Clearwater Marine Aquarium Reviews

Awesome place! Got to see Winter the dolphin from Dolphin Tales. Had a great day! The staff/ volunteers are very nice and knowledgeable.

Wonderful place and organization. The facility is small but totally worth a visit! It was originally only meant to rehab marine animals so they're expanding to accommodate more guests and more patients. Non profit with funds going to rescue and rehab efforts so it's a great stop for souvenirs. Highly recommend behind the scenes tour and Dolphin Adventure boat ride. Very educational trip and nothing like Sea World!

We had such a great time! Will definitely be back! #CMAinspires

We really enjoyed our visit. Lots of educational programs, variety of ways to interact with the animals.

This place is pretty cool.. it's not a typical aquarium. It's more of a rehabilitation center for sea mammals. The staff was great. Lots of informative presentations. I highly recommend it.

Very expensive for a place so small. There wasnt much to look at and the biggest place seemed to be the gift shop. Even the parking wasn't free

Total waste of money dont give it a chance, just donate

We visited the Clearwater Aquarium after 4 pm. The Sundown special is a good deal. I wouldn't want to pay more than $10 to see this aquarium. The aquarium is small and currently under construction to make it bigger. The staff were all very nice and helpful. The down side is that is is not very handicap accessible. After you buy tickets in the parking garage, you have to walk a block on a very small and broken sidewalk to get to the museum. I'm in a wheelchair and had problems with the sidewalk. Also there is not enough room for people walking in the opposite direction to share the sidewalk.
We ended having to take my wheelchair into the road to get back from the museum to the parking garage.
Inside the museum was ok, it's a small, older building with some awkward flooring into the separate areas. The elevator is the smallest elevator I've ever seen! There was no way for my wheelchair to fit in it to go upstairs. Which was very disappointing! So I couldn't see Winter the dolphin. I noticed parents with strollers having to carry their strollers up and down the steep steps going upstairs. Hopefully after the remodel their floor space and elevator will be more handicap accessible.

This staff was extremely knowledgeable. Very personable.

Interesting to see and learn about Winter, the Star of the movie Dolphin Tale. Of course Hollywood put their spin on the script, so they can still use all the support you can give them in order to keep up their great work.

It was wonderful seeing the animals and the staff and volunteers were all so nice! Awesome experience!

Nice experience... However "bang for your buck"would not be the right description. Without add ons, it's simply a rescue that you are supporting and get to see what you are supporting.

1. Not even the staff has any idea whats going on. At their facility (assuming high turn over)

2. This place is designed as a money extraction spectacle.

3. This place is like disneyland without the wonder, desperate money grab.

While it was cool seeing Winter and nice supporting marine life rescue, this is kind of a letdown, if you're looking for an excursion lasting more than an hour.

"I liked it because of the dolphins flipped." Niece approved!

I went before they had Hope, had a much more low key relaxed atmosphere with just winter. I know the movies helped but just prices seemed high and less interaction. But they are still worth the money for the work they are doing.

Had so much fun. There was a chance dolphin show. The dolphin was super happy and seemed eager to work with the trainers. The trainers took really good care if the animals. Winter the dolphin movie was filmed there. There were many exhibits and a huge gift shop.

Worthwhile visit to learn more about animal rescue. The extra-fee behind the scenes tour is well worth the cost, and is led by a naturalist who explains the rescue, care, and release of stranded or injured animals. Admission fees help continue their mission. Not as entertaining for kids as some other Aquariums are, but they're expanding, and they serve an important role in animal education and preservation.

5 because of the sea life but they need to clean tank glass so you can see the sea life better.

Le film!
Quand j'ai vu le film j'ai vu tout de suite que c'etait un dauphin trop mignon j'ai envie d'aller au parc!!!c'est pourca que j'ai choisi de metre 5 etoile !!

We got to see Hope and Winter and it was super exciting. Love the work they do here aiding animals to be rehabilitated and then released back into their natural habitat. A must see if you are in Tampa or St. Pete.

Its awfully pricey for less than 2 hours of interest. But what's there is really cool!

