Great Lakes Aquarium Review

The Great Lakes Aquarium is a nice space. They have a great variety of local sea life.

This place was ok. Some nice exhibits on climate change, lake effect weather, water quality, hydroelectric dams, early native americans and explorers, and geology. The coral reef and otter tanks looked sort of dirty, and the jelly fish tank only had about 5 fish in it. There is no food venue on site, and the gift shop is lacking. The best part was the tree house and slide which was nice for kids age 6 and under. The worst part was the cost. It's $16.50 for adults, and $10.50-$13.50 for kids 3 and up, plus $5 for parking. You get $1 off with AAA membership. There is a park across the street it looks like that is not open in the winter.

Great people! Clean place! Great spot for kids to see and learn about aquatic animal's.

Good information and fun for all. Kids loved the little boat play area.

We always visit with every trip up to Duluth from the cities. Such a fun local place to support. We can't wait to go back again soon!

Great place for the area. Has lots of useful information about the area and history.

Great place for kids. Very cool exhibits. Nice to see so many local fish and exotic fish too.

Was fun! Very large aquarium with plenty of exhibits to view. Lots of "feedings" and shows to see, ...that are both interesting and interactive. The petting tanks are fun. Never touched a jellyfish prior to this place. The interactive Lake locks were extremely helpful of explaining the ship traffic ...that runs thru duluth. Spectacular view of lake Superior as well. The wind was strong and waves were high so it was fun to watch while shielded indoors. Kids aged 9 and 5 both lasted an impressive 4 hours.

My kids had a great time and want to go back already! A little on the expensive side. Bring dry clothes and shoes to change small kids into after playing with the Great Lakes and boats, especially for toddlers.

Good spot. Better than the aquarium at Mall of America that is flashier, costs more, and only takes 15 minutes to get through. Everyone was nice enough, lots of covid safety. Takes maybe an hour and change to get through.

5 dollars to park in their parking lot and not very impressive at the cost of 20 dollars a head.

Expensive, but fun with the kids a couple times out of the year!

Lots of various animals and people observe social distancing. We just felt like we're pressured to hurry because people are waiting.

We attended the aquarium's Nov-March seasonal special: Toddler Tuesday (10am-12pm), where anyone who brings a child under 2 gets a discount on all their tickets. It is VERY worth making the effort because the discount is huge. Not only that, but winter parking is free.

On entering, a huge two-story fountain greets you. Across from that is the gift shop, and between are picnic tables with an amazing view where several families had already set up with their lunches. Though the aquarium does not sell premade food, you can bring your own and eat it in this area.

Elevators are available on either side of the giant waterfall, making it highly accessible for wheelchairs and strollers, and a coat room is on the left behind the escalator. There is no coat room attendant or lock or tags, just a long space with coat hangers, so be sure to keep valuables with you.

The aquarium is very warm, even on one of the coldest, most windy days. This makes it a fantastic winter destination.

The exhibits are numerous and probably better detailed by others. I enjoyed the electric eel, which had Christmas lights it could turn on and off with its own electricity. They flickered wildly when we stopped to look at it. Later, I got to stroke my finger along some fish at the petting pool.

The views of Lake Superior were everywhere, and they often had benches tucked in a quiet spot nearby so you can sit and watch the water.

Lots of little interactive displays meant I had to pry my kid away when it was time to leave. From a ship steering wheel to multiple movable fact displays, something to draw my kid seemed to be around every corner.

Both of my kids loved the water play area, though it should be noted that you'll want a change of clothes just in case. They can sail boats around through canals, like my 4-year-old, or just splash wildly like my 1-year-old. One of the aquarium personnel mentioned a little boy running around in his diaper because he fell in and said she thought that would be a good preventative measure. It was warm enough inside that water play in a diaper or swimsuit would be fine.

On the second floor, a twisty tree-themed slide could have kept my 4yo busy all day, and the boat on the floor kept my 1yo busy, but there are no doors or gates to keep a curious toddler from toddling out of the area and to the top of nearby stairs, so we didn't stay as long as my 4yo would have liked. This is the only complaint I had about the second floor -- that small children (those who still need a baby gate at home) can't roam freely because of the stairs. I kept my daughter in her stroller most of the time, and she pointed and babbled when she noticed a fish. (Plenty of exhibits are low enough for a child in a stroller to enjoy.)

