Take a break from colonial history at Charleston’s state-of-the-art aquarium, filled with thousands of enchanting creatures and plants native to the Carolinas. Jutting into the Charleston Harbor for 2,000 feet, the focal point is the two-story Great Ocean Tank, containing more than 800 animals, including deadly sharks but also stingrays and a 220-pound loggerhead sea turtle. One of the most popular exhibits is the Saltmarsh Aviary, where you can buy $3 shrimp cups to feed the stingrays gliding around a 6,000-gallon tank. Newer attractions include the Madagascar Journey, home to ring-tailed lemurs, a Nile crocodile, and white-spotted bamboo sharks; and the 4-D Theater, where 3-D movies are enhanced by moving floors and gusts of wind.