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I would love to give this place 5 star, but unfortunately it's not worth it. Tickets are quite pricey for this aquarium. I purchased mine though Groupon and it was a better deal. First of all staff on the register are all spaced out, then you need to spend extra to buy tokens for any additional activities, and it was hot and humid inside while crowded on a regular Saturday. Compare to sea life in San Antonio or one in Dallas, this one needs some improvements. My child enjoyed some parts of it, but was not that impressed. I wish they would have more funds to inprove the quality of the conditions.

This place is just amazing.It seems like all that animals are treated right.The places kept clean.The animals are fed and the staff here is great. We had the great pleasure of meeting lee, one on one when he gave us the wallaby exhibit, and he was just outstanding guy, very personable, how to al answered questions made you feel comfortable?May the kids feel comfortable at the same time kept by the rules.It was really an experience that you have to come and see for yourself.I would suggest bringing your little ones here and checking it out. It's fairly reason to be priced as well.And they have tokens where you can feed the animals and interact with the animals, turtles, fishes, surf.Turf it's so fun

I really can't say enough good things about the Austin Aquarium. I have been coming for years with my grand kids who all have enjoyed it! Today we met team member Cody-(sp.) who was nice enough to chat with us. He was feeding some of the ?lizards live crickets and I offered a general compliment about the atmosphere and what a great hands on experience they provide! My grand children all love snakes -and the fact that I'm totally afraid of them . Invariably -they (and especially the youngest g-son) will request to hold a snake of get the ginormous, largest reptile there out of her environment so he can " cuddle" with her. Don't hesitate to go-it's affordable and appropriate for ALL ages!!!

The Austin Aquarium is a combination of a party center, petting zoo, aquarium, and indoor zoo. It is a bit pricey compared to a regular zoo and they have a separate token purchase system for little rides, petting or feeding different animals, or for partying with the mermaids. They also have a small cafeteria with a bunch of seating to host a party. On the way out they have a huge gift store. You can probably see everything in 30 min if you don't want to spend extra tokens. My 4yo son wasn't too fond of this place - maybe it was too dark and felt claustrophobic for him. I did enjoy seeing some unique animals not too common at other zoos, like wallabys, capybara, and the extremely rare axolotl. For kids, one benefit of checking out the Austin Aquarium is that they have Indigo Indoor Playground right next door and its a short drive to an awesome Japanese restaurant - Midori Sushi.

Only positive about this aquarium is there is a few places for actual interaction. But I'm not sure the water is being properly filtered? I'm not sure any of these exhibits are being properly cared for. Air circulation is stale. The whole place needs to be reconstructed and updated, especially at the price and token rate you're paying. You feel like you're walking into the tiger king version of an aquarium. Staff were nice though. Don't come on the weekends it's packed as hell.

We went to the Austin aquarium for the first time today. My wife and I, our son and daughter-in-law and grandson all went. It was a great experience and I think well worth the money. We we were fortunate that a young man by the name of Markus Greeted us at the counter when we came in. He helped us to figure out what was the best package to buy. We ended up with the annual pass for my wife and I and that allowed us to get our kids in as guests for the same money that it would've cost us. This allows my wife and I to go back to the aquarium once every month or so and to take other guests with us when we go. The establishment was extremely clean and I think well organized. I also would like to thank a young man by the name of Lee, who was very helpful to us both in the Wallaby encounter as well as one of the bird encounters that we did. All of the staff that we engaged with, and that we saw helping others were extremely good.

The Austin Aquarium was such a fun experience, especially for little ones! While the building itself is on the smaller side, all the animals and fish looked beautiful and well cared for. They had a great variety of creatures including stingrays, ducks, turtles, chickens, wallabies, and of course, plenty of fish. One of the highlights was how interactive it is. Kids and guests get the chance to feed and interact with the animals, which made the visit extra special. The workers were all friendly and helpful, making sure everyone had a good time. It's the perfect quick outing, especially for toddlers. We spent about 30 minutes there, which felt just right for younger kids. A great little spot for hands-on fun and learning! It's on the pricier side compared to the Austin zoo that's way bigger

Really didn't expect much BUT I was surprised You can touch, feed, multiple animals such as lemurs, sloths, sting rays, and more For extra fee, you buy tokens to pet animals and buy food to feed others They have a concession stand and big gift shop Look at the yearly pass Might be cheaper Kids and adults alike were all around Staff was very nice and they will carry animals around for you to pet-for a token I recommend you go check this out
There are so many creatures to witness at Austin Aquarium: sharks, several fishes, jellyfish, starfish, anemones, various stingrays, crustaceans, and even others like different species of lemurs, birds, and reptiles. There are small stations to purchase food or drinks, and a huge gift shop with so many cute items to choose from. Is it the grandest venue with state of the art attractions? No!! But it has character and charm, and their animals look taken care of, which is (to me) more important than it *looking* fancy or high tech. A cool thing about Austin Aquarium is that there is educational material everywhere you look, AND almost every animal has an extra add-on ($$) you can take advantage of if you have a favorite that you want to interact with. I've never see that as an option before! It's so important to preserve nature, educate fellow humans, and appreciate the other animals that we share the globe with. If you're looking for a fun activity to fill the day with, this wouldn't be a bad idea. The kids running around were all having a BLAST! I can't think of a single good reason (within reasonable expectation) to give them less than 5 stars. They're all doing their best, I got my moneys worth, and I had a great time! read more
This place is so disappointing! It's dark and so dirty. The place should be shut down. The cages are so small for the animals and they are filthy. Even the fish tanks are cloudy and nasty. Literally took 10 minutes to walk through for $60! Do not come here! read more
Pretty cool indoor aquarium, brought my nephew here as we are visiting from Hawaii for his 5th birthday! Hard to say if he had fun, but I did! lol Little pricey at $24.95 for 3 olds and up. But still cool to check it out! read more
This is by far the worst aquarium I had ever been to. In fact, this shouldn't even be called an aquarium. It's a fish petting zoo that also had a capybara, lemurs, tarantulas, and birds. When I first walked in through the doors, it gave me pet store vibes right away. I should've turned back but I had already paid for the overpriced tickets. This was definitely not worth $20 per person. It's even more if you pay for the tokens that get you access to extra things like the sloth encounter or a picture with a Disney Princess, which is so random and odd. Princess Jasmine had a whole set up by the lemurs. It was so chaotic inside. The space itself is pretty small and each room is packed with tanks and exhibits of animals. I'm sure this place is pretty busy on a regular basis but we happened to have gone on a day where there was a birthday party. On one hand, you have little kids with balloon pirate swords running around (yes, there's a booth with man doing balloon animals for a few tokens). On the other hand, you have lemurs screaming from their cages. I can't imagine the stress all the animals must be feeling on a daily basis. While I get the whole hands-on, interactive experience aspect, I think this aquarium overdid it to a point where it's impacting the animals' habitats and stress levels. Every open tank was filthy. Even the facility itself is dirty. There's no signs anywhere to ask guests to wash their hands before touching the animals. In fact, there's no one even enforcing a two finger rule or educating visitors on all the animals that people could touch. I was flabbergasted when I saw a child ran to a small open tank, shoved his whole arm in and tried to grab the poor little fish swimming around. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if animals have gone missing from this place. The tegu exhibit was fully out in the open. Even a small child can easily just step over the short glass wall and grab the lizard. I think what shocked me the most was the lack of staff monitoring visitors' behaviors and enforcing the rules on how to handle animals. When I went by the shark tank, I witnessed a lady grab a shark by its tail and attempted to bring it out of the tank. My jaw literally hit the ground when I saw that. Thankfully the shark slapped her in the face with its tail and swam off. When I looked around, I saw an employee by the tank but she didn't say anything and was more focused on passing around these balls of fish bait to the same family that lady was with. I honestly left that "aquarium" angry and feeling incredibly sad for the animals. I would never go back nor would I ever bring my family back here. I've been to aquariums and zoos in developing countries where the animals were better cared for than this place. read more
