![]() ![]() The first one is called Fishermans Hollow and is the second largest of the four. My love affair with tunnel windows ended long ago, and the fact that this is the only way to view these four exhibits is disappointing. Graphics should be unlit in this type of viewing area, with the tank lighting from above providing the only light for the signs, especially if they are as basic as many of these. This creates distracting glare, and is probably worse here than anywhere I have seen. The aquarium has made a common mistake here: graphics are brightly backlit and positioned on the railings, tilted up toward the tunnel. The barrier walls between the exhibits are relatively thin, so that the tunnel seems continuous and there is little transition from one to the next, just a small sign above announcing the next theme. I have seen this same system at Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco and in part of Ocean Voyager at Georgia Aquarium. The tunnel features a moving walkway on one side, like a conveyor belt, that is flush with the rest of the tunnel floor so that visitors can choose to stand and experience the exhibits at a steady pace, or step off to explore at their own pace. The next four exhibits are the main attraction of the aquarium each is a different theme and size, but they all have the same depth (about 10 feet?) and are all viewed through a standard clear tunnel that is quite long as it angles through its course. The room ends inside a snowy cave to lead to the next exhibits. Last is an average rectangular terrarium for gopher snake. It is similar to the next two: one called Reptile River with red-eared slider and painted turtle and some unidentified fish, and one for alligator snapping turtle. Then a small naturalistic open-top tank with a clear railing for underwater viewing is next, called Fishin Hole, filled with sunfish, largemouth bass, and common snapping turtle. Huh? The exhibit recovers quickly from this stupid inclusion with a small open-top habitat for Eastern box turtle. First is a small open-top pond with koi and a sign that is typical of the scatterbrained educational messages here: the koi are typical of many backyard captive habitats, and koi are related to Asian carp, which is an introduced species that often jumps in lakes and hurts people in their boats. ![]() The path descends through its course in the room as it goes past the exhibits. The room is nicely detailed with simulated rocky ledges and trees and shrubs and real waterfalls to recreate a native woodland, with a dark atmospheric ceiling and lighting. ![]() The first exhibit area is a large room with 6 small exhibits called Touch of the Wild Woods, although no touch tanks are present. It has a nice collection though and most of the tanks are attractive. Most of the graphics are very basic, and of course all the exhibit lighting is artificial and rather dark. The path descends down to a second basement level during its course for most of the exhibits, where it eventually ends at the escalators back up to the lobby and mall. Its entrance is inside one wing of the mall on the ground floor, where escalators lead down to the ticketing lobby and exhibit path entrance. Despite these ridiculous claims and its mostly commercial feeling, it is a nice experience located on two levels along an exhibit path composed of both large and intimate tanks of both fresh and saltwater habitats. Their website also says that they have the world’s largest jellyfish collection. Whoever conceived that claim needs to travel more. Who cares? There is also a banner in the lower lobby that proclaims it as the ‘World’s Largest Shark Exhibit’. The aquarium’s odd claim to fame is that it is the largest underground aquarium in the world. It is located in part of the basement of Mall of America, the country’s largest indoor shopping center that surrounds an indoor amusement park. This average aquarium is located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb 8 miles South of downtown Minneapolis and 9 miles Southwest of St. ![]()
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