Oregon Coast Aquarium

My wife and I stopped by the aquarium today for our first visit. It was amazing. We made it just in time to watch the seal feeding, then the otter feeding. They have a little food court. A nice gift shop. I could not resist getting a couple things for myself

Gem of an aquarium in a cool coastal city. Passages of the deep shark exhibit is very interesting to walk through and observe the interactions of all of the creatures. The current art exhibit on ocean plastic is amazing, but a sad reminder of what our trash is doing to our oceans. Our child enjoyed doing the Jr. Aquarist activities and earning her badge.

This is a nice aquarium but very small. It was perfect for my 3 yr old grandson to get some exposure to sea life. Touching a starfish and experiencing the shark tunnel were his favorite things. While very nice, it’s no where near my favorite aquarium in Monterey Bay, CA.

If you have little kids it is worth going. Especially when they are feeding the animals. The staff were very friendly & full of informations to share.

One of the best aquariums I have been too. The aquarium is compact, with little to no walking time between exhibits. There is an outdoor section with the larger animals and an indoor with more smaller fish. There is a cool tide pool exhibit, and overall the experience was great! The staff were friendly and welcoming and answered all questions. They also have feeding times and presentations on the animals at each exhibit every few hours or so. Definitely recommend!

The aquarium was a really enjoyable experience. We especially loved the underwater tunnels and the creatively designed rock structures — they added a fun, immersive touch. The layout was spacious and open, which made it easy to explore without feeling crowded or constantly brushing past other visitors. One downside, though, was the limited number of exhibits. While the displays they do have are beautifully done and feature a few unique ocean creatures we haven’t encountered at other aquariums, we found ourselves finishing the entire visit in about 30 minutes. The art installations made from ocean trash were visually striking and carried an important message, but we would have preferred to see more live marine animals. Overall, it’s a well-designed space with a few standout features, but the small variety of exhibits left us wanting more.

Highly recommend visiting UNLESS you have a disabled person in your party. Several parents also complained about stroller accessibility. The paths are small gravel, most of it NOT hard packed. So it is nearly impossible to push a wheelchair through. The restrooms labeled handicap also do not allow a wheelchair to get in, much less into a stall. I'm pretty disappointed for such a modern facility and one such as this. I would have still rated higher but im pretty disappointed the person who sold us our tickets didn't warn us. Also there is no warning that I saw online. These days, it's pretty safe to assume a public facility like this would be handicap accessible. It just plain is not. It left a bad taste in my mouth that the gift shop staff just sat there watching us struggle to open the door against the wind and push the wheelchair out. There was nobody in line to pay. A little thoughtfulness would have gone a long way. It's sort of chaps your hide when they have a kid in a wheelchair as part of their display and they do that. Throughout the park, several staff apologized and explained part of the two year plan is to pave the paths. Again...we would have appreciated knowing that before purchasing tickets. Only other negative comment is I wish they had staff more spread throughout the aquarium. Not just to educate but also to help control the badly parented children who shriek nonstop, bang on the glass and stomp on the floor glass. It actually ruined the experience completely. Screaming kids is one thing but paying to be stuck in a glass tunnel with them squealing at the top of their lungs nonstop is entirely another. I get that kids are a part of the targeted customer group but they shouldn't be allowed to wreck the experience for adults. It wasnxt just a few, excited outbursts, which is to be expected. It was all-out screaming nonstop from a handful of kids. That really needs to be managed by staff if the parents won't. It isn't acceptable. They shouldn't be allowed to wreck it for other paying customers like that. Other than that, the place is absolutely gorgeous and the staff is knowledgeable and eager to share their knowledge.

Jellyfish, eels, sharks, anemone, sea otters, and perhaps most alarmingly, sturgeon! (Do you know how big those things get? And they are in the rivers around here.) Ample parking though it is a walk, even from ADA. Restrooms are nice and easy to find. Much of the interior path is gravel and can be a little uneven. Benches always seem easy to find. I would like to see more regular presentations and information about the wildlife. it would also be nice to know when those presentations were going to happen in advance, but I was not able to easily access that information. The gift shop seems nice, you are directed to walk through it on the way to leave, I did not stop to look at the prices. The price to get in is reasonable if a bit tough. They do have discounts for individuals in financial need with documentation, so you may want to look into that if you’d like to take your family, you can get half off of the regular price, but you have to buy your tickets there. The half off program does not apply to annual memberships.