Great place for close up visit of fish and mammals. They do great work rescuing injured turtles, dolphins, manatees, etc. Very educational. Don't expect your typical aquarium but we'll worth visiting.

Love that we got to feed and pet the stingrays, just wish it was bigger.

It was neat to see Winter, Hope, and Nicholas, but the place was overcrowded (almost tow here it seemed to be a fire hazard), water was leaking in some places, the parking lot was WAY too small, and it was over touristified.

Love what they do, just wasn't worth a 3 hr drive for a class field trip

We have been there two times now and it doesn't disappoint. Really looking forward to seeing the new areas once the construction is completed.

There is something very special about this Aquarium. It is really nice to support an organization that truly is taking care of the marine life here in Clearwater. The staff and volunteers all have a passion for the animals that are there and you get a sense that every animal is loved and well cared for. We've been to aquariums all over the country but there is something very unique about this. Its the quality of a much larger aquarium with the heart and vibe of a small rescue. Hands off to David Yates and the team for building this into a remarkable landmark for clearwater.

They are trying to milk this dolphins tail thing for all it s worth. Without question the worst aquarium we ve ever been to. Limited stroller access, dirty tanks, not many attractions and just an overall disappointment. For the money they charged they should hang their heads in shame. Save your money here and go to Tampa Aquarium instead.

Worth every penny of the admission price to help with their mission and hear the amazing stories.

It's not good and I'm not gonna lie. For Marine aquarium it is very limited with its species. Not only that but the smell of fish is overwhelming, it was incredibly strong and made me want to vomit. Not only that the store is so focused on selling their mascots (a tailess delphin) products. All the store is just a selling point built on this dolphin having a sad disability an maybe 10 other product involving other animals. I get that they are helping wildlife, but come on at least have a clean nice smelling facility. I mean I worked on a fishing boat that smelled 50 times less of fish than this place did. I dont blame any of the staff just the management. Would not recommend.

Loved seeing Hope, Winter, and the gang. Very educational. Great tattoos.

Cant visit Clearwater without visiting the aquariums. Got to see winter & all the work they do helping sea life.

The staff are amazing...we love all the dolphins and Mavis...waiting for a trainer assistant opportunity. We visit at least once a year.

I love this aquarium, their mission and all the animals they get to rescue. Nicholas is my favorite he is smart and so amazing. Their staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. A must visit while you are in Clearwater, Florida.

Small, crowded, old and broken down. Tiny exhibits with crippled animals. Sad. It felt like a huge fire hazard - way too many people inside for the size. To be fair, they seem to be doing renovations.

Love it, very informative.
Spent two hours there.
Go there and learn.

Loved this experience... So much fun and educational.... The staff was awesome. I believe they truly love their jobs...

The kids loved the aquarium if you plan to go go in the morning so the little ones can see more of the animals around breakfast

It's a hidden gem!!! What an amazing work they do with their rescue animals!!!

This place was nice but expensive for what there was to see. I was expecting a little more for the cost, and the place is very tiny.

I love buying gifts when my wife isn t looking. They have nice stuff.

Got to see Winter, Hope and Nicholas. Grandkids loved it!

Nice little facility. Cool educational shows and activities. People are helpful welcoming. We went on the family boat tour and stopped on one of the man made island. It was a fun experience for the kids.

Loved how clear it was that these beautiful animals are being loved.

Very fun day with kids. Reasonable pricing. Behind the scenes tour was fun. Dolphin boat tour was great- highly recommended

Super friendly group of people that love what they do. Educational for the entire family.

This place is absolutely amazing. With or without Dolphin Tale, this place has more than enough to make the visit worth it.

Lots of thugs when I went. There was no air conditioner so it was blistering hot. Other than that it was rather nice. Also very clean

Love this place and it's mission. Visit early and often! We go every time we visit my mother-in-law. We knew Winter since she came and love her survivor's spirit. The place has grown and continues to grow. Give them a break if crowds are large. They are a working rescue facility and not a public pleasing aquarium so love them for what they are and support them while they grow. My grandson was transfixed and he is nine months old. Share his excitement!

