Seattle Aquarium
add photosSeattle Aquarium has so much to fascinate kids and adults of any age. Stand within a circle of glowing jellyfish. Run your fingers along a sea anemone’s soft tentacles. Delight in the antics of the sea otters. The underwater dome is truly spectacular!
Call for fish feeding times!!
26 Reviews for Seattle Aquarium
25
50 families found this helpful
"Great Underwater Adventure"
The very location of the Aquarium adds to the fun. Being on the Seattle waterfront (just below Pike's Place Market) makes this a fun location. The Aquarium itself will not disappoint. We took two of our kids there who really enjoyed themselves. The huge tanks (floor to ceiling) of fish are cool. The upper levels are outside, so this place is best enjoyed on a clear and warm day.
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1 family found this helpful
"Eh..."
I have friends that love this place, but I have to say it really wasn't that great. Maybe it's because I've fed turtles at Sea Life Park in Hawaii that now my standards have changed. My 5 year old boy was bored and hyper here (but he is not an animal watcher). My two and half year old daughter liked the outdoor part where the seals or were they sea lions? were located. Other than that, it was quite a quick trip. The price to get in is so expensive! Luckily, we had an entertainment book coupon (highly recommend these). We had looked into getting a City Pass as well. Overall, not great for our family. I'd rather pay one admission and go to Pt. Defiance (they have an aquarium and a play area and a zoo). Save some money and my kids would be happier.
0 families found this helpful
"The new changes are fabulous!"
We take out of town visitors here a lot because you can visit the aquarium and Pike Place Market in the same trip quite easily. I was very surprised last time I was there to see that they've made some significant improvements and I love them. It's a place you absolutely need to check out! It's a great place to get a taste of seattle...the waterfront, sea life at the aquarium, and the nearby market make it a fun day for kids young and not so young!
0 families found this helpful
"Well done mid-size aquarium"
The Seattle Aquarium is a good family location to visit. I consider it a mid-size aquarium with a good variety of exhibits, most notably a wonderful jellyfish display. They are know for their local animal/sealife exhibits. Some of the smaller outdoors dispays could use a bit of updating. Overall, it is very family friendly and accessible and affords a few hands-on opportunities.
1 family found this helpful
"Your kids will LOVE it!"
The Seattle Aquarium is absolutely a fantastic place to visit for the whole family. The sea-life you find there is incredible, and you learn so much! the kids will love looking at all the fish and other wild-life, as well as learning more about them. I don't know if they still have it, but they used to have a mini submarine that would take you into the water to see a real large octopus. So fun!
0 families found this helpful
"Overpriced and underwhelming."
The Seattle Aquarium is usually and unfortunately quite the disappointment. We go every summer and I am always hoping for something new and exciting but they never seem to impress. They have a severe lack of exhibits and are quite spendy! They have a cafe area located further into the aquarium but like the admission to the aquarium itself, the cafe is way overpriced. It's an ok place to spend the day but don't get your hopes up for anything spectacular.
0 families found this helpful
"amusing"
I think that this aquarium is put together very well I think that its a little pricey but I thing well worth it. My kids 3 and 5 loved the big fish type of tank when we first walked in. They stared at the fish in the window forever I think that they could have stayed there and been the happiest kids ever. They really enjoyed this exhibit and we would do it again the next time we visit Seattle in the near future.
1 family found this helpful
"Loved it"
My favorite part of the aquarium was the jelly fish arch you could walk through. It was memorizing! The rest of the aquarium was a lot of fun as well. They had many places where you could sit and rest to watch the fish, which was really nice since most of our travels around Seattle were on foot, so having a place where we could be a little bit more leisurely was wonderful.
0 families found this helpful
"We had the best day!"
Our family visited the Seattle Aquarium in April, 2010. We had a wonderful time. It was pricey but worth every penny. We ended up spending the whole afternoon there and enjoyed every minute. There are so many things to see and do. The fish are beautiful and displayed so you feel like you are right with them. It was a day dream's are made of!
0 families found this helpful
"A visit to the Sea"
If you ever wondered what was under all those waves, the Seattle Aquarium can help you get a better glimpse. If the main viewing tank that stands floor to ceiling tall is not enough, come back at feeding time and you get a great view of all the activity that goes on under the water. The tide pool is wonderful and my kids loved the hand on experiences of touching a starfish and other gooey things. The otters are fun to watch and personally I could not get enough of them. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, although I could have done this for two days.
0 families found this helpful
"A bit on the pricey side"
If you can find free tickets or tickets on sale grab 'em while they're hot...because the regular price of tickets is phenomenal!! I mean, I realize this is Seattle and all, but almost 60 bucks for 2 kids and 3 non-kids...yikes!
That said, it was fun. The kids LOVED the giant glass window into the fish area. And being able to actually reach out and touch starfish and other squishy sea urchins is a lot of fun. Watching the sea otters swim around was exciting for the kids. But the whole visit felt short, we were a little underwhelmed, you could say.
