Such a cute aquarium! The first open-air one in Florida! Sharks, tarpon, turtles, rays, fish - including the invasive lion fish (one of over 150 invasive species in the state). We loved that we could feed the fish for free (with entry). We loved hearing stories of the rescued turtle residents. We loved how small and cozy the space is. The employees and marine caretakers are very knowledgeable, kind, and truly care for the creatures in their care. read more

Key West Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Key West, Florida

As others have said, it's a small place. However, I would think you would expect that, what with being on a small island. You're greeted by a touch tank full of horseshoe crabs, conchs, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, sea stars (starfish) and hermit crabs. I may be an adult, but I love touch tanks, especially when they house creatures that I don't get to see in my daily midwestern life! Shortly after we arrived, one of the employees began giving a talk about the animal in the tank. We didn't stick around for the whole presentation, but what we did learn was interesting. Down both sides of the building are aquariums with different sea creatures: fish, lobster and other crustaceans, and typical sea animals like anemonies and eels. In the middle of the floor and behind and in line with the touch tank are 2 sunken tanks which house sea turtles that cannot be released into the wild, and rays. Another employee gave a talk about them and it, too, was very interesting. Near the back door is a camera machine where you can choose your backdrop and take souvenir selfies which you can then email to yourself. These are free and unlimited. Out the backdoor is an inlet with is fenced off from the ocean, but is still subject to the tides. It is probably at least 10 feet deep and house various tropical fish of at least 8 inches in size. There is a boardwalk that borders the entire thing, and on one side, there is a food dispensing machine where you can purchase handfuls of feed for 25 cents each and feed the fish. There is only one way in and out to this, so you can't get lost. Once back in the building, there is a large doorway on the left which takes you into a room where you look down into a large tank that encompasses the whole room. There are nurse sharks and tarpon, among other large fish species that live here. Behind this large pool is the exit, which takes you into a gift shop that has comingled with a Key West souvenir shop. You can enter the gift shop without going through the aquarium, if you want. We purchased our ticket as a combo with the Ship Wreck Museum which is just across the way. There are a few different combo tickets that you can purchase, or you can simply choose the aquarium only. Also, with our combo ticket, we were able to return to the aquarium the next day for free, so we took advantage of that, simply for the air conditioning, lol. All in all, it was a nice place to visit to see the inhabitants of Key West's waters, and to see some animals that I had never seen before. It is worth your time to stop in and check out and because of it's size, you don't have to make a whole day of it...you could be in and out in an hour or less, actually, depending on your particular interests. 103/2025 read more

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First off, this aquarium is pretty small, don't expect huge multi-story tanks or anything like that. It reminds me of the old section of the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Think large picture frame tanks that you can peek into. With the size being stated, there was some unique and cool experiences that didn't make this a total tourist trap. You do get pretty close to see sea turtles which my kids adored. With the smaller tanks, you do get very close to the critters that are on display. There was a few different ocean animals that I haven't seen up so close, so that was cool. You will probably spend 1.5 - 2 hours max at this place, it won't take too long to get through it but if you like ocean animals, there will be some neat sights to make it a fun experience. Price is a little high for the size and time but you are right in the middle of tourist central so not surprised. read more

