Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Reviews

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4.5
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Sitting on a bluff that overlooks the Pacific Ocea...

Sitting on a bluff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, Birch Aquarium at Scripps is the public exploration center for the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. It features over 60 habitats of fishes and invertebrates, from the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico. The oceanographic museum also includes five dozen interactive elements and exhibits research discoveries by Scripps scientists on climate, earth, and ocean science. More than 400,000 people visit Birch Aquarium at Scripps every year to enjoy the numerous tanks of fishes and invertebrates, the 70,000-gallon kelp forest, the interactive exhibits, the living hands-on tide pools, and the 13,000-gallon shark reef tank as well as the incredible view of the coastal bluffs.

The aquarium is one of the smallest that we ve bee...

The aquarium is one of the smallest that we ve been too. For such a small aquarium it was too pricey. But that being said the views of the ocean was breath taking and the little cafe outside was good. I also loved the gift shop where we managed to find gifts for friends and family at a reasonable price. If you want to spend an hour or two with little kids then go here.

My 9 year old grandson loved this place! Of all t...

My 9 year old grandson loved this place! Of all the places we visited in Hollywood and San Diego, this was his favorite. Close up aquariums with lots of ocean fish! Educational to boot! Highly recommend.

Aquariums are always places of wonder and this one...

Aquariums are always places of wonder and this one is wonderful too. From interactive tide pools exhibit to aquariums representing the various species associated with varying water temperatures, you will always find something new and different. Great place for kids and their focus in young learners is evident. Certainly the jellyfish section delights.

Nice presentation of aquatic animals, patio overlo...

Nice presentation of aquatic animals, patio overlooks the Ocean. Beach can be reached by walking, the walk back to the parking area is uphill. Good alternative to Sea World, focus is on the Aquarium, no shows. Food is available.

Great museum, pretty extensive exhibits including ...

Great museum, pretty extensive exhibits including dozens of tanks, preserved and live specimens of rare and exotic fish, interesting for adults and engaging for kids. They've got outdoor touch pools, where you can touch a wide variety of tide pool creatures (sea anemones, sea hares, sea urchins, etc). The staff in particular are super nice and very helpful, particularly in the tide pool area (Will and Jerry were particularly awesome). Would definitely recommend to anybody who likes the ocean, or nice people, or pizza.

I mean, I didn't see any pizza there per se, but I'm sure if you like pizza you clearly have enough of an appreciation for the finer things in life to love this place.

I love visiting the aquarium but it is a bit cramp...

I love visiting the aquarium but it is a bit cramped and it's hard to see the signs when it's crowded, which is often

some additional sound dampening would also be really helpful, it can be very loud in those close quarters with all the glass

The aquarium was huge and there were so many activ...

The aquarium was huge and there were so many activities for all ages. The staff was insightful and nice but it was very crowded. I would love to go again but I'll probably go on a weekday next time.

Not worth the price to pay to get in if you live i...

Not worth the price to pay to get in if you live in San Diego better to pay a few more dollars and get a year pass not a lot to see but if you have children it will be good for them to learn about the sea life nice gift shop and a nice place to get lunch

Very informational and hands-on experience with ki...

Very informational and hands-on experience with kids who are interested in sea life. Beautiful scenery from the outside terrace. For ticket pricing, if your a San Diego resident, it is cheaper to buy a year long pass. Year long activities for kids. If you are military or UCSD staff, discounts on tickets and passes are given with valid ID. Definitely something to do with the kids.

Amazing place to visit with tremendous exhibits. T...

Amazing place to visit with tremendous exhibits. The staff is amazing and is extremely helpful. The layout of the aquarium is awesome and has not let us down on any visit. First visited in 2011 and visit whenever I m in town. Outdoor play area for kids is nice but don t miss the scenic view of La Jolla from that area. Pro tip: do your research on some of the exhibits prior to visiting so you can truly appreciate what is there.

A great aquarium showcasing the sea life of the Pa...

A great aquarium showcasing the sea life of the Pacific. There's more than 60 habitats! There's lots to do and a wealth of educational programs. Our favorite is watching the Sea Horses.

We swung in here as we weren't ready to make the d...

We swung in here as we weren't ready to make the drive home. It took about an hour and a half to go through stopping and reading the signs to the kids. It was really neat just rather short. Price was a bit high for how long we were there and that's the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars.

I've been wanting to go to Brich Aquarium for a wh...

I've been wanting to go to Brich Aquarium for a while. I got the opportunity to go with people I work with. We got there right when they opened, we got decent parking. I seem like it was a bunch of people already. Groups of kids, adults with kids, plus it's summer time. I didn't pay out of my pocket but the price is ok, but it takes money to keep this place up I assume.Its beautiful, I seen fish, sea animal's and priceless views , some of things you can put a price on. They also had workers near some exhibits to give you information on what your seeing. The place isn't very big, the whole tour lasted 30-45minutes. I really enjoyed it, my clients did also. I'll be taking my daughter to visit. They do have two food places outside and benches to sit and eat. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK BRICH AQUARIUM and EMPLOYEES.

