You can purchase your tickets online at a discounted rate. Parking is free. They have several…read morehandicap parking spots available. I haven't visited this lovely aquarium in a couple of years, it is still well maintained. We arrived in time for the sea dragon feeding and penguin feeding. The staff is very knowledgeable, such a great place for children to learn about sea life. We loved seeing all of the sea animals, our favorites were the sea dragons, octopus & the touch pool. We loved the gift shop! Definitely check this small aquarium out.

I've always wanted to go to Birch Aquarium and so glad I finally made my way. I liked the right…read moreside of the aquarium the best. It was neat seeing the jellyfish, large aquarium display, and the seahorses! The interactive area outside was underwhelming and had very little sea life to explore. The view of the vast ocean was stunning though! The left side of the aquarium had one leopard shark. There was also an area for the kids to play. Overall the aquarium was small and would be worthwhile for them to consider an upgrade.

Wonderful collection of local rescued animals! Park and take the shuttle bus to the center.read more

My friend who needs a wheelchair to get around arrived and their shuttle could not accommodate…read moreher!! Nowhere on the website does it say that they do not accommodate nor does it say that we should call before coming to make sure she would be able to enjoy the center. It's so disappointing that at this day in age, Living Coast did not think about individuals like my friend. Thanks you for your reply. Perhaps the information you relayed on my post can be added to the website? Also, what is your on-site address? My friend was dropped off by MTS access and following the adress provided on your website.

This is My second attempt at starting an aquarium. My Husband had a 50-gallon fresh water tank back…read morein the day which I loved to watch the fish - very hypnotic & fascinating, swimming to & fro - but when He leveled up I had to let His fishy friends go too (the maintenance requirements were too overwhelming for Me then). My first recent try was to go the traditional route - heater, filter, bottles of water conditioner & beneficial bacteria, etc. etc. - when I unexpectedly happened upon an eye-opening You-Tube vid about the Walstad method (less homework & a more natural environment, the way God intended). So I returned all that other gear & am starting from scratch. Fernando eased My initial anxiety arriving as a total tank newbie, and gave Me a tour of the various low-maintenance plants I could start My nitrogen cycling with. Nolan - the Captain of this aquarium supplies ship - answered every one of My questions with patience & grace, did not talk down to Me or make Me feel stupid, and I left feeling happily hopeful that I might actually be successful in creating a fish-friendly safe & healthy environment. I am already envisioning My future fishy tenants, plus a snail & a sucker fish or two. Wish Me luck!! :-)

First off I just read Samantha M's review and I'm flabbergasted - this is the CLEANEST pet store in…read moreOC and most definitely there is ZERO smell. I've been to tongs, 8888, etc, trust me Nolan's is super clean. I came here for plants, they have a very large selection!!! My first time here was a few days ago - I got Hornwort, bolbitus, and dwarf water lettuce. They were all thriving. Hornwort fluffy and full! Also Thursday's is 25% off plants !! I came again today and brought a friend and she was also so happy we stayed there for like an hour just looking at everything. They have multiple rooms and a lot of tanks. The store seems small but it's not ; there's a lot of variety of fish, plants, and shrimp. Today there were red root floaters, one of the employees actually grew them - they were so healthy and super red I had to buy 3 cups !! I got more dwarf water lettuce bc my axolotl loved hanging in the roots. Staff today was super nice and helpful. There were 2 guys. It was extremely busy when I came like 10 people and they were helping everyone collaboratively. I hate when an employee only focuses on 1 customer who takes forever thinking and observing and there's a ton of ppl waiting. It wasn't like that here, the guy would answer a question and move on to another client. Also when the guy was fishing out some shrimp he was still talking to other customers and answering questions. I loved the vibe here. I will def be returning!!!!!

I adore this aquarium. It heavily featured in my childhood and now I'm bringing my own child here…read more The main exhibit hall is currently under renovation and is set to open in April 2026, but there's still plenty to see and do. The exploration center (which has puzzles and books for the little ones to enjoy) and the nursery are still open (you can still see jellyfish, shrimps/prawns, abalone among other things, we even got to see a jellyfish feeding while we were there!). We plan to come back when the exhibit hall reopens and I hope they still have the Tidepool Touch Tank in the back I loved so much as a child. There's also other free activities for the kids to enjoy like the puppet show and the shark touch tank (super cool), and my son got to touch a shark! This is such a cute and humble little aquarium. It's free admission, but they greatly appreciate donations. Much has stayed the same and much has also changed since I was here as a child. You do have to pay for parking, $1 per hour which is really reasonable. There's a nice quiet beach to enjoy out front. There's a small Offset Coffee bar attached to the aquarium now as well. And there's a little gift shop with lots of educational toys and books. In a world where more and more kids (and adults) doom scroll and become addicted to social media, I really appreciate places like this that are free and still available to the public. It's really impressive how much they still offer and how many cool things you can see and still learn about despite the lack of admission fees. I will keep happily supporting them and we definitely need to preserve and have more spaces like this, as they are becoming more and more rare in the digital age. It's nice to make the trek out here, get off our screens and touch some grass (or sharks rather!). And maybe I'm biased, but I love this place more than the Long Beach Aquarium! (Monterey Bay aquarium is probably truly the best aquarium in California though!) Will definitely come back again and again.

