Monterey Bay Aquarium Reviews

Happy memories we have been coming for 17 years. It's so fun. We came with our 14 and 7 year old...no more strollers but still making good memories!!! Kids love it..it's colorful and we love the hands on!!! This place has been a great tradition in our family

We love it a must see place to see in Monterey bay,

Great experience for the family, with a lot to see and do in the exhibits. The touching aquariums were incredible. And there was a lot of things to see and do nearby the aquarium too.

Really interesting and beautiful place! With incredible fishes, sea jellies, cucumbers,...

My husband and I went there for Valentine's Day. It was my first time back there in 30 years. There were a lot of groups of little kids on field trips. All the power was out in the area except for the aquarium which was a bummer because there are a lot of shops and restaurants on the same street and they were all closed.

Wonderful. My daughter was immensely curious by all the fish swimming. Their research and conservation efforts are something to be admired as well.

Love this place! Beautiful scenery and variety of sea aquarium fish!

Great aquarium. Been to many aquarium with my 5YO and this is one of the best, if not the best

A great time, be sure not to miss if in the area. Some really interesting and informative displays and gorgeous pods of sea life. The Sea otters are really something to see when they do their training.

How can you not love the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I've been visiting ever since it first opened and they never cease to amaze me with new as well as tried and true exhibits. I always learn something at each visit, and get a kick out of seeing the otters at play. If you're on the west coast and near enough to visit, do come by and stay awhile. You'll not regret it one bit.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the best I've been to, hands down. From the multitude of feeding sessions to the touching tanks, everything exhibit does such an amazing job to show a glimpse into the other world below sea level. It's great to see a program that can show how the public side is really ancillary to their efforts towards conservation and rehabilitation of wildlife populations. I loved visiting as a kid but found a whole new appreciation as an adult. If I had to pick two favorites, they would be the jellies and the open sea where I could watch either for hours.

Very informative well maintained and run Establishment.

I've been through several states, and in turn, several aquatic exhibits. The one thing that really sets this one aside from many others is that it's not just 'a cool place to look a fish.' The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a place where actual scientific studies are performed, many of which are towards the goal of cleaning up our oceans.
Oh, and the otters are adorable.

What can I say! I have been here a few times and it is always amazing when I come here. The food they offer in the cafeteria has improved as well. You can get ahi poke bowl, garlic fries, sandwiches, salad, Danish, and desserts in one place. And of course, the aquarium is great! Lots to see here. Try to come on a non-holiday so it isn't so crowded.

Always love going to the aquarium but even more so now with out little one whk seems to enjoy it more and more each time. Kids zone is great for little ones and our 9 month old absolutely loved it. One of the rare occasions we got to see the octopus move around! Highly recommend, great for building family memories

Great place to see the beautiful creatures under the sea. Also kid friendly. Love this place.

Lots of exhibits here. I loved the jellyfish display! Staff are very friendly and answered all our questions. Well worth a visit.

Absolutely without a doubt the best. Top notch quality top-of-the-line Aquarium with top-notch professionalism skilled employees. All located with a beautiful surrounding scenery. Could not ask for a more picture perfect place to visit.

*Staff* was nice and there are many places for *kids* to play there as well, overall I liked it there

Loved it! Heard good things for years so we finally went. My wife and I enjoyed an amazing time in Monterey Bay, CA. This aquarium was a center part of it.

We had a great time at the aquarium this place is for young and old.

I bought a beautiful stuffed pet otter with baby, for my son.

Beautiful.. loved the whole aquarium.. my children had an amazing time... & so did i...

Awesome setting! World class!!! Was there in fall of 2016. Would love to go back!!!

The Giant Octopus was extremely active. It was an amazing experience. They also have a great selection of jellyfish. I've wanted to go here for so long and it did not disappoint.

Extraordinarily overpriced, crowded, and lame. My family and I paid a large fee to be disappointed in the lack of interaction and variety here while being shoved around by the mob of guests with no consideration for others. Never returning and wish we had the money back that was wasted.

Interesting and educational. Price of admission is quite steep and puts it beyond the reach/desire of many. I hope it doesn't end up as a place for the rich only!

We love this place. My kids are crazy for the amazing variety of wildlife and activities for the children.

