Sitting right on the shore of Resurrection Bay, the Alaska SeaLife Center is the state's only public aquarium — and a working marine research and rescue facility rolled

into one. The two-story seabird habitat lets you watch puffins dive underwater and pop back up inches from the glass; a pair of massive viewing windows puts you eye-to-eye

with Steller sea lions and harbor seals rocketing past; and a touch tank near the entrance turns every visitor, adult and child, back into a curious kid. Don't miss the giant

Pacific octopus, the wolf eel, or the ethereal moon jellies in the back gallery.

It's the perfect rainy-day stop on a Kenai Fjords day trip, but plenty of travelers plan their entire Seward day around it. Allow two hours — more if you add one of the

premium behind-the-scenes encounters with the octopus, puffins, or sea lions, which are consistently rated among the most memorable experiences in Alaska for kids and

adults alike. The work the Center does rehabilitating stranded marine mammals gives every visit real weight, and the bay views from the deck are worththe ticket alone.

Reservations are timed in peak summer; book ahead andaim for late afternoon to beat the crowds.