Very cool to see Winter and the other dolphins. The sea turtles are amazing to see in person. The show they did with Nicholas the dolphin was educational.

I went to Clearwater Marine Aquarium this summer and it was the best vacation ever if u are in Florida u have to go. Winter and Hope are my best friends. And they will be yours too. I LOVE U WINTER AND HOPE!!!!!!!

my daughter turned seven yesterday and we book this trip a month in advance to find out when we got here that there was poor service, not enough room to move, she couldnt see, we paid for a picture for her to touch the dolphin, but i think because our skin was dark she didnt get that we had to stand in the front for him to jump up behind us which got us wet instead,there prices are ridiculous, and rufus trainer was very rude when asked if he was coming back out anytime that day. we had an awful experience there and would never ever bring her back here, and would suggest if your skin is dark then you will get treated unfair

Great place. The kids loved it. It was very educational. Must see place while in the area.

Wonderful family opportunity to learn about this nonprofit rescue of sea animals.

Regardless of how they initially helped Winter, their mission has changed and they are exploiting their animals for profit. They are just a notch above Seaworld, IMO.

Please #dontbuyaticket!

Live magic moment with Wintet and Hope. The trip rescue is terrific

There is very little to do here. You can hardly see the marine life due to the crazy amount of people in a terribly small area. I live in the Clearwater and brought my daughter the year before Dolphin Tale premiered and we had a great time. We went back last month and it was seriously awful and admission is way to high. We wont be back.

A great educational resource with a substantial number of programs running throughout the day. Do not go with expectations of seeing a show. Animals are trained to do some behaviors but focus is on education. There is a lot of construction underway, and I am sure there will be vast changes/improvement in facilities in next couple of years.

This place is great, they do a lot of good work here , saving marine life but also educating people.

This is a rehabilitation center and the staff is very informative about their resudents. Not a lot of sea life (which is good news when dealing with the injured or sick) but enough little variety to make it interesting. This is our 2nd visit and I will definitely be back again.

Not worth the price, very little for kids to do my daughter is 6 and wanted to leave after 30 minutes. Tampa aquarium is so much better

Very nice facility! I ve been here twice so far and every time, feeding the stingrays is my favorite part!

We had a great day,it's a clean place to go with kits any time and it's very well presented.

An excellent way to spend a day! Every part of the experience here was great. Lots of good information and opportunities to learn about the animals and the rehabilitation process. Very cool to see the Dolphins during their exercises. Every single staff member was helpful, incredibly friendly, and genuinely cheerful. Highly recommend this to everyone.

Had a great day at CMA learned alot about the rescue operation and staff was able to answer all of our questions . Enjoyed seeing Winter and her friends

Okay, so to make this very clear, this place is NOT an aquarium. It s an animal rescue facility, although a lot of the animals have been there for 20+ years for no apparent reason. There are no typical glass displays of fish, etc... It s small, cramped, and unimpressive.

You immediately walk into, of course, a crappy, stereotypical, overcrowded gift shop.
Then there are a few pools with a dolphin or two in one, a turtle in the other, I mean really nothing too exciting. It s actually quite depressing. They have barriers around some of the pools to provide a noise barrier for the animals, understandably with how busy the place is, however you can t see anything.

There s a cafe with crap food. Narrow hallways with no real attractions. We paid nearly $70 for two people to do the base tour, none of the extras. Very disappointing. I hope the expansions they are doing will be worth it.

An awesome place to learn about the rescue and rehab of marine animals. Keep in mind this is more of a hospital than a typical aquarium. I highly recommend the behind the scenes tour and dolphin sighting tour.

Loved being able to see Winter, Hope, and PJ and being able to pet a sting ray. Watched the two movies and it was even better in person.

This was my second visit to the aquarium. It isn't a very big aquarium, but it's interesting. When I visited last year, they had the WDTA which allowed you to take a boat or trolley to that destination from the aquarium. My understanding is that they're building an area to place the WDTA items with the CMA, which will definitely make it worth the money you pay for admission. Just seeing Winter makes it worthwhile.

Fun and great, but need to be cheaper. It's kinda overprice