I would love to give this place 5 star, but unfortunately it's not worth it. Tickets are quite pricey for this aquarium. I purchased mine though Groupon and it was a better deal. First of all staff on the register are all spaced out, then you need to spend extra to buy tokens for any additional activities, and it was hot and humid inside while crowded on a regular Saturday. Compare to sea life in San Antonio or one in Dallas, this one needs some improvements. My child enjoyed some parts of it, but was not that impressed. I wish they would have more funds to inprove the quality of the conditions. read more
This place is just amazing.It seems like all that animals are treated right.The places kept clean.The animals are fed and the staff here is great. We had the great pleasure of meeting lee, one on one when he gave us the wallaby exhibit, and he was just outstanding guy, very personable, how to al answered questions made you feel comfortable?May the kids feel comfortable at the same time kept by the rules.It was really an experience that you have to come and see for yourself.I would suggest bringing your little ones here and checking it out. It's fairly reason to be priced as well.And they have tokens where you can feed the animals and interact with the animals, turtles, fishes, surf.Turf it's so fun read more
I really can't say enough good things about the Austin Aquarium. I have been coming for years with my grand kids who all have enjoyed it! Today we met team member Cody-(sp.) who was nice enough to chat with us. He was feeding some of the ?lizards live crickets and I offered a general compliment about the atmosphere and what a great hands on experience they provide! My grand children all love snakes -and the fact that I'm totally afraid of them . Invariably -they (and especially the youngest g-son) will request to hold a snake of get the ginormous, largest reptile there out of her environment so he can " cuddle" with her. Don't hesitate to go-it's affordable and appropriate for ALL ages!!! read more
The Austin Aquarium is a combination of a party center, petting zoo, aquarium, and indoor zoo. It is a bit pricey compared to a regular zoo and they have a separate token purchase system for little rides, petting or feeding different animals, or for partying with the mermaids. They also have a small cafeteria with a bunch of seating to host a party. On the way out they have a huge gift store. You can probably see everything in 30 min if you don't want to spend extra tokens. My 4yo son wasn't too fond of this place - maybe it was too dark and felt claustrophobic for him. I did enjoy seeing some unique animals not too common at other zoos, like wallabys, capybara, and the extremely rare axolotl. For kids, one benefit of checking out the Austin Aquarium is that they have Indigo Indoor Playground right next door and its a short drive to an awesome Japanese restaurant - Midori Sushi. read more
2 months ago
Unfortunately, our experience at the Austin Aquarium was extremely disappointing. The facility felt very run down and outdated, and several areas appeared to be poorly maintained. What concerned us most were the wildlife enclosures. Many felt far too small and did not seem like appropriate or comfortable environments for the animals. Instead of being an enjoyable experience, it was honestly depressing to walk through. We left feeling more concerned for the animals than anything else. Based on our experience, I would not recommend visiting unless significant improvements are made to the facility and the animals' enclosures. read more
3 months ago
These one star reviews are crazy; quit being cheap & sensitive. This place was awesome. We spent hours here experiencing all the encounters. Thoroughly enjoyed feeding all the animals. The lemurs talking to each other was so cool. All the employees were super friendly, and you could tell they had relationships with all the animals. Amy, Doug, Edward, Carter & Kyler were all great, and frankly I'm envious of their jobs. The gift shop was super cute. Honestly calling it an aquarium is an understatement. Highly recommend. read more
3 months ago
Way tooooo expensive for what they have to offer! And the stingrays - way tooo many in their pool. Sane with all the fish tanks! The mammels - lemurs, etc. way tooo confined with NO outside enclosure or natural light and air. The screaming recording ( like howler monkeys) is very loud and actually scared our kids. We paid $120 for 2 adults and 2 five year olds. No extras! We walked thru twice - and we were only there maybe 1 1/2 - 2 hours. This is a very poor excuse for aquarium-- and the mammals and one lone gator - unnecessary! Go to Corpus Christi aquarium instead! read more
1 year ago
What a mistake it was going to this 'aquarium'. I cannot in good conscience ever go back or recommend this place and question those who would. Are these 5 star reviews actually real? This place is in a strip mall with animals like lemurs and capybara in a caged area, again inside a STRIP MALL. Not sure what I was expecting but sad places like this exist. I essentially paid to watch animals in bad living conditions with my family. They shouldn't be in business nor should this be a source of entertainment or education for kids. read more
Only positive about this aquarium is there is a few places for actual interaction. But I'm not sure the water is being properly filtered? I'm not sure any of these exhibits are being properly cared for. Air circulation is stale. The whole place needs to be reconstructed and updated, especially at the price and token rate you're paying. You feel like you're walking into the tiger king version of an aquarium. Staff were nice though. Don't come on the weekends it's packed as hell. read more
2 months ago
I agree with all the one star reviews of this place. It's definitely not worth the price of admission. If your kids have never interacted with animals that close they will enjoy it but everyone else should be horrified with this place. The poor lemurs were definitely sad and were throwing up the papaya they were eating. There was puke all over the floor in their cages. Several fish tanks were leaking water all over the floor and made me wonder how much longer before it burst. There's walls next to the tanks with major water damage which has not been repaired. The parakeet aviary although cool to experience was way too cramped. And dont worry, the bird feedings will distract you from the roach infestation all around the cage. After noticing the roaches we couldn't stand being in this place. My kids went to wash their hands after touching the birds and on the sink was a tiny roach but when my kid accidentally bumped a picture frame above the sink an even bigger roach fell right on the sink. Maybe the roach infestation is what is making the lemurs sick. This place is disgusting and in need of serious cleaning and repairs. read more
1 year ago
We went to the Austin aquarium for the first time today. My wife and I, our son and daughter-in-law and grandson all went. It was a great experience and I think well worth the money. We we were fortunate that a young man by the name of Markus Greeted us at the counter when we came in. He helped us to figure out what was the best package to buy. We ended up with the annual pass for my wife and I and that allowed us to get our kids in as guests for the same money that it would've cost us. This allows my wife and I to go back to the aquarium once every month or so and to take other guests with us when we go. The establishment was extremely clean and I think well organized. I also would like to thank a young man by the name of Lee, who was very helpful to us both in the Wallaby encounter as well as one of the bird encounters that we did. All of the staff that we engaged with, and that we saw helping others were extremely good. read more
2 months ago
Wish I could give it zero stars. Absolutely horrible, it's a glorified petco. With potential animals you can pet if there are even employees around to help. Nobody offered to help therefore no encounters took place. We paid the admission plus the all experience. Wasted $190. I am overly disappointed. Please don't take your kids here, use the money to go to a waterpark or the zoo. We are aquarium enthusiasts and this was not okay. Far from okay. read more
1 year ago
The Austin Aquarium was such a fun experience, especially for little ones! While the building itself is on the smaller side, all the animals and fish looked beautiful and well cared for. They had a great variety of creatures including stingrays, ducks, turtles, chickens, wallabies, and of course, plenty of fish. One of the highlights was how interactive it is. Kids and guests get the chance to feed and interact with the animals, which made the visit extra special. The workers were all friendly and helpful, making sure everyone had a good time. It's the perfect quick outing, especially for toddlers. We spent about 30 minutes there, which felt just right for younger kids. A great little spot for hands-on fun and learning! It's on the pricier side compared to the Austin zoo that's way bigger read more
Really didn't expect much BUT I was surprised You can touch, feed, multiple animals such as lemurs, sloths, sting rays, and more For extra fee, you buy tokens to pet animals and buy food to feed others They have a concession stand and big gift shop Look at the yearly pass Might be cheaper Kids and adults alike were all around Staff was very nice and they will carry animals around for you to pet-for a token I recommend you go check this out read more
6 months ago
We had a fantastic time here and can't wait to come back! The animals are wonderful and so friendly. You can tell they are loved by all the staff. Sloan was our guide for a couple of encounters and was super knowledgeable! He added to our great experience. We walked away from here with full hearts and an even greater respect and love for our animal kingdom. read more
4 months ago
Hmm..I really think it needs to be alot bigger ..its cute for kids party ect..it takes about 45mi to see everything.
