October 20, 2022

DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM (DENVER)

700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211

“Downtown Aquarium (formerly Colorado’s Ocean Journey) is a public aquarium and restaurant located in Denver, Colorado at the intersection of I-25 and 23rd Ave.  The 107,000 square feet main building sits on a 17-acre site adjacent to the South Platte River.  Its freshwater and marine aquaria total approximately 1,000,000 US gallons, and exhibit a variety of fish and other animals.  The Downtown Aquarium in Denver is owned and operated by Landry’s Restaurants, Inc.  It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).” – Wikipedia

Again, this was not on my horizon of a place to visit until I was given a Denver City Pass, and the aquarium was one of the places I could visit.  Friends had given it some mixed reviews so I wasn’t sure whether I would like it or not.  After visiting, while it isn’t the Atlanta Aquarium or the Tampa Aquarium, for a landlocked state like Colorado, I really enjoyed my visit.

The self-guided tour begins with fish found in the freshwater streams, rivers, and lakes of Colorado.  As you continue the path takes one past aquariums with fish and other creatures found in rivers, lakes, and oceans around the world.  Along the path there are two large tanks, the first with many rays, moray eels, and other fish, and the second with sharks, sea turtles, and other fish.  Also, along the path (in between the two large tanks), there is a Sumatran Tiger.

At $25 per ticket, I’m not sure I would have visited the aquarium without having the City Pass.  But I am glad that I got to take in this experience.