This is one of my favourite places. Every time I visit the Bay Area I make the trip down. This time it was busy (probably because school was going back in soon) but it was still magical to be able to share my love for this place with my young sons. I appreciate the focus on conservation, love the interactive exhibits and touching pools, and the beautiful exhibits. I miss the specialty exhibit on seahorses though.
Busy but educational. It's pretty awesome, for sure. I like my 10% off at their gift shop. The restaurant has tasty food, but it's too expensive. On 2nd consideration, after 2 meals there lately, the food was actually excellent! Worth the high prices, really, for me. The photo ops are incredible. I took so many & moving pictures too. Got some Xmas gifts too: 10% off! When I used to live in Monterey, I went on average once a week for years. Sitting upstairs in the ocean exhibit room where the mola mola & sea turtle swim, in the dark, with that ocean music soundtrack, you can meditate & fully relax even with others around. That room is mostly quiet. I like watching the feeding of the different animals & aquatic life & enjoy the movies. The kelp forest exhibit is a wonderful way to show us what it looks like right outside in the ocean/bay. I like the estuary close up of the cute sea birds. The penguin exhibit is fun. The octopus is beautiful. PLEASE REMEMBER: NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY in certain areas. I had a nice time today, but it was too busy with too many families with little kids. 8/3/19: Finally, 10% off in the cafe with my membership! Saves me the sales tax $! Lana, the cafe manager, is very intelligent & comprehensive, re: the cafe's conservation achievements. Have a chat with her. You will learn. When I renewed my membership, they gave me a cute plushy toy, worth $20. They sell the same product in their shop. Subtract the $20 from the yearly memebership fee, in your mind. It reduces the annual memebership dues by $20. Nice.
Educational, entertaining fun for the whole family.
Excellent aquarium! Clean, very educational and easy to access. Fantastic volunteers and staff; always teaching and promoting their mission. Environmentally conscious. Loved it!
Super fun place to visit. Great variety of things to see. Plus a ton of good places to eat near by.
It's just an incredible place. If you're interested in marine life don't miss this place.
Sea Otters were fun to see. We could have spent several minutes watching those jelly fishes swim like they do. Lot of fun.
We absolutely loved this place. It was so neat learning about sea creatures and then walking out to the observation deck and being able to see so many wild sea otters. Great aquarium. Also grateful that they did not have any captive orcas or Dolphins.
Simply stunning. We are both scuba instructors, and loved seeing what the pacific had to offer. The staff were so helpful with any questions, and took an eager interest in where we live and worked. (MALTA).
The best aquarium that I visited.
Wonderful place. There are many species jellyfish and other. I Recomend
I have been going here since I was a kid and I absolutely love the place. I can't believe they still keep putting up new exhibits. I was thrilled to see the flamboyant cuttlefish.
Fantastic aquarium with lots of fun critters to look at.
I really enjoyed the kelp tank. The association has done a good job at preserving the history as well as supplying a natural environment for the animals.
Awesome place! Beautiful exhibits. Expensive entrance fee would make it difficult to take a family.
Amazing! One of the most extensive aquarium exhibits I have ever seen. I highly recommend!
Huge. The only word that came to mind after watching. Experienced the underwater world above the sea.
Try to plan out your visit to see the feeding times...Very fun! Not big aquarium but very interesting exhibits
The aquarium is okay but a bit too pricey, at least for me. Last time I checked/went an adult ticket was 50 dolars. The surrounding area is nice with plenty of shops and places to eat.
It was a very good place to bring my children they loved it here !!
Great exhibits and helpful staff. For being a nationally recognized aquarium, it isnt crowded very often. I would highly recommend purchasing the yearly pass if you're going to go more than 2-4 times depending on family size.
The only downside is the food price. It's a little high, but the food is good. Thankfully you can get a stamp to return later in the day and go to a restaurant on cannery row.
This is a must see if you come to Monterey! You can see all kinds of marine wildlife here. The sea otters are awesome!
Great place just be prepared to chip out a pretty penny
Was not as impressive as we thought it would be. We made a 3 hour detour to stay and visit. We were over charged for an ok place. Area around it was nice only thing it had going for it.
Stands to reason why they are a standard when regarded as one of the best aquariums in the U.S. Outstanding live exhibits, knowledgeable staff, and the programs enable you to see the process and behind the scenes work done by volunteers and researchers.
Great for kids and adults alike. Beautiful exhibits, best aquarium I've ever seen!
Great place to take kids. I do recommend gettinf there early or going on a week day as it does get crowded in some of the exhibit areas.