My husband and I spent 3 hours here! Just us, no kids. Much longer than we expected, lol. This place is so neat, thoughtfully designed and well laid out with both indoor and outdoor exhibits. It has a great flow. We visited early on a weekday so there weren't too many kids around and it wasn't busy or crowded. We were mostly amongst other adults and seniors, which I greatly appreciated because it allowed us time to fully explore and experience each exhibit for as long as we wanted, without feeling pressured to move on or get out of the way. It was also a beautiful weather day, so being outside was enjoyable. There were so many things that I loved about this aquarium but I most appreciated the Washed Ashore exhibit, which showcases artwork made out of plastic items found in the ocean. It reminded me how much stuff we accumulate and discard and that we all need to be better.

This is overdue from our trip. We liked this Aquarium, & some things seemed undersized for what we hoped for. I did learn the life and habits of Octopus. 5 years, and few make it that far. For me , a life change. I have decided that it will be no more grilled Octopus for me. Life is too short.

We made a stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium on our coastal road trip. I was surprised at how big it was and the amount of indoor and outdoor things to see. There are indoor exhibits as well as some outdoor exhibits. You feel like you are seeing much more due to the laid out nature of each exhibit. There are great restrooms, a food court, and outdoor playground for the kids to enjoy. The touch tide pools were fun with sea anemones and sea stars. I wish they allowed you to pick up the sea urchins because I remember doing that as a kid and the weird feeling of them moving on my hand. I like to collect the smashed penny souvenirs and when I saw it I was excited. They take credit cards which charge you $4 for all 4 coins or you can use dollars. A bit more expensive than the $0.50 and a penny. One note I saw on another review was that the shark tank was murky. I also noticed that and wish you could see the sharks in the tank better. This aquarium was good for the hour that we spent there. The kids probably would have spent more time just playing on the playground but we were on our way to lunch and only spent an hour here.

This is a nice aquarium with inside and outside attractions. We both loved the Passages of the deep. It was an awesome experience to walk thru the aquarium with fish surrounding you on all sides. They even have an area where you can touch different starfish. It makes for a really nice day walking around exploring all the different sea creatures. It's really hard to name a favorite with so much amazement and colorful species of the sea.

I have been to bigger aquariums but this one was a cute stop along the coast. I LOVED the otters exhibit. There were a couple outside exhibits like the otters and sea lions and seals but the rest was inside. The tunnel feature was really cool and had multiple sections. They also had touch tanks for starfish. I thought there would be a few more exhibits but it was still a really fun stop

The volunteers at the various exhibits do an amazing job. The volunteer at the touch tank was incredibly knowledgeable. My husband loves going to aquariums and this was his favorite by far.

Well maintained aquarium with friendly staff and we enjoyed some of the activities like when they feed some of the animals.

A small aquarium for a quick to-do activity! Even though this aquarium was small, it was very clean and spacious. We were able to spend 2.5 hours listening to the tours/taking our time strolling around. It almost felt like a half aquarium and half mini outdoor zoo but, coming from CA resident, this is a really nice place with half the crowd. You can easily walk through this in 30 mins, but if you have kids, I suggest to take your time and let your kids play at the playground they have. Parking was free which was a big plus. Admission was $25, not bad, it's fairly a lot better than what you pay in CA. Also big perks for the staff who work there! They were super friendly and was approached if we needed any help during out time :)

Took advantage of an Oregon Zoo reciprocal entry and made a visit from Portland. It's a really nicely organized, clean, informative place -- plenty of staff and volunteers around too to teach you about the fish. There were touch pools, jellies, sea horses, anchovies, sharks, rays, puffins, otters, and sea lions, starfish, anemones.... and turkey vultures. Pretty much all the usual suspects except an octopus. Took a little more than an hour to get through everything, but easily could've been double that if I'd had the chance to read the displays in peace. Note that a good portion of the exhibits are outside, so dress accordingly! There's a playground too in case the kids need to let off some steam before the drive home. Gift shop was really overpriced, but the kids were happy with their pressed pennies

