Love the Aquarium of the Pacific! The tall ceiling...

Love the Aquarium of the Pacific! The tall ceilings, wide open spaces, and fantastic touch pools are just portions of what make this a top level aquarium. The staff here are always helpful, friendly and go out of their way to make your experience enjoyable. The exhibits are great, and kids absolutely love the touch pools. In addition you have the always popular lorikeet forest! Pro tip - when the birds sit on your arm to eat, twist them so their tails face away from you. You don't want a little surprise on your clothes!

Before visiting, be sure to check the calendar of events. They have really wonderful cultural days that run the gamut, very entertaining and educational.

The restaurant is very good, providing a wide range of meals and always including a sustainable seafood option. The staff range from professionals to culinary students - either way they food they come up with is suprisingly good.

Pro tip - if you want the aquarium to yourselves, with little or few people around, go Saturday or Sunday morning right when they open. There won't be any school tours, and the touch pools will be wide open. On top of that, you can get some sneak peak of the crew cleaning out a few of the tanks and exhibits!