Birch Aquarium

This is a perfect 2-3h visit! The informative panels are fun and full of good info. The experience is immersive and makes good use of visuals and sounds. The sunset view is also amazing, so I would definitely recommend visiting between 3pm and 5pm. The staff had some great information at the open pools, I learned some cool info about egg sharks! The aquarium also participates to the Museums for All initiative, so you might get a great deal on the tickets if that applies to you!

I loved the Weedy sea dragons and penguins. We found the display about the ribbon fish skeleton that was found amazing. For a smaller aquarium it had a lot of exhibits. There's an interactive play area for kiddos and a great view of LA Jolla Shores. It doesn't take all day, a few hours depending on how much you like to read.

A great place to take young kids. This is one of the nicest aquariums I have been to. There is a lot to see and interact with and takes about 1-2 hours to go through it all. The penguin exhibit is very nicely done and it's fun to watch them swim around. Parking can be difficult on the weekends so it's best to come early in the day. There's also a discount if you buy tickets online ahead of time.

A great way to spend an afternoon with the family. Nice aquarium, it's not really big but they have great indoor activities for young children. Great views. Interesting exhibits and educational value for all ages.

This place is amazing! Beautiful colors of fish and sea life and tanks to touch some of them. The outside back patio has lounging chairs to enjoy the beautiful ocean views. The souvenir shop has a great variety of quality souvenirs.

The Birch Aquarium is absolutely perfect for toddlers! We took our little one recently, and it couldn’t have been a better experience. Everything is so well designed for young kids, from the colorful exhibits and interactive touch tanks to the open spaces where they can safely explore and learn. The staff is incredibly kind and patient, always taking time to explain things and make sure the kids are having fun. The outdoor tide pool area was a huge hit. Our toddler loved watching the fish and sea stars up close, and the ocean view from up there is just beautiful. It’s the perfect mix of fun, education, and family-friendly atmosphere. We’ll definitely be coming back soon. It’s one of the best places in San Diego for curious little ones!

Absolutely one of the best aquariums in the world! It's not the largest, but the variety is breath taking. Each display is FILLED (nicely) with different specimens. I can't label the photos I've included and are but a few that I took. One could literally spend an hour, or an afternoon with each display. The setting of the Birch is beautiful in itself. The place is specifically child friendly. The help is ready to help direct, to answer questions or just chat. The whole family loved it even the 3 year old. Upon making a reservation, you can choose a time in which to come, and that seems to help control the traffic. Best, great place and a must see if you are ever in San Diego

We always go for our 3rd grade field trip. It's amazing. It is under construction, so partially closed off. I love the classroom part the most when the kids get to be hands-on and interactive and have explicit instruction with the very knowledgeable, energetic staff!

I purchased my first family membership here postpartum. He was tiny at the time, and we ventured out around 3 months as postpartum for us was difficult. Birch wasn't too big however it was nice for our son L. (We're a family of first names beginning with L). Plus it was nice to just walk in instead of having to reserve a time. There also is plenty of parking, we never had any trouble find a spot when we came. Our son L would gaze at the exhibits in awe and surprise, to see all the fish swing by and was quite intrigued. The aquarium isn't too big, but it's definitely nice to go to when it's super hot outside or raining. We have continued to visit this past year, and it is a treat for him to stumble around as he started walking. The new exhibit, Living Seas that opened up recently this summer is definitely a nice addition. It's cool to see all the sea animals like the octopus! One perk is that in May there is Museum Month where you can use your membership towards another museum on the list. We ended up using it to check out the Children's Discovery Museum in Escondido and also the Fleet Center in Balboa. We will continue to drop by here often until our son is no longer as interested when he gets older. There are some interactive things to outside, however he's still too young to understand the water is not to splash and play around in when we were trying to show him a starfish.

