Monterey Bay Aquarium Reviews

Simply one of my favorite places on earth. We are members and come multiple times a year and always see something mind blowing. The open ocean tank, jelly exhibit, sea otters, kelp forest are all world class displays. Plus, they are also a very important research institution so you can be sure you're getting cutting edge knowledge about the natural world. If you're at the Monterey Bay, you have to stop here!

Had to pick between 2 aquariums from the California Citypass. I am so glad I chose the Monterey one. The scenary is gorgeous, kids loved the shark tunnel and the playground. We had to speed up to be able to see everything. Would return for sure!

Exceptional, magnificent. The docents are so informed and helpful. Thank you for an awesome day.

This place is great for any age person. There are hands on things for kids of all ages, including little ones to teens (and adults). The cafeteria is great and has so many options.... if you just want a snack or a nice meal

This place was amazing. A little pricey at $50, but they are doing something right as it was pretty crowded the day that I was there.
After entering I made a left and went through the kelp forest display. I was impressed at the immensity of the tank.
Next up for me after a quick trip outside was the open ocean display. The jellyfish were absolutely amazing and this display. The kind of place where you could have spent all day.
I had hoped to see the otter feeding after checking the schedule. I walked by the tank about 20 minutes before the feeding and realize that there was no way that I would be able to take part in that activity. I did stop back by the otter tank about 10 minutes after it was over and had a nice view of the otters.
There are several great exhibits that you should check out.

It took no time at all to fall in love with this Aquarium. It s a repeat visit for sure which is why I purchased a yearly membership card. If you are planning to visit Monterey it MUST be on your list of places to visit no matter your age!

The jelly fish exhibit is by far the best I have ever seen. Feels like being on an alien planet. And the giant tank with the incredibly enormous swirl of spiraling fish is awe inspiring. You might see wild harbor seals OUTSIDE of the aquarium in the bay. Great spot!

I took my class on a field trip here. It is a wonderful place to go on field trip or just with your family. It is very easy to get around and everything is very well cared for.

Fun! No crowds during the week. Pair MBA with a whale watching tour just a few minutes down the road at the wharf.

Very pricey entry but excellent exhibits. Plenty of parking in the area, easy to walk too. Great layout

Absolutely worth seeing. We had a great day there seeing all those incredible animals.

Very good food. Going to pay a little more for it. Worth it.

Loved it so much things to see and lots of activities for kids

I went on a Friday and it was very busy. Still a great experience

Loved this magical place! Gave it 4 stars because it's expensive and only lets you have their food/ drink.

Great trip from San Francisco, down the beautiful coastline. Amazing aquarium with views of the Pacific ocean, in one of the old fish factories.

Absolutely the best aquarium experience ever. Great views, displays and education

It's nice to see the animals but its cost way to much for so little.

Very nice aquarium. Informative and great for kids. A little pricey entry fee of 50 bucks.

Love the Aquarium. Educational and SUPER FUN. Great exhibits, and honestly is amazing to go to.

~Great Tourist Location~

Awesome place. Well run. Allow plenty of time to see it all.

So much fun. Expensive if you wanted to go more than once in a while. But my daughter loved it

Fulfilled all my great expectations! Great entertainment for all ages, and so much ocean knowledge to soak up! The tickets are a bit pricy, but I would gladly do it again.

This place is amazing! The exhibits are phenomenal. There are alot of places to eat and shop nearby. There is no official Aquarium parking you have to park a few blocks down in a parking garage for cannery row. Must visit.

A treat each and every time I go,make sure to allow enough time to see everything

Extremely over priced at $50pp and swarming with people. For that price they should cap entry to make the experience enjoyable for all entering.

Child friendly and educational, yet entertaining no matter the age. It managed to wholesomely entertain a group of teenagers for the day. If that's not amazing, I don't know what is.

Always love coming here and the exhibits are so pretty I love the jelly fish

Nice aquarium, focus's a lot on the trash in the sea (which I liked),. A bit pricey - admission was $50.00 each. But there's decent food and a beautiful view right outside the aquarium. Picture is of the view.

