Mote Marine Laboratory Review

My 10 month old and family had a blast! She loved the colorful and interactive exhibits. The staff and volunteers were knowledgable and friendly. Had an awesome day, will definitely be back.

I LOVED coming here. I went with my boyfriend and it was spectacular

So much to see and do at this aquarium and very interactive! Several buildings and exhibits to explore. Spent several hours there and still didn't see everything. Absolutely loved it and will go again!

Get up close to sea turtles and manatees. The staff are very knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions.

A very nice place to visit for those who love marine life. Found it by chance as I was sightseeing around Sarasota. Everyone in the party was pleased including my 83 yo mother. The diner was good, the place was very clean and organized. Lots of helpful staff that would answer any question. Would definitely recommend it because of its attributes, and also because it does not break the bank.

Went with the whole family. Everything we learned was interesting and it was a fun experience. :)

It's a beautiful park overlooking Sarasota bay. Local tourist destination Mote Marine is next door. An overall great place to visit if you're new to the area and want to see some local treasures.

Love the aquarium! Lots of volunteers available to answer questions

Very nice aquarium with a lot to see and experience. There are sharks, turtles, manatees, sea otters, sting rays, and more. I was also very happy to see a simple walking path from one exhibit to the next.

Love mote! They clean our waters save our animals and create a great atmosphere to view all kinds of wild sea creatures

Awesome. Children will love this place. Adults find it informative.

I love bringing my Grandson to Mote, He loves it!!!! Keep up the good work! Excited for the new aquarium

Wonderful place to take kids and teens. Very interactive and at a decent cost. I will be going back soon.

Super fun aquarium and research facility. Fun and learning for the whole family.

World class research facility in the heart of Sarasota. Great aquarium with interactive kids activities, knowledgeable volunteers, and passionate staff.

Great for the little ones and the grown ups also. A nice couple of hours spending educational time learning about the other part of the world we dont see. Oceania life forms.

Great aquarium. Expect to spend 3-4 hours to see it all. The docents are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Small food service onsite was decent portions and very clean.

Absolutely awesome place for the WHOLE FAMILY! Very interactive if you want it to be. Lots of fun extras, super nice helping workers.

The Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is a great stop for adults and kids alike. The marine lab does great work for the community and for the field of marine biology generally, and the aquarium has a bunch of lovely (if occasionally somewhat dated) exhibits.

A little pricey but overall great experience. The ice cream is great

So many educational things for kids to learn about the ocean and it's just amazing

We took our daughter here for the first time recently, and we all enjoyed it. Lots of cool things to look at, and they even have a little dining area. I didn't realize that there were two buildings, plus another area for birds, so be prepared for a lot of walking. We had a lot of fun though. I loved the jellyfish! Great place for a family outing.

It s ok. It s very small and half of it is outside so definitely only go if the weather is good

Kids for families and kids. Accessible able to spend as much or as little time as you want. Many volunteers available to help educate and answer questions.

I have taken my family here numerous times and my kids learn something new every time! Clean establishment with very nice employees and volunteers. They provide education about marine life as well as rescue and rehabilitate animals. Our favorite is the shark tank! Planning on getting yearly memberships.

I walked into our day at Mote with low expectations but needing to cross it off of our list. I was astonished and ended up buying a membership. The single thing that took it over the top for us was that there was an employee every 5th tank to tell a fact, share a "secret", or answer a question. We go to aquariums to learn and we walked away with a wealth of knowledge from the staff. I would say I had more fun at Mote than I did a the Georgia Aquarium, which is suppose to be the best of the best. Mote is a hidden gem. Check them out.

Went here all the time growing up. It's still amazing

Slightly disappointed by the size for how spaced out everything is. Parking is extremely strange and inadequate for the crowds. Worth visiting once.

Visited on a Thursday in late December, and while the parking lot was full, walking through the exhibits inside was fine and not too crowded. Lots of great information and education about the work of the Mote, researchers, conservation and more. I loved that there were multiple areas to touch some of the animals, the rays being my favorite! The staff and volunteers were very friendly and full of knowledge. I recommend this for all ages and interests!

