I had an absolute blast here so many beautiful creatures to see and so much to learn definitely recommend bringing kids both young and old ;p so so much fun. Very highly recommend making this a stop if you are in the area. All the staff is helpful and fun and the aquarium is state-of-the-art and very clean. 10/10
Great aquarium, a must see. Gets very crowded but well maintained. Right on the water and very enjoyable.
This is our second time here and my toddler loves it. It s a great place to go too.
Best aquarium and always a wonderful time with the family! Love the otters!!!
Out of all the aquariums I've visited in the USA this by far is the best aquarium out there. The rich Marine ecosystem that they have contained in their building the layout the presentation and the staff truly make this one of the special aquariums around.
Have been going here for years since my kids were young. Beautiful place.
Excellent visit, friendly staff and very clean facilities. If you get there around the time they open and don't plan to stay all day, street parking in a meter space is a great option.
Easy to find and get into the building. The lines were not bad and they have lots of tours and feeding times. It was once an old cannery so it has a very open floor plan. The otters are the stars of the show but the kelp forest and outdoor area are a must see as well. They have good in the building or a short walk away.
Staff is very nice. even got a free ticket to go just for paying extra. Would give a 6 out of 5 if possible!
Great staff, exibits and a real learning experience
really nice, I wish long beach aquarium was half as nice.
Wonderful aquarium! Absolutely the best I've been to
Absolutely love the aquarium! Went on a Thursday where it wasn't too busy, but had many kids running around with a school field trip. Still was nice to see all the excited kids. Population area is definitely the jellyfish area. It lights up and shows off the beauty of the creatures. Has an area that also has some great history about Cannery Row. Has a restaurant in house and plenty of restaurants nearby. Lots of fun!
This place is magic. Who hasn't heard of the Monterey Bay Aquarium for it's notorious wonder, history of education and heart-warming impressive ecological work it provides to our ocean and it's living beauty.
Lets get negative out of way before good.
Its not cheap to get in,parking is hairy, just sacrifice the $10-20 for a day spot.
Its not as big as you think, but its pretty good.
Also the free bus from downtown is weekend only.
Good:
I was highly satisfied with the exhibits and the feeding times/shows.
Take your time, it can be gone thru quickly.
Very family friendly.
Food its good. Mmm, churro doughnuts!
During week, kids come from all elementary schools 1st half of day then it dies down. ( wish mine did that!) Weekend is more crowded, because avoiding said kids and people have day off.
Worth it to go to.
P.S., come here with a full phone battery, you will take a butt load of pictures!
Dont forgot to take off flash!
Amazing aquarium that is 100% worth the hype. Great for adults and kids. Their feeding sessions are worth it to see. Really like their education and conservation efforts.
It was was awesome. A must see if you are in the area.
Give your self plenty of time to enjoy the entire place
We love it here. And everytime we go they have something new for us to see. We spent 2 hrs here and it still wasmt long enough
Great for kids and adults alike. It's calming, educational, and beautiful. Kids have plenty of hands on activities, and the larger aquariums and the jellies are great for adults. Solid food for a cafeteria.
Beautiful aquarium! Lots to see. It's in Monterey...
A truly amazing aquarium. Ever hear of cephalopods which can change the color of their skin at will? Morey eels? Sunfish? Hammerhead sharks? Nautilus? Penguins? You can see them all here. Very kid friendly but with more than enough depth to be fascinating to adults.
Love this aquarium and have ever since I was young. They have a great children's area too!
Loads of amazing ocean life, best aquarium I have ever seen. A must visit.
Wonderful museum, very spacious, we were able to see everything on a very busy Sunday - all the awesome exhibits, and we were able to pet bat rays!
Best aquarium on the West Coast, by far! Incredibly in-depth (pun intended).
Very busy place, but wow what a fun day.
Learned alot and saw alot. This is a great aquarium.
Incredible marine life displays. Extremely informative. The guides really wanted to share their knowledge
Great facility with very unique viewing experiences (open ocean and kelp forest feeding). This is definitely more of a follow the programs place vs just wandering around as you d be done in an hour otherwise as it s not a huge facility. Tons of staff/volunteers floating around to help you get around / answer questions.