Hey it's free! This…read moreis a small aquarium that has some very unique experiences. The nursery was amazing. Younger kids would appreciate this place. Parking is $1 per hour at the Cabrillo beach They have a gift shop.

I love a great aquarium that has so much to offer in views for the little ones. Sea life is a great…read morespot to take the kids, you can definitely be done in under 3 hours. They have a scavenger hunt type of activity where the kiddos need to collect stamps from certain areas and at the end they are gifted with a sea life bracelet. It can get pretty busy inside. I did love coming years ago and they'd limit how many would enter, you felt like you had the whole place to yourself. Now, there's just too many inside and everyone is rushing to be the first one to view the sea life animals. Overall the kiddos and I enjoyed it, and there is an area to touch the star fish, etc which is highly popular and a washing station. They have a tank filled with sharks, you see them swim above you as you walk through this tunnel. Time well spent with the fam here.

We recently visited SEA LIFE Aquarium at LEGOLAND California Resort as a family (2 adults and 4…read morekids aged 2-6) and had an exceptional experience! First off, the ticket pricing is totally worth it for the whole family. Admission for a 1‑day ticket that includes both LEGOLAND and SEA LIFE typically starts around $99 for adults and as low as $39 for kids (ages 2-12) when purchased online, which made it a great value for all six of us. From the moment we walked in, the kids were thrilled -- especially with the slide right at the entrance that set the tone for fun right away! The aquarium is designed with little ones in mind, and our kids genuinely loved seeing all the colorful fish and sea creatures up close. There were plenty of exhibits to explore and educational videos playing that made it both entertaining and informative for the whole family. One of the highlights was getting to touch some of the tide pool animals at the end of the experience -- a super fun, hands‑on moment that our kids are still talking about! And the staff were fantastic -- friendly, welcoming, and very knowledgeable. They were happy to answer all our questions and share cool facts about the animals we were seeing. Overall, this aquarium visit was totally worth it, especially for families with young kids who love sea life and interactive experiences. We walked away with big smiles, great memories, and stories the kids can't wait to share. Highly recommend adding this to your family outing list!

Hosted a birthday party here for a kid. Staff was helpful, friendly and responsive with planning…read more They were great with the kids and families. Fun venue!

smallest aquarium but it was still worth a visit as you visit the pier. go on Groupon to get…read moretickets for discount!!! * you can see baby moon jellyfish and the learn of the growing systems. * touch tanks of different kinds if starfishes.

This was the cutest, mini aquarium! There's even an upstairs and with an overview of the…read moredownstairs. Heads up, thy don't allow food nor drinks in, but have a small table for you to leave your stuff on. I love how sweet the lady was while welcoming everyone in. It's free but donations are welcomed. It's the perfect end to the pier. Definitely check it out!

We visited on a Friday and it was super packed! Literally, everyone was shoulder to shoulder. Best…read moreto enjoy it on a slower day. This is a small compacted aquarium with two levels at the end of Manhattan Beach Pier. Hours vary due to certain days. Last time I tried to bring my friends here it was closed on a Tuesday morning and didn't open until about 2pm. It is free entry, but they do ask for a small donation of $5 to keep the aquarium running. There are jellyfishes, gold fishes, small eels, and starfishes. Not much to see, but it was free and made it entertaining for us. Staff were friendly and if you had any questions they kindly answered them.

I stopped in to Zen Aquatics because I am curious about installing a koi pond in the backyard but…read morehave zero experience with fish. I was impressed by the water world inside this store with a truly magnificent tank by the register that had the coolest stingray swimming around. I was told that the owner, JP, has extensive knowledge about everything koi ponds and is a wonderful resource for advising on the installation and required equipment. I wasn't sure that koi would live in this hot desert environment but apparently they do just fine! Zen had a great selection of koi fish in multiple sizes and all the accoutrements to go with them. If I go through with the project I will definitely hit JP up!

Zen is the best Saltwater/Reef aquarium store in the desert. They have everything you need to get…read morestarted or maintain your hobby. Great selection of fish and corals! JP and the rest of the crew are awesome and always willing to answer your questions. Very helpful and knowledgeable staff.