Monterey Bay Aquarium Reviews

Always a blast for the family! If you have a family of 4, just buy membership. We live 1hr away and have a family of 3 and it was still the way to go. We were able to bring friends, get in 30 minutes early, and use a seperate entrance, plus the membership paid for itself in 2 visits. My son is nearly six and very active this gave us the option to keep our visit 3-4 hrs long, enjoy Monterey (beach, restaurants, dennis the menace park) and still get home by dinner. We truly enjoy, super kid/family friendly.

I just adore their live daily web cams. Their staff are taking such great care of the critters living there. It s truly been keeping me going during these quarantine months to watch the penguin feedings and the otter cam...and I love the coral reef cam as well. Thank you Monterey Bay Aquarium..hopefully, when we all come out of this on the other side...I am making a special trip to see you in person...please keep up the good work you are doing and know that someone in Yorktown, Virginia...on the other coast..truly appreciates all you are doing. You have very precious residents and your exceptional care does not go unnoticed.

Expensive but a great experience no matter the age. They do great conservation work.

I love coming here! Especially now as a new mom. My baby enjoyed the jelly's and testicles section most. I love their conservation and rotating displayes.

Great everytime. Unfortunately it was very crowded mid week in early August.

Definitely not what it used to be 10 or so years ago took my kids here a couple months ago they charge more for less alot of the tanks have been replaced with art or videos of fish. The million gallon tank seems nearly empty .They are more geared toward education toward conservation and recycling than the live exhibits which would be fine if the tickets where 15 instead of 50 per person

Very overpriced! Probably because they enjoy the publicity from Finding Dory. Not as shiny as depicted in the movie.

Wonderful place. Very educational, especially the open ocean exhibit. This is a don t miss

My friend (and co-grandma) had a great time with with our three granddaughters there.

The most amazing aquarium. I can not recommend enough.

Lots of beautiful sea creatures/ plant life & scenery

I don't even know where to start, this aquarium is amazing! The Deep Sea exhibit was phenomenal. Couldn't have been more excited to pet the sting rays too, which are very friendly. They have an open bird exhibit too which was amazing. Fortunately I arrived on a day that they weren't crowded but I hear that they do get very crowded which could make for a different experience. The Tentacles exhibit was so interesting, with it's art and a few steam punk makes of octopus. Don't skip anything here! I'd say to really take it all in it takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

The attractions are great and there is a very obvious focus on conservation and sustainability. The views from the outdoor decks are stunning! You could spend the entire day here. I'd you visit the area abs haven't been, it's not to be missed!

My favorite place! A membership is absolutely worth it. My family has had ocean advocate my whole life. The money goes towards great research and they focus on research, rehab and release instead of keeping animals like zoos.

Excellent! No other word describes the place better. Great for families with children. Very friendly and knowledgable staff.

I love this place. Most staffs here are friendly and I can tell that they love what they do.

Beautiful everything! The fish, the sharks, the otters, the penguins! Oh my!

Great for kids! But for kids only. A lot of marine animals. As for me jellyfishes were the main interest. A buffet is very good, especially soup. And a warm kid s beach nearby.

Beautiful aquarium! Absolutely amazing. Friendly staff, amazing exhibits! I can't say enough about it! Really inspires small day to day changes that can make a big difference for the ocean.

amazing place and worth making the time to really explore this place. Someone told me spend a few hours and we spent a whole day!
My three kids loved it and we all learned so much about the marine wildlife situation in and around the area

Great place, especially for kids! I took my 5 month old daughter and she loved it (beyond what I was expecting for her age!) They have a cafe that is over priced and lots of play stations for the kids. You can tell they treat their volunteers wells because they are always really sweet. I highly recommend checking it out if you have never been.

Excellent place. Beautiful, educational. Wish it was a little more affordable.

Beautifully done inside and out. Very crowded on weekends. Best way to visit is to become members and take advantage of members only events to avoid crowds.

Great place to visit, its next to the beach, a lot of species to see. Great location.

