Mississippi Aquarium

They opened it on the fifteenth anniversary of Katrina. August 29, 2020. The first aquarium Mississippi ever had, built on 5.8 acres in Gulfport with $93 million — 90% of it from the City of Gulfport, the State of Mississippi, RESTORE Act grants, and Gulf of Mexico Energy Act funds. The rest came from private donors. It replaced the Marine Life Oceanarium, which the hurricane destroyed. The timing was deliberate. This coast has casinos, but this was something else: a statement that you can still build things here that aren't about dice. More than 200 species live in the complex — bottlenose dolphins, river otters, stingrays, sandbar sharks — spread across indoor and outdoor habitats. The outdoor exhibits focus on the Mississippi Sound, one of the most productive estuaries in North America. Landscaped footpaths wind through plantings drawn from seven physiographic regions of Mississippi. Three sails mark the entrance and appear on the logo. One of only a few U.S. aquariums offering SeaTrek helmet diving, where you walk the tank floor breathing through a helmet. The experience is strange and specific: you're dry, your head is in a bubble, and stingrays coast past at eye level. Plan two to three hours. The splash pad and outdoor areas are seasonal. Open daily. Admission charged.