Tybee Island Marine Science Center

Although this center is on the small side, I enjoyed visiting it. There are three levels of the building to explore, with lots of live animals to observe, and in some cases, even touch. The animals actually seemed to engage with you as you got close to the glass.

Stopped here on a whim. To be honest, it was nothing that spectacular. Not much in terms of exhibitions or turtles. At $15 bucks x 4 ppl, sort of felt there should have been more in terms to the experience. Don't feel like this was a good value. But, I guess we support a good cause and state tourism.

This is a fun place to take kids, get out of the heat and learn something too. Of course the kids love the area where they can interact with the hermit crabs. Fairly small but kids can spend a lot of time there.

Such a cute and fun spot! It is in a great location, super easy to get to, and totally worth the stop. The exhibits were awesome, the staff was sweet, and it’s the perfect mix of educational and entertaining. But let’s talk about the real star: Ossie the sea turtle. Charming, majestic, and definitely trying to steal my boyfriend. I don’t blame him…Ossie’s got that mysterious ocean energy and zero competition in the tank. We left with smiles, fun facts, and me keeping a close eye on my man around sea turtles now. 10/10 would go back (and maybe bring a decoy boyfriend next time). Parking is shared with the North beach, so make sure you get there early.

We brought our Girl Scout troop (3rd grade brownies) and we had the best time! We booked a private tour, and our guide, James, was excellent with the girls. He was attentive to their questions, and treated them as little scientists and not kids, fully answering the questions. Even in the rain the girls loved searching for specific shells and sifting sand. Inside the girls got up close and personal with the sweetest turtle and learned so many interesting facts. I was especially impressed by the type of information we learned, we walked away with a ton of new facts. We are so grateful to James for his expertise and enthusiasm he shared with our group!

The Tybee Island Marine Science Center is a much smaller facility than I expected—perhaps because I’m used to the Georgia Aquarium—so I was a bit surprised at first. You can go through the entire exhibit in about 15–20 minutes, but despite its size, we really enjoyed the experience. One of the highlights was that it wasn’t crowded, allowing the kids to interact more freely. They loved touching the water and engaging with the exhibits, which made the visit more hands-on and fun. The center focuses a lot on turtles, which was interesting, and the staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, making the experience even better. There’s also a small playground outside, where the kids played for a bit after the visit. The facility is well-maintained and very clean, which we appreciated. Overall, it was worth the visit! If you’re in the area and looking for an educational, kid-friendly stop, this is a great place to check out. Just keep in mind that it’s a quick visit, so it’s best paired with other activities on Tybee Island.

We did a beach walk tour (1hour) Saturday morning at 10 am. Before heading over we were able to stop at Tybeebean coffee (which was also very amazing). I researched the different walks and programs before deciding on the beach walk tour. This was the best decision! My mom and I are from Kentucky, and have been to Tybee a handful of times. I’ve always wanted to understand how to find shells and marine life. The tour was $25 and included admission to the center all day (9:30-5 pm). This was well worth the money. The center is beautiful inside. The rocking chairs overlooking the beach are so peaceful. The center isn’t HUGE, but it’s very very beautiful. There were so many live animals (and a hidden flounder!). We were able to watch one of the sea turtles be fed. The beach tour last ~1 hour and we were the only ones booked for it, so it felt like a private experience. He said the max they allow is 10 people, which is still a great size as well. I was worried there would be 20+ people there, and not be as enjoyable with a huge crowd. Our tour guide, I cannot remember his name, but he was so smart and passionate. It really made a difference. We walked out to north beach and discovered marine life along the jetty. I learned about barnacles, claims, oysters, hermit crabs, and regular crabs. He was able to pick some up and left us hold them. By the end, all three of us were wading in the water finding crabs hahaha. Then we looked for shells and shark teeth along the beach. He knew so much history about the beach, the ecology of it, and a lot of geology. He is in school for marine science, and his passion really showed. It made the whole experience so enjoyable. He enthusiastically answered all of our questions and taught us a lot of new terminology. I’m 26, and my mom is, well my mom. I was scared we would be too old for the tour, but it was absolutely perfect. The next time we visit we will be doing the marsh walk!

It’s small but it’s a great way to spend an hour out of the sun. My two year old loved seeing the turtles, alligator, fishies, and touching hermit crabs. The playground area is great, too!! All of the staff were so kind.

