Florida Aquarium nominated for national top 10 list

The Tampa attraction is in the running for USA Today's 10BEST Readers Choice Awards.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 9:54pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic aquarium object such as a jellyfish, sea turtle, or shark fin repeated in a tight grid pattern, conceptually representing the Florida Aquarium's nomination for a national top 10 list.The Florida Aquarium's nomination for a prestigious national award highlights Tampa's reputation as a premier destination for marine life enthusiasts.Today in Tampa

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa is in the running for USA Today's 10BEST Readers Choice Awards to be named one of the 10 best aquariums in the nation. The aquarium welcomes more than a million visitors each year and features interactive exhibits with nearly 20,000 aquatic and terrestrial animals.

Why it matters

The Florida Aquarium is one of Tampa's top tourist attractions, drawing visitors from around the world to experience its diverse marine life exhibits and educational programming. Being named one of the nation's top 10 aquariums would be a major accolade, further boosting the aquarium's reputation and potentially driving increased visitation to the Tampa Bay region.

The details

The Florida Aquarium is competing against other leading aquariums across the country to be named one of the 10 best in the USA Today 10BEST Readers Choice Awards. Visitors to the aquarium can explore a variety of exhibits featuring sharks, rays, sea turtles, and thousands of other aquatic species, as well as terrestrial animals like alligators and snakes.

  • The Florida Aquarium was nominated for the 10BEST Readers Choice Awards in April 2026.

The players

Florida Aquarium

A major tourist attraction in Tampa, Florida that features interactive exhibits with nearly 20,000 aquatic and terrestrial animals.

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What’s next

The 10BEST Readers Choice Awards voting will be open to the public in the coming weeks, and the winners will be announced in May 2026.

The takeaway

The Florida Aquarium's nomination for the prestigious 10BEST Readers Choice Awards demonstrates its status as one of the top aquariums in the United States, further solidifying Tampa's reputation as a premier destination for marine life enthusiasts.