I'm not sure who the true star of the show was, the Penguins, or our fantastic guide Julian. Julian leads the animal talks and while they garnered a large audience for the penguin talk,(which they nailed, very knowledgeable) nobody outside of my group showed up to the pier exhibit talk. Even though it was just us, Julian was thrilled to have us there and answered even the most obscure questions I could think of. The penguin exhibit was top notch as well. We were there when they were feeding and it was very fun to watch them swarm. Meatloaf was my favorite penguin, I already miss her. I would rate 5 stars if there was a little bit more interactivity and learning opportunities, it felt like most exhibits were meant to just show an awe factor which may be ideal for thee, but not for me.

Its small but a great experience for anyone who cant travel to a regular size aquarium as it covers all the bases within a smaller tank. Has jellyfish, little reptile, better tropical fish that are unique, some discovery exhibits, shark, a tortoise!! With a talk show, penguins, starfish, mini octopus, lobster/king crab, giiaannt bass fish, touch pool with anemone. Comes with free parking, best to go if you have some sort of deal, sometimes its free for children. I was surprised there was no hand washing required prior to touch pool and after. Also had a great outdoor view of the ocean. Honestly nice place packed with a lot. It can be a bit pricy for the size (similar to normal aquarium) but its better to support. I just feel like Im sure theres a lot of people interested in marine life in san diego, so it'd be cool if there were private donors of maintained tanks or school collaborations to better maintain the facilities. Actually a great part that set this aquarium apart from others was that they had signage next to each tank that labeled what was in the tank with pictures, and more tropical fish. You can probably finish it in a hour. Very kid friendly, interactive, dedicated staff and a relatively cute gift shop.

Have lived in SD most of my life and just went to the birch aquarium for the first time in October and fell in love. I can't believe I had never been before. It's small and you can see everything in about an hour or so but great for little ones to explore and they have some interaction tables too for them.

I chose to stop by here on a whim while visiting San Diego! I came by myself and was able to get a discount on my ticket with EBT so I think it made the experience more worth. I'm not sure how much a ticket for an adult would've been without the discount. I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived. I've been to several aquariums before, most of them huge with lots to see. I will say, this aquarium is smaller than I expected, but also not the smallest aquarium I've ever stepped foot in. Walking through the entire place (inside and out) only took me around an hour to an hour and a half but I was thoroughly entertained the entire time. It was super busy when I went (Saturday afternoon) and there were TONS of families with small children. Many aspects of this aquarium did feel to be catered towards kids and there were many activities the place offered for children so I think this would be a better place to bring young ones rather than adults. Overall, I had fun. I'm glad I took myself but I would say this is definitely better for the little ones! Still worth checking out at least once, especially if you can get a discount on tickets.

This is a great way to spend an afternoon. The Exhibits are easy to get to and the sea life is well taken care of. It's actually quite hard to maintain a huge Salt Water Aquarium Tank and these are all Salt Water. Then , I consider how to feed all the individual appetites. It must consume a team just for those two parts. The afternoon was a delight. We were there about 3 hours including a delicious Hot Dog break.

Really nice aquarium with kind staff. I really enjoyed my visit and spent about an hour walking through the entire aquarium. There are two sides. I really enjoyed the right side more. It's very well air conditioned and the fish they have are absolutely thriving! Really enjoying and living life. They have a rescue turtle here. She is beautiful.

4.2 Stars First time visiting Birch Aquarium in La Jolla with our 5-month-old and it was a hit, for him and us! Parking is a bit scarce, especially on busy days (and yes, even on a Thursday, it was packed). There were a couple EV spots on Level 1 with ChargePoint for fellow electric vehicle drivers, which was a nice bonus. Inside, the aquarium is beautifully done, very educational, interactive, and still tons of fun. It's definitely geared toward families, so expect lots of kids and strollers, and yes, it can get pretty loud at times, but that just comes with the territory. The views of the La Jolla bluffs are stunning, don't skip the back deck or outdoor exhibits! There's a small snack area and I saw someone devouring a giant pretzel. I asked, and he confirmed it was "worth it" if you're in the mood to carb load mid-aquarium. Also appreciated the unique eco-friendly souvenirs, a lot of items were made from recycled plastic, including sea creatures and sharks. Our little guy grabbed one off the shelf (classic move), and we left $39 lighter but with a new favorite toy that he proudly fell asleep with in the car. All in all, well worth a visit, especially for families. Just come early, bring patience for the crowds, and maybe leave room in your bag (and budget) for a surprise toy or two