The otter area looks amazing (see pictures), but there seemed to be no otter. Not sure what was going on, but I'm sure they won't leave it empty for long.

We kept busy a LOT longer than I expected to, and they seem to have put a lot of work into both the atmosphere and the attractions.

All of the personnel we encountered were INCREDIBLY friendly. The man who sold us our passes advised us about the coat room, we ran into a pair of divers on the second floor who stopped and chatted with my son, and the petting pool lady chatted with us while we waited for the fish to brave swimming toward the surface. Even leaving, we were wished a nice day.

Is this place worth experiencing when you visit Duluth? Yes. Especially if you have kids. It is expensive to visit, but probably less expensive than someplace that makes you buy tokens for games.

Is this place worth an expensive membership pass? Depends on how often you'll visit. If your child is interested in fish, water play, interactive exhibits, exploring every inch of this GIGANTIC facility, or even just sliding down the cool twisty slide when the weather is too rough for outdoor sliding, and if you're willing to bring them enough times to get your money's worth, then yeah. Worth it. (As of right now, 1 family membership for 1 adult & child will pay itself off in 4 visits.)

It was fun. Way too expensive. Probably won't go back.

Recent remodel is great with more touch tanks and animals. Great way to get out of cold fall/winter weather and get out of the house

Awesome place to take kids and there is a lot to see and do! The interactive boat area and the multiple touch tanks had my nephew running around for a couple hours! They keep adding things and it gets cooler and cooler!

I love it here so much! The free Tuesday's is great if you have a lot of kids. I also got to touch a jellyfish for the first time (my favorite aquatic animal and the absolute best day of my life) and fish. I loved the adventure that I had with my family and the memories I got to make were amazing. I haven't smiled so much in so long!

I loved this aquarium. It was extremely educational and offered a ton of information surrounding the formation of the great lakes and various species located within the lakes and throughout the world. They have events every half an hour to an hour that range from short feedings with Q&A sections to interactions. It isn't massive, but there is plenty to do - 3 touch tanks for the kids, interactive models, and beautiful exhibits with friendly staff.

Wonderful first visit. Highly recommend young and old to give the Great Lakes Aquarium a try. We look forward to a return trip. Sturgeon touching will again happen!

This place was ok. I thought it was expensive for what we got to see. Pretty much a big pet store. I thought it would feature more of the fish from the lake it sits on. Again it was ok. I wouldnt pay to go see it again. Just meh..

Covid has made all interactive station closed...still very educational and to have a little fun bring a shiny red object to make fish interactive with you

Everyone was more then willing to help and very knowledgeable

First floor a bit more interesting than the 2nd floor, love the new sturgeon "petting" area

Pretty neat place but I would like to see the sting Ray have a bigger aquarium and the 2 sharks at thy petting place should have a bigger tank

Always a great place to spend time with the family!

So awesome great for kids love seeing all the local fish that a person doesn't normally see in Aquariums

The number of exhibits are limited but the ones which are there are good.

It does not have enough fish species like other aquariums

Fun and educational place for lovers of all things aquatic. Hosts many activities for children to interact with for hours and stunning views of beautiful tanks.

I was pleasantly surprised with my visit. I come from living in Hawai'i and San Diego and wasn't expecting to be very impressed with the aquarium, but I was humbled walking out of there. A great trip for the whole family.

This is a great afternoon of education. Both salt and freshwater fish are up close viewable. All kids , big and small, will enjoy the displays. The rotating displays keep it refreshed every few months. You must add this to your Duluth visit.

Very expensive.every time I have went there has only been about half of the exhibits open.

Took my Birthday grand blessing and our daughter here. We enjoyed seeing all the animals here. Mocha didn't know what to think of the animals.

Totally worth a visit. It's cool to visit an aquarium with the local fish species.

Some exhibits were empty and there wasn't much too see there . They definitely have things for kids to do but not $18 a person worth !

so much fun and informative!! the staff knew their stuff! thank you!!

I love this place, its so fun and there is fish everywhere, and its a chance to teach young children their animals, and it may be their new favorite animal, and I went her so many times as a young kid, I am now 12 and I still want to go back

Went here on a rainy day. Perfect place to learn all about the aquatic life in the great lakes. Very interactive. Enjoyable for all ages!