All in all, it's your basic aquarium with lot's of different kinds of fish.
So, the kids had fun, but for that price, I won't go more than once a year...it's definitely no Sea World!!!
0 families found this helpful
"Awesome Aquarium"
Although it is a little spendy, it was well worth the money!! It is truly an aquarium that is part of the Puget Sound. Fantastic hands-on tide pools with great people helping with the exhibit. We loved standing under the jellyfish arch tube...although my pictures didn't come out well. It was a fantastic trip for my 5 year old...my 2 year old loved the tanks filled with bright colored fish. Wish we could have stayed longer, my 5 year old would live there if she could.
0 families found this helpful
"Good..."
It was good, our son liked being able to touch the starfish and look at all the fish.
However, I do have to say that we thought it was too expensive for what we saw. We didnt spend more than a couple hours there... it was a day when they didnt have kids activities scheduled, maybe that contributed to our disspointment. We were visiting Seattle, so no chance of going back the next day.
Maybe we will give it another chance on our next visit. :)
0 families found this helpful
"Great fun!"
We visited the Seattle Aquarium with our two year old daughter. She absolutely love it! The large glass aquariums that greet you in the open lobby were a definite hit. She was even able to interact with one of the scuba divers that was inside the tank...that made her day! The aquarium is set up so that it is very easy to flow from one exhibit to another. There are a lot of different species on exhibit and it is very easy for families to see everything. We spent about two hours walking (or running to catch our daughter) through all of the rooms. I would definitely recommend visiting if you are in the Seattle area.
0 families found this helpful
"A must see!"
My daughter loves this place! She enjoys the touch tank, and she really, really loves the giant tank that takes up a whole wall that you see right when you get it. Last tine we went, my youngest was just a few months old and cried the whole time. I went on a day where there were several school field trips occupying space and it was nearly impossible to get my double stroller through the madness. I would stick with a front pack for the young ones. Once I had that on, she was much better, and we were able to manuever better. On a slow day, this place is amazing, and a great place for the whle family. On a busy day, it's a bit of a hassle, but still a fun trip.
0 families found this helpful
"a nice outing on a rainy day"
My one-year-old daughter and three college friends went here one rainy afternoon. It was nice. We were there for two hours and especially enjoyed seeing the starfish. My daughter seemed to enjoy the first hour, but fell asleep towards the end (her usual naptime). We would go back on another rainy afternoon for something to do! :)
1 family found this helpful
"Seattle Aquarium with young kids"
The Seattle Aquarium is definitely a fun place for little ones! Our 3 year old and 1 year old love looking at all the fish up close and personal, and one of our favorite things there are the adorable sea otters. Don't miss those! However, the price is a LOT for what you're getting, so really try to find discounts and deals before you go.
Tip: Spend at least two hours there to be able to see everything, and bring strollers for the little ones!
1 family found this helpful
"Great Aquarium"
This aquarium is really exciting for kids of all ages. They have little tide pool areas where children can look and touch starfish. They also have a very fascinating exhibit with jellyfish that lights up the jellyfish with different colors. My kids' favorite thing was the diver in the large tank when you first come in.
0 families found this helpful
"Once a year is enough"
When you first walk in the Window on Washington Waters is impressive and the diver show is informative. Then you walk past the Crashing Waves exhibit which is cool but scares my 28 month old. My daughter liked playing in the tide pools but there is no easy way for little kids to access them, you have to precariously hold them up over the edge. The giant octopus talk is the best! My daughter stayed interested most of the show and I really enjoyed it! I like the jelly fish and my daughter could care less. The seals and otters are pretty cute. And you can definantly spend some time in the underwater dome, lots to see there. I did not know there was a cafe and espresso there!?! I am so glad to know that now thanks to another member's review.
You can get a discounted membership if you are a zoo member but I would personally probably stick to Zoo and Science Center memberships. It is not worth it for me to drive from Everett more than once a year for that, but maybe my daughter is still a little too young to fully enjoy. If you live closer a membership might be worth it.
3 families found this helpful
"A very nice aquarium"
The Seattle Aquarium is located on the Seattle Waterfront, in downtown Seattle, just a few blocks from the famous Pike Place Market. It's a very nice, recently redone aquarium, with lots of cool displays and a big variety of sea creatures. One of the best displays is the one you see right when you walk in, the gigantic Window on Washington Waters.
My son especially liked the otter exhibit- it was fun to watch the otters as they swam and climbed out of the water and jumped back in again. The underwater dome exhibit is also very cool, it's a gigantic dome that offers 360 degree views of a 400,000 gallon tank with tons of fish!
When you need a break from all the sea life, there's a nice coffee shop-type eating area upstairs, where you can sit and relax.
There are lots of other great displays at the Aquarium including a tide pool and a coral reef. If you have kids that love fish and aquariums (and I've yet to meet a kid that doesn't!) take a trip to the Seattle Aquarium.
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