Monterey Bay Aquarium Reviews

This is the best aquarium I have ever been to. I love how it is laid out. The jellyfish and sea otters were my favorite. There is so much to see and learn there.

So far the best aquarium i have ever visited! If I lived in Monterey. I will definitely get an annual card and spend every weekend there~! Just love it~!

It was a good aquarium but the exhibits were not as amazing as I expected, which left me a little disappointed. We spent about 2 hours there, which had me feeling it was overpriced. I enjoyed the special exhibit and the outdoor viewing deck the most.

Best aquarium we've ever been to and the one we highly recommend for everyone. A must see for those visiting California. So many fun filled educational programs for all ages and hands-on activities in every area of the aquarium...there's not a dull moment here. Expect a minimum of 3 hours for a quick tour but if you have the time... planning for all day is good. Food is served in a cafe with many choices, but also nearby are a variety of restaurants.

ALWAYS love it, I'm usually the last to leave. They have to tell me " OK, Sherri, time to go " Just kidding. LOL. I get the two day for the price of one tic @ the hotel. I spend most of my time watching the ohhhh soooo cute otters. Take a behind the scene tour. Have fun, you'll be back !!
P.S., food is pricey. Go across the street or up the hill to Safeway

We attended the overnight stay at Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is so nice done. Your group here exclusive access to the entire Aquarium and you get to sleep next to the fish.

A different experience, definitely worth driving to if you're in the Bay Area.

This place never gets old. I see something new every time I go. Love the exhibits, education about sustainability and that all that separates us from the ocean is a lot of glass so many if the creatures get to remain in their natural habitat. Friendly volunteers too!

Kind of short.. Can easily be walked and enjoyed in 2 to 3 hours. For the price I think there are better options unless it's your first time. It is a very beautiful aquarium with good stuff to see. Just seems quicker and quicker everytime I go back.

So incredibly calming and relaxing to visit here! You also can learn more about the animals there in the different sections. It s so pretty and serene by the shore as well. One of my most favorite places to visit!

Always fun to go with the family. Can be a little busy with school children mid week so plan accordingly.

An amazing place, with lots to see and learn. The employees are very enthusiastic and friendly. The mission is great, save the ocean and its animals. They have a focus on otters right now.

We love visiting here. We have a toddler, with whom we visit at least every 3 months. Members can get in 30 mins early. Parking can be tricky so get there early

Impressive aquarium with lots to see and touch, very educational and fun. My kids loved it.

A fun place to visit with lots of sea life info and exhibits snorkeling for the kids.Good place and great restraunts

Always a great place to visit.The exhibits are always extremely interesting. My daughter hadn't been there for around 10 years, when she was 7, and it was a whole new experience for her.

Monterey Bay is a beautiful town. I highly recommend the aquarium, it's just amazing. And they have floors built out. You can sit there, watch the ocean and relax. If lucky, you can see seals and sea otters. Definitely a good and fun place for family.

The weather's very nice, didn't feel like it's summer at all(probably because I'm from Phoenix ). And there's also a giant octopus there.

Plan ahead to spend a day there as they also have feeding time, so you can watch them feed the animals. You can get the time and details from the brochure they provide. There was also something called underwater exploration, I don't have much details about that but you can check that out. I saw some people with diving suits and snorkels.

One of the best in class aquariums I have seen. It has many marine lives mostly of the North Pacific area kept in near natural habitats and educational video shows on marine life in the auditorium. Particularly liked the varieties of jelly fish, anaemones, kelp forest, aviary of water birds and touching and feeding sessions.

Great place to visit and learn about the local Bay ecosystem. Go early on a weekday to avoid crowds, but any day is great. Well worth a few hours any time!

Huge, lots to see! Great food, but the restaurant is pretty plain and not unique in anyway. The views of the bay are awesome! I've been here 5 times on different trips and I always love it!

It's amazing to take adults and kids been going since my kids were young and now grandkids, the new restaurants are 5 star definitely worth the drive.

Lives up to all the hype. Make sure to sit and take in the massive aquariums.

Amazing aquarium, but beware, strollers can and probably bash your ankles into a bruised pulp.

