The best part of the aquarium is the large shark-and-ray tank on the first floor, which can be seen from every floor of the building. There are also convenient moving walkways to transport you up to the next exhibits. The worst part is the separate building that features dolphins and frogs. Both exhibits were lacking. I learned more about animals by reading the factoids posted in the walkway between the buildings than I did in the buildings themselves.

In general, the Aquarium was very crowded, and discourteous people (especially little children) really detracted from the experience. Most of the exhibits were small and uninteresting, and I found myself having to put forth a lot of effort to figure out what I was looking at and what I was supposed to learn about it. If the term can be applied to aquariums, this one was not very user-friendly.

The ticket lines can be very long, so I recommend getting there early. The tickets also specify at what time you may enter (in an effort to control the crowds). The earlier you arrive, it's more likely that your ticket entry time will be close to the current time and more likely that the crowds will be small once you actually enter the building.

One tip--when we were there, they offered a $5 discount for late entry in a promotion called Aussie Nights. It's a nice way to save some money, but I'm sure the larger crowd later in the day offsets the value of your savings.

The large pool on the main level is a nice feature, and Calypso, the one flipper sea turtle, is an interesting sight to see. If you do go to the aquarium, don't miss the dolphin show. It is sure to deliver some giggles and ooohs and ahhhs from the kids and some adults. They have a creative mix of dolphin performing and multimedia presentations, which keeps things engaging. Be sure to utilize the elevators if you need to move between floors quickly. They were huge inside and made moving about a lot easier.

This is an enjoyable activity and a great diversion if it's raining. Just be aware that it will be crowded and you may not get to spend time exploring as much as you would like.

Each exhibit was very informational, with pictures of the different marine life so you could identify them. They also gave a little information on the different fish.

The aquarium also features a few gift shops and snack stops.

The National Aquarium is in short wonderful. It features a walk-through tropical rainforest (no glass walls here) where birds fly freely, monkeys jump in the treetops, and creepy things crawl around. Inside, there are tanks featuring stingrays and puffins. Outside you'll find the seals. My family, from my two-year-old to my six-year-old, were fascinated, and we were there for hours. It is conveniently located on a pier in the inner harbor, and a short walk to just about any kind of food you'd like. Allow plenty of time for this one - you'll need it and likely come back again and again! This is a not-to-be-missed spot on your visit to Baltimore.

When we visited, there was a special exhibit on seahorses. These "fish" just facinate me. I love the fact that the males are the ones that carry the young and "give birth". There are so many sizes and colors!

As I've already mentioned, you just can't stay away from the sharks. They are such graceful, terrifying (to me anyway) creatures.

Don't forget the rainforest exhibit. If you're looking to stay cool, however, this isn't going to help you. It's like walking into a wet, sticky rainforest. But the creatures are worth a look.

We didn't have a whole lot of time, so we didn't see a lot of shows (like the dolphin show, which I hear is a must-see) and games and such. But there's something for everyone here, and plan to spend several hours exploring.