Check out Seattle Aquarium's Ocean Pavilion that just opened

If you want to come face to face with tropical fish, an endangered shark and spotted eagle rays, check out the Seattle Aquarium's new Ocean Pavilion.

Why it matters: The addition, which opened late last month , is a key element of the effort to revitalize Seattle's waterfront. But more than that, it's a cool showcase of marine life that's engrossing for kids and adults alike.

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What's inside: I went with my husband and two kids to check out the new building this week.

• The first thing you'll gravitate toward when you enter (which my 4-year-old ran toward at full speed) is an expansive exhibit called "The Reef."
• Its main viewing window (there are five in all) is a floor-to-ceiling experience, measuring 23 feet tall by more than 30 feet wide.

Visitors look into the "The Reef" exhibit as an Indo-Pacific leopard shark swims by. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios

While the whole display is cool, boasting lots of fish and coral, its star is the Indo-Pacific leopard shark , which spent much of our visit doing somersaults for an audience of kids crouched in front of the glass.

• Upstairs, you can look in from a different angle. Here, I was surprised by the spotted eagle rays that kept swimming over, swooping within inches of the glass, as if to say hello. (There are three in total.)

The author's family looks at a spotted eagle ray that approaches the glass. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios

• You should also check out the mangrove forest growing out of the pretty pools upstairs, plus smaller displays downstairs where you can get close to lionfish, clownfish, scorpionfish and colorful anemones.

If you go: The central hall includes moving projections of sea life that several children, including mine, found wildly entertaining.

• There's a colorful tunnel with interactive and tactile exhibits that appealed to really young kids, including my 5-month-old baby.

Projections in the central hall and on the walls add to the experience. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios

What's next: The aquarium plans to move another Indo-Pacific leopard shark, which right now is just a pup, into "The Reef" display when she grows larger.

Stop by: 9:30am to 6pm, with last entry at 5pm.

• Tickets aren't cheap — more than $40 for adults and about $25 for kids — although the 3-and-under crowd is free.
• Admission pays for entry to the main aquarium campus as well as the Ocean Pavilion.

The Archipelago area includes a look at how mangrove trees grow. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios

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