3 years ago
The Austin Aquarium is a decent option if you need something to entertain your kids for an hour. It's fairly small, but almost all the exhibits are interactive...for a cost. In addition to general admission, you have to buy tokens that you can use to buy fish food, ray food, shark food, or animal encounters. Animal food is one token per container-which depending on the animal you are feeding may contain only one piece of food. Animal encounters range from 2-20 tokens. There are also a lot of touch tanks and opportunities for visitors to touch starfish, snakes, macaws, and lizards. Despite the cost and small size, it is frequently very crowded, so be aware. Staff is very friendly and helpful. If you are local to the area and a family of four, a membership will pay for itself with 2 visits in a year. read more
2 years ago
This is such a cute small but plentiful place , They have so many aquatic animals n furry reptilian friends ,... Customer service is amazing!!!! They r so kind n helpful, very knowledgeable From front desk to animal care The bathrooms I will say they r very clean!!!!!! Which is rare for a place tht host mostly kids There are lots of hand washing stations next to everything and even those r clean They have a fun spot in the center for kids to kinda run around n play with this digital Game on the floor as well as a snack area with healthy n non healthy options Definitely a really fun and interactive place to go regardless if you have kiddos or not It's such a fun place to go that you can make a long trip or you can even do in a few hours read more
4 months ago
Honestly I hate writing one star reviews but I came here with family today and my heart just sank. I knew that it wasn't going to be like corpus cristi but this was so much worse! I was hoping for just some fish and no other animals that didn't get to see the sun but I was very wrong. As you walk in you see this snake exhibit, we asked about this snake because it wasn't moving and it didn't look very comfortable. One of the workers said this poor python had sadly passed away. My question is why keep it there for kids to see? Its body was pressed against the mesh wall so I'm guessing lots of kids have touched this poor mistreated snake. And for reference I'm terrified of snakes but I just felt so bad for this snake. Along with this the lemurs looked so sad and depressed. They need sunlight! And trees! And better treatment than this! Not to forget the owners charges of animal abuse! read more
1 year ago
Great place to take the kids. There are some interactive events for them to join in on so make sure to check their schedule. First responder friendly. read more
9 months ago
While there were many interactive displays and a lot to look at, this aquarium was NOT worth the time or money. This place would potentially please a young child but no one over the age of 5. Not only was it extremely expensive, but the tokens (to interact with certain animals such as the capybara or lemurs) were pretty much useless. We waited around for multiple animals just to be told that we couldn't see any but one. When we waited for said animal, they never showed up. We couldn't see any animals but watched staff sit around enclosures taking pictures of the animals while actively ignoring customers. They avoided not only us, but everyone else trying to use their tokens as well. One of the team members made my daughter extremely uncomfortable and exchanged very creepy glances with her the entire time. The living conditions for a lot of the animals were terrible and it was disturbing to see. Overall there are options that are so much better, much more appropriately staffed, and less expensive. Would not return again and would not recommend at all. If you were to go, I would NOT purchase tokens as they did nothing for us. read more
2 years ago
Saddest tanks I've ever seen, I'm a fish enthusiast with my own tank at home and wow these tanks are not cared for. They are over stocked in some tanks. The tanks they are in are also incredibly filthy , every animal I saw looked like they were in a prison in there home. The tengus were stacked on top of each other in a little corner. Felt like this was borderline animal abuse they had an eel in a vertical tank? Who does that!! They need allot of maintenance done in every tank . For $25 per ticket I would expect them to have better care for all aquatic life. read more
Please don't give this place your business. We came here on Sat and the minute we walked in, we saw parrots flying freely around and one of the parrots looked visibly unwell. The feathers on its head is almost all plucked off. I don't know about you, but that's a first red sign to me that the animals here may not be well taken care of. And we had parrots flying really close to us a few times, which is a little unnerving. We checked out the lemurs that are close to the entrance and one of the lemurs jumped at us, hitting the glass that stood between us and startling us. I can see the appeal of this place to children. There are a lot of interactive opportunities for kids to feed, pet the animals. However, none of these stations seemed to be managed by any of the staff so it feels kinda like "pet/feed at your own risk." There are a few places where you need to pay tokens in order to interact or touch the animals but once again, I hardly saw any staff member at any of these stations, which seems concerning to me. Are they just expecting visitors to know how to handle animals with care? There is a bird aviary that does not require tokens but it is the saddest aviary that I have ever seen. No windows, and the space looks really depressing. We didn't go in. I was not comfortable bringing my two young kids into anywhere where there is a obvious lack of supervision. There was another station where there's macaws who were not supervised and there was no barrier between them and us. But there is a sign that says "Don't hold these birds. Strictly enforced." Enforced by who? There was no staff there, and hardly anything stopping a curious kid lunging forward to try to hold those birds. The place looks pretty unkept and floors were wet in a lot of places we walked by. Overall, we felt the place was very poorly managed, dirty (my husband calls it a dirty dungeon) and the animals we saw seemed depressed. Even the plant that was sitting next to the tortoise was dying. I did not feel safe in this place with my kids and we left after 20 mins or so. I read later on that a women was attacked by a lemur in May this year and that Austin's Animal Advisory Commission is looking to recommend new rules pertaining to interaction with wild animals that will impact Austin Aquarium. This place needs to be shut down, and the animals moved to somewhere where they are properly taken care of. read more
I think it's awesome that teachers get in for free! This made me so happy to get to experience this and possibly consider this as a field trip in the future. This places was packed on a Saturday! There was lots to see and so many different ways to feed the animals. I was enjoying watching others go into the cages and feed them. The iguana likes to get out of his area. It was quite funny and entertaining! I chose to feed the koi fish because they are so funny to watch! There's lot of different photo opportunities and plenty of parking as well. They have a food court in the back to purchase more items and food tokens. Loved it and I'm glad I was able to experience it! read more
The kiddo is learning about sea animals so we figured what better way to spend a Monday than by visiting the aquarium. My son enjoyed the touchable animals! We fed the rays, sat with some chickens, said hello to some lemurs, and his favorite animal was the octopus. I must say I was pretty impressed with the variety of animals there. I also loved that there are so many interactive areas so you're not left feeling like you're walking through a giant petsmart. We came expecting to be one time visitors and we left as members lol. My son loved his time there! The toys from the gift shop are also very reasonably priced. read more
2 years ago
We took some out of town friends to the aquarium this weekend and were truly impressed by the staff. 1. We were treated like VIP's at the front desk 2. My kids were hoping to pet the porcupine but staff asked that we wait until "lunch". They actually came and found us and let the kids feed them. They went out of their way. 3. Feeding the birds was my favorite. It was so relaxing. What a great way to get a break from the Texas summer heat. I highly recommend this place read more
1 year ago
This was honestly just a really sad place. This "aquarium" looked like it was an old Kroger in a strip mall. The place almost looked like an animal thrift store and none of the animals looked happy. I paid $20+ to see animals in horrible living conditions. There was two Cobras on window display and animals like a capybara and lemurs in tiny areas with dog cages. Over all depressing and sad to see what humanity does to animals like these. Don't come here and support this. read more
1 year ago
This place is disgusting and depressing. The name is misleading because it implies it's a city aquarium, but it's not-- it's privately run in a strip mall. The tanks are overfilled. They allow kids to touch the fish. It's dark and it has poor ventilation. read more
1 year ago