If you've never been to this aquarium, you're not missing much. It is very small, and extremely overpriced. There are maybe 3 memorable exhibits, which are the penguins, the (rescued) sea turtle, and the octopus. There are a couple of touch tanks outside, with a total of about 4 areas inside to explore. We took our time, and still struggled to make the experience last about an hour. This place is definitely geared more towards younger kids, my 9.5 year old was a little too old for most of the activities they offered aside from the touch tanks. Great views of La Jolla though, but not worth the price in my opinion.

our Sunday in San Diego was Aquarium we got tickets online, ahead of time via their website. in itself, the aquarium is not a big one, but it does have various areas with many fish and marine life to observe. the gift shop has nice things worthy to check out

Website is easy to maneuver. I made the error of purchasing tickets for the wrong date. I emailed guest services and they were quick to respond and were accommodating to my last minute request. Getting to the aquarium was easy and parking is free. For a Saturday afternoon, we had no issues with parking; there was plenty of open spaces. Parking lot is not far from the aquarium as well, less than a 5 minute walk. Aquarium itself is small but to the kids, it's very entertaining. We only had an infant with us, we took our time walking around and took us an hour and a half. My only request is that I hope they improve the penguin and shark/ray exhibits. We did not take pictures but I hope there are funds to expand or improve those 2 exhibits since they're outdoors Overall as our first time visiting this aquarium, it was a nice experience.

I visited during a Friday morning and it was surprisingly pretty busy! There were a lot of exhibits to check out and keep the attention of the young and old alike. There were both indoor and outdoor exhibits and I enjoyed seeing the different marine animals. They had a few shows throughout the aquarium as well. I was here for work, but it seemed like everyone was having a great time and the workers were all very pleasant and nice!

We loved visiting the new Living Seas exhibit which was perfect for families with young kids. It's an easy way to spend a few hours learning and exploring. There's parking on-site, clean bathrooms (always key), and a little café where you can grab drinks and snacks to bring inside. (Pro tip: the coffee comes in a Coca-Cola cup, which feels odd... but it gets the job done!) Highlights for us: touching the sea cucumbers, spotting seahorses, and watching the octopus do its thing. A fun and educational outing that kept our 7-year-old fully engaged.

This is my first time visiting since my childhood, and it was still such a fun experience! The Hall of Fishes has been newly updated to Living Seas with touchscreen interactive signage. There's also a portion of the museum that is sea-life focused interactive art, including a phone booth where you can talk to a Fish! There's a tide pool area, which has an amazing view of the ocean, play area for the children, and of course the penguin habitat! So cute. They have daily feedings and a staff member there to answer questions about the animals. There's also gift shop and cafe offering small quick bites.

I had seen so many good reviews that i knew i just had to see this place. I was pretty disappointed with how the aquariums were kept and how the fish looked here. Many tanks were covered in a layer of algae and I was concerned with how some of the fish were acting. I have been to small aquariums and the problem with this one wasnt size it was quality. I believe they do amazing research just need to work on having maintained, larger, and more enriched filled environments for the animals in their care.

Visited the Birch Aquarium today and was a little disappointed. Half of the Aquarium was closed due to construction. So there was truly very minimal marine life to see and experience. It was pretty overcast in San Diego so it was hard to get the full San Diego vibe of how gorgeous San Diego always is. There were still lots of surfers out enjoying the surf. If you're planning to bring the family out to the Birch Aquarium, I'd recommend waiting till after 05/22 when we were told the construction will be completed. Can't wait to see the improvements.

Definitely plan to come if you're in San Diego. The town of La Jolla is beautiful and we were so impressed with the aquarium. Buy tickets ahead of time. Plan to be there early so you can see the penguin feeding.

