National SeaLife Centre Birmingham Review

Visited here with my 7 year old daughter - at her request. Paid for the tickets using Tesco vouchers; happy days.

My recipe for a good visit :
1) get here early; slightly before opening time
2) head straight to the underwater tube/tunnel thing; gape at the large sea turtles, and the sharks
3) head out (remember to get stamped at the desk) - grab a coffee from somewhere. I went to the cafe at the Ikon Gallery close by
4) head back in, and take a more leisurely stroll around, understanding that you will be in with many more people now.
5) see the 4D film - we saw a Jim Henson film, and it was really good
6) go out, grab some lunch - you can go back in if you want to

One happy daughter; one less than usually grumpy daddy !

Great but very busy. If at all possible buy tickets online in advance or you may have to wait to get in.

Awesome day out, plenty to see and do with passionate staff.

Excellent day out,
Many activities to get children involved,
Includes 4D cinema experience.
Extras involve a play centre and backstage passes.
A small shop at the end, a little pricey.

Went to the Sea Life centre on July 21st with my partner. Hadn t been in years it was just as good as I remembered. Social distancing markings were everywhere it was unfortunate that the majority of people weren t following them. We had to ask multiple groups of people to keep their distance. Staff were great and it s a fantastic day out. Value for money

Good layout when walking round good activities for the kids short 4d film is a must see saved best till last under water tunnel

Well worth every penny getting in.

Just amazing.

Good, hopefully will be even better after the refurb.

Came here with my boyfriend who's a full-time manual wheelchair user as a surprise for his birthday. Let's just say neither of us are in a rush to come back! Their website claims to be "fully accessible" yet the ramp(s) to get in are angled in such a way that, I had to "run" up them with my boyfriend pushing as hard and fast as he could and even then we struggled. If he'd been in a powerchair, we'd have had to give up (we were close to it when we attempted the first ramp!).



We approached the starfish area where we were able to stroke one of them. As I stated earlier, my boyfriend is a full-time wheelchair user and due to the shape of the rock pool, he wasn't able to pull up next to it and easily reach over to stroke one of the starfish. At other aquariums (mainly The Deep in Hull), the staff "held" the starfish so everyone was able to reach if they wanted to. I asked the lady if that would be possible as my boyfriend couldn't reach and she snapped back "We can't do that here". I understand everywhere has different policies etc, but all she had to say was she's not allowed, rather then snapping back.

We decided to try and find the "underground tunnel" only to end up going round and round in circles, unable to find a way there. We managed to find an "alternative" route which was several flights of stairs with no lift. We then attempted to go to the "upstairs" bit and try to make the best we could.

Again, we had to "run" up the ramp in order to actually get anywhere due to the incline of the ramp. We got to the top, had one quick look around and thought "Screw this" and decided to leave early (We'd been there about 40-50 minutes).

Before leaving, we both decided we wanted to fill in a complaint form to be told they don't have one but we could talk to the manager which we thought was better then nothing.

After explaining the situation, we were told that we came at the "wrong" time as they were busy but they do have lifts so we could have got around the different parts of the aquarium. There was no signs pointing out where the lifts were so they're pretty well hidden as we went through the whole aquarium (well, the parts that we could get to) and didn't come across any of these lifts.

The manager said we should come back later when it isn't as busy, and said she'd give us a few "codes" (I assume for entry next time we come). Coming back later wasn't an option as we had other places we needed to be.

The manager we spoke to was very snappy and had the "not our problem" mindset which didn't help.

Coming to SeaLIFE has left a very bitter taste in our mouths and I highly doubt we'll be returning in the foreseeable future. I planned to bring my boyfriend here as a surprise for his birthday because I know it's somewhere we've both wanted to go to for ages as we both like aquariums.

I would NOT recommend coming here unless you're prepared to deal with rude staff who seen to have the "not my problem" attitude and I DEFINITELY wouldn't recommend coming if you or someone you're coming with uses a wheelchair, there are far better places to visit!

Took our son for his birthday 1st birthday, brilliant.

A little disappointment. The place is quite small. Lots of fun for children.

Groupon tickets - waste of money as we couldn't use them at 'weekends'! (who goes to Sealife durung the week!). How rubbish! Will never use Groupon again! Not totally Sealife centres fault but in a small way how could they allow Groupon to sell their tickets this way with that stipulation! Put it down to 50% Groupon error and 50 Sealife as it has salied their good name! In my defence this was not a 'first' time error made as Sealife seemed to take delight in telling me that WE had made error! Hense 3 stars, ie 50% at fault. PLEASE CHECK YOURSELVES WHEN USING GROUPON!!

