Updated for September 2026
The Best Aquariums in Ohio
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every aquarium in Ohio that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Rides and attractionsOn-site diningNight and evening opening
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Powell
It stands on the Scioto River, along the east bank of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir. Its public profile owes much to promotion by the director emeritus, Jack Hanna, and in 2009 the USA Travel Guide ranked it the top zoo in the United States.
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Keeper talk or showNight and evening openingParking
Toledo Zoo
Zoo & Aquarium in Toledo
The zoo keeps over 10,000 animals from 720 species. Its holdings have been described as one of the most varied zoo and aquarium collections in the country.
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Touch poolPicnic areaIndoor spaces
Greater Cleveland Aquarium
Aquarium in Cleveland
It occupies the old FirstEnergy Powerhouse on the west bank of the Cuyahoga in the Flats, and opened in January 2012 with about 70,000 sq ft of display space. There are 55 displays, grouped into nine themes of local and exotic fish. It is the only stand-alone independent aquarium in the state, and its opening closed a 26-year gap in which the city had none.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 3 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.