For being an aquarium, there was certainly not enough aquatic animals. I really don't understand why an aquarium would have that many lemurs, kangaroo,and a sloth. Said animals didn't seem to have nearly enough space and left us sad to see. I will say I could understand the appeal for children with many interactive areas and the ability to feed some of the animals. We went in with little to no expectations and still ended up disappointed. We spent probably 20 min in there, saw everything, and left. read more
What do you do if you like the sea but are landlocked? You could brave a trip 100 miles south to San Antonio or about double that to Corpus Christi. Or you can save a lot of driving and stop here. Not big, not fancy but easy to get to and interactive. Enough touchy feely stuff to keep a 2yo busy. Touch the sea stars, pet the rays - feed them if you're so inclined. There are even a couple of touchable sharks. Don't worry they aren't the man-eater variety. They're used being fed it so they swarm whether or not you have food. The open aviary is a little more particular. No food? No visit. Tanks with jelly fish, fresh & saltwater fish and octopus. Plus reptiles, amphibians, lemurs, a toucan. I'm sure you get the idea. If you want magnificence you're gonna have to drive. For what it is, where it is it's ok. There are worse ways to spend an hour or two. Hey, it kept a 2yo focused and entertained for a couple of hours. read more
1 year ago
Really disappointed about care animals . I was there in July 2025 . The place was so old with bad smell and waters was so cloudy and dirty. Glasses of pools is not clean. Animals looks like sleepy and sick . All snacks was sleep don't move. No any shark there . Just the Simple species of fishes. The children was there but no body drive them . A little girl played with flat fishes and she splashed water to people . Nobody there drive her. The place of aquarium was so dark and sadly. Price was $25 each person and more $3 additional tuition and plus tax!!!!I can't understand about additional tuition!!!! What's that???? read more
1 year ago
Very fun experience for the humans, but feel bad for the animals. some fish tanks are very overcrowded. The stingrays tank has some space but of course not enough. I went there last time 4 years ago, they had way more stingrays back then. I hope they're doing okay because what i saw back then was three times as much stingrays. But some emloyees seem like they genuinely care for the animals which is good. I hope they build bigger tanks especially where they keep 6 sturgeons, 4 catfish, some turtles and 50 koi fish in one tank... read more
Out to Discover My wife and I have a list of Austin places to visit and on it was the Austin Aquarium. So we decided to check out this place. Upon arriving there was a large parking lot but looked full. Perhaps should have shown up on a weekday, but was able to find a spot. And of course there was a line to enter, so we waited. Just to note I was not expecting this aquarium to be on par with the Monterey Bay Aquarium but a place to experience seeing different types of sea life and land animals. When we finally able to get through the door there was a cage with huge iguanas to greet us. The hold up was people in front of us did not pre-purchase tickets on the website. We did and had our passes which made the check in process much quicker. You can add tokens for animal encounters. The distinct experience here is the fact you can interact with more animals than any other place I have been to. You can hold many animals and dip your hands into tanks to feel a wide range to sea critters. The kids here pretty much had a field day and something you can't do anywhere else in Austin. In the front will find the restrooms and gift shop, and the back there is a snack bar and seating. I did not see any private rooms for birthday parties. One drawback is this place needs better air filtration where I felt it very stuffy and with the smell of birds, lemurs, and water tanks. Not surprised if they have thought about expansion to a much larger space like an old abandoned big box building where it seems very popular and feel very congested in bumping into people and perhaps enlarge the exhibits. But as is the Austin Aquarium is a great place to bring your little ones to enjoy encounters with a variety of sea-life and land dwellers. read more
My wife and I decided to do a date day and went to the Austin Aquarium, as we love Aquariums and Zoos. Our only regret is not taking more pictures while we were there! The staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and the entire experience was amazing. They have so many animal encounters, we had a hard time choosing which to do! So first thing to know is they have a token-based system there. If you want to feed the fish/sting rays/sharks/etc, you put a token in the little gumball machine and an egg with that exhibits food comes out. Some were less than others (one only had 2 berries in it) but still fun to feed them all. You get to pet/touch several of the critters (two fingers only on their back, avoid head and tails) and that's always fun. The staff was amazing and you can tell they REALLY care about the animals and their comfort and safety. We got to talk to several as there weren't too many patrons when we were there, and got to hear about their favorite animals there and some great information in general. Shout out to Brittany who helped us with the Tucan encounter and the penguin encounter (my wife's absolute favorite now!) We also got to see them training new staff and see how serious they take the health and safety of both animals and guests. My favorite was the fish pedicures! I've always wanted to do that and it was weird and awesome and I can't wait to do it again! We will definitely be back as there were a few we didn't get around to like the sloth and capybara encounter. And it will be our new destination when we have visitors coming into town to visit read more
2 years ago
The Austin Aquarium Rocks! I've been there a few times now and I learn something new after each visit. What a unique experience for kids and adults! Today, Emma put us in touch with Devon and David so we could experience the Giant Pacific Octopus. A memorable experience that we'll never forget. This place is spotless and employs extremely knowledgeable staff that love the animals. I don't know what the other negative reviews are referring to since I didn't observe or experience anything negative at all. The enclosures and tanks were cleaner than what I've seen at the San Diego Zoo. The fish are all in appropriate size tanks, yes..including the eels.!I think some of the commentators aren't as knowledgeable about tank volume size and what is a safe size and environment for various species. I was curious about if the negative comments had any validity so, I shared the pictures and video footage with my dad. For reference, when my dad was studying to become marine biologist, he used to work alongside the notable marine biologist, Dr. Halstead. He wrote the book "Poisonous and Venomous Marine Animals of the World", which is still used by the US Navy to date! So, I trust his opinion. He said all the tanks were stellar and was impressed with their care and filtration system. I think I'll stick with his review rather than a fish tank hobbiest! I've read some that discuss they should be living out in the wild. Obviously since they're accustomed to living in their current environment, it would be a death sentence to release them in the wild. Also, they live longer in captivity and they don't have the additional stress of predators. The lemurs are "wet nosed primates". During COVID when many zoos had to shut down, all over the world, primates went through a period of depression due to the lack of interaction they were accustomed to with their visitors. Here's one article about that: https://www.sciencealert.com/when-the-pandemic-came-the-zoos-closed-and-the-animals-began-to-act-differently. In addition this place is currently helping to repopulate endangered and at risk species. So, they're actually giving nature a helping hand. Last, allowing and educating children about how to interact and love wild animals, will set the foundation for a life of love and respect for nature and animals. Who knows, this could be the beginning of a life long career these kids will go into due to their experience at the Austin Aquarium. If the critics want to cite PETA well, maybe this article can illuminate how they have mislead the public and have many times more harm than good. https://www.ranker.com/list/messed-up-peta-facts/laura-allan read more
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More info about Austin Aquarium
13530 US-183
Ste 101
Austin, TX 78750
Directions
(512) 222-5586
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.austinaquarium.com
View classes
Hours
What time does Austin Aquarium open?
Austin Aquarium opens at 10:00 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
What time does Austin Aquarium close?
Austin Aquarium closes at 6:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.Austin Aquarium closes at 8:00 PM on Friday and Saturday.Austin Aquarium closes at 7:00 PM on Sunday.
Mon-Thu 10:00 AM - 6:00 PMFri-Sat 10:00 AM - 8:00 PMSun 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Payment methods
Does Austin Aquarium take credit cards?
Yes, Austin Aquarium takes credit cards.
Indoor Amenities
Does Austin Aquarium allow dogs?
No, Austin Aquarium does not allow dogs.
