NEWS RELEASE


PARENTS MAGAZINE NAMES MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM

THE NATION'S TOP AQUARIUM FOR KIDS



Tuesday, July 17 (Monterey, Calif.) -- Parents Magazine has named the
Monterey Bay Aquarium the best aquarium for kids in the United States -
the latest Top 10 honor for the acclaimed California aquarium.

The article, "The 10 Best Aquariums for Kids," appears in the August
issue of Parents Magazine, available on newsstands beginning today.

The aquarium was lauded for its innovative live exhibits, including the
family-friendly Splash Zone gallery, and for having "the biggest
collection of flip books, slide-up panels, light-up buttons, and other
touch-able, kid-friendly features of all the aquariums on our list."

The full Top 10 list includes:

1. Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California

2. Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta

3. John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago

4. New England Aquarium, Boston

5. Florida Aquarium, Tampa

6. Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California

7. Atlantis Marine World, Riverhead, New York

8. Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon

9. SeaWorld Adventure Parks, Orlando/San Antonio/San Diego

10. National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland

Nine of the aquariums on the list are accredited by the Association of
Zoos and Aquariums, and Georgia Aquarium is seeking accreditation.

In addition to recognition from Parents Magazine, this summer
TripAdvisor(r) - the world's largest travel community - ranked Monterey
Bay Aquarium No. 8 on its Top 10 list of best U.S. travel attractions.
And Monterey is the No. 1 aquarium and the overall No. 3 top-rated
family attraction in the nation, according to the Zagat Survey(r) U.S.
Family Travel Guide, released in 2004,

"We're honored to be recognized by Parents Magazine for our commitment
to kids and families," said aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard.
"If we want a future with healthy oceans, it's so important that young
people forge emotional bonds with marine life at an early age. An
aquarium visit is an important part of the process, and this honor is
another validation of our efforts toward that goal."

In developing its Top 10 rankings, Parents Magazine relied on site
visits to the top aquariums, the recommendations of an expert panel and
the results of an exhaustive survey that evaluated the number,
creativity and educational aspect of each aquarium's interactive
features. It also graded the aquariums on the quality and
kid-friendliness of their exhibits, services (like changing stations),
staff and educators, special programs for groups and families, and
conservation efforts.

Parents Magazine - the oldest parenting magazine in the United States -
circulates more than 2 million copies and reaches 15 million readers a
month. The magazine focuses on the daily needs and concerns of
contemporary mothers of young children in its print edition, a website
(www.parents.com <http://www.parents.com/> ), through regular podcasts
and the Goodyblog, (http://www.goodyblog.com <http://www.goodyblog.com/>
).

The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of
the oceans. More information is available online at
www.montereybayaquarium.org <http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/> .



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