Birch aquarium is a quiet and smaller aquarium in La Jolla, perfect for avoiding crowds. Unlike the Aquarium of the Pacific, it will only take an hour to see everything since half of the site was currently closed for renovations. Although they did not feature walk through tunnels or noteworthy exhibits, they still featured touch tanks, penguins, and sharks which were fun to look at. I really liked that there was no crowds; sometimes the abundance of people makes it hard to enjoy exhibits but here, you will have plenty of space and time to enjoy everything at your own pace. Birch aquarium was a perfectly fine aquarium with typical marine life exhibits. It was a smaller attraction with plenty of space to relax and appreciate the unobstructed view of the La Jolla coastline.

Love coming to Birch two to three times a year. It is smaller aquarium, but still a good one for kids to visit. I'm glad they finally reopened the other half of their aquarium. I could see why others were leaving low ratings due to half the aquarium being closed for so many months. Our favorite part is visiting the Jelly Fish. They added some interactive screens and sounds on the newly renovated part of the aquarium!

We made our second stop at the BIRCH AQUARIUM, and again this place was crowded, but not too crowded!!! We had lots of disabled parking spaces to choose from, RIGHT UP FRONT!!!

Visited the Birch Aquarium on a Friday afternoon for walk-up entry. Online mentions walk-ups may not be available due to sell out / crowds but it wasn't too bad on a weekday. I wish they had offered a discount with 1 of the 2 halls currently closed for construction at this time. Each adult ticket was $29.95 which is steep for being able to get through the aquarium within 15-20 minutes indoors. Thankfully there is some water/foam play for kids outside as well as an opportunity to touch certain sea creatures outdoors (starfish, sea cucumber). Private parking lot with a decent amount of spaces though it was about 75% occupied on a Friday afternoon.

We love coming here with our son! So many things to see and it's not really big and overwhelming. Parking was easy around 10am during the weekday. There's an outdoor area as well that you can look out at the view and have lunch. Kids also love that area to play. We brought our own food which they allow. Note that when looking at the penguins you have to park your strollers outside that door entrance. We will definitely be back!

We had such a great experience. Wasn't overwhelming with just enough to keep you busy.

This aquarium is under construction and it's a bit disappointing because I was expecting huge tanks with fish. And I didn't see that here. On a positive note, there are a lot of activities for little kids and many tiny sea creatures to see. Penguins are the highlight. But it's a wonderful place to help future parents determine if they really want kids. Just spend 45 minutes with 25 toddlers screaming at a high pitch in a small space and you'll never want to have children. Ever. I couldn't wait to leave.

Fun Facts: The Birch Aquarium is home to more than 5,000 fish in over 60 habitats. And you'll see everything from sharks and lobsters to turtles while learning all about ocean science and the marine environment. There are daily feedings and sea life interactions to watch, and if you want to get hands-on, you can head to the touch pool and pet sea stars and crabs. Aquarium Website: https://birchaquariumprograms.com/mainstore?l=2&sid=919836069&vid=0&cid=1270&_ga=2.257360523.1424608719.1686582331-1817545411.1584417816&guid=6E968C93-0960-4F9F-931D-72E6989FE4A2&venueId=0 Location/Parking: Located at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in UCSD. There is a private lot. Free parking for all! Visitation Rates (They encourage Advanced Reservations): Adult $29.95 Child (3-17, 2 and under free) $24.95 Senior (60+) $27.95 Students (ID required) $27.95 UC San Diego Students, Faculty and Staff (ID required) $3 off admission Military (ID required) $3 off admission You can also check out the Go City Pass for San Diego https://gocity.com/en/san-diego/attractions/birch-aquarium-scripps . This attraction is included in the in the pass. Visitation Rights: 1 time Ambiance/Decor: Your typical aquarium feel. It's more than 3 times smaller than Long Beach Aquarium. Most Notables: 1) Little Blue Penguins: Seeing them waddling and swimming around is pretty cool. Wasn't there during feeding time, but at 10am every day you can see them eat. Fun fact about them is that they eat about 20 percent of their body weight a day. Must be nice! Every single penguin has a name and can be identified by their distinct color bands. Get a chance to meet and greet with some penguins and get your education on for $100 (members) and $115 (general public). https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/exhibits/beyster-family-little-blue-penguins 3) Seahorses: Pretty neat seeing them. My favorite type of seahorse to watch is the Weedy Sea Dragon. So Majestic! If you want to have a behind-the-scenes learning experience about Seahorses. You have a chance to do that for $95 for general public and $90 for members. Price also includes admission to the aquarium. https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/events/behind-scenes-seahorse 4) Jelly Fish: Pretty cool to see. "I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy." -- Dory. Like that Finding Nemo reference that I did there? Huh? Huh? :P 4) Sea Turtle : You can check out their rescued Loggerhead sea turtle that was outfitted with a 3D printed brace to keep her afloat. Located in the Hall of Fishes... where you can also see leopard sharks, bright orange garibaldi, moray eels, and even an endangered Giant Sea Bass in their giant kelp forest! How coool is that! 5) Preuss Tide Pool Plaza: Cool area where you can touch some sea stars, sea urchins, and sea anemones (Amnemonemomne) 6) South Plaza: Check out them leopard sharks, smoothhound sharks, bat rays, halibut, and pacific angel shark! Birch Aquarium For Thought: Just keeeep swiiiiiimmmmmming! :)