We found metered street parking a block away. Admission is pricey at $50 per head for adults but given the amount of conversation work they do, I m OK with it.
I purchased our tickets online and got there at 930 on a Sunday morning. It was perfect. We were able to skip the line and beat the crowds. We took our time visiting every exhibit. It was getting pretty crowded by 1:30pm when we were on our way out. Very relaxing.
This place just never gets old! We haven't been for about 10 years. I was worried that I might be the only one to enjoy it as my kids are 12 and older. Nope!! We still spent over 3 hours looking, exploring, touching and learning. The staff here are very engaging and informative which is very helpful. This is a beautiful place for kids of all ages!
Best Aquarium anywhere in California! Tons to do for all ages. Great food walking distance. Go on a weekday if you can.
Great! Spent 2 hours there and used meter parking. Expensive but liked it better than Underwater World at the Mall of America. Saw many species I'd never seen before and I am an avid aquarium goer. Touch pool has unique items I've never touched before such as sea cucumber, abalone, etc.
Love it here! One of the best aquariums, especially love that it s right on the bay. The weekend events are fun! Tip if you re a college student - ask for the student discount!
Smaller than I remember it... I spent maybe two hours here and saw basically everything. Very good aquarium with live feeding events, movies, etc.
Very well done. The staff was superbly helpful. The organization of the building made navigating relatively simple: we only got turned around once in our 4 hours there. Fascinating wildlife. Loved seeing some of the feedings and how the animals interact. Never thought I'd pet a stingray. Highly recommended!
Definitely a must see in Monterey! Awesome staff, great exhibits, and so much to see. Plan for at least two hours, more if you've got little kids.
Overpriced, too crowded to see everything. People kept letting their kids push past those in line waiting to see the tanks.
Great place to visit with kids. Focused on how to make this planet a place for all of us.
My family and I enjoyed our visit cool things to see and learn about for the whole family
Most amazing aquarium, right on the Bay. Well worth a visit, ot two, or three...
We love this aquarium. Touch pools are so great- new sea animals everyday, fresh from the bay. The volunteers are so knowledgeable and the scenery is beautiful. The only bummer is they close early but we just make sure to always get in early. Parking is interesting too but other than that it s an amazing time, every time!
I have loved the Aquarium since I was a child. They continue to amaze and inspire. They have added exhibits and have maintained the exhibits already on display. I took my daughter for the first time and she fell in love with the aquarium as well. I felt that I got to share something special and rare with her.
Best aquarium I've been to. A must visit place for tourist. Can be a little pricey. Best to get a membership if you live close by.
The Aquarium is amazing. We had a great time. So many species represented! Highly recommend!
Great for the whole family. Views of sea life up close from all types of fish, sharks, kelp forests, hands on with fish, sea turtles & more.
Very good and interesting especially for The young ones.
Great place and awesome tanks! Too bad the cafeteria food is tasteless and kinda cold. But, its worth it to experience this great place.
Been coming here since i was little... Great aquarium!
Great place, but we must have hit during kid summer rush hour. As large as it is, viewing areas are crowded, but it is worth the aggravation.
Get the two day pass if you re staying at a local hotel! So worth it, so much to see. Incredible!
As always, the family really enjoyed another visit to aquarium. As the kids grow up every time they see something else they like and want to spend time at that exhibition. It's not a huge place, but will absolutely take care of half a day. Highly recommended
A great place to spend a few hours. I can't wait to go back my grandson loved it!
AWESOME!!! Best Aquarium I've ever been to. The kids did not even get bored!
A wonderfully educational place! Exceptional staff!
One of my most favorite places in Monterey. MUST SEE!
Absolutely amazing. If you go anywhere near Monterey this is a must see.
Best aquarium. I have loved this place since I was a child.
We were members here for years until we moved away. this is a gem and would always want to go back!! best aquarium in the bay area
Love it here. Ambiance is breathtaking. A must see when visiting the area.