I had a great time here! There are so many exhibits and shows, with such a great diversity of sea life. A great way to spend the day!

Great place for kids but $50 a person is pricey when you can tour the place under 2hrs with kids.

As far as um concerned, this is the best aquarium in the world. It makes going elsewhere disappointing. Chicago has a nice aquarium, but alas it isnt Monterey. Come here and understand the meaning of the gold standard. We took some nice photos outside. Inside you will see amazing jellyfish, otters, bat rays, sharks, sheephead fish and turtles. Also watch divers feed fish in the giant kelp forest. Learn aboit ecology and ecofriendly eating.

Best place ever... always a wonderful experiences for the kids.

They have really updated this place since I last saw it in the early 2000s. It's was just amazing. It's 50 dollars per adult but totally worth it if you want to see an amazing sea life exhibit

Our kids love the aquarium! It is fun and exciting. They have a newly added nursing room for breastfeeding moms, a huge plus. We are considering becoming members!

Walked the mile from hotel.good thing too, parking looked crazy! Had great time. Lots to see. Be sure to get a few min head start for the open ocean feeding.

Excellent for kids and grown ups. $180 for a family of 5 did not like that.

Too expensive. I had a good time but had higher expectations. If you don't mind the $50 admission ticket, it is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon with a date or family.

Great for little kids, but to be quite honest, I was disappointed.

The exhibits were very good and they are interesting and educational.

We LOVE this place and visit every summer. I could literally spend all day watching the otters. I love the staff and volunteers; everyone is so friendly and knowledgeable. Even the little cafeteria has good food.
Down sides:
1) the baja exhibit needs to move along.
2)a lot of the interactive displays aren't working properly or have fallen inti disrepair. :(

This is a really cool place to go visit!

Our kids ages are from 3 to 8 and there were things that all of them enjoyed!

The touch pools were fun the jellyfish were mesmerizing!! There is a lot to see and lots to do so hopefully you are able to spend a full day there. The movies were very educational about the steps we can help do to protect the wildlife so our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy these creatures in the years to come!

Aquarium is set in a beautiful location with some good exhibits but we were expecting more. For the VERY high prices and extremely crowded conditions, it was a place that we agreed we would only need to visit once in our lives. It was good to see and I am glad that we went. A definite must see if in the area

Cool local aquarium. Prices are a little high, but it's Maui.

Always fun to be at this aquarium. Friendly staff and good exhibits.

Great time with Volta Elementary Mrs. Fugundez class.

Top notch Aquarium. This place has a bit of magic. I always love it there.

Nice... I wish no one else was there. Haha hermit life. But really interesting.

Incredible display of sealife. It is wonderful to see the variety of Life in the bigger tanks as well as the tiny displays.

Wonderful place. The kids had a great time with the touching exhibits and as always, the jellyfish exhibit was great....

Have been here multiple times in my life and the attractions never disappoint. Was able to bring our 2yo daughter here on a Monday and had a great time. She loved the sardine room where the whole ceiling is teeming with fish, the big tank with sharks, and especially liked the touch-tanks where the volunteers made a special and educational effort for everyone which was great!

Prices are staggeringly high (almost $200 for 4 adults and a 2yo) and crowds were horrendous. But then again maybe prices are high to try to keep the crowds down? Its unfortunate also that the crowds have become relentless and full of pompous tourists with little to no regard for others, the exhibits, yet alone marine-life in general. Faith in humanity...lost... faith in the future of marine-life... hopeful... will be back!

One day isnt quite enough it is quite phenomenal! We became annual members to share the experience with our family more often.

Awesome place . great learning experience for kids. NICE WEATHER.

It's an amazing aquarium. That's all there is to it.

The aquarium has a lot to offer in terms of Marine life. It's beautiful and organized. Just be prepared that it is very popular and some exhibits are very crowded

A little pricey to get in the door but overall a great experience with so much to do and see! My 3yo also loved it!

So much fun. We had a family outing. Followed my granddaughters class up.

