Monterey Bay Aquarium Review

I don't know what to say... this place is great for the kids, but I feel that the trampolines are a safety hazard for the employees while underwater

Love this California gem as a child and still love it as an adult. My favourite is the deep sea tank and jelly fish exhibit.

It's great but always crowded and too many kids unctroled usually takes about 4 hrs to get through on a good day you can leave and come back they do have food there.

Was a really good time, I would suggest going with a group of people it's more enjoyable compared to just an individual. The views are nice and they have a lot of cool exhibits. The food is where it leaves a lot to be desired especially the vegetarian options.

Nice exhibit. Not the best aquarium I have been in. It is also very crowded. You have to force your way through a sea of people to get to the glass (see my photos). Given all that, THE PRICE OF ADMISSION IS WAY TOO HIGH.

Always an awesome time here. Amazing habitats and quite educational. I love the jellyfishes.

It's a large aquarium with a variety of sea animals to see. I enjoyed the experience 100%, but I can't help but feel a bit disappointed at the lack of atmosphere. I know this isn't supposed to be a theme park oriented aquarium, but I've been in smaller aquariums that felt a lot grander.

Somebody needs to pay for the fish food, and that's you. Nice but 50 dollar's

By far the best aquarium I've been to thus far. There were tons of interesting and interactive exhibits that were super informative, including one exhibit about the dangers of plastic waste in the ocean. The facilities were well-kept and all of the fish and animals were healthy, interactive (otters and penguins), and fun to see!

I've been going here for years, since I'm a member. The general admission process are a little expensive, but it's worth it. It's usually crowded, but if you get there just as it opens, you will have a few hours of quiet.

I really enjoy coming here. My family visits at least once a year.

Been a long time, but best aquarium and beautiful all around area.

Great aquarium. ALWAYS packed. Can't see everything in one day. Recently raised their prices - to meet their budget. Membership is worth it if you plan to come back (as a family) 2-3 times. Premium membership makes sense if you want to bring guests with you. I don't recommend seeing the penguins at their scheduled feeding, it's a madhouse standing room only - better to go when everyone isn't standing around watching them get fed. Same for the sea otter. Parking is tough - realize that you'll spend $10-$15+ to park.

Fantastic aquarium. Avoid weekends when the place is virtual unnavigatable, packed with way too many visitors.

Beautiful and tasteful. The jellyfish are so graceful and peaceful. Love all of the exhibits...too many too list.

Sardines! Everywhere! The petting zoo was also very memorable and fun for the kids.

Be sure to get here early so that you can spend the remainder of the day in the beautiful surrounding area. You can even take lunch or dinner at the nearby pier to round out your visit.

Great place for young kids and grownups a like. Good options for food too.

A unique experience! I do recommend going here at least once, but be aware the entrance fees are expensive, I think we paid around 60usd/each but there are different rates depending on age, etc.. Get there early there's lots to see.

Wow, what an aquarium. I would say this may be one of the best in the world. Allow a good 4 hours to visit it and make sure you go to each tank when they feed the fishes/penguins/otters etc.
It's expensive but definitely worth it.
Some hotels to discounts at the aquarium if you stay with them.

Great aquarium. I really like the number of volunteers available to talk to and answer questions...

It was a very nice aquarium but big all the rage that people had been telling us about. Very expensive.

Great place to visit especially with kids, they have so much to see and explore.
I love the location directly on the water ist amazing to watch the ocean directly from the deck.
Its a bit pricey but they offer lot to see sn the place is sparkling clean, they spend a lot of that entrance fee to rescue and protect the wildlife.

Mske sure to be there early to beat the croud and to have the full day to explore.

Great place to spend a day at with friends or family

Monterey Bay is just a beautiful part of the coast and the aquarium just shows the beauty even more by showing us what's out there.

A must see. Allow 3 hours. Early Closing times...so be careful. That ocean tank with giant tuna is breathtaking.

Great for kids. I'd go like 2 a year it's the same thing to see all the time.

Love this place. Me and my grandkids watch all the shows where they talk and explain everything. Its awsome.

This place is amazing. Pretty expensive, but the place must cost a fortune to run. Had so many things my two year old could see and touch. The cafeteria food is really good too.

Average and $50 per adult
Busy busy !

Academy of science in SF is superior and less than half the entry from memory .....

Very nice aquarium but a little over priced. My kids had a great time. You will have to pay to park. I would suggest it as long as you are aware of cost. 50 for adults over 12 years of age. 12 and under is 30.

wonderful you may need more than 1 day to see it all

Love this aquarium! Always something new and interesting to discover here! The jellyfish exhibit is astonishing and a must see!

It lives up to they hype! Very impressive aquarium. Lots to see and do. I have young kids who get very excited at things made for them to climb on, touch, play on, and see at their level. They do a good job teaching the public how to be good stewards of our oceans and wildlife. The restaurant there is pricey, but comes with a great view. A cheaper lunch option is brining your own picnic and sitting outside. Just make sure you bring warm enough clothes if you plan on being out by the water very long. It can get chilly.

