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After Dark at the Downtown Aquarium

Been There Done That· Texas

12 Apr

When my kids were younger, the typical 10-5 museum hours worked perfectly for us when we were traveling.  We could see the sites all day, and then head back to the hotel after an early dinner and before any one reached nuclear meltdown.  As the kids have gotten older, they are still looking for entertainment way past museum closing time, and no matter how much we beg them, they just aren’t ready to slow down until much later at night.  Finding something to do after normal business hours can be a challenge, and I am always thrilled to find a place that’s open late.

The Downtown Aquarium in Houston made for the perfect evening activity for the whole family.   Part restaurant, part aquarium, part amusement park- the facility offers a little bit of everything to keep you busy well into the night.  Not only were the hours perfect, 10am-9pm weekdays and 10am-11pm weekends, but the price was right.  An all day adventure pass costs $16 and gives you unlimited access to all the attractions for the entire day. 

The Aquarium Adventure

This 500,000 gallon aquatic wonderland is home to 200 marine animals from around the globe.  The exhibit is divided into immersive zones like Louisiana Swamp, Shipwreck, and Sunken Temple.  Great care has been taken to create an environment that transports the visitor to a foreign world and highlights the animals in each section.    This area can become quite crowded if attendance is high and strollers can be difficult to maneuver through the small spaces. 

Don’t miss the touch tank at Discovery Reef.

Shark Voyage

Although the creatures in the aquarium are numerous, you won’t find many of our teethy friends hanging out there.  The sharks make their home in the Shark Voyage exhibit, which is accessible by train ride and requires an extra ticket if you did not purchase the all day pass.  Downtown Aquarium is the product of redeveloping two downtown Houston landmarks – Fire Station No. 1 and the Central Waterworks Building-and the sharks call the Waterworks building home.  Climb aboard the Shark Express for a quick ride into the shark tunnel, where you will be surrounded by many varieties of sharks.  Spoiler Alert: I don’t want to give away the ending, but there are some dramatics towards the end of the ride that are downright thrilling to older kids, but may give younger kids a fright.  

Carnival Rides

The Diving Bell Ferris Wheel, Aquatic Carousel, and Lighthouse Dive are the perfect place to be as the sun goes down.  The views of the skyline at night from the Ferris wheel are outstanding, and you can also catch some pretty great views from the Lighthouse Dive before you plummet several stories down.  I enjoyed the close proximity of the rides, which gave me the freedom to turn the big kids loose to ride as many times as they wanted while I watched from a nearby bench.  The atmosphere on the midway was jovial and family oriented and the kids had a great time staying up past dark and wearing out their parents.

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Comments

  1. walkingon travels says

    04/13/2012 at 1:07 am

    What a cool space! And I love that picture of the ferris wheel at night. 

  2. Jen says

    04/13/2012 at 8:51 pm

    Those are great hours. I love that you could do things all day, have dinner and then head to the aquarium to let the tanks full of water and graceful fish calm your kids down for bedtime! I am with you…now that my kids are getting older, I have a hard time getting them to wind down at a decent hour when we are all sharing one hotel room.

  3. Cathy Sweeney says

    04/17/2012 at 10:09 am

    Great idea. I wouldn't have thought that the aquarium would be open so late and that were such cool things to do there. You got my interest with the ride through the shark tunnel. Sounds like fun.

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  1. Family Friendly Restaurants in Houston, TX: Travel Tips Tuesday says:
    11/19/2012 at 10:13 pm

    […] Downtown Aquarium is also a great place to entertain the kids after dark in Houston. […]

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