Great place to learn about local marine life. Many different species to look at and interact with.

This place is good for kids more so than adults. Although they do offer a senior/military discount, the entry fee was $12 per person. That's not bad considering the monies go towards the upkeep and some charitable endeavors, The turtles are cute to see in all sizes.... There's a room with various fossils. And there wasn't much in the touch tank -- a few different types of tiny hermit crabs. Other than that, there's a reproduction of a right whale they've adopted with some history about them. Downstairs they have a play area and an area for kids' activities, and one big turtle, by itself in a tank -- if you have the patience to watch it move from one of its corners. Accessibility-wise there are some challenges. A long wooden ramp entrance that is not covered and very hot. An elevator to get downstairs, but the doors to the car park exit were closed. And a loft area with something (not sure what) only accessible by stars, too. The kids there at the time we were there were mainly enjoying the playground.

I absolutely love places like this with such a positive mission. Smaller, more intimate, setting allows you personally conversations with the handlers and up-close observations with the creatures. I am Sea Turtle obsessed, so I could've watched these babies for hours. Ended up being able to watch two feedings and listen to the chats also. Great addition to your vacation. The additional options of learning were sold out on our days, but would've loved to have added those in to the visit.

Absolutely EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING! The staff was so happy and pleasant to be around, they were very welcoming with the kids and extremely educational about everything 10/10

This is a great place to visit. Our tour guide, Liberty, kept our teenagers engaged and interested for 2 hours. They all enjoyed it and the moms did also. We would definitely return!

This place is a must stop for anyone visiting Savanah and tybee island! The tour program my grandkids did was incredible! They learned so so much and saw all of the animals and explored the beach with science facts involved! The group does so much to make an impact on the local marine environment and all over the world! The gift shop was very cute and the highlight of our trip to the center was the adorable sea turtles they were raising! Would definitely visit again if I was at the tybee beach! Our guide Liberty was VERY GOOD!

Underwhelming. Turtle talk was good. Maybe better with little kids due to the playground. Lots of bones for those who might be interested in that.

Last minute stop. Definitely worth it. Loved watching the sea turtles. And learning about the sea life.

I absolutely love this place! I had actually went to this when they were still at the smaller building on the south end. So glad to see they have more room to help these lovely marine animals. It's so informative and lovely. You really do learn so much. Everytime I've gone I've gotten to see a turtle eat as well. The touch pool is also pretty awesome. The little crabs crawl on your hands, they are not shy. I highly recommend!

Staff were very very friendly and informative! We learned so many new things about Marine life! Kids absolutely loved the touch waters! And the playground outside!

Loved the tour of the center and seeing all the turtles and sea life. Beach is beautiful and the marsh was so cool.

I've learned so much from the educators here. You can teach old dogs new tricks! The animals are well cared for, the staff a wealth of information, who clearly enjoy their work! Highly recommend taking an hour to tour this amazing place!

We had a great experience on the "Sift & Seine" tour with Ollie. Since my daughter and I were the only participants that afternoon, he tailored it to our interests and abilities. It became a time of sharing our knowledge and experience with him. Ollie is very passionate about coastal Georgia and its resources, and it is was great to hear that he is pursuing a masters degree that will enable him to help protect these important treasures.

Kinda disappointed it was small! Most animals were not out or not on display it's pricey per person we were 8 ppl so almost $100 to not see all that much! Could be seasonal! But was kinda upset bc one of the staff was showing her fiancé around and doing a "VIP experience" and when my niece wanted to see the "extra" stuff she was kinda rude like we were a bother!

Our class had such a wonderful time and LOVED learning about the animals and sifting through the sand. Lindsey was AMAZING. She was kind, patient, and so knowledgeable. A perfect fieldtrip to end the year! Thank you! :)

Kind staff, not a lot of things to see in the main building but what we did see was really cool and interesting!

Went here for a day trip, and unfortunately it was disappointing, because the entire center is only 3 rooms. Room 1 is the gift shop, Room 2 is some skeletons, teeth and an observation deck with 1 telescope and Room 3 is the best area with live fish, reptiles, turtles, etc. The whole experience was less than an hour. I thought the price was really expensive, for such a limited experience. It was $4.00 an hour to park, $12.00 a person (no discounts for teachers, military, senior citizens, etc). They do not offer any restroom facilities at the Center, there is a mobile port-a-potty in the parking lot. If you or someone in your party is really interested in an aquatic Low Country experience, I would strongly suggest the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston. Probably double the cost, but it will exceed your expectations. 2 stars, a one and done for me.

