shared activity that can strengthen family bonds. Families can explore exhibits, participate in activities, and share the excitement of discovering new things together.
Inspiration for Conservationย
Inspiring families to think more about sustainability and how they can contribute to saving and supporting our oceans and threatened species.
Exploring these Aquariums inย New Hampshireย will provide an enriching and fun experience for marine animal lovers of all ages.ย
From the interactiveย touch tanksย atย Living Shores Aquariumย andย Seacoast Science Centerย to the engaging educational programs at Explore the Ocean World Oceanarium andย Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, there’s something for every young marine enthusiast.ย
The SEE Science Center adds a unique perspective onย marine science, ensuring a well-rounded exploration ofย New Hampshire’s aquatic wonders.
Whether your family wants to touchย horseshoe crabs, attendย marine scienceย workshops, or participate inย special eventsย like kids’ fishing derbies, these New England Aquariums offer memorable andย educational experiences.ย
Plan your next family adventure to one of these amazing Aquariums inย New Hampshireย and inspire a lifelong love ofย marine scienceย in your children.ย
