Monterey Bay Aquarium Review

Lots of fish and other critters. Highly interactive and informative. Upfront about feedings to see all types of fish swimming. Good option of informative videos. Sea otters are so cute!

The Aquarium is fabulous!!! Not too crowded this trip and everyone was in a really great state of mind. Very happy and my grandson can't stop talking about the Moon Jellies!!

Great staff and people. The animals were great. The down side to this was the food is very expensive and very gross. Do NOT get the pizzas, they are very gross!

A little bit over hyped, and a lot bit expensive. Golden Gate park in SF is a better deal. Drinks on Thursday nights and no kids.

One of the coolest aquariums I have been to. While it is smaller than say, the shedd, it had much more to provide, including interactive tanks, bay viewing, technological offerings, etc... The staff is amazing and it is located in one of the main hubs for oceanography in the world.

This is a must see. Take the back scene tours to enhance the experience

Our trip was ok, however the place was so unmanageable with the crowd that was there. My children felt completely overwhelmed, and at one point my 2 yr old got knocked down by adults trying to get a better view. There needs to be more staff for crowd control. After feeling claustrophobic from the crowd and dark hallways, I wound up spending most of my visit in the gift shop with my Autistic daughter. The gift shops were nice but immensely overpriced, but I guess that is to be expected in Monterey. As a whole the place was a bit of a let down.

My happy place forever an always. I like it better than disneyland

Awesome. Very up close and personal kind of place. You get that immersive feeling with the well designed exhibits. My only complaint is that it is a bit in the expensive side.

This aquarium is overpriced and offers the least amount of aquatic life I have ever seen! Please safe yourself the trip and go to a different aquarium.

Beautiful setting ! Nice restaurant. Looks well-cared for and lots to see. Enjoyed our visit immensely.

Monterey Bay Aquarium was probably the best i ve been to, with a great variety of exhibits from deep ocean sunfish and seven-gill sharks to cuttlefish and penguins. Be sure to check the feeding schedule & try to catch the otters around then. I was pretty impressed with the ambiance of the whole place, some places were pretty mesmerizing. It luckily justified the $50 price tag, just be careful where you park or you ll pay $50 more in parking tickets to Andronico s next door..

Seriously outstanding aquarium. Educational, beautifully presented and really nicely laid out. Absolutely worth a visit. Only downside is the expensive parking nearby...

A really exceptional aquarium, with exhibits and animals that few others can feature. People that complain about the entry price are not the ones that can truly appreciate seeing the kelp forest and open sea exhibits which are amazing. We brought our 1 year old son who was a bit too small to really be interested in the animals other than the otters, but the childrens play areas and hands on displays were good for him. Please continue the great work of education and conservation!

The aquarium was a waste of time it was horrible aquarium Pacific in Long Beach California is way better I was disappointed they didn't have hardly anything on display that I thought they would I wish I would have never wasted paying $100 for two people to go see it was horrible I hope people see this and don't go in before they waste their money

It s a great place for families to learn about marine habitats and ocean conservation. The Jellyfish Exhibits are eye-opening.

Great time my 2 year old son took him for his b day he loved it

The best - long time favorite with enough new stuff to keep every visit interesting. Not to miss penguins, octopus, jellyfish, moon fish, turtles, and otters. Well worth the price of admission.

Fun and informative trip for all ages. Can be crowded so plan ahead with online tickets and aquarium feeding time and video schedules

Amazing place. Great place to bring children, but fun for all ages. The exhibits range from fun and interactive to awe inspiring.

Every time we go, there are new discoveries waiting for us. One of the favorites are the otters - especially during feeding time. Also very much like the cafe--excellent food at very reasonable prices, and all the employees are super friendly, even at peak times.

We are family members which allows us to go daily if we want. Ideal is taking grandchildren weekly. Besides the wonderful natural Exhibits, they have wonderful places for toddlers to explore. It is the best. Thank you be Monterey for offering this incredible experience. I could go on and on. But just go see for yourself. A Grandmother

this place is so cool, stop reading reviews and just go, words will do this amazing place no justice. can't wait till I can go again

The best aquarium I have ever been. Really enjoyed my visit and spent the whole day looking around. Would absolutely love to come back and visit this wonderful aquarium.

This was the second time we was here its was beautiful

The membership is worth it. We make quarterly trips (5 hours round trip) and there s always something new for adults and littles alike. Excellent environment and exhibits. They do pretty well with the crowd control considering the sheer numbers of visitors.

