Check the family to this aquarium and did not know what to expect. What a pleasant surprise. Kids love this place. There was so many different things to see. I would highly recommend this place to any family.
World class aquarium. One of the only places that has an entire habitat (kelp forest). Uniquely placed right on the ocean can observe wildlife right outside it. Stunning. Kind of pricey but besides that awesome.
Excellent way to spend the day. Staff is so friendly and knowledgeable. Willing to answer all your questions. World class aquriaum. Food was ok.
Awesome aquarium very informative, crew very friendly, the aquarium has very nice and super big windows to see everything in different angles, is a must go in monterey
Can't say enough good things about the MBAQ! It's an amazing experience, for adults and kids alike. Perfect for families, as there is something to be learned by all ages. The exhibits are astounding and impressive, and the docents are so informative and kind! We love watching every feeding. This is a must-see for anyone in CA or visiting!
Beautiful sea life right on the beach of Monterey. This place is amazing.
Great place to go with kids, it's prepared with them in mind and has a lot of interactive material.
It's not cheap though.
One of the best aquariums in the world! Be sure not to miss the otter feeding!
Do i really need to convince you to visit? Lol Interactive pool areas for you and kids to touch and learn about sea life like crabs, sea weed, shark eggs and others. And a whole play area for kids thats very educational and fun. Im 28 and i was playing too! XD
Flippin' awesome aquarium. Highlight of our trip probably.
Took my toddler and he loved it! Went on a Thursday morning and it wasn't super packed.
Excellent time, we learned a lot about marine life.
Exhibits here are very well presented - the jellyfish hall is especially unique and value added - the interactive seal area right on the bay is incredible and one of a kind
This is my second time here and I would definitely come again. Hours of entertainment! My 1 year old loved it. There is even and indoor playground here.
Lots of up close and personal exhibits and all kinds of wonderful sea creatures. Great gift shops too. Staff are really nice and helpful. It s a bit expensive l, but completely worth it.
Always love getting to visit the aquarium! So much to see and explore and to learn about. My husband and I enjoy it just as much as our kids.
Huge and beautiful! Gives the feeling of scuba dive!
Great place, took my girl and had a great time, love u Rosie..
Amazing exhibits. Parking can be a little difficult/expensive so get there early.
Wonderful aquarium. Easy to spend the whole day. Good for children. Makes sense to buy membership. However, quite expensive.
Absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend going to visit this aquarium at least once in your lifetime, if not then multiple times. I could stand and watch the help forest sway back and forth for hours. The open ocean exhibit was another stunning display of wonderous ocean life.
Loved it for 50.00 you see allot,plus the staff very friendly always ready to help. Even when you need your picture taken,it was my birthday so all the girls would tell me happy birthday. It helps an old man turning 50 feel good about himself. I will go here again it's worth the price way better than the L.A. zoo.
Best Aquarium I've ever been to in my life, and I've been to a lot of Aquariums
Came here as a child. Came back as a teen. Now back as an adult. I might bring my kids here one day and I dont even live in the state anymore. Just a good place to get someone to apreciate marine life.
Great exhibits. Engaging live programs and fun for all ages.
The aquarium is both haven and inspiration to learn more about our world.
Great environment overall. Of all the aquariums I've ever been to, including Virginia Beach, Key West and overseas, this one has the best setup and variety that I've seen so far. The view of the bay is beautiful, and continues on with the theme of the aquarium overall.
It is a good aquarium with native Sea life and it has a theater and show times throughout the day
A must if you're from out of town. Penguin feedings, shark feedings (check times) theater with informative movie screenings. Outdoor balcony that faces the ocean. Convenient Cafe to grab a bite. Good options. Super crowded on holidays, rainy days. Avoid peak season June - Oct for a better experience
This is only the second aquarium I have been to, the first being Shedd aquarium in Chicago. This was smaller in size but has a great layout and plenty to do and see! the enclosures are all very scenic and provide for gorgeous views of the animals. There are not as many large animals here (seeing that they come and go based on rescues and releases) but was still a great experience. They have a theatre with a movie that a host talks over live and is very educational and entertaining. I would recommend going to at least one of the short films! In addition, in the summer there are live skits that encompass the history of the area and the effects on wildlife. This aquarium was extremely educational and very appealing. Be mindful this is a large tourist attraction so it will be extremely crowded on weekends and the prices are fairly steep. Overall it is worth the price of admission.
Good place to visit with kids, but sometimes there are more TV screens than real aquarium. At the end I felt loosing money, tbh I was disappointed - going to aquarium to see few birds and one turtle - that was my impression
Overpriced, very crowded, and a bit agenda driven for my taste. Could have done without the carnival barkers trying to sell you a membership all the time.
Next time I think we would be better off just enjoying the beach for another day. Plus side is, Monterey as a town was very pretty and fun once we got away from the main warf.
Fantastic array of displays of the native ocean life. Flash photography is discouraged but there is plenty of opportunity to snap great pics of every display. Touch pool for the kids featuring bat rays. Plenty of restaurant choices inside the facility as well as the surrounding streets. Lots of shopping too! A great all day experience for the entire family. Also a benefit only available at most of the local hotels. Get two day passes for the price of one.
Aquarium is one of the better ones I have been to. Lots of various exhibits that are fun for the whole family. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. If you plan on going more than once in a year buy the season pass.
Sealife for you to marvel at, right on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. How much better can it get? One of the most beautiful aquariums I've ever had the pleasure of exploring. $50 for adults, seniors 65+ $40, $30 for kids and students. Well worth the ticket price for a view I to the Pacific.