Outdoor Amenities
Does Austin Aquarium have bike parking?
Yes, Austin Aquarium has bike parking.
Does Austin Aquarium have parking?
Yes, Austin Aquarium has parking options. Private Lot Parking
Other Amenities
Is Austin Aquarium wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Austin Aquarium is wheelchair accessible.
From the Business
Specialties
Our aquarium is home to thousands of species within dozens of exhibits! Whether you are local, or in town for a visit, your family and friends will have a blast at one of Austin's best attractions. Many of our exhibits are interactive and fun to engage with. Daily shows highlight our marine life, reptiles from desert and rain forest and exotic tropical birds. Our space is perfect for birthday parties and field trips. We even have some fun activities like Octopus Encounters, Morning Rounds, and more! Check out our website for more information and plan your next visit to our amazing aquarium attraction!
History
Established in 2013.
This aquarium was opened with families in mind. Featuring thousands of species, reptiles, warm and cold water fish and various exotic birds are there to touch, interact with and learn about. We are adding to our offerings continuously, both in terms of the animals featured and the programming. Listen to our Daily Talks, where our biologists provide you snippets of information about the species in the exhibits. Our facility is available for your private events, birthday parties, or join us for a night Sleeping with the Sharks.
Meet the Manager: Susan E.
Susan Elcox is the Marketing Director of the Portland Aquarium. With a 30 year background in marketing, she works with the aquarium team to introduce you to the aquarium in advertising, through the aquarium website, social media forums, and more. Susan appreciates your Yelp reviews and takes your feedback to the aquarium for improvement.
Austin Aquarium Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - Austin Aquarium
Review Highlights - Austin Aquarium
“This is a nice little aquarium that actually has a lot more to offer than it may seem from the outside.”
Mentioned in 13 reviews
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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
264 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
11 years ago
Waking in I was greeted by a young employee who look a little overwhelmed which seemed understandable, there were tons of people trying to ask questions or buy things at the same time, but she seemed to handle it pretty well. I would reckoned having some one else up there to help when it gets so busy. I paid for my adult ticket, I should have bought it online since it would have been cheaper, but compared to the prices of other aquariums the price wasn't that bad, especially since they offer it cheaper online. For people on here who complain about the walk in price, they offer great deals online, take advantage of it, If I had been thinking I would have walked outside and bought it on my phone then walked in. I would give 3 stars to the first room which had the large green iguana and some to uh tanks. It would get more stars if they had more information about the animals included In the tanks. I knew most of he information already, but I have a degree in this stuff and most people don't. So I suggest adding more labels or have someone standing there to share information. The green iguana was beautiful and ate some lettuce right out of my hand. I've seen reviews which people say he doesn't look happy. Obviously they don't know anything about animals since you can't infer that kind of information from reptiles. Besides the iguana had a massive area to roam in, if he didn't want to be pet he just climbed up on his rocks. The next room, the tropical fish and the sting rays I would give 4 stars. It would have 5 but I really feel that there could be more information about he animals, there weren't any kind of signs identifying all the different Stingrays and fish in there. However feeding them was fantastic and I would do it again and again. I've seen reviews of people who again know nothing of animal behavior talk about the sting rays trying to beach themselves. They are not trying to beach themselves. They have figured out that People have food and so they climb the glass to get the food The next exhibit was one of my favorites but sadly I have to give it 3 stars. The black throated monitor andcaiman exhibit was excellent. I really loved the way they incorporated the two species together along with the catfish in the exhibit. Excellent job on the husbandry team who did that. I give it 3 stars for again the lack of information about them. There is a screen at the top, but it doesn't include much information. I think they should have wooden post signs either next to you above with tons of information on all the species included in the exhibit. The iguana and baby Caiman exhibit gets 5 stars. It was very clean, the iguanas were eating an excellent looking plate of fresh veggies when I saw them. Very good job in my opinion for whoever feeds them and cleans The koi pond gets 3 stars. I have to agree there are too many koi in there. The water is clean. It's not crystal clear, but you can tell that it's not dirty. People are expecting ocean looking water when they look at it. Koi are fresh water it's basically a nice pond. Again I really feel that there are tons of places they could have information but they don't. The two turtles in there looked very healthyand well fed, the yellow bellied slider was basking in a ledge under a lamp, which was cool to see. Thelorikeet exhibit I would give 4 stars ( oh and my stars are based out of 5 I'm didn't clarify earlier) it was very clean, I'm not an expert on birds, but they all their feathers looked to be in good condition and they seemed very energetic which is good when it comes to birds. Next to it was a good amount of information about the birds do I was satisfied with that. The parakeets are 3 stars. Very clean, but absolutely no information. The Sharks are 4 stars but again little information on the different species. Employee care and knowledge is 10 out of 5 stars. I started asking one of the employees named Charlie as he was feeding the macaws tons of questions about the birds. He was extremely knowledgeable. I feel like this guy was an awesome textbook or something. He knew so much about the Birds and bird behavior. He talked me through how to train large birds and how to care for them and their origins and endangered statuses.A few small children next to me asked him lots of silly questions but he was so sweet and energetic when answering all of their questions. I wouldn't have been able to do that .He even showed us Clyde the cockatoo' tricks and let us pet Clyde He was super interactive with the kids and me, he showed ushow to get the birds to speak to us, and do cool tricks like dancing. He was seriously able to answer any question we asked about the birds with an intelligent and informative answer without being boring to the kids. I Really enjoyed the aquarium and I will definitely be coming back with some more friends for a guided tour and the morning rounds options and if I'm able I'd love to request Charlie as our guide!! read more
13 years ago
When we found out about this place we bought the family annual membership for $70. With annual passes for four of us for a year at that price we didn't have really high expectations since that's around than $18 per person for an annual pass. Our kids are teenagers, for the record. We went last Sat., 12/14. The space was a furniture store previously, so it's not a huge indoor space. It's a little too dark. The low lighting helps to see the smaller aquariums, but for the larger exhibits like the shark and ray pools more light would be nice, and they could use more light in some other areas. They haven't got all their stock in yet - the otters, jellyfish, and a few other really cool creatures are coming soon. The touch tank is still in progress. The seals and sea turtles are coming soon. The place doesn't feel finished yet, they obviously are still working on a lot of the displays now, and it feels like they might have rushed to get things opened and haven't got everything worked out. So it's still too early to give a complete review, but the kids and I liked what we saw. It probably will be a few more months before we really know what it's going to be like. We're planning to drop in next weekend for an hour or two since we live relatively nearby. It feels like the people who run this thing were amateur aquarists who tried to make their hobby a business. There are a lot of smaller display tanks where they have amazing fish species (the giant octopus is awesome), but the tanks aren't the centerpiece, the fish are. I have a few aquariums and was really excited at seeing some of the fish in those tanks. But if you are trying to entertain a very young child, they might be less interested in them. For instance there have amazing tiny Garden Eels, but you need to sit still to see them as they'll hide when they see movement. The shark and ray touch tanks were well done with a lot of space so the creatures could keep their space and wouldn't get stressed by not having a safe domain. The reptile area felt more finished and was really nice. They had Caimans, Jackson's Chameleons, Poison Dart Frogs, Iguanas, geckos, snakes, tortoises, and other reptiles and amphibians. They have a Macaw and a Toucan that they bring out at times. They don't let them out for too long since the exposure to crowds and noise would stress the birds, so we saw the Macaw but not the Toucan. They also have a Lorikeet area where you can feed the Lorikeets nectar. Lorikeets are very sweet and docile birds, and will drink nectar from hand held cups, so that's