First time visiting this museum. When I lived in SD for many years for the first time I could not care less about it. Even now this second time of living in SD I would not have paid the $28 ticket. The perks of unemployment is that we can keep the sanity going to museums for free or at a low cost. Since the ticket was $3 for me, I said to myself: let's go and check it out, finally. Parking situation was pretty smooth considering how many visitors were there. It is free with the ticket. I was mostly impressed with the mini penguins, super adorable and read about their names and distinct personalities. There were feeding them and was a total show. I liked the views from the patio so wonderful to see La Jolla beaches from there and the Scripps pier. Beautiful. Also, I enjoyed learning a lot via the art exhibits. My favorite was the video regarding kelp forests and the prints a local scientist and diver does. Just stunning. Same with the 'fish printing' Japanese technique from another artist. That kept me entertained for a long time, plus the giant aquarium was super soothing for meditation.

Wanted to drop by the famous Scripts Aquarium. Yes it smaller than the one in Monterey Bay but this is worthwhile place to visit. They have cute penguin exhibit and nice Jellyfish area. Did I mention that parking is free also buy tickets ahead of time.

Why not be a tourist in your own city! We enjoyed a day with family and decided to check out Birch Aquarium as we all haven't been since we were kids. I always love the giant whale statue when you first walk up I remember being a kid and thinking how cool it was to see that! When we first walked in we went outside to the penguins which was probably my favorite part. They were so cute and loved the camera for the videos I was taking. I will say it is a little underwhelming for an aquarium, I know they are redoing part of the aquarium but you'd think that maybe they would lower the ticket price or something considering only about half of the aquarium is open. I did enjoy the views of La Jolla since it was such a nice day but we were able to go through the entire space pretty quickly.

***3.5 Stars*** I hate to write this, but as a tourist the Birch Aquarium was a bit disappointing. It was a lot smaller than I expected (that's what she said). Beautiful views of La Jolla, which was probably the highlight for me. Not only was the physical space small, but we went on a weekday where there were 3 school buses pulling up at the same time, so there were a lot kids on school trips. Not a bad thing, but it was just a bit too crowded for my liking. For around ~ $30 a head, I probably would not return. They have some cool displays (vortex of fish, jellyfish, etc) but I don't think it's worthwhile, even if you need a break from walking around La Jolla. I would rather spend more time by the water or at the park.

Highly recommend doing Ocean Nights! Although, try to show up early as there is traffic to get into the parking lot. I loved catching the sunset outside on the balcony part of the aquarium and the DJ was pretty good. It's an amazing experience and I highly recommend it. It took me a couple of times to book the Ocean Nights event as it sells out quick!

The Birhc Aquarium is an amazing place to visit. I really enjoy aquariums so visiting this one was really fun. There is also so much work that the Birch Aquarium does outside of what we see that I really respect it for that Parking can be a bit difficult on a really busy day(weekends) but it is always manageable. It is a bit of a smaller aquarium so it does tend to get crowded a bit quickly. I would recommend going to and attending the Birch at night program. It is a bit costly but I personally think its pretty worth it. There are so many different events and fun things to do there. The food at the event is just okay and the parking can be a little difficult to find but I still enjoyed it.