Arrive early for the feeding shows for best viewing especially the open ocean feeding show. It's the most amazing show you will ever see in an aquarium.

Membership is a must if you plan to visit multiple times or if you have a big family. (Ours is 6) the membership actually saves us money.

New exhibits often. Fun feeding. Behind the scenes available for a fee.

They can improve on the first aid availability...

One of the best places in Monterey to visit, and it's right by the ocean where otters and seabirds are. We got to touch the stingrays - bonus!

Amazing aquarium! Tip: Sign up for text alerts when you arrive by texting "Feeding" to 56512. It only signs you up for that day.

A great experience for the whole family. It is a very nice facility with a wide variety of sea life to view.

It was really nice going around, but I have seen better before, and the gift shops weren't interesting for me, but this doesn't mean you wont like it.

We went during the 2018 mother's day weekend and it was my first visit as an adult and taking my two children. In total 3 tickets were $129 and some change. All in all I don't feel it was worth the price. It has some great views and photos for memories. I don't feel the exhibits provides much other than a lot of information. We have gone to the academy of science museum in SF and for a much better experience for a cheaper price, SF has much more hands on activity for the kids. I just wish the aquarium me was worth the money.

Evergreen. Can't go wrong and there is always something new to watch and learn

Monterey Aquarium is not so big, but the exhibits are nice and very well distributed. The only thing I didn't like was the limited space for the pinguins and for the sea birds: it made me feel sorry for them.

This the best acquarium I have ever been on West coast. I don't know any better. They do care and preserve ocean and ocean life. It is very educational and fun at the same time. It's not show or exhibition like Sea world but much more fun. If you can go frequently I'll recommend annual membership for support for a good cause and it is actually fun and educational. It's indoor so one can visit in any weather. Parking is little but pain but that's given as it's on pier. Great area to hang out as well. But you won't have enough time just to cover aquarium in a day.

Largest, most informative aquarium and nicest staff ever. Worth every dollar. Right now 3/17, Show up at 5pm and get free tickets for next day as well.

Go earl to avoid the crowds. Take your time at the exhibits

Such a beautiful.. you will need more time to explore.

This place needs an update, still feels a little old fashion compared to the aquariums in japan

The Monteray Bay Aquarium is my favorite place! There are so many things to see! I could watch the animals for hours. I also like how the tanks look so much like the real sea.

The exhibits were very clean and cool. I wanted to experience the dive but didn't have enough money. I thought the tickets were a little over priced but it was a good aquarium.

The Famous Aquarium on Cannery Row, was so fun inside and out!! Outside you can see wildlife and go inside to see unlimited ocean dwellers!!!! LOVE IT!!!

I loved this place I have been wanting to go for there for years now. I lived in Monterey Bay as a child the ocean seems so full of life there & the aquarium has done a great job of bringing all that indoors.

Kids absolutely loved it. Great for patents too. You only stay for a few hours, but it's a great few hours.

Great place, awesome people, little pricy, but overall awesome aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium is a really fun place to take your children to. I went there about 6 months ago for my 1st time and I really enjoyed it. Although it is very costly and I do believe they should drop their prices.

Best aquarium I have been to hands down. lots of interactive exhibits. good emphasis on sustainable practices. I would love to see the great tidal pool scuba program extended to adults, or a similar scuba program in the bay to cater to the older geeks

This place is really cool!! Lots to do and food inside

A great place for family to spend hours together. We were entertained!! If you have AAA membership take the time to plan ahead and get discounted tickets. Also, the aquarium allows you to bring your own snacks so you don t have to buy the overpriced and unhealthy food.

Always a fun time when I visit the aquarium..make sure to buy your tickets online so you don t need to stand in the long line that always forms. You can even get all the way through to the inside if you have your ticket pre-bought. The open ocean exhibit is my fav an for good reason! The whole feeling in that room is awesome, lights dimmed, soft music playing, and they even have an upstairs section you can go to and sit down an really soak it in! Place can get pretty crowded but if you go first thing in the morning it s very manageable.you can comfortably walk the whole place within a few hours, leaving you still the rest of the day to explore Monterey itself !

