Sea Center Texas is a free marine aquarium and fish hatchery operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife on 75 acres in Lake Jackson. The aquarium section holds native Gulf Coast species — redfish, speckled trout, flounder, alligator gar, and a variety of sharks — in tanks that give good close-up views of fish you might otherwise only encounter at the end of a line. A touch tank lets visitors handle horseshoe crabs, sea stars, and urchins.
The outdoor sections include a wetland boardwalk with observation platforms for birds and alligators, nature trails through coastal prairie, and the hatchery tanks where millions of juvenile redfish are raised. Guided tours of the hatchery are available and are genuinely interesting — the scale of the operation and the technology involved in maintaining water quality for millions of fish at various growth stages is impressive. Admission is free; hours vary by season. 302 Medical Dr, Lake Jackson.