We spent $140 for three adults to get in and it was so crowded that we left after about 45min. I remember going nany times decades ago and it is just not the same. Way over priced, way over crowded and not as fun and exciting due to price and crowds. May be many more years before going back.

Very cool aquarium. It was very clean, nicely maintained and has some amazing aquatic life. The seal exhibit and jellyfish are a must see- truly adorable and mesmerizing. I suggest going when they first open and watching the seals first, that section gets very busy otherwise. Overall, great place to see;

This has been the best aquarium tour I ve ever had in my life. Very educational and captivating, very beautiful displays of sea creatures and last time I was there they were expanding even more, and there s no shortage of beauty and... SEA LIONS! The admission wasn t bad and parking was easy and reasonable in cost.

Beautiful and well maintained facilities. Kid friendly.

great aquarium only better one I have visited was in singapore sentosa island

Always one of the best places on earth! This experience was with my husband and it was his first visit. We were enthralled with the turtles this time, such majestic creatures. Many educational opportunities about marine life and and hands on exploration. The jellyfish exhibits are incredible. Of course the location is near perfect for a full day of fun. Always leave with treasures for gifts as well.
A must for all!

Though I live within walking distance from this place, it is truly an amazing, with beautiful displays of so many lovely, captivating creatures of our oceans. If your visiting here, I would recommend allowing yourself a minimum of 3 hours to really appreciate and see what they have.

Educational for all ages. Inspirational. Unforgettable.

Saw many deer, turkeys and turtles in the wild. Never get tired of seeing animals in their natural environment.

Fun place to see! Some of the tanks are a little small, and the viewing area for otter feeding (the most popular attraction) doesn't hold a lot of people, but it's a nice day trip!

Amazing experience. Various species. Great program. Big aquarium is breathtaking. Most lovely animals are puffin bird, sea otters, etc.

The biggest research aquarium in the United States. Great variety of Pacific species.a fun place to visit

I love coming here. I've been multiple times and haven't gotten tired of it. I can watch the sea otters all day. I love sitting outside on their observation deck too. It gets crowed, but that's understandable as it is one of the main attractions in the city.

Great exhibit, but always super busy on the weekends. Wish I was 7 feet tall.

World class aquarium with great views. On the Saturday I visited they were serving snacks and drinks in the evening.

Beautiful aquarium! So much to do and see. You can spend hours here watching the fish and birds. Great place for kids to learn and explore.

Not too bad but at 50 a ticket...go via a hotel and get 2 days for the price of 1. Portland Hotel for sure offers this deal.

Amazing aquarium! I've been to Aquarium of the Pacific and this one definitely takes the cake. Only problem is the parking, you have to look around Monterey just to find a place to park, but not a big problem.

Great family outing. Plan your trip. There is tons of activities, lectures, and feeding times.

Beautiful well put together aquarium right in cannery row. Gets pricey and busy however great for kids and adults alike! Best aquarium I have been too with a real focus on the local area.

Wonderful place with great teaching and learning areas about the sea and is creatures.

Always educational. A great place for young and old. The staff is always friendly and willing to answer questions.

This place should be on every Californians bucket list. Just a spectacular Aquarium.

Good for toddlers, but not much for adults and tickets are too expensive

Something for everyone, exquisite exhibits and so great for the kids!

Bucket list item. Fabulous aquarium. Made a trip to Monterey to specifically visit here and wasn't disappointed.

Easy to spend hours here and keep the whole family entertained. It can crowded, but usually it's not bad. There is a lot see and experience. They staff here is amazingly friendly and helpful.

Was super awesome! Great for kids. We got there around noon and still had plenty of time to eat and see everything. Stroller friendly, with places to park your strollers when needed. I do wish there would have been more sharks. Eat before you come, its pricey. The fish and chips are delish.

A beautiful and relaxing place to experience all different forms of sea life. The kelp forest and open ocean exhibits are breathtaking. Take time to sit and meditate with incredible views.