New England Aquarium

16 WHALES AND A TON OF LAUGHS!. Ok, so, this is a bit "afte the fact" but.....I haven't been on a whale watch in about 5 years and let me tell you something....don't wait that long, ever!!! A good friend of mine and I were walking around town trying to avoid the usual Sunday Funday bar crawl and decided with literally 2 minutes left to board the ship and act like the 30 somethings that we are!

We ventured out on the boat which does serve some tasty beverages might I add...but that's besides the point! We saw 16 whales and their calves; it was amazing.

My only complaint about the day was the parking....it's probably the most expensive parking deck in the city, yes, it's conveniently located right next door but I would leave early and either park in the North End by TD Garden or you could almost find a parking meter by American Joes and risk getting a ticket that is still less expensive than the parking deck!! Sad but true.

Basically, the take away from this is: next spring, summer'ish make a date, go with a friend....whatever you choose, it's a great time!!…

great for casual dates, taking your family. Oh the New England Aquarium, so many fond memories here. I remember taking multiple field trips here every year from like 4th through the 8th grade. You'd think by now I'd have gotten sick of it, but it's still a blast. I guess I'm just a big fan of aquatic life, but I really do love the set up of this aquarium. Sure, the animals stay the same but they're always entertaining. If you're a sucker like me for cute underwater sea creatures, then I'd definitely recommend this place for casual dates, taking your family (young kids always have fun here), our just being touristy. You can get here easily by means of taking the Blue Line train (the aquarium has it's own stop) and before/after you enter there's a great (albeit pretty dirty/dingy) view of the Boston Harbor. You can even take a whale watching tour - so much fun, but take a dramamine if you get sea sick! I learned the hard way...those boats are fast and extremely shaky. But luckily there were actually a TON of whales and dolphins out which made the trip worth it (some people said they went and never even got to see any, I guess you have to pick the right time of year).

All in all, if you're looking for a fun, casual time with a date, friends, family, or really whoever, this is a great option. Oh and don't forget to ask for a student discount, and also check with your local library to see if they'll give out free tickets (just ask at least a few weeks in advance).…

BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE. One thing to know....BUY YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE. We stood in line for an hour in the cold waiting in line, only to get into another line to actually buy tickets. Shame on the aquarium for not having a better system, or is it that they want to force us all to buy our tickets in advance? Overall, my children had a great time. Loved the giant turtle & the Imax movie.…

Always fun for kids and adults. This is a place I regularly bring guests, but it never gets boring. The big tank in the middle is always a highlight. If you get there at feeding time you can see some of the more secretive inhabitants.…