Aquarium Adventure improvement
Written: Jun 20 '05 (Updated Jun 20 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: New Shark tank is good.
Hippos
New design
Better exhibits
Parking space has improved
Cons: Children's garden is gated off in amateur manner
Cafe too large, waste of space
The Bottom Line: The new Aquarium at the Camden waterfront is now well above average. It may not be among the nations best, but is it certainly better than most Aquariums.
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| akear's Full Review: New Jersey State Aquarium |
The Aquarium main attraction has been its 760,000-gallon tank, which is the third largest in North America. It is an impressive site, especially when viewed from the seated theater section. The problem is that it was the only real star attraction for the entire aquarium. It was almost as if they built the entire aquarium around the tank.
However, the new Aquarium now called Aquarium Adventure addresses many of the Aquarium's past weaknesses. There are now three new exhibits that occupy a new extension. The hippo tank is located in a simulated African lake exhibit. There are even tropical birds flying overhead. In the background there is a nice painted rocky landscape. The Jules Verne display is nice but small. The sea creatures here are displayed in what looks like rounded ship windows.
It is the new shark tank that is the main attraction. It even has a 40-foot glass tube going through the middle where people can walk through. I should also mention that the Kiosks and display in this new building are slick and professional looking. They dispense with the child-like look of the Aquariums old displays. What I did not like was how the Shark tank leads to the gift shop. I should also mention the new building exhibits start after you walk through the new cafeteria. It is not immediately apparent where the new building exhibits are.
Still this new aquarium is a big improvement. I am not saying it is better than the Baltimore aquarium, but according to my brother it is better than the Hawaiian aquarium he went to several years ago. What we have here now is a decent aquarium that may not be among the nations ten best yet, but it has certainly surpassed smaller local aquariums like Mystic and the Coney Island aquarium. However, it could be one of the best small to medium sized Aquariums in North America.
I was not pleased on how the Children's garden was gated off from the Aquarium. It just looked like an afterthought to me. It is now only little details like these that are annoying.
Aquarium
Grade A-/B
It looks as if lowly Camden has one of the most interesting waterfronts in the North East. Remember you can also visit the Battleship New Jersey. There is also an excellent marine museum across the bay that can be accessed by a ferry. There you can see America's first modern battleship the US Olympia. The WW2 sub the Becuna is also on display there.
Whole Waterfront
Grade A
I now consider the Aquarium and the whole waterfront as one tourist destination.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
akear
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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