I enjoyed the Mote Marine Laboratory. It's located next to UTC mall. They have onsite parking that…read morefills up fast. I park in the across the street at the UTC mall. Book your tickets in advance so you don't have to wait in line to purchase tickets. I spent about 1.5 hours here and it was very fascinating. I saw penguins, manatees, different size jelly fish, turtles, sharks and more. I was surprised at how many touch tanks they had. You could touch stingrays, baby sharks, starfish and more. This place is perfect for all ages.

Absolutely loved this experience. I was invited by my company to do some volunteer work with Mote…read moreLabs, and part of the experience included visiting their aquarium. They have great security and short lines, which is a huge plus for families. Walking in, you're greeted by a grand staircase that leads to all three levels of the aquarium. We made our way through each floor in order and enjoyed every part of the exhibits. The first floor has a lot of interactive options for kids, along with a massive glass viewing area that makes you feel like you're swimming alongside the fish and sharks. This might have been my favorite part--if it weren't for the second floor. The second floor overlooks the main exhibit below and lets you get up close and personal with the sharks. We even got to see a shark fin sticking out of the water, which was pretty iconic. The third floor was awesome because you get to step outside, see the manatees, and enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding area. Overall, I think this is a great place for families. There are a lot of interactive exhibits, and everyone working there was super friendly and genuinely seemed happy to be there. 10/10, would recommend.

Well designed, good parking. Great activity for children of all ages. Be sure to talk with docents,…read morethey are a wealth of knowledge

Amazing place. Lots of things to do and unique things to see. We have been many times and it never…read moregets old!

Amazing variety of animals and well taken care of. This is perfect for kids of all ages. Petting…read moreand feeding the chickens and goats were my kids favorite part. But be careful of the monkeys they will throw poop! Haha

My family received free tickets and decided to visit a while back. We were so sad the whole visit…read more Many of the animals were in small, jail like enclosures. There was a wolf kept in a small, concrete floor, tiny stall with a big cat and the cat bit the wolf. We let a staff member know and they told us the name of the person who owned the wolf (we assumed the animals were owned by Big Cat Habitat and not private individuals. Big Cat Rescue in Tampa is a legitimate rescue. Big Cat Habitat is more like a side circus where most animals are kept in enclosures which are too small. Please support legitimate rescues and not places where private individuals own and display their pets.

A very cute a fun museum!…read more My group and I came here mostly to see the manatees but enjoyed the rest of the museum as well. We went through the exhibits on the two floors relatively quickly but they were interesting to look at. I liked the emphasis on Florida specific history. The planetarium was interesting and the seats were very comfortable. The manatees were obviously the highlight. We were able to see two babies, Sorbet and Juneau, right at feeding time. The top view of the water had a superior view. Overall, while I'm not from here so I'm not sure when I'd be back if I went, I really enjoyed my time here.

Had a wonderful time here. Lost track of time and spent nearly hours there. Well maintained…read moreexhibits. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. The planetarium was awesome. We went to two shows. Very informative.

Took a day trip from the Orlando area to the aquarium. I read that parking was an issue so we…read moreplanned to arrive right when they opened at 9am. I purchased our tickets the day before so that we could skip the line. I was a little surprised to see the aquarium nestled in between the cruise dock and the downtown Tampa area. The aquarium itself has no parking, but there are a couple if garages right next door. The one I parked at was $20 a day. Even at 9am, the parking garage was nearly full to my suprise. I showed my ticket barcode to the attendant, they take a quick family photo (the cheapest one is $29) and we were in with no wait. The aquarium has many exhibits in a fairly small space. It was fairly comfortable for thr first 30 minutes we were there, but it quickly filled up. We went on Friday hoping to avoid crowds, but it didn't seem to help. We spent about 2 hours visiting all the animals and my girls even got to touch jellyfish ans stingrays. They have helpful employees that answer your questions and seemed happy to be there. The gift shop and food options are extremely expensive and are comparable to Disney prices. We saw everything we wanted to see and left by 1130am. Tickets were $45 and parking was $20. I feel it was a little pricey for 2 1/2 hours, but we had a good time.

The Florida Aquarium is a clean, well-maintained attraction and a nice place for locals to escape…read morethe Florida heat or a rainy afternoon. Admission was $88 for one adult and one toddler, which felt a bit expensive for what was offered. We really enjoyed the coral reef exhibit and the large aquarium tanks. The octopus and jellyfish were definitely some of the most memorable animals, and my daughter absolutely loved the touch tank where she got to pet jellyfish. That ended up being one of her favorite parts of the visit Growing up in Florida and fishing most of my life, I'm already pretty familiar with much of the local marine life, so some of the exhibits weren't as exciting for me personally. However, my daughter had a wonderful time, which made the visit worthwhile. If you've visited before, be aware that a few things have changed. The outdoor penguin exhibit is gone, and the splash pad and playground have been replaced with a large turf area that has very little for kids to do outside. That was disappointing since those were some of the more unique family features. All of the animal exhibits are upstairs, while the downstairs consists mainly of the touch tank, gift shop, and restaurant. Overall, it's a smaller aquarium than what I remember from 10 years ago and we spent about an hour seeing everything at a comfortable pace. Overall, it's worth visiting once, but at the current admission price, I don't feel it offers enough value to visit regularly.