Cons:
-Rather expensive, but the membership actually was tax-deductible as a donation
-Gets real crowded (only have lived here a few months so don't know what it is like outside of peak tourist season)
-There are quite a few fake tanks that are just screens. My kids still get excited over them though.

Great place to take friends and family who are visiting from out of town. Especially if there are kids - they ll love all the play areas and fun activities that are built into the Aquarium.

Pro tip: buy your tickets in advance, their website is mostly reliable for this. I always try to get there when they open, so I can be there for the 10:30 Otter feeding time! Which is my favourite part of the whole aquarium.

There s plenty of paid street parking available, especially in the mornings. And if you don t have change, the meters all take credit cards!

Actually loved this place. The office people were very kind and personable. They helped us make plans, recommended places to eat, and gave us a local flavor. The rooms were clean, and it is very close to the ocean. You can hear the waves. The only thing that we found unusual is that there was absolutely no art on the walls. I would definitely stay here again and I recommend highly if you are looking for a unique but not fancy place to stay.

Imagine being underwater surrounded by large fish. The massive glass walled aquarium here places you there, this is a pretty amazing aquarium and it's a great location.

There is so much to do and see here, there are many interactive exhibits for children and adults. It was beautiful to see everything Monterey's aquarium has to offer.

My family enjoyed this aquarium. You can see a nice diversity of see animal. They have a large tank where tuna and sunfish are gracefully swinging. However, it the entrance is pricey and the cafeteria prices are way above of regular caterias even compared to anothee aquariums. They also have feeting time but most of the areas are not accommodated to hold a large number of people. Overall, is ok aquarium but not the best and it could improve in their cafeteria food

This is a great place to learn about the local ocean that most people (like me) take for granted. Kids of all ages will love this place and will be entertained and in awe of the awesome way the new ocean info is presented. The only draw back (I see) is the rather high prices to enter and the food prices. I feel these prices keep many families and kids from seeing this amazing, fun ocean lab.

Great aquarium with knowledge staff that are passionate about protecting our oceans and marine life.

Expensive but really worth it! You can easily spend 3 hours walking around wonderful animals. Note this place is a nonprofit aquarium that takes really good care of its animals and releases them once they are fully healed.

I loved this place as a kid and haven't been back in over a decade!! It only got better since then. I got there just in time to see one of the feedings. Once the guy was done, he swam around and fed the fish in front of all the windows. He even waved at us. There's so much to do and so much to see. They have films that have stunning visuals. And there's a batray tank where you can try to touch them as they swim by. It was pretty busy, so i will have to go back to see and experience more of what the aquarium has to offer. Definitely fun to take kids or also to go on a date and feel like a kid again!!!

A fun place to spend a good portion of the day. Arrive early and don't miss the feedings!

This Aquarium is really amazing. Complete info about Sea life one can understand in few hours. Friendly staff and nice canteen is a plus. I recommend for students to visit- really they will enjoy

Fun place. Beautiful jellyfish. Come early so you have time to see the whole aquarium.

Be there 10 minutes before opening or it's really busy. Get your tickets before and save yourself a line. It's a really nice aquarium, cannery row is worth a stroll too.

Stay in San Fran, grab a car and do a day trip down the coast to Monterey visit the pier see the birds, if they are still there and of course the Aqiuarium

Amazing place! Highly recommended if you re in Monterey. You d could spend a whole day here and everyone is super knowledgeable and happy to answer your questions.

Was told it s one of the largest in US. Good and not that great. Can spend a day.... can watch feeding fish once in the morning and evening. Nice to watch. Have some indoor play area for the kids. Kids would love it. The sea view from the aquarium is beautiful. Parking is bit a challenge here. However there are lot of paid parkings just walkable from the aquarium.....

Love coming here with the fam. Something for everyone!

Very informative and interesting. Great place for kids.

There is a reason why this aquarium is known as one of the best aquariums in the world! The sheer variety of marine life; the way it is preserved and presented is simply stunning. We arrived around noon and it was very crowded. I would recommend purchasing tickets online and prior to your visit. However on a Sunday noon there wasn't a very long line for people looking to purchase tickets. There are 2 main wings of the aquarium separated by a short walkway. Make sure to visit with of them. My favorite exhibit was the open ocean section with the different kind of jelly fish on display. Rockfishes, urchins, barnacles, sea cucumbers you name it and you will find all of them there categorized into sections based on where they inhabit the abyss. One really cool part was the scuba divers feeding the different fishes and sea plants. It was quite a show :). They have some areas dedicated for kids and I felt that they are really educational. All in all a great family as well as solo outing.

By far, the most fantastic and nicest aquarium I've ever visited. This is a fantastic place for children, teenagers and adults alike!

Science at its finest! Great place to take the family and learn about the great things the Monterey Bay Aquarium is doing to help marine life. I learn new things every time I go.

Great place for visiting! Had fun there. Not very huge, good for one day trip from San Jose.

Excellent customer service and very friendly environment. 100% recommend a visit

An amazing place to see and learn about the ocean, fish, and much more! There is such a variety of things to do and see that you can easily spend an entire day here (and I did with my family). The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable and located right on the ocean makes for some good sight seeing too! On top of all of that, there are some great restaurants nearby and plenty of shopping so be sure to make a trip out and see some of the beauty our planet has to offer.