I loved this aquarium. It's definitely smaller than most but the exhibits were phenomenal and vibrant. It's a nice activity to schedule if you have limited time in your day because I believe it only took me a couple of hours to get through everything. The little blue penguins were my favorite but I missed their feeding! Parking is free and there were many spaces available as I booked a time right when they opened. As I was leaving, it definitely filled up so I would recommend booking an earlier time if you can. I would definitely make another trip back!

Lovely aquarium in the La Jolla/Scripps area. Free and adequate parking lot. Standard admission prices are $30 for adults and $25 for children...AAA and other discounts are available. Lots of marine animals and interesting exhibits, although I think the standard admission prices are a bit much given the limited experiences offered...$20/15-ish may be more appropriate. Took about 1.5 - 2 hours to complete the entire aquarium. Great way to kill a few hours.

Visited San Diego this weekend and wanted to check out birch aquarium. I did see reviews saying this place is small and it indeed is. Positives were that we saw weedy sea dragon in a large tank with lots of them and blue penguins which are a rare find. You can spend 30 minutes and see everything. Negative is that for almost $30 I expected a little more variety but I was able to add to my photography feed.

So, the main exhibit was under construction. We saw their penguins (cute), and marveled over the seahorses and Seadragons for a bit. We left wanting more.

We visited here last weekend when the renovated Living Seas exhibit just opened. Tickets increased as a result and was told to get membership beforehand when free passes would no longer be offered. So glad we did it so didn't have to reserve timed tickets. I would recommend to do the aquarium in reverse at opening. Blue penguins exhibit was our highlight to see it without anyone. Most everyone started in Living Seas new exhibit since that is where the guest desk will tell you to start. After the penguins, you can see the shark tank and then we made our way to the sea dragon exhibit and touch tank to see beach and pier. Afterwards we visited the Living Seas exhibit which was amazing to see giant octopus, huge spider crabs, and kelp forest. By 10am, the water table with build-your-own-boat was open so we were able to race boats. By 11am, the water tables were filled so glad we got there early. There are picnic tables and umbrellas for a quick snack break. We then got some souvenirs at the gift shop. We finished this place in 2.5 hours and enjoyed it so much. Parking was full when we left. Best to get here early at opening 9am and there was a line formed by 8:45am.

We have been visiting Birch Aquarium on and off for several years and it never disappoints. The exhibits are well maintained and provide ample information. The creatures are fascinating and just awe inspiring. The ocean views from their outdoor touch pools are absolutely breathtaking. We also love sitting down and just watching the kelp sway back in forth and the ocean friends go about their day in the aquarium's large tank. The only downside, when visiting on certain days, the place can get quite busy/packed. We visit maybe 1-2x a year and we would definitely visit again. We paid $84.85 for 2 adult tickets and one child ticket.

I made a reservation in advance and had a great time! The aquarium is small, and it took me a couple of hours to walk through the entire area. The staff is super friendly and interactive, especially at the touch pool. The views of La Jolla are also gorgeous. I think everyone should visit at least once, as it's a fun experience, and the aquarium contributes beyond just their displays. There's a large free parking lot with some short dirt trails at the back.

As a San Diego local I was looking for something to do on a rainy, gloomy day and decided to check out the Birch Aquarium. It overlooks La Jolla beach and is located right outside of UCSD. I am used to bigger aquariums and wanted to see larger sea mammals so I was a just a tad bit disappointed with how small it was. However, If you're looking for the big fish then Seaworld would be a better option. We managed to see everything in an hour time. Although it was small, it was still very enjoyable. If you're looking for a short fun activity to do without breaking the bank this might be it. Parking is free. Tickets to the aquarium are around $20 for adults and cheaper for kids and they also offer discounts (students, military, etc.) The concession stand outside the entrance sells food and beverages for a very low price compared to your average theme park.

