The 500,000-gallon under-water adventure complex includes a Ferris wheel, an aquatic carousel, Shark Voyage, a white tiger exhibit and a restaurant.
Houston's first public aquarium, the Downtown Aquarium was designed to entertain the masses. The world-class complex, perched on the redeveloped 400 block of Bagby, boasts 500,000 gallons of visible underwater tanks with more than 200 species of marine life--and that's just skimming the surface.
The spectacular wall-to-wall aquarium view complements the surf-and-turf menu. Start with silky lobster bisque enhanced with sherry or the wedge salad. Lunch on a succulent and massive char-grilled mahi-mahi sandwich garnished with sun-dried tomato relish. Gulf red snapper piled with crabmeat and avocado pico de gallo is a popular choice. Bonus points: Tangy lemon-mango tart crowned with creamy coconut ice cream is a tropical dream.
While dining, Be on the lookout for scuba divers inside the tanks feeding fish.
Aquarium exhibits include:
Louisiana Swamp
Tour the marsh and bayous of the Gulf Coast in the Louisiana Swamp. Enjoy wild encounters with American alligators, alligator snapping turtles, spotted gar, crayfish, catfish and bullfrogs.
Shipwreck
Step inside the sunken hull of a 17th century Spanish galleon in the Shipwreck exhibit and look out at the beautifully diverse species the ocean has to offer. View coral reefs created by Downtown Aquarium biologists. You'll also encounter a giant octupus, wolf eel and moray eel, clownfish, tangs and grouper.
Rainforest
Explore the lush environment of the world's tropical rainforests and the life inside their rivers. Red-bellied piranhas and venomous freshwater stingrays add danger to the waters. The rainforest also features an emerald tree boa, poison dart frogs and beautiful birds.
Sunken Temple
Ancient legends of "El Dorado" are revealed in the Sunken Temple. Lionfish, tarantulas, scorpions and a 20-foot-long python live among the ruins of this los Mayan civilization.
Gulf of Mexico
Sink to the bottom of the neighboring sea and catch glimpses of offshore rig divers in the Gulf of Mexico. A barracuda and nurse sharks swim alongside snapper, redfish and much more.
Discovery Rig
This hands-on encounter hosts stingrays, horseshoe crabs and other invertebrates. The spectacular nurse shark nursery houses baby bamboo sharks and shark eggs.
White Tigers of the Maharaja's Temple
The first document sightings of an unusual animal, the white tiger, were in in central India in the 1940s. See four magnificent white tigers lounge and play in the ruins of the Maharaja's temple and learn about the Downtown Aquarium's conservation efforts to help their cousins in the wild.
Shark Voyage
Take a thrilling ride on the CP Huntington Train for a journey through the Shark Voyage. Blacktips, whitetips, sandtigers, zebra sharks and sawdish swim all around you as you travel through the tunnel.
Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau - Member
|
Green Houston 
