Texas State Aquarium

Description:

• Several tanks display a variety of ecosystems found in the Gulf of Mexico and coastal Texas, from coral reefs with sharks and barracuda swimming about to jetty systems populated by crabs and flounders to East Texas swamps and their alligators. Specialty tanks are dedicated to some of the most curious forms of sea life, such as octopuses, turtles, and sea horses. And in the touch pools you can touch a stingray or bamboo shark if that's what you really want to do. The latest addition to the aquarium is Dolphin Bay, a protected environment for Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins that are unable to survive in the wild. Children enjoy the Kids' Port Playground, and there's also a gift shop and food court. Allow 1 to 2 hours.

• © Frommer's 2012