Monterey Bay Aquarium
add photosTop Ten Aquarium Zones for Kids
- Anchovies: Thousands of them swim overhead at the Outer Bay.
- Touch Pool: Feel a sea cucumber, crabs, and other sea creatures.
- Bat Ray Exhibit: Touch one of the sea’s strangest animals.
- Wave Crash: At the Shores exhibit, a (wet) surprise!
- Otter Mealtime: Watch hungry otters chow down at 10:30 A.M. or 1:30 or 4:30 P.M.
- Feed the Animals: At 11:30 A.M. or 4:00 P.M. at the Kelp Forest, see a diver feed the fish.
- Flippers, Flukes, and Fun: Try on seal fins, test your skills, and catch whale food.
- Bubble Windows: Get a fish’s-eye view at the Bay Habitats.
- Kelp Lab: Touch Kelp Forest creatures and view them under a microscope.
- Splash Zone: Dive into bright coral reefs; roam rocky shores; and visit eels, sharks, and penguins.
75 Reviews for Monterey Bay Aquarium
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"Great Aquarium!"
How could we get so close and not take our junior naturalist to the aquarium? I generally avoid this type of place on weekends, but we made an exception on our trip out west. And, despite the crowds (it was World Oceans Day!), we had a fabulous time. There was SO much to see, plus a wonderful touch pool for Chloe to explore. The children's area was wonderful, too.
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"Fun to go at least once"
We went here as a family a couple years ago (my daughter was about 5). Let me say that if you can AVOID going on a weekend it might be a better experience. If you don't mind crowds, then you will be fine on a weekend. We arrived late because there was SO much traffic. We left at around 9am from San Jose, and it was a traffic jam the last 4 miles of the trip. When we got there, the parking was very limited and we parked about 5 blocks away. Finally, when we entered the facility, it was about noon. We started to try and walk around and enjoy the exhibits/displays....it was easy to walk on the 'floor', but when we were at each exhibit, it was elbow to elbow...very uncomfortable. People were not polite & very pushy. The displays were nice - our favorite was the jellyfish. They had lots of fish in tanks in dark rooms, touch-pools where kids could touch different things, a couple huge tanks with sharks, and more. We tried to eat there, and it was outrageously expensive, super crowded and super-close dining (practically dining at another person's table...hard to walk in & out if you forgot a napkin the first time). I'm glad we went once, but we won't probably go again...even if it is free.
0 families found this helpful
"A Marine Marvel"
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is the best of the best. The facility is immaculate, absolutely beautiful. This is a great place for children of all ages and adults too. The marine life is displayed in such a way as to appear like works of art. There is a ton of educational material and plenty of hands on learning as well. Set on the bay itself this aquarium is sunny and bright, the perfect place to spend the whole day!
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"Completely Worth It!!!"
I absolutely love aquariums and the Monterey Bay Aquarium is worth every penny! We spent the entire day enjoying the beautiful sea creatures. We went especially for the exhibit, "The Secret Lives of Sea Horses" How cute! We took so many pictures. The kids enjoyed the hands-on exhibit in which they were allowed to touch sea critters, including starfish. The kids also loved the penguin feeding. We were so close to them; only a glass window separating us. The most amazing feature of the aquarium was the ocean waves going "over" you. The aquarium set it up so that the waves hit the glass that curves above your head. The kids loved seeing the sea life that washed up on this glass.
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"One of the best aquariums!"
This aquarium is unbelievably big in size. It has so many different types of sea creatures including numerous exhibits. The first time I went there, I was trying to do everything all at once after looking at the program schedule because there is just so much to do there. Not to mention, outside of the aquarium you have numbers of shops, restaurants, and of course the beach to enjoy!
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"Fun Place"
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a fun place to go. There are a lot of sea animals and it is kid friendly. It can get very crowded though. We found someone who had year round tickets and could bring friends so we went with them, saving some money because tickets aren't cheap.
1 family found this helpful
"Monterey Bay Aquarium"
If your family visits Monterey, California, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a MUST. This activity will keep the entire family excited all day. There are otters, seals, birds, octopus, fish of all species, plants, and so much more. There is a kelp forest that holds approximately 1/3 of a million gallons of water and an otter bay that holds about 1.2 million gallons of sea water. The fish displays are incredible, my favorite is the hammerhead sharks. There is a wonderful touch tank. Touching the sea life is highly encouraged. There are so many wonderful hands on activities that all will enjoy. It is truly an amazing experience for the entire family.
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"A Great Aquarium"
This place isn't world renowned for nothin'! The Monterey Bay Aquarium is definitely full of stunning displays of animals. One highlight of the aquarium is the dinners that they offer. They can be pricey but you will get to see the Aquarium outside of business hours. We went to a Jazz dinner that included a wonderful dinner and wine pairing and then you got to walk around the aquarium listening to several jazz bands located in front of different animal displays. Of course kids love this place and beg to come back. If it's a nice day, spend some time outside checking out the scenery.