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The Key West Aquarium is probably one of the smallest aquariums I have ever been to, so if you're expecting something massive, where you can wander for half the day, adjust your expectations. That said, we had a really nice time here. It has a small intimate feel so you are close to the tanks and you can take your time. We came later in the day and we were able to catch the game fish and shark feeding. The tank itself was pretty dark and it was honestly hard to see much happening in the water, but the staff member giving the talk was engaging and informative. We learned a lot especially about mangroves and how important they are to the ecosystem. We also stayed for most of the touch tank tuck in tour which I found to be surprisingly sweet. They secure the animals before closing to ensure everyone is safe and protected while the staff is not on site. They also encourage audience participation and there was only one child there at the time I was present, but she really seemed to enjoy helping put the animals away. It was very cute and the staff was very kind to her and made sure she understood what was going on. All the staff were very knowledgeable and genuinely friendly and you could tell they care about what they do. I personally liked seeing the clownfish and learning about them, but my favorite was probably the queen triggerfish. She was beautiful and full of personality. There was also a large tortoise which my husband really enjoyed watching swim around the large tank. The aquarium is dog friendly and since we were traveling through the area we probably would not have come otherwise. I love dog friendly activities and I always give extra stars just for that. Our pup was safe and felt curious and it was enjoyable for her too. They also have a little kiosk where you can take a free digital souvenir photo so I snapped one of us with our dog. It's a small touch but all the patrons loved it. I did read a lot of reviews before coming that made it seem like the price of admission was not worth it because the aquarium is small. I live near the Monterey Bay aquarium and have visited it many times. It's one of the best aquariums in the world and you can spend hours inside, but it costs $65 per person. The key West aquarium cost us around $20 and I doubt many people spend more than an hour - 90 minutes here but I think if you put it into perspective the price is absolutely reasonable. There was a lot of empty space and spots under construction, which is understandable but makes more of an impact when the aquarium itself is so small. Overall, this is a quick educational, easy stop in Key West and we are definitely glad we visited. read more

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Small, quaint, and a bit overpriced for what it is. Kids love the fish. Some staff was nice and some were not. Fish, rays, turtles, sharks, and a baby alligator. Probably won't be back but it was an experience. read more

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This was probably our least favorite excursion we did in Key West. Maybe if we had kids this would have been more interesting for them, but for us it was just ok. read more

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Actually it should be good for kids. For adults it's a bit disappointing... Very Small and the fish's and other bios not good variety. There is a rough ray, turtles, seahorses,... was nice. There is also little pool. Shark and a few more big fishes there. read more

Key West Aquarium - What the turtles carry on their shell? - Aquariums Near Me - Key West, Florida

If you're planning a visit to the Key West Aquarium, the most important thing to know is that it isn't a massive, multi-level facility. It's a smaller, more intimate space that you can take your time walking through in about 30 minutes. That being said, it's a great 'time burn' if you're looking to get out of the sun for a bit, especially for families. At around $10 for kids, it's a very affordable educational stop. They have routine interactive presentations throughout the day that are actually quite insightful and give you a closer look at the local marine life and even tidbits about local culture. It's a solid addition to a day on Duval Street, particularly if you have children who want a more hands-on experience. You can see a quick montage of our walk-through and some of the wildlife at the 6:30 mark of my video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og6BrVsB2QM read more

A wonderful experience in Key West, especially for families with children. Learn so much about the sea life around Key West! Great exhibits, excellent staff that's very knowledgable about everything in the aquarium. Tours on the half hour, covering all the different exhibits in the aquarium. Learn about sea turtles, health and rescue. Watch the feeding of all the different fish and sharks! What a fun afternoon... bring the kiddos! read more

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Loved this aquarium for something fun to do. They are currently in the process of adding more so I can't wait to see what more they are adding. The AMAZING thing about this aquarium is that you are allowed to bring your dog as long as they are leashed and well behaved. My girl loved it and it was such a nice experience. read more

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We purchased a tour along with the a little White House. Glad we did. Bri g quarters though so you can feed the fish outside! There was an informational tour going on, but we chose to explore around by ourselves. The aquarium was cool. Not very large, but still interesting. We liked the outside area best. It was fun to throw fish food and warp thx the fish swarm to eat. We even had a bird watching but it didn't go after hr fish darn. Maybe next time! read more

