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The aquarium was lauded for its innovative live exhibits, including the family-friendly Splash Zone gallery, and for having “the biggest collection of flip books, slide-up panels, light-up buttons, and other touchable, kid-friendly features of all the aquariums on our list.”
The full Top 10 list includes:
1. Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
2. Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta
3. John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago
4. New England Aquarium, Boston
5. Florida Aquarium, Tampa
6. Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California
7. Atlantis Marine World, Riverhead, New York
8. Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon
9. SeaWorld Adventure Parks, Orlando/San Antonio/San Diego
10. National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland
Nine of the aquariums on the list are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and Georgia Aquarium is seeking accreditation.
In addition to recognition from Parents Magazine, this summer TripAdvisor® – the world’s largest travel community – ranked Monterey Bay Aquarium No. 8 on its Top 10 list of best U.S. travel attractions. And Monterey is the No. 1 aquarium and the overall No. 3 top-rated family attraction in the nation, according to the Zagat Survey® U.S. Family Travel Guide, released in 2004,
“We’re honored to be recognized by Parents Magazine for our commitment to kids and families,” said aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard. “If we want a future with healthy oceans, it’s so important that young people forge emotional bonds with marine life at an early age. An aquarium visit is an important part of the process, and this honor is another validation of our efforts toward that goal.”
In developing its Top 10 rankings, Parents Magazine relied on site visits to the top aquariums, the recommendations of an expert panel and the results of an exhaustive survey that evaluated the number, creativity and educational aspect of each aquarium’s interactive features. It also graded the aquariums on the quality and kid-friendliness of their exhibits, services (like changing stations), staff and educators, special programs for groups and families, and conservation efforts. -- www.mbayaq.org
Posted August 9th, 2007 by ruzik_tuzik