We scheduled the turtle talk at the science center in part because of a turtle release the following Saturday. We arrived about an hour early to walk through the center. I was very impressed with the displays and Varity of live animals. The turtles were very active and clearly knew were were there watching them. The staff was very friendly and informative. We learned so much during the turtle talk, it was interactive and very informative. I would highly recommend it for anyone. The time flew by and the knowledge of the presenter was impressive.

We took our kindergarteners here on a field trip and we LOVED our visit to TIMSC! They always do a great job and give a thorough educational experience.

Dear Tybee island Marine Science center, We wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for the service we received during our visit on June 16, 2024. Our group of 10 kids and 5 adults was quite large, but your staff showed remarkable patience, kindness, and willingness to help us out. The girls thoroughly enjoyed their time down by the ocean front learning about the shells. Our tour guide was very patient with our kids who didn't seem as interested in the activity but were interested in the ocean waves. Their FAVORITE part was using the net to get the fish. They also enjoyed being able to pick up the animals in the hands-on tank. I want to say a HUGE thank you for being patient with our group when we had one girl who fell on the playground during the first waiting time. Thanks for the patient we were able to let her make the choice on what she needed at that time and return to the group. Just so you all know turns out she is completely fine and there are no complaints to this day. Please keep up the fantastic work! We appreciate your hard work and look forward to sharing this stopping point with other Girl Scout troops who may be passing through the area. Thank you again for your hospitality. Sincerely, Girl Scout Troop 2442 & 255 From Indiana

My husband, son, and I attended the Turtle Talk with Debra. We learned so much and she was a fantastic teacher! It was great to see Westie the turtle have a snack. My other son and sister attended the Sift N Siene with Ollie and they had a blast. He told them about the area as the sifted and they got to see some creatures while out there. I'd recommend this place to anyone planning on spending a day on North Beach on Tybee. It was fun! I also have to mention that every staff member and volunteer that we came in contact with were some of the nicest people. Very helpful and so informative!!

Amazing! Probably our favorite place this past trip. We loved seeing the sea turtles, terrapins, and other various creatures. Loved supporting this place!

Spent around an hour exploring here! With a busy 1.5 year old he wasn't enthused to just watch the turtles very long. Overall a fun place to visit!

For my daughter's 9th birthday she wanted to see the beach, and chose the seining class out of all the museums and activities we found. Between the recent hurricane and super moon, the surf was so rough it was impossible to seine much, but she enjoyed sifting sand for finds that Marianne could teach us about. I was afraid the tiny "finds" (like the coquina clams in the photo) would be disappointing... but she was so impressed that we had to go to the store for sifters, pipettes and little containers so she could continue exploring later. I would highly recommend following the center's guideline on ages (9+ for this class), as small children in our group added to the difficulty of seining. Afterwards she could have spent many hours watching critters in the Center, so much so we eventually had to convince her to leave. It's not a fancy aquarium, but it's an excellent resource for learning about the beach you're visiting, and all employees were knowledgeable and kind.

I begged my girlfriend to go on the Marsh Trek while on our trip to Savannah. If you've ever done the drive from Savannah to Tybee, you'll see some of the marsh you'll walk through on this hour-long tour. We're not from the area, so we had to take a Lyft here. Definitely drove past the meeting site because I would hardly call it a "parking lot." Our tour guide was a guy named Justin, who was fantastic!! He was really knowledgable and a super hands-on with the environment. Here are some things we did: - tried eating saltwort! Apparently you can get this at Whole Foods but it's super expensive. It tastes like a fresh salty french fry. - met some fiddler crabs, a grumpy stone crab, some snails, and shrimpies - smelled some mud and learned about the anaerobic bacteria that make it that way - Justin rubbed some mud on his face; if you dig deep enough, you can get to the blackish mud they use in spas. Why don't people bottle this stuff? - saw a polychete worm - waded around the mud some. I spent a lot of time researching online trying to gauge how muddy it would get or if the website was exaggerating. If you're looking for a sign, it's here: it. is. MUDDY. It's really easy to sink ankle-deep. Either wear some kind of rain boot or shoes you would just toss after (and bring a spare)! Highly recommend though, this was a great spend of a $10/ticket.