Go every year. Going to work budget again to see if I can become a member!

Lovely spot to bring friends and family. They assate very military friendly which is a big bonus. Their saltwater tanks are actually quite nice which which is often not the case in aquariums this size. Dont come for sharks and the dolphin tank is quite small. Definitely worth a visit. Parking is ok but not great.

A great learning experience, friendly and knowledgeable team members.

Always a great family day with tons of learning for the little ones.

I like it the way it used to be, it felt more inviting. I've had my grandchildren there when they were babies now they're 29 and younger and they all think it's changed in a very cold manner not as inviting.

The exhibits are unique and fun while the staff is friendly, knowledgeable and fun as well! The otters, manatees and turtles are all wonderful along with the brilliantly colored fish and sharks. Definitely worth the 2 hour drive there!

Wonderful experience. Make sure to see both buildings. Lots of fun interesting things to see for young or young at heart.

We are from out of town and come to Sarasota every year so this was our first visit to MOTE. Our son loved seeing all the fish and animals. We did have a bad experience with the lady at the ticket counter. We first asked if they had a student discount which she informed us no, ok no problem. We went ahead and paid for our groups tickets. I looked down on the counter top when she was finishing up the transaction and saw they had a discount if you had a zoo pass (which we had!). I mentioned something to her and she responds to us saying, " Oh yeah you would get a 50% off discount but im finishing up the transaction and the sign clearly says we can not refund anything". You would think if she had good customer service skills (and common sense) she would have asked us if we had any of these other passes that would allow us to get a discount if we had just asked her about a student discount.
Needless to say we visited this place once and i think that will be good enough for us.

Excellent place for a family day outing. There are two buildings holding different exhibits both interesting. A good place to see conservation at work.

Great exhibits of live marine animals. , But no dolphins, only 1 manatee, not as good as Florida Aquarium

This is an awesome place to go to. It is a bit small but it more than makes up for it by being a really fun aquarium. They have all kinds of animals that exist around the Florida waters and they constantly do research on these species to preserve them and their habitat. I highly recommend going here for a great time with the family.

The coolest facilities with the mission to save the planet! Got to love it

It's a great place to.visit and enjoy nature. A great progrsm.

I really liked this place. We are staying in Anna Maria and was looking for an aquarium to go to and couldn't decide between this or Tampa. I'm glad we chose this, it was plenty big and lots of exhibits to see. The volunteers were very helpful and the place was clean and not overcrowded. The manatees were a hit with the kids!

Very hands on aquarium. Beautiful location. Lots to see and do. Just skip lunch at The Salty Dog down the street, worst lunch ever!

Aquarium and a sort of marine hospital. Nice to see.

Both educational and a lot of fun. The aquarium was clean and the animals appeared healthy. I also enjoyed that there are two areas here, one that is across the street which allows for walking and for smaller crowds. The seabird sanctuary is an additional cost, but definitely worth it to learn more about conservation.

What a great place. The staff was so informative. Something for all ages to see

I enjoy the indoor/outdoor experience at Mote, even when it is hot. We prefer to go after season has ended, as it can be trying on your patience during winter months

Wonderful aquarium and rescue, always a delight to visit.

A unique opportunity to visit a place where marine life is studied. Animals in distress are brought here for rehabilitation and then released back into the wild. Tours and boat tours in Sarasota bay are given.

Wished I would have taken the children! Amazing & a learning experience.

It's a great place to take toddlers. My 3 year old loves it

We came on a visit with family in town and had a wonderful time. Or favorite parts were all different; while I preferred the turtles, my kids all chose between the otters, jellyfish, and sharks. The facility is clean and varied and I would recommend it to anyone curious.

Very enjoyable, want to return and take more time to see and learn more.

I am 65 yrs young. Grew up in Sarasota. My first trip to mote I would say 10 or 11 yrs old. Just a few concrete tanks. Visited again last yr, totally impressed. I live in VA now. I have visited Sarasota, Englewood and st Petersburg over the last 46 yrs more than I can count. Please help me find a way to help with the more frequent occurrence of red tide to the Southwest /gulf coast. It is heartbreaking. What can we do?