Very educational tour of marine life. Fun for kids and great location.
Small but well presented. Has got the benefits of natural resources as it is built on the sea shore. Good service, lots of help. Good food options inside and around.
Really enjoyed this aquarium. It had a good variety of fish/animals and excellent information from staff. Highly recommend.
Great place if you are interested in the ocean. Don't miss otter feeding.
one of the best aquariums i've been to. great exhibits to increase kids' consciousness of the importance of preserving and protecting our oceans. A bit overpriced ($50 per adult) makes it hard for a large family to visit
This has been a go to spot ever since I visited it in the first grade which was more than a decade ago. The aquarium is in a tight spot here on the coast of Monterrey. The spot is also located in a very interesting spot where it is on the beginning of a trail to walk along the coast which is pretty cool. The marine life that is seen here is definitely very cool and has been maintained very well over the years.
Informational, inspirational, & always downright fun!
So much to do here. Its a must visit place and so much bigger than you think. Expect to spend 2-3 hours here. If you get hungry they have a nice food selection. My kids loved it.
The admission is quite high, and I recommend a membership for those who live here and plan to visit multiple times in a year. But it is well worth it. The giant kelp forest is impressive. They offer feeding shows throughout the day. The auditorium has short films running during the day. They have lots of things for one and two year olds to touch. Specifically they have a closed off area for kids under 34" to play. This is a full day adventure. The cafe offers tasty food above your typical fast food options.
I didn't go inside this time because it's $50 a person and there was three of us. We expected no more than around $30 for an adult.
The aquarium was nice but for the price (50$) I was expecting something more. The big "open sea" pool was really empty, it was big but couldn't really see the fish clearly. They have a nice "splash zone" for kids but it's more like a playzone. My son enjoyed the touch pools the most. I was also expecting a little bit more of the "tentacles" exhibition. It's a nice place to visit but I wasn't impressed.
Extremely well maintained aquarium with amazing displays. Awesome kelp forest and open ocean display (with mahi-mahi). Really can tell they put serious diligence in caring for every single specimen on display. A lot of local exhibits which is awesome. Couldn t ask for a better location on the water.
The exhibits are great. The staff is very friendly. We love this aquarium more than the 3 others that we've been to. The vies from outside are great as well.
Jellyfish, anemones, octupi! Oh my! Wonderful Aquarium for kids and adults, alike.
Visited again this year, still amazing!
One of the best aquariums I've ever been to. A great facility with excellent displays.
This aquarium is one if the best I've seen. Stand under circling sardines, pet critters in the touch pools, see colorful fish, jellies, coral, seaweed, eels, mollusks, sharks, and sea turtles in the tanks. Great for all ages!
Our overall experience at the aquarium was fun but it just felt a little disappointing. Our local aquarium back in Phoenix at the world zoo seemed to be just as big and diverse with sea life with exception of a couple exhibits.
Our high points were definitely the jelly's and the open sea feeding. Definitely made this aquarium stand out however not worth the trip.
Eventhough the extetior structure seems small, we were not able to see everything. They have a nice mix of live performances and kids activities along with of course the amazing sea and marine life. A great time was had by all. Consider Family or season passes for value on your visits.
Interesting museum with a good look and many interesting exhibit. Very pricey tickets and expensive food. Also hard to find parking.
Love it. Second time for me and wife. Brought our 2 sons for their 1st time. Our 4 year old loved it. Can't wait to come back again.
Great place for a day-cation with the family. You can easily spend the whole day inside, or change it up with a quick jaunt to the shops and restaurants outside.
Excellent and clean facility. Lot of display and exhibits. Very informative. Tons of information. Every nook and corner is filled with information in an intriguing format.
We had a blast!!!
The local band was the best! (The Joint Chiefs) We danced and enjoyed hearing the live band. They were excellent and authentic. The sound was so clean.
So damn expensive. Can see everything in a few hours. Weekends are just to busy to really enjoy anything.
montereybayaquarium.org