This is a must visit when visiting Monterey. If you're lucky you will get to see otters and seals in the bay and in top of the kelp. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

Awesome views but a bit short tour considering the entry fee

An amazing place to visit and the staff was helpful and friendly. We could've spent more time there. The staff recommended going to the kids play area last which was a great choice because it tired the kids out

Love coming here. Always fun. Cafe is great. Now the hammerheads!!!just keeps getting better!!

Monterey Bay is huge and beautiful, IMO, the most beautiful bay in the world. Monterey Bay Aquarium may be a tourist attraction, but it also teaches us how to ensure we have the bay in the future. A visit to Monterey Bay Aquarium should be mandatory for everyone.

It's always a wonderful experience to walk around the aquarium and see all the animals. The staff is always helpful, informative, and friendly.

This was an amazing place to visit. It offered something for everyone especially if you have young children. I really appreciated the designated play areas that young children could play in and release their energy. That was a good break for parents and grandparents alike for there were sitting benches around the play areas. There are four major areas; Splash zone, The Open Sea, the Ocean Edge and the Open Sea. Each area has restrooms which was nice. The Splash zone which is located upstairs has the penguin exhibit and touch pools with staff giving information about the different sea plants and sea creatures. You cross the bridge to see the open sea area which houses the jelly fish, exhibits of seabirds, various fish in the open sea.
On the first floor at the Ocean's Edge you have the bird aviary, the kelp forest display, and a really fun area where the water is released on top of heavy pexiglass over your head and you see the water fall down the glass that was the number one attraction for our grandson. He did not want to leave that exhibit. He loved the the water falling all around him and he doesn't get wet. There is a cafeteria you can buy food and it gives you a variety of food to choose from. They have bottled drinks and they have also good sodas from the fountain. If you are lucky you might be able to sit next to the window and watch the sea life or gaze at the ocean. On the first level you have the open sea exhibits and in this area you have sea animals with tentacles, sea animals to find in Baja and a display with vanishing wildlife. There are areas with florescent lights that really enhance the beautiful colors of the fish. The displays are nice because they have windows for young visitors to see the display and they get to see the sea creatures from a different perspective. We spent 5 hrs there to see the displays including having lunch. There are great display boards explaining the displays and what our impact are on the marine life. There are displays that teaches us about conservation and good stewardship protecting our sea life for our future generations.
Very educational and very good visual exhibits.

Awesome place to learn about everything in the ocean, all the impacts and cycles it goes through and going through.

A bit on the pricey side but we'll worth it. One can learn a lot from this place and also experience hands on interactions with the animals. Another downside was that it's crowded and there is so much space in front of the tanks to see the fish.

Great place for kids and adults alike. Highly recommend the Evenings by the Bay in the summer. Great food, music, and it's nice to walk around the aquarium less crowded.

Kid friendly aquarium with informative exhibits located in the historic and beautiful cannery row.

Fantastic place to spend a few hours with the family. Our children loved the aquarium and we visited every couple of hours. There are many exhibits that keep children busy and interested. They most loved the touch pool. Parking is a bit of a problem, especially if you do not want to spend a lot of money to park.

Amazing experience, and way more fun knowing the part the aquarium is doing for conservation and environmentalism.

Great for the kids and Adults! Don't forget to visit during feeding time in the Open Ocean exhibit.

Much to see/learn from otters to jellyfish, to sea trutles - excellent ocean explorer program dive in the great tidepool

Excellent place to take visitors and especially kids. Lots of exhibits to see and interact with for all ages. Great time had by all. Was pretty expressive though but I guess not so much so by today standard of Disney tickets

I think it's the best aquarium in the country.
We just marveled at the variety of the fish/animals. We loved the sea otters feeding show. I was in awe of the octopus. We borrowed a free wheelchair for our elderly lady friend and everyone was so helpful. The jellyfish were so colorful and unique, I questioned if they were real. I lived that it was green n healthy for the animals but I don't like seeing them caged.

Good place for kids. You can easily spend a full day here. The cafeteria has great organic options.

Such a great experience for the whole family! So much for all ages to interact with.

Great, enjoyable visit with unique exhibits!! Particularly impressed by the kelp forest, jellyfish & hands on areas. Highly recommend!!

Definitely worth the price. I sugest to go for an hour and then go out to eat and come back in since they allowe reentry.

Great for kids and adults alike. A great way to see and appreciate the local environment.