Fantastic it's small but a much needed marine attraction. They've done a great job ! I'll be back again

Great family experience. We did the Turtle Talk, Surf and Seine, and Beach Walk. Mt kids had an absolute blast.

This will be great once it is finished, but right now it is overpriced for the small amount of exhibits they have. There are a few live animals at the end that are cool, but most of the other parts are not finished/ for kids. We specifically asked if the tour was good for adults and were told it was. I love science and animals, but I would not suggest this right now if you don't have kids!!

I took my kids on the guided coastal walk. The guide was very knowledgeable and it was a lot of fun. We enjoyed finding different animals and identifying shells. The actual exhibits were small. I had a hard time seeing how people would spend 2-3 hours there. But it was definitely worth the $5 entry fee. We loved the terrapins and reading the articles about them on the wall!

We love the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. We joined when this location opened & go regularly. We recently took advantage of the opportunity to watch a Sea Turtle Nest Excavation. It was a great experience.

Clean and up-kept place. Sign at register and online says $10, but they charged $12 per person and just said "sorry, they are working on updating". Small place that is not worth it in my opinion (especially while also paying $4/hr parking), but the kids did enjoy it for 30 minutes.

I'll preface the review with how they prefaced the experience. There was a sign out front that asked visitors to bare with them as they work to get the marine center fully operational. COVID set them back, and they had many incomplete exhibits. That being said, of the 8 or so stops (rooms) in the center only three of them were fully ready for viewing. One room had a handful of interactive science project/museum exhibits. The next was a small room with preserved turtles. Then the last room had tanks with live animals (small alligators, turtles, eels, crabs, etc.) We went with our 5 year old and we spent 30 minutes total in the exhibit. She was pretty frustrated until the last room. It was still a decent fun and educational experience, but the cost was $10 per person for everyone over 4. It just wasn't worth that price. Until they are fully functional they should charge $5 and ask for donations. I think the center has a lot of potential, but until they are fully operational I wouldn't spend my time there.

It's adorable & they're trying. The building is pretty remarkable (my fav is the Ship Watch Loft, 3rd floor all glass corner overlooking the beach & massive sand dune). Give them your ten bucks & eek out what you can. If lucky you'll RSVP "at least 30-minutes beforehand" for a Talk...we arrived 15-minutes before, were the only 2 & denied (eye roll) Shame. There are Walks & Tours, but I struggled to find them on the website - so we missed them all.

Such a lovely little gem of a location out in Tybee. I am from North Georgia, but I frequent South Georgia and am considering moving there, so I was recently visiting Tybee; I have been countless times growing up, but have never had the opportunity to check out the marine science center. With an entry fee of only $5, my girlfriend and I were eager to check the place out. We also bought entry to the Turtle Talk, which was $10 per person. The entrance the marine science center contains a gift shop with a variety of sea-themed items, a surprisingly insignifant number of which actually say "Tybee Island" on them; the gift shop is about 50% plushies and seems mostly targeted to children. The aquarium part of the center is just past the gift shop; it is rather small, but it did not underwhelm us. We probably could have completed a quick walkthrough in 10-15 minutes, but stopped at every tank and read about the animals; this ended up taking us about 30 minutes, which made the $5 more than worth it. They had a sea horse, several species of sea turtles (including babies), a variety of fish, jellyfish, baby alligators, and a touch tank. There were also several non-living exhibits, including a really cool one showing the vastly different types of sand in different climates and areas of the world. We had some questions about the touch tank and a staff member who was roaming the center was happy to answer our questions. The Turtle Talk led us upstairs for 30 minutes, where a staff member whose name escapes me showed us a PowerPoint and taught us all about sea turtles; they had sea turtle bones, devices used to track sea turtles, and more. We got to pass all the items around. A total of 10 people were in our group for the talk and this was the perfect number. I learned SO much! After the first half of the talk upstairs, we went back downstairs where we were introduced to the young sea turtle the center is rehabilitating. We got to watch them feed her and the staff member continued to provide us with really interesting information and was INCREDIBLY knowledgeable, not only about the turtle she was showing us but about the center and about marine life in general. Tybee Marine Science Center may be small, but it'll inspire an interest in marine life if you take the time to look, read, and listen!