Good aquarium. Went there in 2000 and fell in love with this place. Jelly fish and sea animals were what I liked seeing here as they were better than the other aquariums I have seen. Place to meditate too.

Love it. Annual members. Just went to member appreciation night. Awesome wine at the sea experience.

This was amazing. One of the biggest aquariums I've been to with some really interesting exhibits. The Giant Pacific Octopus is a must-see.

Great displays...way crowded and expensive! I am grateful for the environmental lessons.

The tanks and displays at Monterey aquarium are world class. Their designs are beautiful, really something to see. Sometimes they get a bit peachy with their message but you can tell they really care.

Fantastic aquarium. An absolute must see. Large variety of displays covering local coastal California, open ocean and tropical reef to name a few.

incredible .. beautiful .. great experience. .. kids loved it!

Really enjoyed the live tanks especially the deep water tank. Could have watched that all day long.

We spent about 2 hours before the aquarium closed here. Wish we would have had about 2 more hours at least. This aquarium is absolutely amazing. The large tanks and jelly fish are one of the top attractions i have ever seen in an aquarium!

I like how much effort they put into education. It is a great Aquarium to visit.

Admissions prices too high and food prices extremely high for the quality of food served, overall not a good guest experience

Good to go for the kids. My son with autism loved it!!! My 2 girls loved it as wrll! Fun for everyone

Note: Parking can be a huge challenge...Good idea to walk from your motel...grab a Lyft...Arrive early to avoid the mammoth crowds. School holidays (esp Christmas) are very popular - therefore: packed. Worth all the hassle. Beware the massive Exodus that evening...traffic crawls north to San Jose/San Francisco. The 76 Station on Leavesley at Gilroy Outlets is easy off and on. Clean - great snacks.

Great place for younger kids. Very educational. Lots to see.

Very beautiful. Very educational. I would recommend the Aquarium for anyone at any age.

A magical place. Definitely the real happiest place on earth.

Really great aquarium! The different aquariums are large, creating a very immersive experience. It is beautifully set up with plenty of explanation, making it interesting and informative for both children and adults. Next to this they also have live feeding sessions of the otters and penguins, which is very fun to watch, with plenty of explanation.

We are members and we donate annually to help keep this place going for kids and tourist around the world. It offers a magnificent display of sea animals, gifts, food and education for our youth and adults.

Love taking my kids here. Tons of interactive exhibits and the place is sprawling, an all day adventure with a nice food court as well.

Great place to take the kids. Lots for them to see and learn and things for them to touch. Definitely get there early if you want to less of a crowd. When noon time hit.. place was crazy full.

Love this aquarium! Its much more of an immersive experience than I could have imagined. There is also many petting areas. Staff was friendly and you also get great views of Monterey. I love this place!

This place was truly magical. I could not believe how much fun it was seeing all of these amazing animals and sea creatures. The cost was very reasonable and I will be back again. I cannot believe at my age I had never made the trip to this treasure of a place. Great place to teach kids and grand kids about the importance of being good stewards for this amazing planet our heavenly Father has given us.

This place is easily more magical than Disney. It's truly amazing, and you should go.

Great educational place complete with ride pool where the kids can see up close and touch aquatic plants and animals.

Amazing spot for kids and adults to relish in the richness of our oceans!

Monterey Bay Aquarium is world famous for a reason. This place is a great research center and has places to see animals picked up for rehab or study. There are some kid friendly places and plenty of knowledge for the old people. The gift shop have some really awesome stuff and the staff are very helpful.

I love it nice place to take the kids to explore about the ocean life

Easily one of the best aquariums in the world. It's famous for very good reasons.

It's kinda crowded here but it's definitely well worth it. I'd live to go back again I enjoyed my self completely. Love it lots of things interesting animal's to look at.

Beautiful aquarium, could spend all day wandering around and seeing every fish, crustaceans, invertebrates, and everything else they have. Daily feeding shows, mini theater with educational films, changing exhibits, and so much to else to do. Worth visiting any time you're in the area.