Amazing aquarium! Buy your tickets online for a little bit quicker entry. Also it can be dark and crowded in some exhibits, make sure you keep an eye on your little ones!

This is such a great aquarium. Our son loves it and so do we. Fun for all ages.

The aquarium is an excellent way to spend the afternoon in Monterey.

Amazing aquarium with some great exhibits and a huge variety. The view from the back balcony is great too!

World class aquarium.
Not to be missed.

This is such an awesome aquarium! The veiws alone are great. There is so much to do here with the kids you could be busy for hours. The coffee place inside is really good too.

Mostly interactive displays for the kids and only 1 small hammerhead shark left. All the rest have been released back into the wild. Single use containers are forbidden. Must buy a reusable aluminum water container for $5 and then refill it at one source point in the cafeteria. Or bring in your own water. Won't be back for a long time.

My daughter loved everything at the aquarium. I recommend visiting on a weekday when it is less crowded because you will have more time to see everything.

Fantastic experience, great exhibits and knowledgeable staff. Even if everything else had been awful, the sea otters would have made it beyond worthwhile.

Awesome is an understatement, please have at least 4 hours in hand for a complete visit.

Also The surrounding area outside aquarium looks vibrant in evening

Nice aquarium to take the kids... Staff is very helpful

Amazing aquarium! Lots to see and touch! Great opportunities to get up and close with lots of sea creatures. Staff wee very friendly and knowledgable. Great place to come with kids.

This is a nice aquarium but extremely overpriced !
Compared to Chicago aquarium, only great to see the otters.
I think is not worth to go if you have to drive more than 30 minutes. Coming from San Francisco not worth it ! Good for locals

I remember going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a kid. Still one of the best experiences for all ages.

Great place to take kids and have some family fun highly recommended.

Best aquarium I ve seen. Not as commercial as Sea Word. They really seem to care about the animals in their care. Definitely worth the try.

An impressive acquarium. On top of having lots of species, the splash pools are well done and interactive for the kids. Many of the exhibits are also designed so nicely, they prompted me to step back in awe. The jellyfish exhibit was a highlight in particular. It's a great half day activity in the morning with kids before doing the 17 Mile Drive in the afternoon.

You can also go in and out, and recommend going out for lunch as the cafeteria prices are insane.

Very nice aquarium but was missing bigger animals like whales and dolphins

An absolute must if you have children, or have an active inner child.

My wife and 3 adult friends went here on a whim, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The otters and the penguins get a lot. of attention, but my. favorite was the various types of jellies.

There are a couple of touch pools, and a theater that does short films on various nature topics... I think it's was on the hour.

Loved this place.. This was one of our stops on our anniversary trip. Had a great time. I think we spent about 4 hours here. We saw EVERYTHING we possibly could. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The JELLYFISH exhibit is like no other..

Really nice aquarium. Located in Monterey, it's housed in an old Cannery, which means lots of space, right on ocean, and some amazing exhibits. Sea otters, lots of different jellyfish, sharks, and many more. Staff is friendly and helpful. Good amount of parking nearby.

My husband and I went here. We totally enjoyed. Our day. The exhibits are very well done. The food was good and the atmosphere is great.

Beautiful Aquarium! I have wonderful childhood memories here and it was so great visiting as an adult. The floor to ceiling Aquarium's engulf you into an underwater adventure. The sunfish were fascinating to watch and the jellyfish exhibits were mesmerizing.

One of the best I have ever been to. A must if you are in the area. Get two days and express entry if you stay the IHG hitel.

Lovely aquarium; perfectly sized for an afternoon visit!

Amazing.
Everything is wheelchair accessible

With the new SF CityPass (apr-2017) you CAN'T change Aquarium of the Bay for Monterey Aquarium.
Even expensive, the ticket for Monterey Aquarium is US$ 49 for adults and worths.

Been there me, wife and 2 kids and I recommend.
Get early, and better buy tickets online.
Check for Otter feed and daily adventures.
See the schedule of local research documentaries, presented in the auditorium - you will feel been part of this researches.
We saw the White Shark and Deep See Exploration. Both excellent.
Overall: Important for all ages.

PS: Yes is better the Aquarium of the Bay, but both have it's important stuff to see. In Aquarium of the Bay you very near and can touch rays, stars and even lizards. Been in this one in 2012 and 2017 and it's getting better...
I recommend see both.

Honestly, it was an incredible experience. So much to see and learn. So much cool merch. Just all around a great experience for people of all ages. Anyone who comes out to Monterey should visit the aquarium. To top it off, there's so many incredible views of the bay.

