2 Local Aquariums Named The Best In America

Luckily for parents with bored children (or adults who love sea creatures) two local and drivable aquariums were named the best in the US.

Was it just me or did it seem like every year our school scheduled a field trip to one of two aquariums.

You would load up the yellow bus with brown bag lunch in hand and head out.

The bus would be rowdy and teachers would try their best to keep everyone from destroying the gift shop.

EVERY kid was obsessed with the gift shop!

PureWow recently ranked the best aquariums in the country and to our favor two of the top 20 are only a few hours away.

To no surprised the National Aquarium was ranked 2nd overall.

According to PureWow "With nearly 20,000 critters, the National Aquarium has plenty to enthrall animal lovers young and old. There's an Indo-Pacific reef habitat filled with blacktip reef sharks and colorful fish. While the ring-shaped, 225-gallon Shark Alley exhibit lets visitors get up close and personal with toothy predators. (Just maybe don’t watch Jaws before you go.)"

The top aquarium in the country is the Georgia Aquarium. I didn't know the Georgia Aquarium is the BIGGEST in the world and you can actually get in the tank with the underwater creatures.

"Voted USA Today’s top aquarium in the Northeast, the Adventure Aquarium offers up plenty of attractions for kids and adults alike. Muster up some courage and weave your way through Pirates Passage, or stroll through the mesmerizing, 40-foot shark tunnel. Older kids will appreciate the new VR experience, which allows you to “dive” into the ocean. On select evenings, the aquarium hosts F.I.S.H. Night (Family Inclusive Sensory Hours) to accommodate those with sensory needs" according to PureWow.

Adventure Aquarium is unique in that you can go under the sea and walk next door and see a concert at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on the same day!

Plan a day and take a ride to these 2 local aquariums and see some of the coolest and most informative exhibits in the country.

Pennsylvania has 3 of the country's best kids museums and chances are they are only a short drive away!

USA Today has once again released their Top 10 Children's Museums in the Country.

"It can be a challenge to keep kids entertained, especially on days when the weather doesn't cooperate. Luckily these museums, voted as the 10 best in the U.S. for families, offer interactive and engaging experiences for kids and adults alike" their report says.

The list ranked the top 10 children's museums in the US and their top choice was in Indianapolis.

USA Today said "A favorite Indy attraction, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest museum of its kind in the world, encompassing 29 acres of fun-filled exhibits. Kids can snap a selfie with a T-rex, explore outer space through the lens of NASA’s Project Mercury, travel overseas without a passport in "Take Me There: Greece," and play one of 12 sports outdoors in a fabulous interactive sports park with health in mind."

Pennsylvania has 3 of the country's best kids museums and chances are they are only a short drive away!

Here are the three ranked on the list this year:

The Crayola Experience is ranked 10th overall on the list. USA Today says Be immersed in color at Crayola Experience, located two hours away from Philadelphia and New York City in Easton, Pennsylvania. There’s no limitation to creativity at this one-of-a-kind attraction, where children can explore art and technology. Let your imagination run free, color outside the lines and watch the magic of Crayola come to life! 10Best contributor Kyle McCarthy adds, “Hands-on, creative space with a playground, art displays, teacher-led arts workshops and live science show about how crayons are made.”

This place was a birthday party STAPLE when I was a kid and is ranked 7th overall. USA Today says Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum offers two floors of exhibits that kids are actively encouraged to touch. Little ones can build at the Imagination Playground or go down the rabbit hole to a Wonderland-inspired play station. A historic and recently refurbished carousel is a great way to end a visit on a high note. The museum also hosts a variety of family-friendly programs, so there's always something new to explore.

A little bit further of a drive but this place seems worth it! USA Today says Inside the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, visitors can explore numerous hands-on, interactive exhibit areas meant to spark curiosity. The Garage is the place to explore things that bounce, race and roll; the Studio allows kids to express their creativity through various art forms and the Kindness Gallery lets kids try different forms of communication to send messages of empathy and kindness. This was ranked 2nd overall.