The National Aquarium in Baltimore, like any succe...

2008-06-29T13:21:00.000-05:00

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, like any successful public attraction, has a certain maximum number of people that is permitted in it at any time. If they are near the maximum, its usually a bad time to see the place. In general, there is a point where the fewer people around, the better the visitor experience. Having been at the NAIB during their dollar days (admission for $1.00) I can tell you that the resultant crush makes for a very unpleasant experience, no matter how well behaved the people are. Very few American aquariums (Monterey and Georgia come to mind ) are designed to absorb large crowds without diluting the visitor experience.

One way to alleviate this is to sell timed tickets, thereby keeping some sort of handle on the flow rate of people but at the end of the day, especially if you are really popular, the aquarium has to strike that balance and no one wants to turn people away. Reduced rate tickets are sold for evening hours because they are traditionally lightly populated.

In general, weekdays between the end of August and before school lets out in your area are the best times to go to any aquarium if you want to avoid a crowd. Find out when school groups come through and go when they don't.

Comments on Fishkeeping Online: Excellent Commentary on Audience Expectations at t...

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, like any succe...