Key West Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Key West, Florida

It's really small compared to aquariums I have visited in Seattle, WA; Monterey, CA; and Vancouver, Canada, but Key West, FL is a very small town with limited and pricey real estate, so it is understandable that it is so small. Despite the size, there are several things they do really well. There is a schedule of events at the entrance that indicates free educational tours and animal feedings by staff. These events happen frequently so you are bound to see one during your short visit. There were at least two that happened while we were there. One was listed as feeding the sharks. We were easily able to get a spot along the rail that overlooked the shark pool. The docent used a wireless microphone so her hands were free to throw fish and crustaceans into the pool while simultaneously pointing out the various fish, their features, and interesting characteristics. Employees not doing a tour were readily available and eager to engage with visitors and share their knowledge about the fish and reptiles in the tanks, pools, and aquariums. I was very interested in the three turtles in the three pools in the center of the facility. Hector is older and slow to move. He is fond of shrimp which contributes to his high cholesterol for which he takes prescription medicine. He spends the majority of his time sleeping while wedging his flipper in the PVC fence between him and his nemesis Rocky, a younger more disagreeable turtle who tried to bite Hector's flipper when it stuck through his neighbor's fence. Lola was the unique turtle with a damaged flipper that had been fitted with a 3D flipper prosthetic. She had been in and out of care in Texas where she was originally found as a baby. Her release didn't last long because she got tangled in fishing wire and after her flipper was partially amputated due to damage, she was officially welcomed into the permanent care in Key West Aquarium. Lola's full story is on the walls of the outside water pen. This pen has a boardwalk that allows you to walk and peer into the water. There are two gumball machines that have been filled to dispense small pellets of fish food. For a quarter, you can get a small handful that lets you feed the fish. There are several parrotfish and trumpet fish that can easily be seen. TV monitors flash educational slides above the aquariums with info on the fish and corals. They also talk about their restoration techniques being used to grow and restore coral reefs and what we can do to help. The aquariums allowed us to buy a discounted ticket that provided entry into the aquarium, the Shipwreck Museum with the 360 lookout tower, and the Rails to Sails Museum. We bought it, but only made it to two of the three because we ran out of energy. We could have returned the next day, but we departed from Key West. If you are in the area for an extended time, or have kids, this is a nice, small aquarium with good live presentations and intriguing educational content displayed. There is also a shallow touch pool that allows you to put two fingers in the pool to "touch" (not pick up) the sea urchins, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, and other creatures safe to touch. It's fun! I'm glad I went, but we were here for 11 days, so we had plenty of time to visit. If you have a shorter stay, it might not be in your top attraction list. read more

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This is a very small aquarium that shows the fish that are very common around Key West. Entrance to the Aquarium was part of a tour package that also included a Conch Tour (great tour which is very informative packed into an hour long ride around Key West) and the Ship Wreck Museum (all stairs to climb & not at all handicap accessible) purchased and aboard the Norwegian Pearl. I would recommend going to the Key West Aquarium as part of a combination package or going to the Conch tour as a solo visit. As you walk in one will see rows to your left and right and large open tanks in the middle containing rescued turtles. The enclosed tanks to the left and right are very clean and clear tanks containing the sea life of Key West. I was able to see the largest Moray Eel I've ever seen and a Jellyfish that sends its entire life swimming what looks like upside down. The staff is very friendly and eager to answer any questions you may have about the exhibits. They also have informative presentations about sea turtles and sharks. The Key West Aquarium is a great place to spend an hour or so seeing the fish, sharks and turtles of Key West with a staff eager to answer any question you have about the water around Key West. read more

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Listen, it's a smaller aquarium, right? But it's quite dense and has a nice selection of of fish and other such aquatic fauna, some of which that I don't remember having seen anywhere else. Its a nice afternoon killer. read more

The Aquarium is pretty small, but still a really good place to go if you're looking for something to do. There are lots of tours that give plenty of information. read more

Key West Aquarium - Sea Turtle - Aquariums Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Such a fun place to go. There's quite a few tanks with various fish from rays to sharks and seahorses, but my favorites were the middle areas housing the sea turtles. There are 4 endangered turtles (Rocky, Lola, Spike, and Hector) that have been rescued. Lola has a prosthetic forearm flipper that's put on daily. It's made to fit only her. She had a net wrapped around her fore flipper when she was itty bitty and it had to be amputated. The others have missing flippers and other issues. It's wonderful what the aquarium is doing for them and others. If you're in Key West, it's a must see! read more

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Had such an incredible time at the aquarium! Got to meet all my favorite animals, Lola is the cutest sea turtle ever. The presentations were very informative and Mike did an awesome job teaching us all about sea turtles and you can tell all the staff truly love the animals! Overall an excellent experience :) read more