a must-do part of the exhibit. The caretakers were friendly and liked telling us about their animals, but might be less interesting to small kids - we were talking about habitat and care. All the folks I talked to were knowledgable and seemed excited to be able to work with the animals so they added a lot to the experience for us. There are some online allegations that the owners didn't take care of their stock at the Portland Aquarium (something to be taken very seriously), so I talked to the caretakers at length to get a sense of how things were being run. The three I talked to seemed very knowledgable about the animals they were responsible for and seemed to know a lot about proper care of the animals. They all said that they had final care decisions and could veto the owners requests if it was in the animals interest, and that some of the displays weren't as impressive looking to people to accommodate the well being of the animals. I was carefully watching for any animals showing signs of stress or illness and didn't spot anything like that, which was a relief. Honestly, the claim that the owners were in it for the money so they were letting tens of thousands of dollars worth of stock die to save a few pennies never made sense, but I felt better after seeing the way they were running things in person. Any reviews of this place earlier than 12/14 are meaningless since it didn't open until then. There is a PETA-type anti-Austin Aquarium group who believe all aquariums and zoos are immoral, and have been getting their members to create negative press/reviews. They have a Facebook group and I just checked and saw they were sending members to Yelp, so take some of the negativity with a grain of salt since some people have more of an agenda than just wanting to see the animals well cared for. The place doesn't have a polished feel, and they probably opened earlier than they should have since they don't have all their tanks going yet, but these seem like temporary issues. I really enjoyed the displays that they did have going, and liked the employees, I might have given the place a 3 in its current incomplete form but went with 4 since he aquarium shows promise, and since there was at least one reviewer with a 1 star review making false claims about sick/dead fish. read more
10 years ago
I LOVED this place and its employees! I loved it so much that I made a yelp account just so i could leave a review. We went there about on Tuesday about a week ago Overall I had a great experience here with my daughters ages 12 and 9. It was very interactive with was AWESOME where else can my daughters pet a full grown Iguana and a sting ray?! When we did our first walk through the Aquarium I wasn't sure what we were able to touch or do but one of the employee's which I neer asked for his name but my daughter insist his name was Corey was super helpful! He told us what we could touch and feed and even gave my daughters some free Koi food and they loved it! He even offered to bring out a snake for my girls but they were a little to scared of snakes. Haha we were HOOKED on feeding the animals after that. I think we ended up feeding every animal there TWICE it was great!. And we fed the parakeets at least 5 times! The next great part of our visit was the bird show! It was SO COOL! It was super educational, funny and interactive! One of my daughters even got chosen to be a helper in the show and the white bird they have I think his name was clapper FLEW to my daughter said HI then FLEW back to the trainer it was so AWESOME. It reminded me of like a SeaWorld show but BETTER because my daughters were able to actually interact WITH the birds. My daughter was in absolute bliss! After the show the Trainer I believe his name was Charlie hung around with the birds and continued to talk to my daughters and show them other cool bird tricks and even let my daughters HOLD each bird. If you go to the Aquarium I deifintly recommend watching the bird show and then Talking to the bird trainer afterwards. He was so passionate about what he was doing and you could tell he loves those birds. My daughter is even saying she wants to work with birds when she grows up! I'm hoping you guys have a volunteer option because my daughters would LOVE to learn more about caring for animals. So all in all it was GREAT 10/5 We are checking out their sister aquarium tomorrow in San Antonio and I'll keep you guys updated! read more
12 years ago
So many negative reviews on this place, and yet we still decided to give it a shot. Not again...! So where to begin? The place is overpriced for what it is, and that is reason enough to never go again. The exhibits were mostly lame and the entire place felt cheap and kinda scummy. The signage wasn't all that helpful in letting the kids know what they were looking at, and there was a decided lack of enthusiasm by the few staff members that were working on the Saturday that I was there. On top of that, there is a weird concession area in the very back of the aquarium... but no staff member working there. Not that I wanted to give them any more of my money, but geez! And they also get you for some overpriced lorikeet food and koi food in the back of the place. The lorikeet nectar was $3 and you would think that there would be enough in the cup that it would last more than 30 seconds. The brds got tired of me and my son pretty quickly when we ran out of food, which was just about immediately. And the koi food was another $2 and wasn't much better in terms of value for the money. But the worst part of this is the entry way / exit / ticketing area and the very overpriced gift shop area. There was only one person working the whole area, covering 2 registers (one for people coming in, one for people buying stuff at the gift store) and she was going back and forth trying to deal with two lines. It was embarrassing. And after touring the poor excuse for an aquarium (more like a glorified pet store but creepier), you end up in this weird looking gift shop area where just about everything is overpriced and the paint on the floor is so old that it is peeling up. I'm not sure what kkind of vibe the owners are going for in this location, but if they were going for dark, dank, creepy and overpriced, they got it right. read more
13 years ago
This aquarium is very lack luster and disappointing. There are a few touch tanks which is the coolest thing about this place but everything else in the aquarium you could pretty much see for free, in larger cooler tanks, from one of the many quality local fish stores. The Fish Gallery on Lamar comes to mind. The largest aquarium I saw outside of the touch tanks was maybe 200 gallons. Pathetically small for a for-profit aquarium. The aquarium has an "open layout" which makes it noisy and distracting, unlike most other aquariums which try to maintain peaceful and calm surroundings. On top of all that, it's small. Very small. It took us about 45 minutes to get through the whole thing including feeding the sting rays and parrotlets. It's also expensive when compared to Sea Life in Grapevine which is easily three times the size for the same price. Over all I'm very disappointed that we spent the money on a year long membership to this place and even at half price! I was thinking that it would be a good place to take my baby but the lack of large viewing aquariums makes this place no good for small babies and the open layout makes it hard for me with two other kids and then a baby. We will go back, only because of the darn membership but after that is used up I don't think we will. Edit 5/1/14: I finally got bored enough to take my children back here since I was duped into buying the year long family pass and it was free. The second time around was equally as disappointing as the first time except this time the Aquarium smelled like a dirty fish tank. That mildewy, dirty, gross smell from a tank that hasn't been cleaned in a long while is exactly what this whole Aquarium smelled like. The floors were dirty and sticky. Luckily it only took us 30 minutes to walk through the whole place. read more
11 years ago
I recently moved to Austin and was chatting with a friend about things to do in Austin. I mentioned wanting to go to the aquarium since I have been to many in multiple states. She immediately without any hesitation said, "I have two free tickets, don't pay! It's totally not worth it." Skeptical, I took the tickets. I used the GPS to get there and I'm shocked that its so far north from downtown, it's so far north it almost isn't in Austin. As I am following the last few directions my GPS is giving me I am very confused to see I am pulling up to a strip mall. I am looking for something large but it is very small and nestled between other businesses. I realize this may be as disappointing as my friend suggested. I walk in and the smell hits me in the face. It's bad. Really bad. There is only one employee there and she looks like she's barely 18. I notice the prices posted next to her and am suddenly very thankful I am not paying for admission. The tanks were murky and foggy, there was sludge all over the edges and on the water pumps. The stingrays were trying to jump out of the tanks which I had never seen before. There wasn't anyone monitoring the people or the animals in either the sting ray or shark petting tanks, which I again have never seen. There were two large ducks in a small contained area with a tortoise, it was dirty, dark, and depressing. The koi tank was over crowded and disgusting. I could go on and on. Essentially I left feeling very very badly for the animals and very thankful I didn't pay to see that dirty depressing place. There were LCD screen with some information about some of the animals they had. That's the only good thing I can think of. Don't waste your money. This place should be shut down. read more