This is a really cool place to go when you need a fun activity for visitors or kids! It's a little…read morepricey for admission, but it includes access to lots of animals, walking trails, a small butterfly enclosure, an aviary, and a planetarium. The animals they had were fun to see and there were quite a lot of them! The outside area is very nice as well, and I'd probably go on the trail if it wasn't so hot out. I unfortunately didn't have time to wait for the planetarium show, but it's cool that it is a part of the experience. I enjoyed walking around and would recommend it.

In desperate need of renovation and possibly new management…read more Planetarium was very unsatisfactory. The seats do not recline to a comfortable angle. We both walked out in desperate need of a chiropractor adjustment. The feature was like watching an old reel to reel home movie complete with rough imagery and popping sounds in the audio. I'm going to venture out here and say they need new equipment because the feature we paid to see was supposed to be a visual marvel. The presentation left us uninspired and not impressed. Exhibits. The tanks were dirty, the exhibits were run down old and outdated. If the ppl there are volunteers some need to be asked not to return, if they're employees they need to be fired. When we asked questions they acted annoyed that we were even there. The animals. I'm hoping they'll be able to improve. I know they're probably still trying to recover from the storms but they need to do more, faster. I shouldn't feel pity for the animals having to spend their life in captivity and wondering are they truly better off. We visited a wild bird sanctuary in Key Largo which was wonderful. We were so impressed we wanted to and did make a separate donation to help keep their doors open. They operate on donations for entry, not an entry fee. Fort Myers, you have a good foundation but you need to step up your game. What started out as new in 1970 is in desperate need of repair. Inspire us!! Also, I'm not tourist. We will go back and continue to pay for entry but I'd like to see some improvements being made between visits.

I have 4 tanks and the ONLY one doing GREAT with plants is the one with Father Fish substrate and a…read moresand topping. No CO2. What a difference in the root system from the others that have expensive bagged substrates (like Fluval) from pet stores. Some people made negative comments but I am a believer!

This guy is very condescending and would not let up on his "educating" me on why I have so many…read moresnails. I already knew why I had the issue. I simply wanted to buy a clown or yo yo loach to eat them. Geez. I will not return to his store.

I've recently become a stay at home mom and I'm looking for more to do in the Clearwater area. A…read morefriend recommended the aquarium which I somehow had never been to! Well it turns out it's much more economical to be a member so we splurged on the 4-person membership for around $240. The staff is all super nice. It was a weekday so rather than paying $14 for parking (members only pay $7 with validation) we found free street parking. My 4 year old loved the touching tank upon entry and we learned about how lobsters shed their shells. It's a mixture of old and new structures so it can get confusing to navigate but we figured it out for the most part. Another favorite was the stingray area as well because you can get wet. I personally couldn't locate the otters but I will make it my mission next time. Lots of scheduled presentations! I think we will find plenty of reasons to come back. I noticed they also have a food court. Would love to see some sort of splash pad addition like at the one in Tampa. There is a cute waterfront playground just a stone's throw away!

Positive: Become a member. Everything in the gift shop is discounted and your parking is half…read moreoff. Not to mention it's only an extra $30 and you can come back as many times as you like. Which turned out to be a caveat because apparently today was a day everybody decided to come to the aquarium. If you didn't already know this is where "Dolphims Tale" emanated from. Florida is and has always been dedicated to the preservation and rescue and Rehabilitation of the marine species and environment. The drive out here is something. Crystal Blue Azure Waters surrounded by pristine white sandy beaches.

The best aquarium store in the Cape! Very nice and very helpful, especially for those who are just…read morelearning about reef tanks, fish and all the different corals! They also have a great selection of fish and many different types of coral. We have two aquariums in our home and working on our third, the Aquarium and Reef Center is our go to store in the Cape!

VERY knowledgeable and nice folks. Huge selection of both…read moresalt & fresh water fish and other sea life. We were struggling with our aquarium but a few tips by them and we now have a wonderful and enjoyable collection that is building. Would not think of going anywhere else in SW Florida.

We found this place while searching Yelp and enjoyed our visit there. Easy to navigate your way…read morearound and lots to see. My kids enjoyed seeing all the different animals! My only gripe was- they were cleaning the turtles and it would have been a really cool learning experience for the kids if they advertised those things/invited kids and families to come watch. They could have really turned it into a really cool educational moment by answering questions or talking about what they were doing while they were doing it. Even having a few seats people could sit in while they did it... this could apply to any of their daily things they do there to help the animals. Keep up the good work and help inspire the next generation!

a charming, historic attraction that originally opened in the 1930s. Set on about 3 to 3.5 acres of…read morelush, mature landscaping, the Wonder Gardens is home to a variety of rescued, rehabilitating, and non-releasable animals. We took our time wandering the pathways, admiring the beautiful habitats thoughtfully designed for each species. There's a strong focus on birds, and the variety here is impressive -- vibrant parrots, graceful flamingos, and so many unique feathered residents. Just as we made it to the final exhibit with the crocodiles, an announcement came over the speakers warning of lightning in the area. Guests were directed back to the gift shop for safety, and the staff began offering rain checks or refunds depending on when you arrived. We didn't inquire about either, though -- we had already thoroughly enjoyed our time there, and since the Wonder Gardens is a nonprofit organization, we were happy to support them regardless. Before leaving, we browsed the gift shop, which had a fantastic selection of animal-themed souvenirs, cute décor, and even artwork created by the resident animals -- such a unique touch. If you're in the area, Wonder Gardens is absolutely worth a stop. It's charming, educational, and your admission supports ongoing rescue and rehabilitation efforts. If you're interested in getting even closer to the animals, they also offer scheduled animal encounters, so be sure to check ahead for times.