Very immersive experience! Anemones you could touch, an octopus, sharks, aquarium tunnels with fish above and below you all at once. Colorful, fun, indoor and outdoor! Quick to go through but lots to see. Friendly, informative, passionate staff, very welcoming of questions. 10/10

Always a Great Experience @ Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, OR. !! FYI: All areas and exhibits are open to the Public for us to enjoy!! What a great visit on a rainy Friday. We had to out maneuver the field trip kiddos and be more patient this time, but many Aquarium employees were on hand to keep up with demand and maintain the high standards of this attraction. Shout out to employee Julie in the Rocky Coast Gallery for answering all of our questions and having extensive knowledge about interesting and fun facts! We were in search of the Giant Pacific Octopus that usually was in a small crevice of its own between the Pinnipeds and the Aviary. Lo and Behold, its new location is in an impressive tank right across from the touch pool. Octopus Percy surprised us by quickly waking up, stretching out, and shedding his suction cups!! What a treat. I always look forward to seeing the sea otters during the education and feeding times. This visit was just as delightful. The handlers interacted with otters Earle and Oswald with great technique while they got all the attention looking adorable and snacking. Thank you!

Fun for everyone . Well organized. Plenty of feeding demonstrations. A delightful day

Nice but Small and Pricey The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a very nice place, especially for kids. The exhibits are well-maintained and educational, and the combination of zoo and aquarium elements makes for a unique experience. My kids enjoyed the interactive displays and the variety of marine life on show. However, the aquarium is quite small, and we were able to see everything in a relatively short amount of time. While there are plenty of quick food options available, which is convenient for families, the ticket prices are quite high. Given the size and the amount of time you can spend there, it feels a bit overpriced. Overall, it's a good spot for a family outing if you're in the area, but the cost may not justify the experience for everyone.

So glad we have an aquarium in the Oregon coast, this place is great strongly recommend. Plenty to do, not the biggest just had enough. The shark aquarium needs some lighting looks a little dark might be the murky water, I think they must've just fed them. There was chum everywhere, so missed the feeding frenzy! You can still see the Sharks & Montereys, and other sea species. They have a nice petting aquarium, you can touch enmities & sea stars sea cucumbers you can touch. Leopard sea lion live feeding it's pretty cool! The restaurant is activity really good, their fries are best, if you ever have checkers, you don't know what I'm talking about! The chicken cordon bleu is righteous and the calamari you can't go wrong! Nice play ground for the kiddos, only foul part is one of those kids must of pooped himself had to walk through the aquarium pretty quick, parents need to be on the look out.

This is a really intriguing place to stop and spend some time. Checking was fairly easy. The price was reasonable.

The Aquarium itself is pretty nice. I do think m the tickets are pretty high so be prepared to spend a good chunk of change just getting in. We loved getting to see some local fish and the touch tide pool area was super fun. One area was under construction so that was kinda lame. Unfortunately, some of the staff weren't very knowledgeable about some basic questions which was a little disheartening. The gift shop is an absolute money grab. A basic t shirt was $58 which is absolutely outrageous. A hoodie? $98 dollars for thin material. It's insane. $20 for a small thing of "bio luminescent putty"? It really was disgusting to see these prices. Either they are trying to price out and only have "the elites" shopping there, or they really just want tons of money. The line at the gift shop was rarely big and I never saw more than 2 people in line. So disappointed as I wanted to rep the aquarium and support but with the entry, I could not justify a basic t shirt for that much. The otters also weren't out which is one of the best things there so that was a bummer. I've been to the aquarium many many times. So it's still worth going but again be prepared to spend lots of money.

They charge $25 for the go kart for people that have mobility problems. $15 for a wheelchair.

Yes it's small but it's so good!! They had so much stuff to see in such a small space! The touch pools were amazing tons of starfish and anemone. They had puffins and seals and ... I loved it and everyone was so sweet. Perfect little spot to visit.

Fun and informative! Light crowd. Watches them feed the sea otters-cute! Easy walk thru the various exhibits.

Took a break from cowboyin' and traded the saddle for sea life--ended up face-to-face with an octopus that looked like it knew my social security number. Oregon Coast Aquarium did not disappoint. The sea otters are basically wet puppies with ADHD, the sharks glide around like they own the place, and the puffins? They strut like they just landed a modeling contract. Whoever designed the walk-through tunnel deserves a raise--felt like I was in a fishy fever dream, but in a good way. Great place to bring kids, dates, or just your inner 10-year-old. Only downside? I left wanting to adopt a jellyfish and name it Carl. 10/10 would get stared down by a sea lion again.