We loved our time there. Max our program guide was great. Very knowledgeable and did great keeping everyone in gaged. Would take my girl scouts back. Only negative would be we felt rushed. I wish they would allow a little more time for each thing. Or omit the time In side talking and just let you explore by yourself after your program. That would free up some time in between sifting and the marsh so you did not feel rushed. But over all loved it would definitely do it again.

My daughter and I did the Marsh Trek. Our guide was very knowledgeable and provided lots of information about the marshes, its functions and inhabitants. It was amazing to see thousands of fiddler crabs scurrying about. Highly recommend for kids of all ages.

They definitely made us feel as COVID-safe as possible, only 1 "bubble" allowed per room & masks were required. When we got there we were assigned a start time to allow us almost private viewing. It's small center but certainly worth the visit, they have a strong emphasis on conservation and some really cool turtles!

Tybee Island Marina was great. My favorite was Ike the sea turtle, smaller turtle named Bessie. Love the sea star (starfish), horseshoe crabs, so many different fish. There was an abundance of staff to help you touch and hold these fascinating creatures. I believe they were are all rescued, some of which will be returned to the sea. It's not large place but that's part of the fun.

Nice little nature center on the beach. We brought our toddler, who loves fish, and it was appropriate for her. Lots of fish and turtles to see, some hands-on things. Not very big, but there's enough for a short visit for kids or adults with an interest. If you want more, there are classes and walks. But for $5, this is not bad for a little education and fun.

My grandson wanted me to go with him here. But when I called them they said they had no handicap accessible wheelchairs. So he had to go with his parents and I had to stay behind. I'm very disappointed because it seems everywhere I go the handicapped are left behind.

If you are on Tybee Island, I highly suggest that you visit the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. The entry fee covers you for the entire day and allows you to come and go as you please. Though it is a small center, the staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. They had a rescued Loggerhead Sea Turtle who was a straggler from his nest almost 2 years ago named Ike. They are preparing to release Ike near the end of the summer to accommodate a new straggler. We were fortunate enough to see Ike's morning feeding, as well as some baby alligators and a variety of crabs. This place is conveniently located near the main pier and also offers a gift shop.

This is incredibly tiny. IN-CRED-IBLY. If your child is over 7 yrs old I wouldn't bother. It took us 15 minutes tops to see everything. There are a few nondescript fish. There are a decent number of turtles. There is one sea horse and two or three baby gators. Besides that you are only going to see crabs. It was only $5 a person, so OK, if you are visiting Tybee anyway with small children and need a 15mn break from the sun this may be your spot. Also, please be aware they do not have bathrooms. They will direct you outside and around the corner where there are "bathrooms". These look rarely serviced and are frequently used as a changing center after swimming so everything is wet, sandy, dirty and smelly. I would strongly suggest not coming to Tybee just to see this.

The center itself was underwhelming and the staff, I would consider, slightly helpful and ditzy. We, thankfully got to the destination area for the marsh walk. Ali (I think was her name) was an exceptional guide through the marsh. It ended up being educational and fun, for my 7 year old boy and me.

Awesome place. My little one love it. This little place is good to take your kids to do something cool on tybee island.

I love this little aquarium. Their conservation efforts make a difference. The educational programs are well worth the very reasonable price tag.

Best $5 spent on Tybee. Parking took a long time competing for spaces with beach goers. Excellent places to take a break from the sun, especially if you have little kiddes.

Took the Beach Walk Tour with Ali. She was very friendly & informative. The $10 fee also gave us entrance to the Marine Center itself. Yes it is small and as others said underwhelming but the staff are helpful and answered our questions. The good news is a new center is currently being constructed on the North Shore. When visiting the Lighthouse, I saw how large it will be and it's in the perfect location. In all, I highly recommend the tours and supporting this valuable non-profit resource.

Nice beach, pier does get crowded but you can rent umbrellas and chairs if you don't have any. They also usually have a cool event or festival happening near the boardwalk and the restaurants are great.

We didn't get to go to the science center. We did, however opt for the marsh trek. My wife, my 7-year-old daughter and I loved it. Sydney was our guide. She was very sweet and very informative. My daughter loved trudging through the muddy marsh, watching the thousands of crabs crawl around. We learned a lot from Sydney. We were glad we had her as a guide. We will definitely be back to do this again the next time we visit the Savannah/Tybee Island area.