The Monterey Bay aquarium is the best aquarium I've been to, hands down. They have numerous exhibits and a whole floor dedicated to younger children. They have hourly events like feeding time and staff who are very knowledgable and understanding. Since the aquarium is so spectacular, expect for most areas to be lightly crowded. It is also expensive so for regulars such as myself, it made sense to buy the season pass. To get through the whole aquarium, it will take around 4 hours. They have a cafe inside which offers decent food. They also offer nightly events from time to time, so check those out!
It's an amazing place for the whole family. A must place to go if you visit the area.
Fantastic. Beautiful setting. Plan on spending at least half a day if you can.
Always a great time here. Always something new to see. Kids had a blast!
Aquarium is pretty nice and has some cool exhibits, but I don't know if it was really worth the hype.
I go here often and it is a wonderful place near by. I am sure people will enjoy it here
Best experience to visit each time!! Went with my son and now with my love for our anniversary!! Recommend it for everyone!! Kids Love this place!!
I have seen aquariums that were a lot more spectacular. This place -and this is not communicated enough!- is for children. They have a wonderful time and can explore endlessly and a lot of effort has been put into educational stuff (well done). For adults who have been to Cape Town or Barcelona the Monterey Aquarium is a disappointment (if you consider that it costs $40 per person!).
Loved the Monterey Aquarium! Beautiful displays, we had fun and learned a ton of things!
I don't see the reason for the rave reviews. It's 50$ a pop and not "one of the greatest aquarium in the world". It's a cool place to visit yes, but don't trust the hype.
Great time with the kids. Be sure to watch the feedings
Probably the best aquarium I ve been to, though the New England Aquarium comes close. This one is bigger, and also maintains really high quality throughout.
Great interactive exhibits for kids and adults. Amazing live exhibits too.
An amazing aquarium! One of the best I have seen in the whole US. For anyone stationed here I highly recommend the membership if you have children. $300 sounds like a lot but it pays for itself quickly and there is always something new to see! Plus the 2 guest passes you can give to anyone for a member experience is a nice perk.
I personally love the jellyfish but the Open Sea and Kelp Forest exhibits are a favorite for our 1 year old daughter.
Don't pay the fee for the parking garage. Go at non-peak hours and park for $1.50 per hour in twelve hour parking on the street. Or drive further up into the neighborhood in Pacific Grove and park for free.
Fantastic experience all around. Everyone there was helpful, knowledgeable, friendly, and seemed passionate about what they were doing. The place was well laid out, and my family spent a full day there. By the end of the day, I felt like we had thoroughly explored the aquarium, and had had a full and enjoyable day.
Love this place! Can be quite crowded so try to go on an off time if possible. Check out the otters!
Fantastic! I have been visiting since I was 5 and It is by far the best aquarium I've been to. Highly recommended.
I love going here. This place inspired the marine life institute in the Disney film Finding Dory! It's so clean and right on Cannery Row in Monterey! If you love animals this place will inspire to save sea life and protect the Monterey Bay! I love the volunteers who greet the guest who came in !
The aquarium was great and there was a lot to see well worth the price. On the weekend and during the events, it's a little crowded, but there are lots of viewing areas. I know this isn't the aquarium's fault but people need to control their kids.
Decided to try it out on my way down the coast .. got there around 130pm on a off Monday and the parking in the area was packed and very hard for such a small town, $10 in public lot is ridiculous.. then $50 ticket to see what?. I've been to Chicago, Long Beach and Japan aquariums so when I read "top in California" I was expecting more... This is the most expensive one I've been to with nothing really worth seeing other than jellyfish. Even the information guides we're lacking.
If you go early find parking and enjoy the views and walk the shorline it could be well worth the trip.
But if it's already afternoon just skip it.
Awesome Teriyaki burger! Just as good as Red Robin!
Great family place with lots to do during the visit.
Pricey at $50 each but... the exhibits are incredible! It's pricey, but you definitely see where your money goes and aren't left short changed. Super helpful staff also.
It is busy, but fun. Try to go to as many dressings as possible, and show up a little early to them. The only downside about the aquarium, was that it didn't have enough fact panels about the different fish.
Love this place. It has gotten more expensive and crowded but still worth going to. The Jellyfish are my favorite.
I visited here when I was a child and I remember being pleasantly overwhelmed by the experience. However, this time with my wife I only left being underwhelmed. Perhaps the only thing remotely overwhelming was the crowds. This is not the highlight of Monterey. Go to Monterey and enjoy Cannery Row and it's shops and restaurants. Just don't set your expectations to high for here. Get a good rate on Groupon and it might be worth it.
Fun for adults and children. Sea otters are very active, fun to watch. La to see and enjoy.
Awesome time with the Family Kid's loved it lots of different things to see and do.Everyone had a great and fun experience! We'll definitely visit again!