7 years ago
I took my kids ONCE to this "Aquarium" a couple years ago and NEVER again will I set foot in this appalling place ever again. It is straight up animal cruelty. These are birds, marine mammals and fish who are enclosed in small spaces under artificial lighting and never see sunlight. That is gross negligence and mistreatment. If you still go there please don't!! Thinking of doing a bday party there?? JUST SAY NO. the conditions are appalling. Notice the malnourished tortoise all by himself? The birds resting on top of that overcrowded fish tank that is holding about 4x it's maximal capacity?? Did you have a sick feeling as you left that place?? Yah it's bc you're a decent person and you know something is sooooo wrong about this place. And if you didn't I highly recommend you reevaluate what you saw in there. Why are there exhibits that are unsupervised? The interaction with animals should be a respected one, not a FREE FOR ALL. There needs to be rules about safety and how to properly handle these animals. Please don't support this SHAM of a place. It's a FOR-PROFIT business. They've gotten into hot water before, including prison time for one of the owners and former manager for acquiring marine mammals ILLEGALLY. They're glorified poachers. I am so shocked this place is still open. It's because people are still giving it business. Just last week a child was bitten by a lemur there. what in the world!! that should raise red flags right there. why is there a friggin lemur in this place, not in an outdoor environment?? stop giving this place business so they can shut down and these animals can be taken to a REAL aquarium. read more
7 years ago
If you REALLY love and care about animals do not support this place. This is more of an indoor zoo housing many exotic animals that need to be living outdoors to maintain optimal health. These are not good living conditions for these animals and many of the animals are under extreme stress due to the living conditions and so many visitors. These are wild animals and their nervous systems cannot take this without causing them stress which effects their health. They need to live in an environment that is more natural with a diet close to what they eat in the wild. A small cage indoors is nowhere close to natural. Can you imagine being kept inside a cage, under un-natural light, with no fresh air or sun day in and day out while people come in looking at you and even come into the cage with you and handle you? Animals need hiding places so they can protect themselves from this type of stress, this is why good zoos offer these kinds of environments. I know how amazing it is to have close encounters with wildlife, but this is not the way to do it and you are causing harm to many animals by forcing them to live in these conditions. Please re-consider what it's like for the animals over what you want, and think of their quality of life first. Ex-employees of this place have spoken out about how many animals get sick and die. The owner has gone to prison many times for procurement wild animals illegally. http://www.actionforanimalsaustin.org/anti-circus-campaign/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-austin-aquarium/ https://www.peta.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CovinoFamilyFactsheet.pdf read more
12 years ago
My wife and I took our 4 yr old daughter to see the Austin Aquarium yesterday and she had a blast. It was so awesome that there were so many petting tanks and the fish would come right up to you. My daughter loved petting the rays and sharks and we had a hard time getting her to leave because she wanted to keep petting them. I was so excited that an aquarium was coming to Austin because we love fish and its so hard to drive all the way to Corpus. Then I read the reviews and was really disappointed. I finally decided to go anyway and was pleasantly surprised. I love that it is smaller and more intimate and that its so interactive with kids. Everyone that was there was having fun and most had kids. They even have a play area and slide to give the kids a break and let them get their wiggles out. They also have moving dinosaurs right now. I don't understand why people are complaining about the price. I have been to many of the larger aquariums and though they are much bigger and have shows they charge close to $50 a person. I paid less then that for my whole family. Maybe people don't understand how much it costs to keep and feed saltwater fish. I'm glad they are here and I hope more people support it so that it can get bigger but for now its a wonderful thing to do with your family. I am giving them 5 stars not because its the nicest aquarium I have seen but because they did a great job for being small. I read many reviews that said that they enjoyed it but it was small. I am not going to penalize them for being small. I am rating on how much I enjoyed it and for what it is. read more
4 years ago
DO NOT GO HERE!!! This is a "legal" aquarium actually run by a convicted wildlife trafficker, AMMON COVINO, who served years in prison, was released, & sent back after violating prohibition of involvement with wildlife. Despite this, he STILL used his poor wife's name (hence the "legal") to avoid detection when opening this aquarium and its sisters in San Antonio & Houston. They have told employees to avoid reporting animal bites on staff AND CUSTOMERS often saying a "stray animal is responsible", even after said bites turned the victims veins black. Everything from sloths, iguanas, lemurs, snakes etc. often go ignored for weeks before their deaths because their injuries from cramped enclosures, stress and/or abuse were deemed "too expensive" and forced to die a slow death in horrible, dirty conditions (not to mention the faulty AC they refuse to fix) or BLUDGEONED TO DEATH just because "it's only an sloth...etc.". Odd considering they report several days with $10K-60K in revenue. If you have or know of someone how has been bit or witnessed their "business practices" please report them! Some have been reported but they need to be out of business and imprisoned for good. And that starts with taking your dollar elsewhere! To help I've added the link to file a complaint with the state for unlawful business practices: https://txoag.secure.force.com/CPDOnlineForm/ & pictures of poor Igor the Iguana who was left outside to die after COVINO refused vet care for his injuries. Rest In Peace Igor and all who met their worst fears in their facilities. read more
8 years ago
Visited on Friday, August 3rd, 2018. I must say that from the time of walking in the door of the Austin Aquarium to walking out the door after a couple of hours visiting; the experience was totally fun, fun, fun, interactive, pleasant, well-worth the trip, cost and a total exciting experience. The new Lemur "hands on" exhibit was the highlight of my grandkids (13-girl & 15-boy years old) an neighbor kid (12 years old-girl) day. The Lemur's were very well trained and interacted amazingly well leaving my grandkids and neighbor kid talking for the next several hours how they now want a Lemur as a pet and that we MUST go back real soon. Mr. Ammon C. - Owner was personable and really showed that he cared about our experience; and this made the trip all the more exciting. Even my grandkids commented on how nice the owner was during our visit. We will definitely be going again as the first experience was off the charts for fun and excitement. Every room was filled with hands-on fun and excitement - to feeding the fish, interacting with the many other types of animals, birds, and even the special exhibits with the employees, and shopping in the gift shop was welcoming and fun. This event was none like any of the other events we had visited. As stated "it was over the top fun, fun, fun and hands-on!!" I would highly recommend young people of all ages, mom's/dad's, mature, but young at heart go to the Austin Aquarium. You won't be disappointed. read more
13 years ago
The owner of this place, Ammon Covino, also owns Portland Aquarium in Oregon. He was arrested for "illegally harvesting marine animals"... so who knows how these animals were come by. He was sentenced to a year in prison. The Oregon Aquarium recently released it's "death log" where they logged over 200 animal deaths in a 3 month period. Google the owner's name to learn more fun facts. If that's not enough... This place is disgusting. The tanks on the "exhibits" are smeared up and greasy. The water is disgusting from all the grubby kid hands in it. True, they tell you to wash your hands before you stick them into the "petting tanks", but since they make everyone use the same filthy "reusable" towel at the sinks, the hands that go through there are probably more filthy than before they were washed. The octopus is in a tank that is barely large enough to contain him. He's squished in there like a goldfish. Octopus have the intelligence of a six year old child. Must be nice for him in there. This place is in a shopping center inside of an old furniture store building. It's a disgrace for an "aquarium". They charge prices that are in line with real aquariums ($60 for 2 adults + 1 kid), but they have a dime store ghetto setup. Truly wretched. Stay away. You'll have a better time at Petsmart. I'm truly sorry I took my 8 year old daughter here. I feel like I owe her an apology for subjecting her to this place. read more
4 years ago