Great day out feels abit small but other than that it's fantastic

Very good for kids and adults but they wouldn't let us in the building before our ticket time so they directed us to a coffee shop, not the best

Excellent day out on a cold and rainy February Thursday. Our party ranged in age from 8 to 58. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day. Educational and enjoyable afternoon. Staff friendly and informative.

Brilliant place to take family and friends. Will go again

Great day. Would recommend it over Christmas as it was not busy and is free to see a lovely Santa. We were a very mixed age group and all have a great time. If we were more local would get an annual pass as It's pretty pricey for a 1 off visit.

Great for a family day out. It was a bit smaller than we expected but it was still enjoyable.

A great morning out, but be prepared to be mobbed by over excited school kids during the week

Small & very busy, some nice tanks, some empty tanks, not ideal for asd child of a weekend. I'd go again on a quiet day.

Sea Life was good the staff were friendly and the attractions where excellent it's a great place to take kids and have a great family day outthere was lots to see and make sure that you have your phone charged or camera with you as there are a lot to take pictures of. Parking is great it's just down the road if you search for sea Life centre parking and it will take you to a multi-storey car park and the sea Life centre is about 2-minutes walk there are also food places nearby

Absolutely amazing, I've done both the shark feeding experience and the behind the scenes tour and thoughoughly enjoyed both as well as meeting all the residents of the centre

Really enjoyed our visit my 9 year old loved the 4d cinema definitely worth the money

Good for a day out with the kids. They enjoyed everything Sea Life had to offer. Would be nice if there was a cafe half way round and more toilets too.

As you would expect from musieum its a walkthrough. Fun to see all animals, few activities for kids, recommend to take stamp quest for them. Good place to visit once a year.

Good location to go e
With the family

Went with kellogs voucher meant to pay for kids only. Website very misleading and I thought 18 each on door but was nearly 42 as prices different again as with with a voucher you pay an individual price which isn't explained on their website, prices on website could be clearer, seems to be geared for online booking only. Parked in snow hill car park and it was a 20 minute work , half of it was along the historic canal which was very interesting. Researched parking on website as couldn't park at the barclay arena all day because of an event . Website told me it would be 3.50 but payed for 24 hours at around 11 pounds as didn't know how long we would be as it only went up to 6 hours then jumped to 24 hours. Pay with card if you have mobile phone to ring the number to pay. Parked at top of Milton story to see the view , easy to get to off the M6 with help of sat navigation. We used the sat navigation to walk to sealife and it was easy to follow. Sealife was good but smaller than expected and dread to thonk how packed it woukd be in the summer andchow difficukt it would be to view the fish etc. unfortunately it was very busy so we looked at what we could, penguins the most entertaining, ate our packed lunch on a bench, plenty of seats. Then got our hand stamped and went out for a drink at Costa. No cafe in sealife but there are some vending machines. We returned at 4pm and it was lovely and quiet so we could see more and things we had missed. But at 5pm the fire alarm went off and we were evacuated, we waited quite a while but it wasn't sorted so couldn't go back in so we got a free family ticket to go back so we were happy with that. Children's trails to do and they receive a medal when completed. Gift shop at the end.

Would highly recommend for a family day out, great layout,easy to navigate through and the staff are above and beyond, they make sure you're having the best time you possibly could have. Thank you for an amazing experience.

The setup means you walk continuously through the exhibits. All indoor with no natural light. Busy, very noisy, lots of push chairs. A bit claustrophobic at times. Best bit is the walk through tunnel near the end so you're up close and personal with sharks and turtles. And kids were ready for the chance to chase round in the soft play area.

It was good to see all sealife creatures. Kids loved it. Shame it takes just under a hour to get round it all would have preferred it took a bit longer.

The tanks seemed small. Previously visited sea life centre in Blackpool and I think the layout was virtually the same. So once you've seen one you've seen them all.

Great day out - you can get around it very quickly so perhaps more of a half day trip but still lots of fun

Great experience, the babies loved it. But bizarre that there's no cafe but otherwise it was amazing. The tunnel alone is worth it.

Amazing child friendly super helpful staff and my children ages 1 and 4 loved the turtle

Currently part of the attraction is closed, yet there was nothing on the website informing us of this, and there was no money off the admission

Unfortunately the penguin enclosure was shut. We knew it was closed via an email we received. They also provided us with free tickets for a return visit. We went just after opening and it was not to busy. The kids enjoyed all of the different marine life. Great morning out.