Key West Aquarium - octopus - Aquariums Near Me - Key West, Florida

The experience was great, we went to go see the fish for our son who is 1.5 and just learned the word "fish" so he was very excited. We were just in time for the shark feeding in the next room by an amazing employee who was very knowledgeable! She was great and got the nurse sharks to come right up and take the fish for us to see and ask questions. There was a small photo opportunity at the other end of the aquarium and a touch tank in the beginning. Sea turtles, seahorses, rays and more. Giving 4 stars because it was way smaller than we expected. read more

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The Aquarium is a nice site to visit while in Key West. The facility is small and could use a little sprucing up but it is still nice to visit. It really does has Old Key West charm. It is great for kids, seniors and lovers of sea life. They have feedings and educational presentations throughout the day. You get to learn about the sea life that is local to the area. The touch tank is especially fun and you get to see everything from sea turtles , many types of fish, sharks, stingrays, octopus, sea horses and even a Burmese Python. They have ticket combo options for multiple venues and return visits. There is a decent size over~priced gift shop but there are several touristy gift shops across the street. Venue is in walking distance to Mallory Square with places to grab food and adult beverages. I enjoyed The Aquarium and would highly recommend visiting while in Key West. read more

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Many have mentioned this is a VERY small aquarium. This is a fact. You could browse through all within 30 mins. max But some of the creatures are worth taking time to view and some you end up coming back to browse some more. Great place to Come in and cool off during the heat. Watching the shark and the sea turtles was the highlight. read more

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Definitely a tourist trap. The family did this and the ship wreck museum package. It killed an hour and was good for the kids. It's something to do, just temper your expectations. The rays and the turtles were the highlight of aquarium. read more

Key West Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Key West, Florida

While in Key West, we visited the aquarium. They are dog friendly, which was why we came. Keep in mind, this is a very small and local aquarium. It takes about 30 minutes to see everything. Even though it is small, we still saw some cool marine life. They do have presentations but nothing like what you'll see at Sea World, Georgia Aquarium, etc. They've got nurse sharks, turtles, indigenous fish, sting rays, etc. It was okay. We honestly would have skipped it and gone to Dry Tortugas National Park if we didn't have our dog with us. Tickets cost ~$23 for adults, ~$13 for children, and are good for re-entry for two days. read more

I found the Key West Aquarium to be fairly interesting. It has rescue turtles and some interesting fish. My highlight was watching the sea horses eat. I was less enthused with the sharks which appear to have very limited room to maneuver. read more

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My husband, myself, and our 12-year old daughter visited the museum while staying in Key West for the week. It was not busy at all which gave us plenty of opportunity to see all the exhibits and take our time. The aquarium is really small and overall, lacks luster. There was no awe factor inside. The neatest thing to learn about or even see was the sea turtle that had been rescued. Aside from that, it was lowkey boring. We read and looked at all the exhibits and were in and out within an hour. Sure, you can stick around and hear presentations about various things, but we didn't find that valuable. We have had the pleasure of living near the Monterey Bay Aquarium and it's hard to even come close to a comparison. This wasn't the reason for the 2-star review, however. We just were not impressed for the price you pay to enter. I think elemetary aged children would like this aquarium the most. read more

Very very very small - won't take you more than 30 minutes to go through the two areas they have and that's taking your time. Nothing special and not worth the time and money. read more

add this place to the list of overpriced attractions in Key West. it's literally one room with a tiny touch tank, two tanks with turtles, who both appear injured in some way, and a wall of small tanks. that's all. we walked around in it and it took about 10 minutes to get through. read more

Here's a warning to anyone considering visiting this place: it's an absolute scam and a complete joke. Save your money and your time because standing by the sea and looking at the ocean would give you a far better experience. There's absolutely nothing worth seeing here--just a ridiculously tiny area hyped up for no reason. The staff are shockingly racist, offering explanations and attention exclusively to white visitors while ignoring everyone else. It's beyond infuriating. Do yourself a favor: don't fall for the tourist trap and avoid this place at all costs. read more