Not so great. Would not recommend. We went here with my wife's family when they came to visit from Germany. $106 for 2 adults. Some cool stuff to look at but the price spoiled it for us. Don't go here expecting to see a large shark cause they do not have one. 6 ft leopard was the biggest and possibly the only shark. When we had been thru the whole place I thought it was a mistake. Less than 2 hours and we stopped for everything, took pics and all. It's not my intention to bad mouth this place just letting people know it's over priced and under stocked. I really thought they had like big sharks or a walk thru tunnel or something. Everything even near this place is overpriced even by California coastal town standards.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the best aquariums around. It has many beautiful exhibits including the Kelp Forest, Open Ocean, and many others. They also do scheduled feedings throughout the day and have behind the scenes programs that you can pay to do. The only thing lacking there is big animals. They have a few smaller sharks, sea turtles, otters, tuna, and even Mola Molas, but that's about it. You can go out on an observation deck to watch for whales and other creatures in the bay.

Great aquarium for both kids and adults. The staff are friendly and passionate about sea life. It's easy to spend hours there exploring. You can also walk to nearby restaurants for lunch to break up the day (just get your hand stamped)!

The Otter exhibit and the Jellyfish room alone are worth visiting the Aquarium.

Really friendly employees that really want to share knowledge about exhibits and give advise on the best times to go places to catch the events. The aquarium is the best one I have ever been to diversity wise. The cuttlefish exhibit is fantastic. Just over all always a great experience.

I mean if you are planning on going to the aquarium take your kids with you is entertaining you'll have a good time there.
We went there on Monday and is was crowded so be sure to make plans ahead on time.

One of the best aquarium in America. The collection of fishes and marine animals is amazing. You can learn a lot here. Visiting here can be very expensive and the food court is over priced and not that great.

Pros:
- Large collection
- Lots to do here
- Great for kids

Cons:
- Crowded
- Expensive

First time there, and got to go on my birthday, I will always remember it

Such a great space, beautiful animals. Can be a bit crazy with the crowds sometimes, but there's always a place to find that's quiet. I love the jellies, so serene just floating. Only thing I wish they had some outdoor patio for eating. It's so lovely there, I want to enjoy outside more.

The open ocean exhibit with the jellyfish and ocean sunfish is my favorite. The otters are cute too.

Was able to visit this spring (2018)
Amazing experience! totally worth the 6 hours of driving we did that day :)
Some of the larger moving displays can lead to a bit of over stimulation. So if you have any light or sound sensitive people in your group be aware of that.
and don't miss the otters!

Being a Treky had to make a stop at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! Had a lot of fun. It was super busy and the ticket line took forever, but the aquarium was large enough and worth the money.

This place is just beautiful. My favorite part is the beautiful jellyfish tanks. Parking is close. Great service. Fun days for the family. Also it's reasonably priced.

Lots of sea creatures. Not hard to find a quiet spot except on the busiest days. The cafe is good, and the views from the cafe seating area are some of the best.

We love the aquarium not just got the view of the animals but for the sentiment behind their organization. They help to rehab not trap for show and entertainment. No tricks or acrobats here just education about these fine animals. The membership is a must if you are a group of 4 or more since the cost is abut $50 per person. Definitely stay the night and walk around town and take your time viewing all of the animals

Worthwhile 2nd time in about 15yrs. Lots of different types of sealife. Very educational no matter what age.

Super place to visit. Must watch acquarum in SF Bay area. Lots of activities for kids to do. Plan for full day to be there with kids

I absolutely loved it and very informational about the city of Monterey as well. My only issue was the fact it was super crowded and bad kids (which the aquarium can t control but parents can). My favorite was watching feeding time of the penguins and the sea otters!

Very nice! A must see if you are in Monterey! Lots of fish and nice views.

This is a great place to see and learn about aquatic animals and their habitat. It is great for all ages. We enjoyed seeing and learning about sea lions, deep sea fish, octopuses, and many other animals. I recommend that you visit here if you haven't!

This is still one of the must visit aquarium if you have a chance to. The price went up over the year. It is now 50 for adult but well worth it because it is for a good cause and provide good education to the kids. If I lived closer to Monterey, I would get the membership pass.

We love this place. Especially love the jellies and the otters. There's a large sheep's head in the kelp Forest that's so colorful and relaxing to watch. And finally there are the slowly cruising sharks...

Hours of fun and learning for kids and adults alike. We love watching the different feedings throughout the day, and the volunteers and employees always take time to answer my kids' many questions.

