{"id":325806,"date":"2026-06-06T18:23:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T18:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/325806\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T18:23:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T18:23:08","slug":"texas-coastal-attraction-lands-on-usa-todays-10best-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/325806\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas coastal attraction lands on USA Today&#8217;s 10Best list"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cAs the largest aquarium in Texas, the Aquarium\u2019s continued recognition highlights its leadership in conservation, education, and unforgettable guest experience,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasstateaquarium.org\/texas-state-aquarium-nominated-for-usa-today-10best-readers-choice-award-for-the-eighth-year\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">officials said<\/a> in the\u00a0leadup to USA Today\u2019s announcement of the winners on May 20.<\/p>\n<p>As for what makes the Texas State Aquarium so beloved? Readers loved the dizzying variety of wild animals that visitors can find in the various exhibits scattered throughout the facility\u2019s 6.3-acre property located at 2710 No. Shoreline\u00a0Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX 78402. And the exhibits aren\u2019t just limited to showcasing marine life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNotable exhibits include a spacious jungle with flamingos, free-flying birds, and macaws, as well as a deep-sea habitat where visitors can get up close with sharks prowling among a sunken shipwreck,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/10best.usatoday.com\/awards\/texas-state-aquarium-corpus-christi-texas\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">USA Today officials said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAdditional exhibits provide captivating views of sea turtles, dolphins, river otters, and other remarkable animals, while touch pools and educational animal presentations offer interactive, hands-on experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The aquarium features nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasstateaquarium.org\/things-to-do\/exhibits\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">two dozen distinct exhibits<\/a> and habitat areas spread across three levels. Aside from its marine displays, including a massive 400,000-gallon shark aquarium inside its Caribbean Journey exhibit, the facility also offers close-up views of all sorts of terrestrial animals. That includes\u00a0Milla the ocelot, a federally endangered wildcat species that was once abundant throughout South Texas.<\/p>\n<p>Visitors making a trip to the aquarium this summer will also have a new spot to explore thanks to a newly opened\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasstateaquarium.org\/texas-state-aquarium-kicks-off-summer-with-new-ocean-odyssey-discovery-center-expanded-animal-presentations-and-splash-park-fun\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">interactive feature called Ocean Odyssey<\/a>, which opened for the first time on May 23. The\u00a0immersive space offers a \u201cChildren\u2019s Discovery Center designed to inspire play, exploration, and a deeper connection to wildlife rescue,\u201d aquarium officials said.<\/p>\n<p>Ocean Odyssey features multi-level climbable play structures, such as a large orange octopus, toddler-friendly spaces, and play areas for big kids, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cAs the largest aquarium in Texas, the Aquarium\u2019s continued recognition highlights its leadership in conservation, education, and unforgettable&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":325807,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[155,157,156,2319,2320,820,30063],"class_list":["post-325806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-corpus-christi","tag-corpus-christi","tag-corpus-christi-headlines","tag-corpus-christi-news","tag-mysacoast","tag-mysasotx","tag-mysastaff","tag-mysatravel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=325806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325806\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/325807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=325806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=325806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}