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"Monterey Aquarium"
Very beautiful. This took most of the day. Prices were fair for what you saw. would go again. I really enjoyed the jelly fish they were so beautiful. The food was slim I would eat something before you visit. I enjoyed this very much, but the little ones got board of it fast.
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"A great place to take your kids for the day. "
Our son 3 1/2 LOVES the big tanks of fish. We like that the aquarium is big enough that even with a lot of people, we can still see all the attractions. The aquarium has a great kids area with several hands-on exhibits as well as unique tanks that allow the kids to go under parts of the water (like tunnels). I appreciate their snack bar which has several kid -friendly choices too. The only downside might be the cost of admission which for a family of 4 can be quite high.
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"Fantastic!"
One of the best aquariums I have ever been to, and one of the largest. Massive tanks full of fish everywhere. The children were fascinated on our last visit and we could not get enough of it. It is well organized and there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance. You will not regret a visit here - totally worth it.
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"Best Aquarium"
This is the best aquarium for children of all ages. We took our almost two-year-old son and he LOVED it. We really enjoyed the flow (no pun intended) of the exhibits and the information presented. It's educational and hands on and a great experience for children. Conveniently located on Cannery Row, it's super close to restaurants and right on the beautiful coastline.
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"Awesome and educational"
If you are looking for a fun and educational outing then look no further. The aquarium has great exhibits. You can pet sting rays and see jelly fish up close and personal. All of the exhibits and well lighted and clean. Even little ones will enjoy all of the beauty and gorgeous surroundings of this place!
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"Great Time"
This place is somewhere all Californians should travel to at least once. This is a wonderful museum where you can see things you might not see anywhere else. A couple years ago they had a great white shark on display and it was awesome. Cute shops are right around the museum if you would like to eat after your trip.
0 families found this helpful
"Great for Families with animal lovers"
We loved visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It has so many different areas to explore. The dark backdrops and eerie lighting in the jelly fish experience puts kids in a hushed mood. When my little guy saw those crazy looking creatures, he was in awe.
They have 3-4 "touch" tanks, where kids can get their hands on starfish, sting rays and others. They have a "wet zone" area where toddlers can play and learn about waves.
The penguin feeding is very popular, so I'd recommend scouting out your spot early so that you can see these cute creatures in action - the spots on the top level are the best - where you can see the penguins in and out of the water.
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"Love the Aquarium!"
I've been going here since I was a kid. Alot of it is still the same but there have also been additions as well. My son was 2 when we first took him and he had a good time. He really enjoyed looking at the fish, seeing the kelp and jelly fish. My favorite is the star fish and being able to touch and feel different sea creatures.
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"This is an Amazing Experience, However..."
You really have to pick the right time of year to go here, because it can be VERY easy to go from happy family time to complete hell because of no crowd control. I am not a hermit or a personal space nazi, but I have been here with my little one and almost had a panic attack. They really just should know when to stop selling admission or have breaks in ticket sales throughout the day. Otherwise, this place is amazing and completely enchanting. Getting so close to the cute otters, the humungous shark tank (I have been there when there was a Great White baby--SO COOL), the tide pools for touching and up close observation, even the cafeteria was good! Definitely one of the best aquariums out there, but if you have a hard time with crowds, try to find out when the off season is. I have been in November before Thanksgiving break and it was perfect!
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"Hours of fun and learning adventures!"
My girls, ages 7 & 4, are always sad when we have to leave this place. When we go we try to arrive as early as possible and we stay until near closing. I always bring an extra shirt because there are touch tanks and my kids always get wet. Grab a copy of the daily activities when you get there as there are various feedings you can watch throughout the day. My kids' favorite is the penguin feedings. The website is also an amazing resource. They offer printables and activities you can do at home. They also have a couple of online only exhibits. A few of their physical exhibits have webcams which we check often. We like the otter and penguin cams.
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"Love the Aquarium"
We brought our 3-yr old daughter for the first time yesterday and she had a blast! She's already talking about going back to see the fishes. There is so much to see and so much to do - never a dull moment. We love the seahorses and the penguins and everything else is good also.
0 families found this helpful
"Deep Sea Walking..."
My husband loves aquariums but had never been to this one. When we went here he was ecstatic and thought it was by far one of the best he's been, too, and he's seen several around the world. But most importantly my daughter loved this place, as well, and at the time she was only one. Her favorite parts were the penguins (because of "Happy Feet") and the fish that looked like Nemo and Dory. Be sure to see the jellyfish exhibit. It was my husband's and my favorite part.
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