This is not an aquarium. This is an exotic animal petting zoo arcade in a strip mall. I'm not sure how or why it is legal. It is one of the saddest places I have ever been. Tokens to touch and feed the animals. Kids poking fish in the face, running around playing and eating while otters do little tricky flips in their tiny pen corners and parents check out the VR headsets. A few macaws swooping through the air, iguana poop on a phone, a deeply depressed gigantic yellow snake curled in a glass box twice her folded size. How could she stretch out? And there is obviously no sun for these animals, trapped in a dark building next to a Kobe Steakhouse. I was too distraught to look at every cage and who else was there. A sign/door for sloths and a giant guinea pig type creature were in my periphery as I quickly exited after saying my goodbyes...Balloon art, caricatures, playscape, gift shop, snack bar...I can see why people come here: a one-stop-shop for your novel Saturday outing and daily dose of cognitive "animal-loving" dissonance. I was there for a child's birthday party, otherwise I never would have known. I had no idea what I was walking into. I just can't believe places like this exist. If you really love animals, please don't support this for-profit sleezy place. Go to an accredited animal sanctuary that actually cares about the well being of animals. Do your research! read more
11 years ago
Thank you for these priceless moments. We had such a blast today! My daughter is diagnosed with being on the Autism spectrum and there's so many things that she is able to touch. The sensory process is just unbelievable! The little underground block, it's like you are one with sea life. She had the best time. My husband and I enjoyed every single part of your aquarium! Even the caymans have a awesome slide!! Thank you guys for bringing this to Austin. I know you got so much crap at first.. but, we have been anxious about going since day 1. I was lucky enough as a kid to go to live in Washington D.C. and see the aquarium and even the moody gardens, and their zoo. As a mom, knowing I've seen something so cool I have always wanted her to see such a sight! Man, you guys may be small.. yet, not one animal was cramped, or in tight spots. The inside is actually pretty big. Here it's all about families having priceless moments, great experiences, learning, staff were walking around and educating all of us, hands on learning. Inside this place is filled with huge opportunities of knowledge, and more priceless moments. You guys have given her the experience I have never dreamed of. Your staff is so knowledgeable. They care! Again, thank you guys for this! It was beyond amazing! read more
13 years ago
I am very disappointed in the unfair negative reviews. Since moving here years ago from California and having the opportunity to visit many Aquariums with my family and as a child myself, the learning experience alone was unforgettable. I didn't expect much since the Aquarium in Austin hasn't been open that long. Our boyscout troop had a sleep over in the Aquarium. The boys were so excited and the staff bent over backwards to make sure everyone had a great time. We were separated into small groups and given a tour. The staff was patient with all the questions and very knowledgeable. The boys enjoyed petting and actually feeling the different ocean life. What really sold me was the interaction with the staff and the animals. You could see how much the animals and care takers really cared for one another and no it wasn't feeding time. I would like to commend Zach Rogers, Jay Bowles, Ryan Campbell, Alan Carter and Roy Valdez on doing such a great job of giving the children and the adults an awesome learning experience where many would never have had otherwise. I know our little guy is talking about becoming an oceanographer when he grows up. Obviously he was pretty impressed! I know they plan to add more to the aquarium. I personally look forward to our next visit. read more
11 years ago
My name is jason i just wanted to say the place is nice for my first time being there i had a bad situation me andy nephew went there the first time i say again some people with special needs were going in and me and my nephew looked around and bought some things we checked out and the lady said yall didnt pay wright we said we didnr know that it was our first time there we can pay know thats fine didnt know i told the lady shw was sweet she replied no im not so we left me and nephew went to book store down the sidewalk in store two guys approach us cussing at us saying they r gonna kick our asses and said i grabbed my private area to the lady then another guy says we got u on camera i said if u did then u know i didnt do that and if u knew that i didnt pay y didn't u say anything then when inside then they leave biok stor and go to my truck in parking lot and mess with it all i have to say they also had another employee talking us about on octopus say foul language i mean cussing some buisness it must b for me to make a mistake then get people to talk shit to u i mean management for something u didnt do when the mistake could of been fixed long ago overall place is excellent but employees really suck read more
7 years ago
Animals are all in enclosures that are too small and filthy. Turtles kept in the same exhibit as koi (including fish-eating turtle species) with tattered fins clearly from being bitten, birds overcrowded in tiny aviaries, bedraggled looking parrots with nothing to do and nothing to prevent them from biting someone. Many animals are underfed, almost all are in far-too-small enclosures and with improper tankmates. Koi tank is hugely overcrowded and I'm surprised they haven't all died. HEALTH RISK from the multiple animal species that guests are allowed to interact with, most of which are not suitable for interaction- komodo dragons are venomous, and lemurs and other primates can carry or catch diseases from humans. Had axolotls (with very fragile gills, should never be kept with fish) in the same tank as aggressive fish, with the axolotl gills bitten down to stumps by said fish. I'm shocked they could still breathe. Overcrowded, smelly, cramped, dark, sad, for humans and animals alike. Shocked more people haven't gotten sick from there. Don't want to know how many animals have died there. Horribly overpriced. Do not go, do not give them your money, report them for animal cruelty. read more
11 years ago
I took my 6-yr-old niece to visit here last month, & we both fell in love with this place! I'd heard it was tiny, so I was surprised when it was bigger than I expected. I didn't realize that it also housed multiple types of birds and a tortoise, & the stingray exhibit was awesome! We fed stingrays, koi, lorikeets, parakeets, & several other animals, & my niece went back to the stingray exhibit at least 5 times. We spent 3 1/2 hours in it & could easily have spent another hour. There was also a birthday party going on at the time, with plenty of room for kiddos to run around. There were multiple places for photo ops, of which my niece took full advantage, & she enjoyed playing on the large playset at the back of the building. As a veterinarian's daughter with a life-long love of animals, I was impressed by the condition of the exhibits and how the employees interacted with the animals. I've since purchased an annual membership for myself with the intent to go on a regular basis. Do yourself and your family a favor, & do the same! I would especially encourage purchasing memberships right now, as they appear to be running a 25% off special. Loved it, loved it, loved it! :-) read more
10 years ago
THANKS Carrie for teaching my kids about the snakes and letting them hold Houston, the Python!! They loved it and can't wait to come back. The Austin Aquarium is a must see for everyone with kids living and visiting Austin. It is small but intimate with the staff there to talk about all the fish, birds, snakes, and other animals. You are allowed to touch almost everything giving kids a more intimate look at the animals than just through a looking glass. My kids and I visit several times a year always leaving there knowing more than when we walked in. Great place for kids summer camp visits and field trips also. In response to some other reviews - we have been there at least a dozen times in the last 3 years and not once have we had any kind of bad experience with the employees, smell, or physical condition of the aquarium. It is small but done very nicely. We used to live in Tampa so we know what a large expansive aquarium is. This isn't one of those, but a small intimate setting that kids love. It is always clean and the gift shop has always been neat...I always let my kids get a little something as I know it is a donation to keep the place running. read more
8 years ago
My kids and me have been there twice and each time has been lots of fun. It's not a huge facility which is good for the fact that there are a lot of small kids there. It is a simple yet well put together. The entry is fun and then it leads to an area of viewing sea life such as an amazing octopus, star fish, sting rays etc. There is a delightful iguana that sits there enjoying lettuce and being petted. Then it opens up to a big area where stingrays can be touched and fed. The fun goes on as you circle around the entire faculty seeing anything from lemurs, to exotic birds, lizards, eels, snakes, ducks, sharks and a magnificent array of sea life that we've never heard of! There is a food area there beside a fun play area for kids to play while parents can rest and all can get refreshments. The employees are cordial and knowledgeable. I saw the employee, named Tess that sold us our membership. She recognized us and greeted us back and was very helpful by introducing us to the sting ray food along with answering questions we had. I give this place 5 stars because my kids love it and we will definitely be back. @austinaquarium #austinaquarium read more














































































































