Great little set up it took us an hour to slowly walk around. My only problem was trying to be polite to every one that couldn't social distance from me and my group.
Loads of reminders throughout the hols center but children not in their " bubble "
Thanks to the staff, very well run.

We always have a fantastic day out at Birmingham Sea Life Centre. The exhibits are all easy to get around and my children love seeing all the different fish and creatures. The last time we visited it was the busiest I've ever seen it but there was still minimal queuing time and we were able to get around easily. Can be tricky for people with pushchairs, especially on very busy days. Enjoyed the 4D cinema experience although I'm hoping they change the film soon as have now seen the same one 5 times! Looking forward to seeing the new exhibit that is currently being built.

I absolutely love it at the Sea Life Centre, so many interesting species to look at! It's very relaxing being here. The only thing that ruins it is the amount of school trips allowed in at one time as I find it hard getting a fair look as I feel rushed to move for the kids, I think that really needs to be looked into because it can get a little bit claustrophobic when You are crowded in with all those kids like that and other people have paid their money too. Other than that it can be a lovely experience being in among all of those interesting fish.

The best selection of sea life I've ever see in one place

Great experience. Amazing variety of fish in realistic models of their natural habitat. The penguins are fun to watch as you can see them above and below the water and really see what amazing swimmers they are as they fly through the water chasing eachother. The giant sea turtle is great to watch from the tunnel as it swims amongst the sharks. The 4D cinema is fun but you will come out a little wet after the experience.

Absolutely brilliant. Couldn't drag my son away from the penguins

Very close to Legoland so it's worth to go to both places on the same day.
You can see Legoland on my picture on the left side. It's just a minute by walk.
SeaLife is a very good place for a family day out. Children can learn something about fish, seahorses, jellyfish, sharks etc.
4d cinema is also interesting.
If you book SeaLife and Legoland then its cheaper.

We had a family day out here. It was very nice to see a good selection of the marine life but it was extremely busy. We found ourselves being pushed along in a conveyor belt way because there were so many people in there. The underwater tunnel with the sharks was the worst bit. It was hard to stand in there and enjoy the view. We ended up almost rushing through. It just came across as though they let as many people in as possible. Sometimes it's better to have a queue to allow a decent capacity of people in at a time. I wouldn't mind queuing and waiting if it meant we got to spend a little longer during our walk through. The souvenir shop is also rather overpriced considering the cost to get into the place too. Would we return? Perhaps if the capacity of people wasn't so vast.

Wonderful attraction for both kids and adults. Parking is two minutes walk from the venue so not too difficult to get here.

Staff are all polite and very helpful as well.

Overpriced for such a small sea Life centre. Not many interesting things to see and the 4d cinema is a complete waste of time. Kids do like it though, so maybe worth it if you have small children.

Learnt lots from listening to the talks given throughout the day. The highlight for me was 'Mo' the rescued turtle. Very friendly and helpful staff

Brilliant. So much for little kids and adults alike. Friendly and helpful staff, clean and constantly improving. Good offers on for families on a budget too. Thanks for a lovely morning.

Will visit in the week with less people there good afternoon out.

Some parts were closed for maintenance but it didn't really affect us and we got a free voucher to come back.

Staff were friendly and helpful and also were knowledgeable about the different creatures.

The fish and other sea life seem happy and healthy here and there's a great selection to see. Always a laugh watching people freak out when the rays "jump" up the side of their tank!

Great day out for the kids... if you dont mind the obviously outdated decor and the "one way system"

Lovely few hour spent at the sea life centre. Busy as it was half term but still plenty to see and do.

Lovely place in Birmingham recreating the natural environment of lots of fish,octopus,piranha,sharks and a giant turtle!

I went with my daughter who is a big lover of aquariums...we really didnt have great expectations but since we were staying in b,ham for a theatre trip..we decided to go...and we were very glad we did...it didnt disappoint...emperor penguins and the seals were lovely...by far the best national sealife centre we go to is in Weymouth,Dorset...but in all fairness this one was very enjoyable...we will go again!!.

Loved the layout, felt very natural. The tunnel was a great experience

Great experience, went as a 1st birthday trip (not my birthday). Good family day out

Really good attraction although could probably do with some more staff directing people

We were not pre-booked & on paying, we were told we couldn't go in for about an hour - there's strict control over the numbers in the building. We took the opportunity too grab a coffee nearby & return at the designated time & you're not allowed in until that time. The tanks hold a collection of species. You don't get a guaranteed sighting of some. The glass tunnel under the water lets you see the sharks, rays & turtles swim alongside & over you giving excellent views. The cinema shows a short educational cartoon. The place lets you see a number of species from the wonderful natural world.

