Monterey Bay Aquarium Reviews

This is a wonderful place to take children, tons of stuff for them to do. Make sure to give yourself at least 4 hours to go visit. Parking is a tight

Do not be put off by the high price of entry to this aquarium. It is definitely one of the finest aquaria I have ever experienced. The staff is courteous and the exhibits are simply outstanding.

.25 if a star if I could way over priced, parking is also way over priced. save your money go to sea world way better

2 yes later. We went to the Loveland Aquarium in salt lake, Utah. Way better, and for whatever reasons, the animals are more lively. More scientific, and the atmosphere makes you feel underwater

This is a wonderful day trip for just about anyone, albeit a bit pricey at around $50/adult. There are beautiful exhibits of sea animals of all kinds, gigantic tanks of sea animals of all kinds, small tanks of examples of the many small creatures, a magnificent tank of a kelp forest and the animals that inhabit it. Just the best.

Wonderful Aquarium and a fun place to walk and learn about the life under the sea. I really enjoyed it.

One of the best aquariums in California. Gets busy during tourist season but it is well worth it. My kid loves coming here.

Lots of exhibits to see and setup well to keep kids entertained. Very clean complex and helpful staff

We ve found that this is the best aquarium in USA. Well, if you have kids you definitely have to visit this place as they will enjoy touching all the ocean stuff, plus they have an area special dedicated for kids. We decided to visit as it was a rainy day and we enjoyed the time spent there. Comparing with other similar places I ve visited in Europe my impression is that the aquarium can be improved. Also, I didn t like the fact the place was super crowded.

I go here once every 6 months or so, and it's always amazing. It's always clean, there's a lot of creatures to see and there's a bunch of interactive exhibits. Plus the staff and volunteers are always helpful!

If you can swallow the steep price, you'll get swallowed by the deep sea. Huge tanks filled with huge fish. You'll be impressed. Plenty of stuff to keep kids engaged, while also entertaining the adult audience. Go go go.

We've been members here for a few years and our son loves coming everytime. It's clean, organized and the exhibits are always good. Avoid the busy days/times for a better experience.

A family favorite! We go several times a year. Great place to take out of town guests. And supports a great cause.

It's the best aquarium in the United States. There's a reason why it was an inspiration for Finding Dory. It truly is magical and amazing to see the level of passion the works have for the animals.

Great place to take kids to learn about all types of sea animals. But a bit too pricy

Love this place, but it's getting too pricey. I wish I was closer to Long Beach aquarium where you can buy the ticket with a boat ride to go whale watching and you spend less on the tickets

We go once a year and we are never disappointed! Some say it is expensive, but the money goes to take care of the marine life.

Awesome...have a beautiful sea at back view...wonderful...

Amazing day and beautiful mammals and the fish were amazing also

One of the best aquariums we have been to. It's a bit of a walk from Cannery Row, so bring a stroller if you have little kids. Make sure you have a plan, because the aquarium can be a little crowded, and you'll want to prioritize what to see, as it can be a maze to navigate.

Learned a lot got to see otters in the ocean from a observation deck. The exhibits are fantastic.

A fantastic aquarium with a fine little cafe-restaurant. This is a don't-miss site. I wish I'd had more time. Lovely experience.

Definitely a great place to take kids! There's so much to explore and see, and they have films and special events throughout the day. If you plan to go, allot at least 3-4 hours; we spent 3 hours there and didn't event get to explore it all. There are tons of amazing aquatic things to see and a great view of the Monterey Bay, with binoculars to see the wildlife in the ocean.

This is not a cheap place to visit but for me it was absolutely worth the money. This is a colossal aquarium. It has an impressive collection, including animals I had not seen in an aquarium before. The highlight for me was the huge deep sea tank, which is home to tuna and hammerhead sharks. The aquarium is fed with water from the adjacent ocean, allowing one tank to feature a real kelp forest.

Steven was the best host taking care of us outside! thanks for the recommendation for the cheese plate. see you soon!

Beautiful aquarium, love what they do in terms of rehabilitating sea life and their kelp forests are awesome!

One of the great aquariums in the United States. Pricey but so much to see and do. My kids loved it.

Its a great place for you to explore the many species of our ocean, and some land species in the baja area. I always have a good time there with my family. Ive been a member for 2 years now and i will continue to be a member.

The aquarium was a good afternoons adventure. There was a large variety of exhibits focused on the sea life and pollution in the water. This must be one of largest and well funded aquariums in the United States. The clam chowder and ubiquitous sour dough bread was excellent in the cafeteria. The penguin feeding was very interesting.

Awesome place for the entire family. Was the highlight of the trip for the kids. Time things so you can attend the feedings. For large groups, look at purchasing a year pass ahead of time.

This place is amazing, I'd love to spend a moonlit night by the kelp bed.

Ok but expensive and often crowded for the average family. Could benefit from more information boards.

We loved our time at the aquarium. So many fish to see and endless exhibits. A great place to spend an afternoon.

Best to come after big holiday. Specially made space for baby and toddler seascape with slides and water pools. Worth the membership

Such a great aquarium! They had so much sea life to look at and a very big gift shop with nice jewellery, shirts, jumpers etc and even ways to help the planet (re usable straws, bamboo cutlery etc)
Great place for family s, couples and even if you want to venture through on your own! The only problem is the place is a bit dark so you do bump into people by accident

No matter how old or young this place will never disappoint or stopping amazing you.
P.S buy your tickets online it makes it infinitely faster getting in.

Jellyfish hypnotize. This is an amazing place. Spectacular.