Fantastic, a classroom for us all, so much to experience

Best aquarium. Lots of fun activities for kids and great exhibits to explore. One of the popular attractions is the auditorium (sometimes called the "ottertorium") where they have a daily schedule of shows. Recommend you check out which shows you want to attend and then plan the rest of your visit. Some of the food is decent, but standard burgers and pizza choices. Cafe staff seem a little unorganized and there can be a bit of a wait for food to be cooked. Wish they would improve their food quality and service to match the world class standards of the rest if the facility.

It is a very large and diverse aquarium with many things to see. For example seeing otters being fed to watching a live show on the deep sea this is one of the best aquariums I've ever been to. There is even a little coffee place where you can buy food and of course coffee. Definitely recommend

There is a lot for all ages. Im not certain it's worth the admission but...

This place is so cool to visit I love seeing wild life and ocean life.

The jellyfish and related fauna are the only thing worth the price.

Out of all the aquariums we have visited this one tops the list. The exhibits are constantly evolving and the staff does a great job explaining things and doing the various presentations during the day.

The tickets are a little pricey but well spent considering all the things these guys do for the local marine wildlife.

Amazing place. We keep coming back here. So much to see, so much to do. Even when crowded always fun.

Been going here since I was a little kid and it's amazing for all ages

It's great, but the shows are really packed and really small kids can't see!

All I have to say is... get the membership so you can come in the early morning. We've been visiting Monterey Bay Aquarium for the past 7 years, and this was the first time getting a membership. We utilized our member benefit by coming during member morning, and holy smokes - what a different experience! Really about 2000 less people. It felt like we had the place all to ourselves. It was so nice for our kids to learn, listen, and enjoy the experience. The welcome staff was super friendly, restrooms were clean (first thing in the a.m.) and you can see every exhibit without waiting for others to move away from the viewing windows. It was a great trip!

Way too expensive...the cost kind of ruined it because even though there were things we liked, the presentations were way too crowded, making it difficult to enjoy. It s hard to just sit and enjoy an exhibit because there are so many people jockeying for a position. Impossible if you have someone in a wheelchair. Don t come here if you have s child who becomes too overwhelmed/overstimulated.

The Georgia Aquarium is bigger, better, etc and $36. At $50, I was expecting the Georgia Aquarium-type experience so when there weren t large sharks (not even talking about the whale sharks), 16 ft manta rays, no dolphins, etc....ehhhhh. It was OKAY.

I did love their octopus and jellyfish exhibits stunning. I also liked the wave high and low tide simulator....a hit for everyone! Their gift shops were nice. The anchovy tank was mesmerizing. I wish there were more hands-on/touch tank stuff. The sting rays weren t interactive when we came. I would ve liked to see a variety of starfish, anemones, etc that you could touch/see up close.

Really cool there is a lot of wildlife and the people people their so nice but overall it was fun and amazing

A place I've always wanted to visit while growing up in New Jersey. It was great to get the chance to come as an adult, did not disappoint! Plus we got lucky and saw a bunch of otters and seals out in the water when we came to the viewing deck, pretty rad!

One of the best aquariums I have visited. Beautifully presented displays, lots of interactive features for the kids and some great messages of sustainability.

A great aquarium with impressive fish tanks. The entrance fee is high (50 dollars for grown up) but we found it worth every penny. We were able to entertain our self all day. Furthermore, the aquarium is very much involved in keeping the local ocean healthy. All in all a great experience on a rainy day :).

If you like water or you like fish, then you will like it.

This is a very nice place to visit. There are a lot of educational and hands on exhibits. The whole place is pretty and clean. It is also expensive, but that was expected.

This aquarium is amazing. First off, the staff are very helpful and have good attitudes. Secondly, the facility itself is always clean and we'll kept. Last but not least, this place seems to go above and beyond to take care of thier animals. I highly recommend.

Cool place. Many many different animals. Some you can even touch. Also a lot of interactive stuff for kids. Price is reasonable to high. Paid parking in the area.

The many different animals that were here were amazing to look at.

Gonna be a dissenting opinion here and say it s a bad value. As an aquarium what s on display isn t particularly exceptional, and at $50 per adult per day it s barely cheaper than flying to Japan to check their aquariums out.

I went as a solo adult and that went about as well as I should have expected kids everywhere, parents shooting daggers if you occupy a decent viewing spot for literally more than 2 seconds.

Been to a couple aquariums in various states and they pale in comparison to this one. I came here 23 years ago and was left in awe. I decided it was time to bring my youngest son and my gf back to this wonderful place... they were also amazed.