Great family and baby friendly place to spend the day. Go during the week and you will find plenty of parking options at a reasonable price - $10 lots or pay per hour with a credit card at a street meter. Lots of restaurants near by or eat at the Aquarium. There are a variety of salads and sandwiches. What I love is that there are multiple changing tables in the bathrooms which are located throughout the Aquarium and there is a nursing room with recliner chairs and tv screens showing ocean animals while playing relaxing music. There are also children's books in there so my toddler was entertained while we were in there. I just wish there was a changing table in there. It would be more convenient than having to pack up everything and going one door down to the bathroom. Going for the day is kinda pricey at $50 per adult, but the year long membership pays for itself in a few visits and the one we have includes 2 guest passes so I can bring 2 friends as many times as I want.

Always amazing to visit with the jellyfish exhibit being my favorite.

It costs you $50 to get in. Already at 10am the lines start forming up the street, so get there even earlier than 10am. Parking is all around the Aquarium, however, no designated parking right next to the Aquarium itself. They have lots of staff inside the aquarium to educate you about sealife or if you have any questions. Jelly fish exhibition and open sea feeding are definitely worth seeing

One of the best aquariums we have visited. great for kids. They have species I had never seen. food at the restaurant is great! Lovely view!

State of the art, carefully curated, fun family experience for learning about wondrous sea life. It's our daughter's favorite place!

Overall a great aquarium at an even greater location right along the Monterey Bay. There are plenty of fish, birds and mammals to keep you occupied for a few hours. There are also plenty of animal feedings and educational films to add on to the experience. Ticket prices are high but they have student, military and Senior discounts to help lower the cost. There is no on site parking, so you'll have to find a parking lot in town. Also, it gets insanely crowded on the weekend, if possible try and visit during a week day.

I don't even know where to begin. I loved every aspect, it was amazing to see so many species of wildlife in one place. The live penguin feeding exhibit they have is one of a kind. I also enjoyed watching the staff dive into the tank to feed the fish. Gift shops are also nicely priced considering the area.

Last minute date with the hubby, we love this place. It's always fun to see the creatures and stroll through the exhibits. But it also tends to be very popular with kids, so you'll see them any day of the week.

One thing that got me this time was the admission price, $50 per adult, that just seems really high

Fun place, its better to come during the week when it is less crowded.

Its kinda meh, they have everything you expect them to have, but no dolphins, big sharks- nothing super impressive. Ended up only staying around 45 minutes. Sea otters were cool but all of the tank are relatively small. Not really worth the cost.

this place was way over priced. notice they had a sun fish on the website also heard a whale shark was there. come to find out nothing. was very disappointed. I would visit this place again in the future but that's if the price was reduced. come on? $36.00 for an adult?

Great experience and recommend it on your to-do list in Monterey.

So much to see and very clean facilities. Helpful, polite and knowledgeable staff.

Something for everyone. A we uarium next to Bay adds impact.

Simply one of the best Aquariums on the planet. Always a fantastic experience.

I LOVE ocean life (octopi and jellies in particular) and this is hands-down my favorite Aquarium in the States! I visited for the very first time 5-6 years ago and could not wait to return during my next visit to Northern CA. A group of friends joined me during my recent visit and we thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of Monterey, the exhibits, and several tours. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is unlike many aquariums. They preach about conservation and sustainability to help make our planet a better place (check out their Seafood Watch program -- it's really awesome!).

If you're considering a visit, seriously do not hesitate!

One of the most beautiful aquarium I have ever seen

This aquarium is full of undersea wonders - from the jellyfish exhibit to the Open Sea. We love taking the kids to see the feedings at the Open Sea and the sea otters. Nothing brings a bigger smile to kid's faces.
There are so many things to explore. Allocate at least 2 hours

The jellyfish are beautiful. The staff is knowledgeable.

Unenjoyable due to the relentless admittance of people when the facility was already packed to the gills.

Premier aquarium in premier location. Excellent displays of local fish and wildlife.

I really expected more from it since the pictures and reviews are super nice but they do have plenty of people all day, shows are pack so basically you have yo wait 30 min before each show to get a good spot since there is very limited space

Went here in 2012 , it is the best aquarium I have ever been to !!