A great place to know about marine a life. Must se...

A great place to know about marine a life. Must see for school going children and adults alike. There are volunteers at various places to help you understand better. Various sections arranged to explain different aspects of the sea life. Worth mentioning is the Sea horse section and deep sea wonders section and the open sky exhibits.

Wonderful morning spent exploring. It is REALLY ea...

Wonderful morning spent exploring. It is REALLY easily accessible, lots of parking. Fun things for toddlers to pre-teen, but not at all overwhelming. A good fun 3 hours or less. Wonderful ocean views, fun stuff to do outside, as well as in, with great staff.

A smaller aquarium, but filled to the brim with aw...

A smaller aquarium, but filled to the brim with awesome animals and displays. The aquarium is linked to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, so there is a lot of good science on display here.

Not a giant aquarium like the Georgia aquarium or ...

Not a giant aquarium like the Georgia aquarium or Baltimore, but it's got a good seahorse exhibit and some good hands on areas for kids. It's small enough that you aren't going to easily lose little ones.

They set up lights and decorations for Halloween while we were there.

This aquarium is run by a research institution that does ocean surveys, so there was an emphasis on underwater submersibles and rovers that I have not seen in a lot other aquariums.

They had a lot of collected samples in jars on display too, but with signage that talks about the animals' 'superpowers' in a comic book art style.

North wing was devoted to aquatic habitats of the California coast with tanks of live animals, including jellies, a sea turtle, and a 300 lbs sea bass.

South Wing had a seahorse exhibit, an area about the Scripps Research missions with their rovers and surveys, and an area about animal Superpowers.

The superpower exhibit used a comicbook art style for the signage. It had collected specimins in jars rather than lots of live animals (many were for animals that would be difficult to keep alive in captivity due to living at depth). This area also had a hands on dress-up area for kids.

The third area is located outside, which had a lot of hands-on moving water areas for kids. For example, an area where you could turn cranks, peddle a bicycle, or use a see-saw to power a fountain. There are two water tables where kids can adjust the flow and race timy boats. There is also a shark and ray tank located in a separate enclosure next to this play area.

There are amazing views of the Pacific from this aquarium.

We skipped out on visiting SeaWorld because of the...

We skipped out on visiting SeaWorld because of the ethical issues, cost, and because most of the attractions were inaccessible to our young kids (4 and 2). Instead, we went to the Birch aquarium at Scripps, and were very impressed and pleasantly surprised! It is small, with several aquarium exhibits, a shark-tank, and some interactive tidal pools where you can touch sea creatures. Many of the exhibits are related to renewable energy sources, and the problems of global warming and ocean acidification, which we appreciated. Lots of "hands-on" exhibits for kids and adults alike. Great gift shop and cafe. Friendly staff. Pre-adolescents will like it best, but even teenagers could find at least an hour of interesting things to do (if they are into science).

This past weekend the siblings and I were in San D...

This past weekend the siblings and I were in San Diego to celebrate my youngest brother's birthday.

He wanted to visit an aquarium and has been to all the ones in LA & OC. We made the trek to Birch Aquarium in La Jolla.

Admission for adults is $17, $12 with student ID and $12.50 for children.

We got see many types of fish, seahorse, and jelly fish. **See my pictures & videos.

Fun place to bring the kids.

Parking: FREE and plenty.

Birch is great for families with little children. ...

Birch is great for families with little children. There's a lot to learn. The outside deck has a stunning view of the ocean. The cafe is reasonably priced with a decent selection. The gift shop has wonderful souvenirs, a little pricey but it's a gift shop. Parking isn't bad at all.

Birch Aquarium is a great spot. We got a membershi...

Birch Aquarium is a great spot. We got a membership and bring our 2-year old here on a regular basis. It's really nice for toddlers, because there is a lot of room to roam around, plenty to look at, and tide pools and interactive displays where they can get their hands wet. Highly recommend it

This is a very small aquarium but it is outstandin...

This is a very small aquarium but it is outstandingly maintained. All aquatic enclosures were nearly perfectly cleaned and all inhabitants were healthy and happy. Also, their educational displays were very quick and to the point without being long and drawn out.

I think the first time I went here was on a field ...

I think the first time I went here was on a field trip 28 years ago, and I've been going back ever since. Now I bring my 2 year old who absolutely loves it. In addition to the regular aquarium tanks, they have a "tide pools" area where kids can gently interact with some animals. There is also a large section of the building dedicated to non-living exhibits about tides, currents, conservation and the like.

Really nice aquarium with plenty of knowledgeable ...

Really nice aquarium with plenty of knowledgeable staff to share answers and explain how the ocean ecosystem works. Was great to see the tide pool exhibit as we just came from the La Jolla tide pools.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

4.5