Great local aquarium supported by UCSD campus. Look for some deals online! I have to say you can spend 1-2hrs here with your lil ones. Great variety of sea creatures from fishes, starfish, turtles, penguins, shark, stingrays etc. complimentary parking for 3hrs

It's a very small aquarium and probably even smaller right now (Nov 2024) because it's under renovation. What it lacks in big fancy exhibits, it makes up for in educational and interactive though. I don't think it's worth the $20+ price BUT it was included in our CityPass so we decided to go. My 4yo daughter's favorite spot was the riveropolis where you get to build your own boat (wine corks, rubber bands and popsicle sticks) and float it down a River. LOTS of toddlers getting very wet sleeves or jackets as they just play with the water. The La Jolla tank had lot of interesting fish including the California halibut which had 2 eyes that are facing up by then it has fins like it should be swimming normally. Apparently it swims like a normal fish at first and then when it develops, it changes and the eyes move and it becomes more of a flat fish. So alien-like! Leopard shark and other stingrays can also be spotted in that tank. The touch pool with sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and sea stars was fun for adults and children alike. I enjoyed it but my daughter was kinda timid around touching them. They also had some little blue penguins with some nice viewing windows that you could see them up close if they come by.

Saturday, 18MAY2024 around 11:45AM. My son and I arrived for some quality dad and son time. We've both never been here and decided to give it a shot. This place did NOT disappoint. We were amazed at all the animals and had a blast. First off, the parking was not bad, decent size for mid to full sized vehicles. There is a cafe for food and drinks, but if you're the big appetite type, eating before and after or even bringing your own food is recommended. For the adults, there's a nice little selection for alcoholic beverages. I've never seen a sea dragon til today and there's plenty of other sea animals/creatures to sea! Lol DOWNFALLS/CONS: THE ONLY downfall is it's not as big as I expected, we took our time and enjoyed every second of it but I do wish it was bigger. I was so excited to see sharks but the shark encounter is very small and dark so couldn't really see much. Overall rating: 8.5 of 10

I love the aquarium very much because I like all the fish, the penguins were cool, and the stingrays and sharks were nice.

Absolutely perfect afternoon! My favorites were the giant octopus, the giant spider crabs, sea horses, colorful fish and mesmerizing jellyfish!

Had family in town visiting so I wanted to take them to the aquarium. We had a great time. Sad that they had the turtle and octopus exhibit closed but we still enjoyed our visit.

It was my first time bringing my toddler here. The aquarium is easy to locate and there was plenty of parking. You are required to make a reservation prior. They have a strict time slot. Arrive 15 minutes before or after your reservation. They offer military discounts online as well as memberships. They also require you to space apart. We toured the whole place in under an hour and a half or less. Everything is easy to locate within the aquarium, there are signs everywhere. Not all displays were labeled with the name of the sea animals. Seahorses are my favorite so I was so excited that they had quite an exhibit on them, I hadn't seen a sea dragon sea horse in forever! My daughter loved the giant turtle the most along with the outdoor area where you can touch a starfish, sea cucumber, a small shark and other sea life. The line went fast, it was only about a ten minute wait. The overlooking view once outside is beautiful, you can see the coastline.

We visited during construction which is okay because the rest of the exhibits were really cool. Our personal favorite were the seadragons which were incredibly fascinating. I had never seen anything like that before. The seahorses and the penguins were a close second as they were so adorable. We visited the tide pools and got to touch the fish and sea life in there. Although it was an activity targeted for kids, we enjoyed making our own little boats and testing them to see if they can float. They also had a cool projection room that projected sea life and nature which was also pretty cool to walk inside. Cool place and can't wait to visit when they finish their construction!

I visited a year ago, and they were renovating and they still renovating according to a sign i believe. Also there are expeditions starting around 5,600$ to the Arctic and norway related to this place there is a sign outside with link, exedition around novemebr and may. Back to this place they are focused on seahorses penquins and you get to touch some sealife like starfish and plointon. For the price of around 30, per member, its a wuick hour visit also penquins and partnering up and fun. And you get insight to whales and the gift shop has items from the movement of reusiing sandals to shape into animals. Very cool. Lots overpriced though.

This is the worlds smallest aquarium, its a really cute place for toddlers. The pictures are a bit deceiving, its really small.