Fantastic exhibits, beautiful location. This is definitely an aquarium everyone should try to visit once if they are in the area. Admission is a good deal more expensive than other aquariums though.

Love this place so much!! Special place in my heart. Very educational and caring staff members

Nice fun place. So many sea creatures to see and observe in this massive aquarium.

Incredible! This was everything we expected and more. Give yourself 2 hours if you don't have small children and at least 3 hours if you do. So much to see and the outdoor balcony spaces provided breathtaking views of the bay.

Great place to check out the otters and jellyfishes.

As you can see from all the reviews this place is a must visit not just for children of all ages but also very entertaining and interesting for adults. There are also a main food court that has good options and lots of seating everywhere. Also various hourly feedings and presentations. Plan at least 3 hours to fully enjoy everything but at least 2 hours to not feel rushed. Use the free bus from downtown to avoid parking fees and traffic. AAA gives $5 discount for members

Great place to hangout with family, friends and children. Highlights were - jelly wishes, penguins and otters. Wish they had dolphin shows like some of the top aquariums of the country.

Great for children, not so much for Adults. Very clean and well put together although there weren t many sharks or other stuff like that they did have Octopus and Jellyfish

Pricey, but very cool. We spent a solid 3 hours here and could've easily spent more

First off let me say the exhibited marine life was beautiful. I was very excited to visit this popular aquarium for the first time. I was very disappointed when I arrived. All the glass to the exbibits was streaky and grubby with fingerprints from adults and children alike. People were taping and banging the glass and using flash directly at the animals. The few staff members that were anywhere near the exhibits did nothing to prevent this. Visiting this aquarium made me sad more than anything and I will not be going back. For such a high price there should be more staff available or staff members that care more about the animals than making a profit.

Room size is good, bathroom is small and closet needs more hangers. They messed up our reservation, but fixed it immediately.

Such a great place to visit while in Monterey. Lots of interesting animals which also includes an aviary. Feeding demonstrations also take place. Nice open areas to observe with lots of space to take pictures and get up close and good ocean views outside

My two year and I have been 6 times since he was 3 months and each time has been amazing. He notices something new every time. As soon as I drive home, 4 hours, I am already planning the date of our return

Had lots of fun with the family. But parking was horrible.

Incredible aquarium with almost too many tanks and exhibits to visit! One of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

Worth it. Try not to go on weekends or holidays. Too much traffic no parking

This place really promotes conservation, and teaches people to be aware of what they put out into the world and how it can harm animals. It was busy, but the exhibits were awesome. The kelp forest and the deep sea were amazing. I enjoyed seeing the types of jelly fish under human care as well. This place is worth a visit.

I love coming here with my son, it's much better to come during the week in the morning or early afternoon since there aren't very many people there. On the weekends it get really packed and if you get anxious in large crowds that will definitely flare it up. I'm a breastfeeding mom and I really love their nursing lounge. It was really relaxing and had separate stalls with outlets and rocking chairs. It was a really nice place to go to get away from the crowds for a bit and let my son relax and eat.

We went during an educational day, the presentation at the beginning was interesting and we were able to catch most of the feedings so it was wonderful to see how they care for the animals. Lots of knowledgeable staff and never over crowded.

Best aquarium I ve ever been to by far! The exhibits were so neat! Very I formative with lots of original critters you can t see in other typical aquariums. I loved how the staff was so ready to inform us about the sea life we were seeing there. Totally worth a visit any time!

I've loved this aquarium since I was a kid. Still awesome as an adult.

Great experience for kids and young at heart adults!

Fantastic as always! Enjoy the experience and remember to reduce your use of plastics and dispose of what you do use properly.

I was coming here every since it was just a fish bowl and 2 goldfish. It is wonderful to see what it has become. Now I bring the kid and she gets to experience all the wonders of the ocean.
It is a wonderful place to get kids interested in ocean life.
I wish though that the sea otter exhibit could be refreshed for better access and viewing. The kid area also is starting to get a little tired and could use a refresh.
I am looking forward to the day when I can bring my grand kids here to see aquatic life from other planets.

They have amazing areas to keep the whole family happy. I discover something new every time we go.

Noticed very few types of fishes in the kelp forest, in contrast to what I have noticed in the past.

Tentacles zone is almost hideous

Staff are polite and helpful