OdySea Aquarium sits in the Arizona desert on land within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale, an unlikely home for the largest aquarium in the Southwest United States. It opened on September 3, 2016, after roughly 18 months of construction, and quickly became one of the region’s top family attractions, drawing visitors who might not expect to find sharks, sea lions, and stingrays a two-hour drive from the nearest ocean.
The facility spans about 200,000 square feet and houses more than 2 million gallons of water across dozens of exhibits, with an animal collection numbering in the thousands. Its signature attraction, OdySea Voyager, is billed as the world’s only rotating aquarium, carrying seated guests through a slow, 20-minute loop past sweeping underwater scenes. The aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and operates year-round alongside neighboring attractions Butterfly Wonderland and Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Scottsdale, Arizona (Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community)
- Opened: September 3, 2016
- Size: About 200,000 sq ft
- Water volume: Over 2 million gallons
- Animals: More than 6,000
- Species: Around 300-370
- Exhibits: 70+
- Famous for: OdySea Voyager, the world’s only rotating aquarium
The Ride Experience
The centerpiece of a visit is OdySea Voyager, a moving theater-style attraction that carries seated guests on a slow rotating path around a large tank, giving views of sea turtles, sharks, and sea lions from angles a normal walkway can’t offer. The ride runs about 20 minutes and is designed to feel more like a gentle journey than a typical thrill attraction, making it accessible to nearly all ages.
Beyond the Voyager, the aquarium’s other 65-plus exhibits include touch pools with stingrays and a Russian sturgeon touch tank, a shark tunnel, and areas featuring penguins and jellyfish. Behind-the-scenes shark tours and seasonal programming, including underwater Santa appearances, add variety for repeat visitors.
Desert Location, Ocean Scale
What makes OdySea stand out is its setting: a 2-million-gallon aquarium built in the middle of the Arizona desert, far from any coastline. The project was developed by Amram Knishinsky and is now run by Adi and Ran Knishinsky as managing partners, operating as part of a nonprofit foundation structure on tribal land in Scottsdale.
Since opening in 2016, the aquarium has grown into an anchor of the OdySea in the Desert entertainment district, which also includes Butterfly Wonderland and Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs, letting visitors combine multiple attractions in a single desert outing.
Explore more: Explore more zoos and aquariums.
OdySea Aquarium FAQs
When did OdySea Aquarium open?
OdySea Aquarium opened on September 3, 2016, in Scottsdale, Arizona, after about 18 months of construction.
Is OdySea Aquarium the largest in the Southwest?
Yes, OdySea Aquarium is widely cited as the largest aquarium in the Southwest United States, spanning roughly 200,000 square feet and holding over 2 million gallons of water.
What is OdySea Voyager?
OdySea Voyager is a rotating theater-style attraction, described as the world’s only rotating aquarium, that carries seated guests on a roughly 20-minute journey past sharks, sea turtles, and sea lions.
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Photo: Richard N Horne / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.