Stepping into the Key West Aquarium is like diving into a mesmerizing underwater world where every corner tells a captivating story of marine life. Sea horses , sharks ,turtles ,eels, a large variety of fish and more.. The staff is great ! very knowledgeable and helpful . Highly recommended ! ( ** for a full disclosure- i am an open water diver - i have been scuba diving in Zuma beach- Malibu, Maui, Oahu, Thailand and the Sinai peninsula...so i have a soft spot for anything underwater :-) read more

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This is the first time o have been to the Key West aquarium. I was excited to come. We have been to aquariums in other cities. This one was a huge let down. The sharks were in a tank to small as were the turtles. I felt badly for the aquatic animals. I will not be recommending the aquarium to anyone. Skip it! read more

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Had a BLAST at the Key West Aquarium! Staff was knowledgeable and there were multiple education opportunities throughout our visit. Every 30 minutes a new presentation was given either on the tv screens around the building or by one of the interpreters. I loved the outdoor areas! read more

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Very small. Not as good as other major aquariums around the country. Too expensive for the limited viewing.

Small but good. Very well maintained. Provides exactly what I expected from an aquarium in a tourist destination. Low Yelp rating is definitely not earned. read more

Small and quaint aquarium. They showcase the most popular aquatic creatures: seahorses, eels, stingrays, sharks, etc. You can pet the stingrays and feed the sharks. They also have some very exotic colorful fishes. Personally, I enjoyed looking at the seahorses and octopuses. This aquarium is perfect for children. It is fun and educational. The admission price is around $15 per adult. It is a diminutive aquarium, but they have plans of expanding it by 2021. BTW, the gift shop of this place is amazing. 4 stars. read more

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Meh, more like a $5 would be a good price to get in aquarium. Not much to see, gets you out of sun for a 1/2 hour though i suppose.

I'm going to start by saying this is one of my favorit aquariums in the entire world. This aquarium is amazing with different sea turtles, a huge shark tank, a very cool touch tank, and all sorts of fish. Who ever disses on this, that's sad. For a small area like key west, this aquarium is wayyyyyyy beond a 3.5 star ratbig. read more

What a small unique place and has AC! Again, small but still worth it. The tours for the shark's and turtles were very cool and the tour guide was awesome. Very friendly with alot of knowledge. My son and husband were excited to feed the sharks. read more

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Even though it is a very small aquarium, it was an awesome experience. The staff is awesome and very informational. They answered all of our questions and gave us great information on the sea animals they had. We got to see 4 out of the 7 types of sea turtles and feed the nurse sharks. Lola, a Kemp Ridley sea turtle who is the embassador for amputee sea turtle, resides here. It was awesome to see her. read more

Key West Aquarium - Info - Aquariums Near Me - Key West, Florida

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The aquarium itself is pretty small but still has good attractions. Mike gave a good presentation about sea turtles and how're they're helping injured ones with prosthetics which was cool. He seemed genuinely happy and excited - don't see that much anymore. He also showed us how to hold horseshoe crabs. Worth the money read more

Cool little aquarium with plenty of displays to keep one busy for a few hours. They have informative tours that explain life in the reefs. Lots of sea creatures to keep the kids young and old happy. There's a nurse shark feeding and informational tutorial that's well worth seeing. They also have an outdoor tank full of tarpon and jacks that swim right up to you waiting to be fed. Great for the kids. read more

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So...over the years...a lot of years...I have been to the Key West Aquarium multiple times. It isn't what I would call amazing...but there are no animal shows (yay) and at first glance is is rather small and a bit dingy. However, if you take the time to read the information on their sea animals and listen to the speakers you will learn knowing what they are all about. During our trip we saw several sea turtles. They all had some type of injury that prevented them from currently returning to the wild. One, has 3 of the 4 fins chewed off from an unknown predator. One has fishing hooks in places that would be too dangerous to remove. One just has to listen to the team that works there to see how much the animals are cared for. For this, they get my 4 stars and my admission. read more

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