Even on a weeknight, had a lot of activities going on. All the staff was knowledgeable and were easy to start a conversation with regarding the exhibits and their research. I went with all "grown ups" and had fun, but I think a kid would have a blast.

Very nice, very clean and organized. I felt full submerged into the world of these sea creatures and I loved that they had interactive exhibits for everyone!

Loved getting to pet the jellyfish. Very informative place. Friendly staff.

Several additions since my last visit; which was shortly after it opened (I think) back in 2002-ish. It was fun then and it is fun now! Lots of cool stuff to experience and not just freshwater stuff either. Lots of local information and history. Great views of the lake as well! My son and I had a great time!

This was our second trip to the aquarium and it was as memorable and enjoyable as our first. There are a few exhibits that are not operational due to covid restrictions, but it was still a wonderful experience. The staff did a fantastic job and were extremely kind and friendly!

If you or your kids love everything underwater this is the place to go. Simply amazing!!!

A great experience for my family. It is a bit pricey, but overall if all the exhibits are working and it's not too crowded, it is truly worth it.

An amazing place to let kids play while you relax watching the fish swim. The touch tanks are a must see for the whole family!

Great lakes aquarium is a very family friendly place. They have lots of exhibits about local Minnesota aquatic life. Along with saltwater exhibits. You can learn about all kinds of fish, snakes, frogs, turtles, otters and more! Sometimes you might even get to see the divers in the giant freshwater tank!

It's a simple aquarium. Pretty building and nice displays. Great to bring the kids.

My family have been members for years and we go often. The exhibits change often so it really is something you'll want to frequent. The sturgeon hands on experience is the favorite of the family, we've spent hours just petting the friendly swimmers. Raptor Ridge is the newest exhibit if you want a closeup with a bald Eagle or a turkey vulture. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, always helpful folks.

Really great place to learn a lot about the wildlife in Duluth and tge surrounding area they have done a lot of revamping during covid and even have new animals. You can tell the opossum was scared and had no place to hide in it's enclosure but all of the other animals (especially the ducks) seemed content.

My son loved the playing the boats in the very large moxelmof the channels and channel systems connecting the Great Lakes.

Lots of tanks of fish and sea life. Fish hand fed by divers. Excellent activity especially for a rainy day. Most kids would enjoy the interactive exhibits.

GREAT PLACE to take your kids to! There are touch pools (jelly fish, sharks and lake sturgeon), a play area and so much more to see and learn about! great place for the whole family. I recommend a membership for those who live nearby (40 mile radius) as its a good place to bring the kids on those rainy or cold/snowy days!

Second time I have been to the Duluth Great Lakes Aquarium excellent location excellent view of the harbor and excellent view of the ships coming in watch from inside or outside of the aquarium new hawk and eagle exhibit great to see an eagle there and got to watch baby alligators being fed too great displays and artifacts too

Very nice aquarium. Enjoyed the moose and Caribu statues on the top floor. Loved the otters.

I brought my grandsons which they enjoyed all the exhibits, specially the fish tanks.

Loved the Electric Eel! Great place for indoor winter entertainment in Duluth.

I had a lot of fun. It was really cool but it s not a very interactive place which is okay because of the virus. Overall it was a really cool experience. I would go back again

Great aquarium with so much to see. More then just fish too. A bit pricey though.

Apparently you can't ride the dolphins, but that didn't stop me from having a good time!

Fun place to take the kids. They had more animals then what we expected for a small place. Staffs could be more friendly

The touch/sensory exhibits are pretty cool, especially the moon jelly fish.

The price was right, never knew there were so many fish here and the ones I saw were so Cool!
Happy Thanksgiving!!

The aquarium has improved drastically since i went there years ago.we had a great time.

There's so much to do here. Besides fish and animals, the aquarium also offers displays about local history. I've heard others say this isn't good for more than an hour's entertainment, but we spent half a day here! It is a little pricey though.

Sturgeon touch tank and the massive central aquarium with older sturgeon make this worthwhile beyond the other amenities.

Great exhibits with close encounters of certain species!

Lots of fun exhibits. Set up well for social distancing.