I found the Oregon Coast Aquarium to be just okay. My favorite part was when I got to touch some of the sea creatures! Many exhibits were closed. Of the exhibits that were open, it was nice to see the animals that were there. The facilities were clean. The cafe was okay. The food wasn't bad, but I will say that my burger had no seasoning at all. I don't think I'd return unless all exhibits were open.

It's fun but the size is smaller than what I expected. For the price, it's reasonable. We love the tunnel which is the best feature here!

We lived our visit to the aquarium. They were upfront with the construction and limited exhibits that were open. We enjoyed several educational talks and animal viewings that went on while we were there. They have a large gift shop and a spot to eat packed food or food from their cafe. I got free admission as it was my birthday, which was awesome!

Overall more like a mini-zoo than an aquarium, since most of it is outdoors. It's fairly small, but we still spent 2.5 hours here since we took our time. The Passages of the Deep tunnel is incredible, seeing fish all around you, and was actually quite a bit bigger than I thought it would be. The cafeteria was also way better than it had to be. The clam chowder was the highlight - full of clams and not starchy/bacony as most places are.

We weren't sure what to expect, but decided to check it out last weekend. We arrived at opening and had to wait in line, it went quick though. First impressions: Granted, it was right as gates opened, but everything seemed very clean. The park was WAY smaller than I assumed it would be. The volunteers scattered throughout seemed quite knowledgeable and friendly. Enjoyed the natural setting, nestled and semi-incorporated into the marsh...minus the massive fake-rock maze in the center...that most definitely took away from the natural feel. We were only there for an hour. We don't have kids to wrangle so that makes a big difference of course. But regardless, an hour allowed us to cover every exhibit. Note: we chose to wander the building with all the indoor tanks (next to the entrance) last, and by that time there were so many people inside I felt too crowded and just passed through much of it. When we left we noticed that the extra parking lots weren't full...I can't imagine how packed the place would feel if the park was at capacity, YIKES! Although it was slightly underwhelming, it was a decent way to spend an hour. But then again, I'm all for anything that supports animal care, research, and causes.

I never pass up the chance to go to a new aquarium. We were in town for our wedding, and weren't sure if we wanted to go on one of our last days here or just hang out. I'm so glad we did. The shark tunnel was seriously lacking. Basically looked like a concrete box. Terrible lighting, made it very hard to see anything. The rest of the exhibits were beautiful. So vibrant and well decorated, so many different species. I could have spent hours at the touch pool, a great variety of things to interact with. The staff at the pools were friendly and knowledgeable. The landscape of the property is lovely, it's a great immersive experience. The gift shop was mostly well priced, with some overly expensive items here and there. Compared to my local aquarium, their prices were impressive! We also had lunch at Jellyfish Cafe. The prices were good, and not overpriced compared to other places in the area. We all got the chicken strips. They were nice and crispy, but the fries were definitely the star of the show. They were so good and nicely seasoned. We were stuffed but couldn't seem to leave any on our plate!Food came out quickly. We loved sitting next to the moon jellyfish tank.

I'm not always a fan of the treatment of animals in places like this but I think they are well cared for here. Well worth the trip.

Kids love this place. Esp the sea otters, seals and penguins. They even had Puffins! Adorable birds from a small island off of Scotland? They have a ton of exhibits and the Octopus was a big hit. Lots to see and not too pricey.

Wonderful small aquarium, animal feedings, large impactful sculptures of animals and sea life made out of thousands of pieces of plastic garbage from the ocean.

So this was my first visit to the Oregon coast aquarium. There are a lot of other bigger aquariums out there but if you're in the area, this one is worth a stop. They have easy access in and out and a nice little set up. We came on memorial day and it wasn't even that busy which was kind of nice. Left us plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the day to do other things.