Fun and educational. I see or learn something new every time I go!

Great exhibits with a focus on education and conservation. With it's baby play and kids play areas as well as a nursing lounge, it is the most family friendly place I have been. A bit pricey but so worth it.

Have been their multiple times in the past several years. The exhibits, feeding times, and staff never cease to delight me. Cafe also great. Try to pick non-busy times because it's an international and family favorite and can get incredibly crowded.

If you are in the monterey area this is a must see! I love the sea otters the best. We call them perritos del mar, puppies of the sea. They are fun to watch and come right up to the windows. Totally entertaining!!!! We also like the octopus...but dont flash him, he hares it!!!!!! Its a full day of enetertainment and joy!

We were very excited to visit the Aquarium BUT, no Parking we drove around and around looking waiting and even searching for a parking place that didn't have a two hour limit. BUT after a 1/2 hour or more of frustrating car joking we felt we had just raced the Daytona 500. So Even after we drove 4 hours to get there we said ---- it. And disappointedly left. With my head hung low I forced a smile and begun to search my worried mind for a fun stop along the long drive home. Never Again.

It is a little pricey. I was expecting alittle bit more but overall it was good. I wish they had more fishes in their big tank though. We did go at an awesome time. No waiting on lines n was able to see everything we wanted.

Over 35000 creatures of 550 different species and a beautiful view of the clear water over the bay. This aquarium was huge! Awesome marine life with well thought out design and layout. Nice $10 parking for the day right on the corner and after a few hours inside you can go to cannery row for the boutique shops. Literally had a blast.

What a treat! We spent hours exploring the wonder of marine life! Seeing sharks, jellyfish, starfish and the enormous school of sardine was truly mesmerizing. The staff and volunteer staff are so educational. We can't wait to visit again!

Fantastic displays. One of the best exhibits to visit, for the whole family. The best thing to catch is the penguin feedings!

Kids love this place, but also very interesting for adults. Our daughter loves sea lions.

The exhibits are mind blowing. When you go, make sure to see the jellyfish. I didn't realize there were so many types!

Fantastic place. Beautiful exhibits. Lots of interactive displays.

the place was very nice an the staff and servive were super kind and loving

Nice collection of live marine life. Specious with restaurant and restrooms. At few places we can touch the dishes, seeds, etc. Nice place for kids, they can satisfy their cureosity. Seems to be overpriced.

Every time I go, there is a new look or exhibit. After watching the touch tank on Finding Dory, I can appreciate why theirs is mainly non live creatures, and I don't think the little kids cared.
The feeding times are always fun.
The movies in the auditorium are very well done. Mysteries of the Deep had an actual person narrating. Questions are encouraged afterwards.

This place is amazing! Great experience, a must-see.

Is crowded people may bump into you step on you somewhere say excuse me some will not I guess it's like being at a grocery store but majority Z you have a great time I give it about 95% you'll have a good time my daughter and I had a great time we played at the play area we did the splash play and feel in touch she loved it all and it was just great seeing that smile on her face

Be warry of when you go. Overcrowding can ruin the experience a bit. Always great to see the fish and other ocean friends.

Pretty pricey but it's fun to go at least once or twice a year.

You have kids. They have awesome marine exhibits. A match made in heaven.

See underwater wonders and learn how human consumption and the problem of plastic threaten us all.

Worth the visit. Must stop each time we visit Monterey. Amazing displays. Large windows into tanks. Touch tanks. Great outside area with view of Monterey Bay.

Excellent place to experience n learn lots of things. Expectacular views are always been a part of this stunning n thrilling Bay Aquarium.

Such a satisfying experience!
This aquarium has one of the largest tanks in the world.

Cool place to visit at least once. Many of the exhibits are geared towards children, and the shops are really pricey, but it was a cool experience.

What an amazing aquarium. Love it. Very kid friendly.

Go at a less popular time. When it is crowded, it is very hard to get up to the various displays. Got hit by various strollers and almost bumped into a small child who was not being held going down a dark crowded staircase.

One of the most amazing places in the entire Big Sur area of California, great scenery amazing people the staff it's really friendly there's several exhibitions where you can learn a lot from the ecosystems of California, I came to this place for the first time about 15 years ago and now as a father of two, I have brought them twice and every single time gets more special, if you have the time and the chance to go to this place please do so you will not regret it you can learn a lot and enjoy your beautiful day and the coast of California where the weather is nice and the people it's really friendly.

Absolutely magical place, great to walk around and learn, or just to stand and observe how interesting the sea truly is.

We love the aquarium... I have loved it since I was a little kid. Highly recommend for anyone.

The aquarium was a wonderful experience for my grandchildren. We enjoyed all there exhibits and the jelly fish were beautiful

Very nicely designed place, extremely informative, worth the steep price

Incredible animals and beautiful displays, however exceedingly expensive and there were too many people

Such an amzing place to immerse yourself in the wonders of the sea.

We've been members for years now. The deep sea tank is incredible!

An excellent aquarium with lots and lots of fish, mollusks, penguins and other aquatic species. I was here for almost 5 hours. The ocean-view deck is also really great, with a nice expansive view of Monterrey Bay and the California Coast Range.

Amazing place. Most incredible aquarium I've ever been. Service was surprisingly good, as I don't expect good service at places like this. I was very surprised by the warm hospitality of the staff.

I always enjoy going there. We had a blast with my 1 year old son. The staff is always super friendly and helpful.

Great place to visit lots of fun. Recommendation! Do the guides behind the scenes tours!