Been here a couple times throughout my life and would go again, cool place to visit.
Great place. Not to crowded, great attractions. The Otters are a must see!
The place is worth visiting and spending at least a few hours. The kids enjoy the various exhibits and the shows. They get to gather a lot of information from the available Aquarium members who are more than eager to share their knowledge.
Great place to go to learn about ocean animals, or just stare at the jellyfish.
Solid vibes, friendly service, great location, y'all keep doin it!
Fascinating! Something for everyone! Check the schedule of events to see feeding times, etc. Check your map (that you get when you enter). There is a code to opt in to text notifications during your stay.
Pretty underwhelming. I walked through it in less than an hour. Not half as good as the Georgia Aquarium. No whales, dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, or big sharks.
Amazing collection of marine life, fantastic view of the Monterey Bay
Totally awesome, you will need about three hours in order to go through the whole aquarium. Great thing is you can re enter at any time that same day until closing time.
Amazing interactive serring with a really cool gift shop
Great Aquarium with some awesome displays, but a bit over priced for the amount of time you'll send in there, when compared to the Seattle Aquarium, or other similar locations, such as zoos. It has great photo opportunities, but it's more of a place to bring the kids or guests compared to a date location.
I live here in Monterey and I still enjoy the aquarium! It s like Disney land you have to visit it at least once in your life trust me.
Fun for the whole family! Awesome interactive displays and interesting dive show! Highly recommend!
Great place highly recommend. It would be nice if they lowered the price. It's worth the price of admission however it is expensive.
Wonderful experience. Hadn't been to an aquarium for a longish time - felt too grown up. But enjoyed the visit thoroughly!
Absolutely love Monterey bay aquarium!!!! Been coming here since I was a kid and still enjoy this place as an adult!
A very good experience at one of the largest aquariums in the USA.
Look for the spot where you can (and allowed to) actually touch stingrays!
Cool place and they have a show every 2 hours or so. We spent the day there and my son had a lot of fun
The parking garrage they direct you to is pretty far away from the aquarium. But getting to go in through the member entrance is awesome!
Need you say more. It is Monterey Bay Aquarium. If you have kids under 3 best thing to do is the splash zone and touch pools first before they get busy. This way your kids won't burn out so fast with all the energy of people being there.
The Aquarium in Monterey is fabulous. The displays focus on 'local' sea creatures, from shallow water to deep. They 'rehab' otters there. When an otter can't be returned to its local community, it becomes part of the aquarium community, on display in an appropriate environment. The Aquarium includes a tank so big that it contains a kelp forest! One cannot see the entire thing in a couple of hours! If your time there is limited, first go to their website, download the maps of both floors, and then read about the exhibits to help decide what to see.
The only downside I know of is the cost: $50 per person, with some savings for seniors, kids, students, and AAA members.
Good day out with family. Busy bring a weekend but so good. Food prices are high but that is normal I guess in places like this.
Very extensive aquarium with plenty of sealife to see including cute sea otters. Many of the exhibits keep fish extremely crowded in a small area however, which was somewhat depressing. Also fairly expensive at $50 per adult.
Perfect place to visit with kids, especially if they are fans of Dory and Nimo!
It's a bit far from Bayarea, but worth it.
I wish they have more restaurants to choose from.
Good place to visit really expensive but it's all good inside and everything
It's a must visit place while in Monterey. We are members so we try and take our daughter a couple of times a month. She loves it and we love it. The staff there is great. They love what they do. On my next trip there i will post pics. Very family friendly.
Amazing creatures... especially the open water exhibit! Staff super helpful and friendly!!
Huge exhibits! All the shows are great and very informative. Monterey bay aquarium is also part of a research center which is doing amazing work at conserving wildlife and learning more about them. It's also a nonprofit aquarium!
The staff is very friendly and helpful. They also have so many volunteers happy to help and talk about all the animals in the aquarium.
Our 2nd visit and we all really enjoyed it with our 6yr old son. We spent nearly 4hrs exploring all the exhibits. Would be 5 star but felt that it was rather expensive for admission.
The best aquarium in northern California. Beautiful City of Monterey
Amazing exhibits, friendly staff that can answer your questions, and awesome live feedings (go see the otters!). Also the area around is cute and has great scenery and dining options.
One of the best places to go with kids, safe and very enjoyable experience.
Amazing aquarium (the otters were the best part) but man was it crowded. I went on a Monday afternoon and it was insane. The fee is pretty steep, so be prepared for that. Also, I would recommend finding street parking if you can to avoid paying $15 in the ramp.
C'mon. It's like one of the top aquariums in the freakin world. You don't need me to tell you that. Check the feedings.
Loved the aquarium! The jellyfish exhibit was amazing and made for fantastic photos!
Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the most fantastic learning centers in California. It keeps you wanting to go back. The staff in knowledgable and friendly. All of them. There are feeding shows which involve the feeder interacting with the crowd, including the diver. Children and adults will stand in wonder as they see the exhibits. I definitely recommend!! Especially if you're visiting California!
What a wonderful place to visit. I plan on returning multiple times in the future.
Over rated compared to the likes of the aquarium in Monaco and very expensive. Been there, done it but will not be rushing back.
Very nice aquarium. It's very crowded, but the way it's laid out the crowd's really aren't a problem.
Great place for Kids and also for adults as well.
no whale captivity ~
Parking is challenge in weekends or holidays but overall I would visit here again !
Love Monterey..brought my duaghter to the aquarium and she loved it. It is perfect for kids and adults. I did not think the price was bad for the experience we had.
montereybayaquarium.org