Adventure Aquarium, Camden, NJ??

[ChrisinNJ]

I know there are a lot of NY/NJ/PA people here on the boards, so I was wondering if you have been to the Adventure Aquarium? It looks nice, but I checked the prices this morning & it is far from a "budget" day out.

Is it worth the cost?

I feel so cabin fevered with all this snow & since a vacation is not in our near future I was hoping for a family fun day somewhere. My Husband thinks for that price, we should go into the city to the Museum of Natural history instead. We could enjoy the museum & lunch somewhere for the admission & parking at Camden..... But we have been to Natural History before, we have never gone to the aquarium.

 

[badblackpug]

Having been to the National Aquarium in Baltimore I find the Camden aquarium to be a let down. There is also the "Camden factor." I don't know the ages in your family, but why not try the Please Touch museum of the Franklin Institute? ...and yes, the weather has been miserable!

 

[ChrisinNJ]

I don't know the ages in your family, but why not try the Please Touch museum of the Franklin Institute?

My kids are 9,9 & 6. Are those good ages for the Franklin?

 

[badblackpug]

My kids are 9,9 & 6. Are those good ages for the Franklin?

Excellent ages! It is very educational with a lot of hands on exhibits. It is a little old for Please Touch.

 

[Kitzka]

maybe there is another musuem in NYC? have yuo ever taken the kids to the Sony Wonder lab? The admission is FREE and it's a lot of fun. The only thing is that you need to make reservations ahead of time as the entrance is timed. We took DD when she was 10 with a friend and we all had a blast. we spent about 3.5 hours there.

Then we did a liesurely lunch in teh city and then home. It was fairly inepensive.

We ahve done the Franklin Institute many times and DD has always loved it.

Lara

 

[andrews_dad]

My kids are 9,9 & 6. Are those good ages for the Franklin?

Please Touch is FREE this weekend IF you have a Bank of America credit card. I might be there myself. Yes, PERFECT for kids in that age frame. PERFECT!! Check out the details... http://museums.bankofamerica.com/

 

[mickeyfan0805]

We went to the Camden aquarium during a trip to Sesame Place this summer. I agree, it was less than I had hoped! Ridiculous lines to get tickets, and then an underwhelming experience inside. We were disappointed that we had taken the time to go during our trip in the area.

 

[caborst]

Personally I think the Camden Aquarium is great. As my daughter wants to be a marine biologist we've been to many aquariums in the East. I found this one to be, if not the best, right up there. I enjoyed it more than the Baltimore one. This area of Camden by the river is perfectly safe and fine. You can combine the trip and also do the USS New Jersey. That is also a good tour, especially for kids your age. I would check around for discounts.

 

[AntePrincess]

At that price I'd get a membership to the Wildlife Conservation Society in NYC. You get a tax write off of most of it, and unlimited admission for your family to several zoos and an aquarium, as well as discounts on pretty much everything in the WCS's zoos and parks. You could do the same with the Museum of Natural History.

 

[dex08]

I love the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, but I think your kids would much enjoy the Franklin Institute better. Love the Franklin Institute too and it's more educational with lots of hands on activities. I could spend all day long at FI but only half a day at the aquarium. Also.. Camden is not an area that I'd be taking my family to lunch.

 

[woodkins]

We recently did a visit to the Adventure Aquarium with my aunt who lives in NJ. She was able to get tix through AAA which were alot cheaper than normal. I think she said she saved over $20 on the 3 tix. It was an okay aquarium, we have a great one here on Long Island that we visit about 1x per month so we are spoiled.

 

[MariDisney]

We don't think the Adventure Aquarium is worth the price, especially with Baltimore so near. The Franklin Insitute and/or Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia would be great for the ages of your kids. I think the Please Touch is really for the younger set. We stopped going when my DD was about 5 or 6 and it seemed she had really outgrown it.

 

[PA Princess]

We are another family that far prefers the Baltimore Aquarium vs. Camden.

Another option is the museum at UPenn. It is free on Sundays and while it is more museum like and less interactive than FI, it is a fun afternoon if your kids are at all into Egypt. Art museum in Philly is also free on Sunday.

Check out various museum memberships to get the best deals. We found for our family that buying a membership is always the best deal (4 kids). A day trip usually costs the same or more for us than a membership good for a whole year.

If you go the membership route, pay particular attention to reciprical museums. For us we can be members at our local musem (about $50 for the year) and get free acess to FI as well - super savings!

