The National Aquarium in Baltimore is located right in the heart of Baltimore on the waterfront of the Chesapeake Bay. The aquarium opened in 1981 and is visited by close to two million people every year.

The aquarium houses ecosystems native to Maryland as well as non-native stream and river life. A visitor can see the entirety of Maryland's watershed from the streams of Western Maryland and the Allegheny mountains to the estuaries of the Chesapeake where fresh water meets the Atlantic Ocean. There are also exhibits dedicated to Australian wildlife as well as dolphin shows and jellyfish displays that highlight life in the deep oceans.

The National Aquarium in Baltimore is also a central player in local conservation efforts. Conservation projects range from rescuing wildlife to maintaining shorelines and cleaning up water pollution. The aquarium's mission statement is to inspire stewardship of the aquatic world.