All the staff were so nice! clean, beautifully stunning aquarium. I've been coming here for many many years and it feels like the first time, every time. i love everything about the aquarium.

Awesome time!!! Just don't go on Sunday unless you have lots of time. Way to many people. But we did spend 4 hours there and SAW everything.

Wonderful day. Great aquarium to take the little ones.

This aquarium is insane!!! The big one is huge and all the exhibit are phenomenal! I had so much fun all animals look content and healthy. It's a must if you are in the area. Lots of jellyfish.

Great place but $50 is steep for entry. I know it goes to a good cause but still a bit rough.

Known for their large salt water kelp forest tanks, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a wonderful place to take children and dates alike. Although pricey, the aquarium has many levels and experiences for everyone. You can explore every area of the ocean from wharf areas to the deep sea.

The biggest hit is of course the sea otters. I have been going for close to two decades and the exhibits are always changing with the ocean. What I like the most is the education that you can get each time from the naturalists that will evolve visitors on the upcoming dives they are doing or what they have recently found just hundreds of feet if not miles from where you stand. It's on a unique ecosystem which makes this aquarium different from any others I've been to.

Kid friendly place .. easy parking across the street. All the exhibits were awesome!! Only bad thing was that they didn t allow to eat outside food even in the cafe which could be to promote eating in the cafe. There could ve been a few tables dedicated to people eating outside food esp if they have food restrictions and allergies. The jellyfish and tentacles exhibits were so much fun !! Kids really love looking at how beautifully they were displayed and the background music is very relaxing which watching the exhibits in dark. Penguin feeding show and touch pools were very enjoyable

IT WAS AWESOME. IT IS A MARINE BIOLOGY NERD S PARADISE. MY FAMILY LOVES IT. IT HAS EVERYTHING FOR ANYBODY. EXCELLENT FOOD, WIDE COLLECTION OF SPECIES TO GAZE UPON, THE CLIENTELE WERE VERY NICE AND OVERALL IT WAS PRETTY NICE

Very cool aquarium! the largest aquarium I have ever been to. My kids enjoyed it thoroughly, there is a large selection of species to see

This is one of the best places in the world to go to. They have awesome sit down restaurant in the back. They provide binoculars and a sustainable seafood menu. The fish and chips, and fish tacos are pretty killer. The aquarium exhibits are state of the art. They have every type of fish you can imagine that is off the coast of California. The open water exhibit has to be the best though. With the sun fish calmly swimming by and the Mahi ambushing the sardines, then the hammerhead sharks circling the tank. It is quite the experience. They have a great hands on kids areas for all of them to burn off energy and truly experience what all the aquarium has to offer. My personal favorite of the whole thing is the whale skeleton hanging inside by the film auditorium. This aquarium is the best in the world. Hands down.

We visited while on vacation. Wish we live closer. Too much to do in one day. Love all the kid friendly interactive exhibits. Had a great interaction with a staff who brought out a jar of baby jellyfish. My 4 year old was completely obsessed with the tidal waves you could stand under. Great experience.

So very disappointing. Had heard so much hype about this aquarium. They don t even have any big sharks. The jellyfish exhibit was cool though, and perhaps the sea otter feeding would have been neat to see, but it was far too crowded to even catch a glimpse.

It was really fun and really big. There were really cool things to see at the aquarium. Had a lot of fun with the family there.

Good place to take the kids. Employees are friendly and helpful. Cafe is good.

Come really early, before 10:30 am. Or after 1pm. Buy tickets online, in advance, you will skip the line.
Animal feeding and the auditorium activities are recommended!

FANTASTIC WORLD OF SEA LIFE, GREAT VIEW OF THE BAY, TOO MUCH TO SEE AND LEARN IN ONE VISIT

My God. Was this a must go if your in the NorCal area! Visiting here and my oh my. Can I say it was great. There are so many jelly fish variation, from small to HUGE. Very interactive, has a lot of different species and plants you can touch and play with. Great for families with kids. The outdoor where you can stand and look at the ocean is perfect!!! Weather was great, breeze was nice.

Friendly knowledgeable staff help make this a fascinating exploration into the miracle that is Monterey Bay.

LOVED this aquarium, hands down the best one i have been to. The otters and the jellys are amazing. The talks in each of the areas are very well done and very educational. Wheelchairs can be picked up for free to have whilst you are inside if required. You can also get your hand stamped and duck in and out during the day to get lunch and explore Monterys shops. Worth noting that despite signs to car parks saying there is a free trolly this is ONLY in the summer months so dont make the mistake we did and park there only to find out there is no free bus to the aquarium and you have to walk over 20mins (was not possible in our party) or get a private bus.

Worth every dollar you pay! I have gone multiple times here and it is exciting to see the changes and there is always so much to see! My wife and I visited a few months ago (first visit for her) and she was blown away! One of the things we both love so much is how the enclosures are designed so that you really feel immersed in where you are and everything is very educational.