Worth to try if you haven't visited any bigger one's. Won't take more than 1:30 hours and staff's are nice and welcoming. Lots of options for food around the center. Also nice place to spend time, a walk along the beautiful canal? :)

Brilliant day out for the children but the gift shop is expensive so set a budget before entering is my only advice.

very small for cost gift shop very deciving with prices

Been going here since i was younger and love how they keep adding new things to look at. I got the vip pass which lets you have a talk by one of the staff. You also get to see where they look after new arrivals before putting them in the exhibits

Great experience although there's nowhere to eat and the local area isn't really child oriented,

Excellent Sea Life Centre for Young Children. Much loved.

Lovely and clean, lots of fish!! My toddler loved every second of it! Only down side was the fact it was so busy!

from all of the photos i have seen you are keeping all the animals in very small spaces :( they need room to move about if they are going to be kept like this. please dont come here unless you want to enchourage animals being squished together in small spaces, giving them no freedom. feel free to correct me with proof because i havent been here.. it looks clear from the photos that they are being kept in too small a space though. especialy the picture of the snakes. if you are going to keep two snakes that size together in a vivarium they need atleast 3 times the size of the viv that they are kept in in the photo. The photos of the penguins aswell looked like a very small environment for the amount of penguins in the photos

Not sure this one is worth the money if you pay full price. However as we have annual passes we went, my favourite part had to be the walk through aquarium, the sea turtles are amazing and if I hadn't had the Kidd's with me and it wasn't so busy I'd have spent longer in this section. This is still worth seeing but I would see what deals you can get on the tickets.

Amazing day out for any occasion. The staff are so friendly and there s so much to be seen.

Barbaric and cruel. The penguins were unmoving and looked like they wanted to die.

Just amazing and a perfect place to bring your kid.

Super friendly staff and great range of exhibits! Recently fed the penguins there which was incredible! Well looked after and very knowledgable staff.

Great place for sea creatures to watch in their habitat

Disappointed by the staff at the sea life centre, my son and I had travelled for over an hour to get there and were told at 15.30 all tickets had been sold and we would not get in. I tried to explain we had come some distance to get there but the reply I got "lots of people have travelled a distance to get here but I can't just magic up some tickets can i??" In a very sarcastic tone. Very rude.

Loved it. Great place to take children and adults alike. Plenty to see!

Very expensive and only really takes an hour to get round.

Great place for kids and grown-ups who loves watching animals.The pinguin are so cute and you can see sharks swimming in tunnel above you.Great fun!But I'd say I was expecting to see more animals and I though place was bigger

Went here a few weeks ago with my toddler he absolutely loved it prices was very reasonable as I went in term time and he loved the play area at the end :) looking forward to going again.

Great day. Will return when all works completed as felt it took away from the experience.

Lovely day out. Not overly big but perfect for a nice morning out. 4d show was a great addition. Little one loved it.

Lovely place, smaller than you'd imagine but they fit a lot in. Staff are very helpful and polite and seem eager to pass on their knowledge which is nice. Waited around for some of the 'talks' though none of them started on time. The upper floor was closed when we went and a large middle section was under construction as well. They did give us free entry for another time when we handed in our tickets, but when you've already paid online as many do, it seems rather sneaky to not put notice of closures on the website so guests can decide to wait until areas are open to visit.

Overall, closures aside it was a nice visit. We took advantage of getting a 'stamp' so we could pop out for lunch, then came back in the afternoon for a behind the scenes tour, which was actually quite good as well (the baby rays are very cute!).

Had a fantastic day out, my 2 year-old nephew had a fantastic time

Would have been 5 stars if I could have seen the otters. Hopefully their new home will be brilliant for them. Really interesting talk on the UK waters tank.

It's a place where a fun family day out can be enjoyed. Although there was a fire drill it didn't really affect the day much.

A great place to visit with your family, or as a couple.

Had a fab time with my 3 grandchildren the youngest being only 17 months thoroughly enjoyed penguins and Seals could watch them all day,but best of all was the ocean tunnel Wow just Wow

Sea life was under maintenance work when we visited. A bit noisy with access issues, however we were compensated with a free ticket.

However to be specific, this sea life is quite small and collection not that great.