Very overrated on here. For a family of four, 2 adults, 2 kids under 12, it was $100 to get in. We had walked the entire thing in 30 mins and were blown away when we were at the end and it was over. We even stopped for 10 mins of it to watch the Seal feeding. All-in-all, it was 2,000 steps from the parking lot (which is quite a bit away from the doors) and walking the exhibit back to your car. It would have been 3* for $40-$50, but for $100, and 30-mins walking very slow, complete bust for our trip.

Sea otters, sea lions and seals, tunnel with sharks and other fish/ocean life, puffins. And so much more. Such a wonderful place to spend some time, and a lot of money,.. I love the feel of a natural setting, inside and outside exhibits and viewings. It feels like a big place but really it is quite small. They do a good job caring for orphaned sea otters!

We loved our visit to the Oregon Coast Aquarium today. It's a nice mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits with large open entryways, so everyone has plenty of room to see the creatures. The exhibits are well organized and have a wide variety of different sea creatures, all well lit and well explained. We learned a lot about the unique ecosystems along the Oregon Coast, what is threatening them, what scientists are learning here (especially about micro plastics) and what we can do at home to help! :) Be sure and visit the shark tunnel - the longest one we have seen, and with the most variety of fish, rays, and sharks (in separate areas of course). 5 great experience for all ages stars!

I can't give this place enough gold stars !!! The staff are helpful. They offer electric scooters for $20 for those with mobility issues. Outdoor and inside exhibits and a super cool passage of the deep tunnel with water all around and fish swimming all around the outside of the tunnel tube. Great playground for the kiddos. The cafe has a great selection of food and nibbles and even a kids menu with PB&J's.

My daughter had so much fun and was worth the price for the fun she had. As a mommy and daddy, we wish the price was a little cheaper with all the exhibits that were closed and we had a 5.5hr drive just to come here. My recommendation to others, totally worth going with the kiddos if you are already in the area. Don't plan a trip just for this place.

Fun activity, but very pricey for the amount of exhibits. Several were closed down when we visited. Check their website - they have different pricing for different days. If you're on a budget, avoid the weekends! Also, very limited on food. Looks like they were renovating the cafe. They did have a coffee bar with very limited snacks. Some very neat exhibits, but little ones will probably get bored quickly.

This was a very nice aquarium, all of the buildings were kept very clean and looked basically brand new. Thats where the positives end for me. We purchased our tickets on the website 9/4 and it mentioned nothing about half the exhibits being closed for renovations starting 9/5. If I knew that, I wouldn't have spent one of my vacation days driving 2.5hrs to/from Portland. Literally had an entire day planned around visiting this aquarium only to find out that many things are closed. When we asked why the website didn't mention that, they said "oh, we updated it this morning". I'm not even disappointed about the money, I'm more so disappointed that this aquarium is allows you to buy tickets and doesn't communicate that half the experiences will be shut down. Obviously these are planned and scheduled renovations, so they could have planned to offer discounted tickets or something. Of the open exhibits, there was 1 octopus, 1 turkey vulture, no sea otters. Deep sea, sea lions, and the birds were really all we got to "experience".

Visited Newport with my family. We saw signs during our drive that got us excited about making a stop at the aquarium. We arrived 10min before opening & there was a line already. Buy your tickets online. The line to buy tickets was very long. We were the 4th family to make it in & within a matter of minutes, it went from nice to overly crowded. The aquarium is under construction so the near the main entrance it was blocked off. Also the bird area is closed off due to the bird flu. The price is definitely way over. Id say $15 sounds just right but I guess it goes to a good cause? The aquarium is by far the smallest I've ever visited. We were done in 1hr. Maybe even less since we stopped at the gift shop. Our toddler was walking so we were going at her pace as well. I guess if youre in the area its worth it. But if you are planning a trip for this as your main attraction... I hope you enjoy.

The shark tank was the best area. We went through it twice. I love that they have a big play area for the kids. There was an area that was under construction when we went there but it was still enjoyable. However, I feel like the sea lion area could be bigger.

So much fun to watch the sea otters, seals and tufted puffins up close. The shark tank was a thrill to walk through and having a giant manta ray swim over us was Amazing! The huge jelly fish tank was mesmerizing to watch them float around so gracefully. It was a bit pricey, especially with the touch pools closed for renovations. Still highly recommend.