Monterey Aquarium has managed to inform all ages with their beautiful, informative, and well designed exhibits They bring exceptional color to the underwater world with aquarium exhibits ranging from a Kelp Forest, to Sea Otters, to Giant Octopus, to Sandy Shore, to Rocky Shore, to Outer Bay, to Penguins, to Jelly-Fish, to a tremendous outdoor view of the bay, where you can even whale watch.
Monterey is so cool, and this aquarium doesn't disappoint. The fish there are crazy, they have tons of octopi, cool sea birds, it's so cool. It's kind of expensive and the price should be lowered a little. Or add more animals. They have otters, sea horses, and eels, too. If you're visiting Monterey, come see the aquarium.
Absolutely amazing and completely stunning. Great place for kids of all ages. I do not recommend trying to get a stroller through their kind of difficult with the amount of people and stairs. But otherwise truly amazing very educational and just truly beautiful.
By far the most amazing aquarium I've ever been to. Each exhibit is so well designed to allow optimal viewing while also faithfully recreating diverse sea habitats. Seeing wild animals including whales from the beautiful observation deck was another highlight. The staff was also incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. It was truly a highlight of our trip and a can't-miss for anyone exploring the coast.
The kids love it! I just wish it was more affordable and less crowded
World class aquarium. Fun and educational for kids and adults. Clean and modern.
Amazing aquarium with so much to do and see. One day is certainly not enough.
Absolutely amazing!!! Spent the whole day looking and walking!
One of the nicest aquariums we have visited. Large number of volunteer docents even during the off season providing wonderful details about the sea life. The sea otters are always the highlight, but don t miss the amazing jellyfish display. Fabulous views of Monterey bay out on the deck too. Can get crowded during school tours, early in the morning and late afternoon are best times for lower crowds. A spectacular aquarium that reflects the unique beauty of the Monterey area
Overpriced to stand in front of big sized Aquarium for me. One of the most popular things in Monterey though.
Always a great time. We have memberships so we visit at least monthly and never get tired of visiting
It's always a great time seeing the amazement in our children's eye when we go here.
Loved every minute of it. We had a great time! Beautiful aquarium.
Wonderful aquarium with lots of great exhibits and special events. We really enjoyed seeing the Octopus exhibit when you come in the entrances. The staff was very helpful and informative about the different animals and species at the aquarium. It was a great trip.
Great place for kids. No real reason to do the fish feeding tour as the kids not much to it.
Wonderful place! I take my 8th graders there every year to learn about conservation and protection of the only planet we have.
Wonderful. The main focus is educating about the environment in the Monterey bay area. They also have some about other areas.
Worth every penny! The exhibits and the staff are amazing. It didn't matter whether we were looking at an exhibit or outside enjoying the bay view, attendants were willing to engage in conversation and offer wonderful infirmation. Check out the puffins, there was one there that was very entertaining! After all the years, the large kelp forest tank still amazes me.
My favorite aquarium! Specializes in the diverse local sea life though it also has a tropical section. It's crown jewel is the 3 story kelp forest tank, with the sea otters also being popular. The giant Pacific octopus is stunning, and the open ocean exhibit is amazing with huge tuna, hammerhead sharks, and ocean sunfish. You can also check the schedule to be present when they feed the animals at certain exhibits which is a whole experience where they teach you allot about them.
A must go place when in the area. The way they've worked with artificial tides is beautiful. An amazing learning experience for children and adults.
Probably the most impressive aquarium I've ever been to. If you're from out of town, get your admission from your hotel. Many of them offer $10 off.
I LOVE this place!
I wish I lived closer; I would be a member and visit it as often as possible. The set up is amazing. The jelly fish are my favorite... you can't TAKE a bad picture! Loved watching the otters get fed There is so much to see inside and outside; a day is never enough for me... penguins, sea birds, touch tanks, SO MANY beautiful fish exhibits I can't name them all. I leave feeling in awe at the magnificence found in the sea and on the shore. I look forward to when I can go back. Warning... I always exhaust my battery or fill my camera so come prepared! Also wish it was less expensive... but hard to imagine what it must cost to keep it maintained. Keep up the fabulous work Monterey Bay Aquarium! You are a jewel
Geared mostly towards kids. Gets boring for an adult.
It is a great place to visit. It has a lot to share for everyone. Very educational. It takes all day to see just about everything. The new restuarant is great. Good view of bay, server staff, & good food. They also have lots of snacks.
Always a fun day trip. Aquarium is top notch. If you can, take one of the additional tours. The people that work here are super knowledgeable, be sure to ask them questions. They are great!
montereybayaquarium.org