 

[PIERCEDRN]

I have a family membership as I have a 6 and 3yo and I work in Camden, so its a nice treat when my wife and I do a baby swap to take them there for 2 hours. If you are visiting for the first time it is an amusing 3-4 hours. It is way overpriced and I would look on the website to find a deal, during Shark week admission is $10 if you do your hair like a shark:.
That being said parking is way overpriced at $10, but there is no option if you are driving in. There is nowhere else to park, and you don't stray from the waterfront to find a spot on the street. Why? BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON EARTH! Well, at least in the US.
I basically get hazard pay to work in a bad part of town, and I warn people to use main roads and TURN OFF your GPS because they could guide you thru the worst parts. If you scare easily at the sight of urban decay, it is not worth it. I have found myself moving my desk chair away from my office window when the gunshots are going off at night.
BOB

 

[java]

Ah Camden. We only go to the Aquarium on Sundays. I don't know why I feel safer in Camden on a Sunday? But early- go right to the Aquarium- no side streets and right out. I sure hope you get Hazard Pay in Camden.

The Aquarium was fun- we used to be members before the renovation. We liked it better than. It was cheaper and just as fun. The outside area is cute. And it really is a shame it's in Camden. They were trying to boost up the Waterfront area but it didn't stick.

 

[gillenkl]

My kids are 9,9 & 6. Are those good ages for the Franklin?

Franklin Institute is great for these ages - we were there in January. Make sure you park in the lot designated for the institute because we didn't and it cost us $25 for parking Check online for discount code to Body Wars and buy tickets online from ticketmaster. We walked a few blocks over and ate at Hard Rock Cafe for a late lunch.

 

[HLDisney]

We recently did a visit to the Adventure Aquarium with my aunt who lives in NJ. She was able to get tix through AAA which were alot cheaper than normal. I think she said she saved over $20 on the 3 tix. It was an okay aquarium, we have a great one here on Long Island that we visit about 1x per month so we are spoiled.

Which is the aquarium you go to in Long Island? Is is the one in Riverhead?
Helen

 

[Cindy B]

That being said parking is way overpriced at $10, but there is no option if you are driving in. There is nowhere else to park, and you don't stray from the waterfront to find a spot on the street. Why? BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON EARTH! Well, at least in the US.
I basically get hazard pay to work in a bad part of town, and I warn people to use main roads and TURN OFF your GPS because they could guide you thru the worst parts. If you scare easily at the sight of urban decay, it is not worth it. I have found myself moving my desk chair away from my office window when the gunshots are going off at night.
BOB

I used to teach in North Camden between the jail and Rutgers so I know about Camden. I used to worry when I had to stand in the school lot waiting for parents to show up! However the area near the aquarium is quite nice and much better than what is used to be BEFORE the aquarium.

Ah Camden. We only go to the Aquarium on Sundays. I don't know why I feel safer in Camden on a Sunday? But early- go right to the Aquarium- no side streets and right out. I sure hope you get Hazard Pay in Camden.

The Aquarium was fun- we used to be members before the renovation. We liked it better than. It was cheaper and just as fun. The outside area is cute. And it really is a shame it's in Camden. They were trying to boost up the Waterfront area but it didn't stick.

Sunday is great in Camden because everyone is either too drunk or sleeping it off or they could actually be in on the the 1000's of homefront churches that are on every street corner.

The Waterfront area does get some decent use in the summertime though.. between the Susquenna Bank Center (still is Tweeter in my mind!), the Riversharks, and the festivals at Wiggins Park.. they do try.

 

[quentina]

Going slow and eating lunch there, I have never spent more than 2.5 hours there. I do not think it is worth the $$$$.

 

[badblackpug]

Going slow and eating lunch there, I have never spent more than 2.5 hours there. I do not think it is worth the $$$$.

There is nowhere to eat in Camden that is family friendly other than McDonalds, and the clientele that hang out at the Camden McDonalds are not really what you want your children around.

The Aqarium and the battleship are nice and interesting things to see. (although, I agree, the aquarium is overpriced) However, there is not "making a day of it" in Camden. Camden is no safer on Sundays than it is any other day of the week.

I know Camden takes a lot of bashing. Please let me say that there are a lot of good and decent people in Camden. Not everyone is drug addicted or drunk or "sleeping it off." It is a struggling community. Unfortunately because of abject poverty ( a large percentage of Camden residents live below the poverty line, well below.) It is plagued by the kinds of people that take advantage in such an environment.

If you can find the Diane Sawyer story about Camden on youtube it is very enlightening, and even more heartbreaking.