Arts & Entertainment

Downtown Aquarium has carnival appeal 

By Bjorn Gudmundsson
The Daily Cougar

Houstonis ever-expanding downtown area has a new destination already popular with both locals and tourists. The Downtown Aquarium, unveiled to the public in February, is a family-oriented entertainment venue with a lot to offer. An offshoot of the popular Aquarium Restaurant on the Kemah Boardwalk, the Downtown Aquarium is a variation on the theme of exotic marine life in a slick undersea atmosphere.

Mauro Alvarez/The Daily Cougar

The entry hall, designed to look like a coral reef and bathed in blue light, gives visitors several options. Most will choose to view the many aquariums that make up most of the first floor. These areas are done up in various themes including a Louisiana-style swamp, a sunken treasure ship and the ruins of an ancient Mayan temple. 

The different sections offer many fascinating examples of international marine life. A quick glance at the explanatory notes on the tanks give patrons information about such creatures as the Goliath grouper, tiny neon electric eels, an emerald tree boa and the deceptively tame-looking red-bellied piranhas.

Several dining options are available at the Downtown Aquarium. Restaurants here are open to visitors having a night on the town and are an excellent choice for before or after the theater.

The Dive Lounge, an attractive upscale bar, is a nice place to settle in for a cocktail to begin or end an evening.

"Itis just such a good-looking place," said Dive Lounge bartender Julian Muniz, a University of Houston senior marketing major. "Sometimes I just stand here and look at all the fish."

Another, more family-friendly option is the Marina Matinee Café, a casual spot featuring seating moored to the waterway underfoot.

However, the Downtown Aquariumis most spectacular dining experience is the Aquarium Restaurant. A remarkably sensory experience, this handsome restaurant is centered around a huge 100,000-gallon tank holding a large variety of sea life.

Competing for attention with the aquarium are breathtaking views of downtown from the large outdoor seating area on the patio. While diners feast their eyes on the visually stunning space, they can enjoy such fare as crab salad, coconut shrimp and grilled mahi-mahi with jumbo shrimp.

The Downtown Aquarium is the newest addition to the Landryis restaurant empire. Landryis Restaurants Inc. is the nationis second-largest chain of casual seafood restaurants and is run by Houston restaurant mogul Tillman J. Fertitta. Included in Fertittais stable of eating establishments are places such as Joeis Crab Shack, Willie Gis Seafood and Steakhouse, The Rainforest Café and, of course, Landryis Seafood House.

"When people come to the Downtown Aquarium, they will be entertained like never before," Fertitta said in a recent press release. "Our visitors will see things they have never seen and will learn about all types of animals from all over the world. They are in for a very exciting experience."

Further amusement can be found outside. Children and adults will enjoy a ride on the large Ferris wheel or the vintage-style carousel. The C.P. Huntington Train curls around the side of the main building. The whimsical train ride leads visitors to the SharkVoyage tank, a 200,000-gallon acrylic tunnel in which sharks cavort overhead.

The Downtown Aquarium offers visitors a unique and exciting experience in the heart of Houstonis downtown. Bring the entire family to enjoy Houstonis newest entertainment complex.

Downtown Aquarium

410 Bagby St.

The verdict: The unconventional decor, exotic fish and sea creatures in atmospheric grottoes will not disappoint.
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