Wait until all of the exhibits reopen before visiting--around June 2024. The website was clear that two exhibits were closed, but I did not understand that the implication was that fully half of the indoor exhibits were closed. I was surprised by how much of it was outdoors. Rather than a large building containing all exhibits, there are a series of small buildings connected by outdoor pathways, and several exhibits are fully outdoors. It's probably lovely on a nice day, but given this is the Oregon coast.... Our visit was wet and chilly and not that pleasant. We headed indoors and were through the open exhibits in less than an hour. Nice exhibits but not worth the $100 it cost for my family of 5. They really should discount the admission while aquarium is under renovation.

I like that they have indoor and outdoor exhibits. My 2yo enjoyed running around. Unfortunately the touch pools are closed- what she would enjoy the most! I liked the passage tunnels but she liked running through them more than anything. We went 2x and the sea otters were no where to be seen unfortunately. For $25/ adult, they should offer more! The playground is also closed due to construction. Not crowded on weekdays when we went and we were done in 1.5hours. The gift store has a good variety of sea themed books and toys for the kids but overpriced as usual. It's fun to look through it. I don't know about buy at those prices.

What an amazing aquarium! Huge displays both in and outdoors, lots of helpful pictures and information, gorgeous colors. Great for kids and adults alike. Stroller check out for those who need it ($8, very nice quality) Phenomenal water tunnel which I haven't seen since being in Vegas years ago. Water even underfoot!! Makes for superb pictures and videos. Aquarium takes about 1-2 hours to go through depending on how fast or slow you are. The cafe was the only disappointing thing... very long, slow line; there was only one woman working (quite slow) and she did not make drinks correctly. They were actually nearly undrinkable, so maybe train again? The cafe withstanding (I doubt anyone comes to an aquarium just for the food), this is worth the trip tenfold.

Stopped by on a rainy weekday in December after Christmas and this place was very busy. It took us about an hour and a half (with no kids) to go through everything. There was a good amount to see both inside and outside. There are also touch pools here as well. The walk through tunnels were also a great experience with lots to see. Having a see through spot in the floor was a new idea for me but interesting to see some fish swim underneath you. The bird exhibits are closed right now so we did miss out on those. The otters weren't out much after feeding time but it was storming pretty badly. But you can watch them do the feeding which was very cute and entertaining. It was very family friendly and a great way to spend some time. Definitely check it out!

I've been to this aquarium twice now and it's really fun to visit if you're in the area. It's a decent size with a lot of different animals to see. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits. They also have a fun gift shop to look at.

The city of Newport is really a nice destination to the Oregon Coast, traveling through some of the most beautiful forests and mountain formations. Once I reached the aquarium, I found it was more inland than I expected, and not part of the ocean environment. I think I was expecting something more like the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The venue itself is under some construction and needs a facelift to be more informative. There is a lot of parking for visitors and probably had its time in glory many years ago. I do appreciate the educational elements of the aquarium, but once you've been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, there appears to be no comparison in both size and value of experience.

My girlfriend and I went on a road trip and decided to stop at the Aquarium. This is a great exhibit with all sorts animals, there was some exhibits that were closed off due to construction but still a great place to visit.

Small but mighty!!! It was really cool that most of the exhibits were outside with very natural settings. All of the fish, otters, birds etc where large and they contained numerous enrichment toys. The otter feeding was adorable and the Volunteers were amazing. The two women we spoke with really loved my son's enthusiasm for animals and the natural world. The exhibits inside were amazing. I have never seen schools of fish in any aquarium outside of Monterey bay. We spent about and hour and a half enjoying all of the exhibits and taking to volunWe had some great conversations and they were so helpful with pointing out animals we hadn't noticed and showing us the birds who were molting, how they look in spring and summer. We are for sure coming back for another trip as soon as we get time off again. Loved this town and all the staff. Everyone was so friendly and helpful.

My husband and I really enjoyed our time at this aquarium. I'm a Cali Coast girl so anything ocean related makes me warm with nostalgia. Our visit was right when they opened so there were hardly any other people around, which is how we like to do things, secluded. I was surprised at the size of the Aquarium. We were able to take in and see everything within an hour. And for that I felt the $25 per adult admission price to be a bit steep. We felt that $15 would have, maybe, been more reasonable. But we understand that the money goes towards the care of the animals at the aquarium so we can't complain too much about it.