We visited the New York Aquarium on Jun 26, 2025 as part of the Road Scholar's "American Mosaic -…read moreAn NYC Exploration" program. Tickets were provided by our tour group. Parking isn't free, or cheap. We didn't have to worry about that since we took the subway. We started at Glover's Reef and slowly moved through Conservation Hall. By "we", I meant me. There was a lot of people, and they kept walking into my shots. That meant waiting and more waiting, but it was worth it. From Conservation Hall, I exited to an outdoor area known as Sea Cliff. This area housed the otters, sea lions and penguins. More on Sea Cliff later. I approached the Ocean Wonders: Sharks! building, went in, and was immediately greeted by the wonderful underwater glass tunnel. This was easily the most impressive gallery in the aquarium. Multitudes of marine creatures were swimming over my head with every step I took. It was breathtaking. The rest of Ocean Wonders was all about sharks... mostly. There were rays, turtles and other fishes too. Next was the Spineless and PlayQuarium building. The Spineless gallery was not impressive, with the spider crabs and the octopus being the only standouts. No sturgeons. The collection of fishes wasn't as impressive as Ocean Wonders or Conservation Hall. We bypassed the PlayQuarium and into the gift shop. Last but not least, the sea lions. They were adorable. I took some videos but am unable to post them here. They can be found in my YouTube channel @1Somber. Look for "2025-1: American Mosaic - An NYC Exploration" playlist, and the "Day 5: Sea Lions" video. Thankfully, we didn't have to pay for our tickets. If we had, I would insist on visiting the 4-D Theater and the Aquatheater. But we did not due to lack of time. We were given less than 2 hours and the time was almost up when we were done with the main exhibits. The New York Aquarium is definitely comparable with the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. The visit was enjoyable. It's worth visiting one time.

Visitor rating: 4/5 | Local rating: 3/5…read more As a visitor, I really enjoyed this aquarium! I hadn't been in years, and it was great to see all the updates and changes. During my visit, I saw jellyfish, sea lions, seals, otters, penguins, fish, and sharks. There's plenty to see both indoors and outdoors. The aquarium also does a sea lion show twice a day, and there's a new sea tunnel where sharks and other sea life swim all around you--it's really cool! After your visit, you can walk along the boardwalk and explore the nearby area. I rated it lower as a local (3/5) because if the exhibits don't change often, it can feel a bit repetitive and less worth the price. Overall, a fun visit--I'll definitely be back. Check out the aquarium today!

I was there years ago. I do remember that the tanks were pristine…read more Parking was available on the street. The gentleman inside was very helpful and informative.

Avoid this place, do not shop here. They offer no guarantee…read moreon their fish and show zero regard for their customers. I spent over $60, and half the fish died the very next day. When I went back to the store they refused to offer a refund or even an exchange claiming their policy states no refund or exchange even if it's 24 hours later, which is ridiculous. Take your business to a store that values its customers and stands behind what they sell. Save your time, money, and frustration.

Very nice store. Salesperson was incredibly helpful. He looked at photos of my tank and advised on…read morecoral including reviewing my tank chemical parameters, lighting, etc. There were many beautiful pieces at a variety of price points. I bought a nice hammer coral, a torch, a war coral, and a candy cane. Frags were from $10 to 95. Everything was in excellent health and good value. I highly recommend Mosreef.

I didn't buy anything from this fish store. I just happened to see this store. This fish store…read morehas a lot of salt water fishes.(clownfish, dory, sea anemone, and others). There are different sizes and species of sea anemone ranging from $15 to over $100. The store is a bit dark. I was afraid of knocking over stuffs. I guess the sea water fishes needs to be in dark area.

This was our second visit to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, and we really enjoy coming back…read more It's on the smaller side, but there's still plenty to see and do. For its size, they have a great variety of touch tanks -- from jellyfish to sturgeon to stingrays -- and my son felt brave enough to touch almost everything this time and loved it. I also appreciate that there are hand-washing stations everywhere. We love the jellyfish exhibits, and the shark tank is very cool -- this visit we even got to see a diver inside answering questions. They offer short 4D movies for $8, though it may be better for older kids (my 2-year-old got a little scared). Paid parking is across the street, and overall it's an easy, fun outing for families. We've heard they offer overnight experiences too and might try that next time!

This place is not too large but there is so much to see and learn! We were able to touch the…read morestingrays, jellyfish and the sturgeon. Spectacular. The jellyfish were memorizing to watch and we were estatic to see sea horses! They have sharks, seals, turtles and all kinds of fish to look at. There is also some land animals on the second floor and we had a good laugh watching the meerkats in action. The staff was very knowledgeable and passionate about their work and the mission of the aquarium and they are happy to answer any questions. It makes for a nice day for families with children or even adults only. Not too much walking, but enough to get some energy out. There is an elevator. There is a cafe with snacks and sandwiches, a gift shop, and water refilling stations so bring your reusable water bottle. Restrooms too and they were clean. The Imax theater is an extra cost and parking is across the street in a pay to park garage for the aquarium.

We traveled to the American Dream mall specifically to do the Animal Crossing event being held at…read moreSea Life. The aquarium itself is incredible, it was above our expectations for sure. They had a large shark mascot roaming around and causing a lot of laughs. The Animal Crossing event was fun, we were able to collect stamps from staff at different exhibits and trade them for a prize in the shop. Unfortunately they were low on the Animal Crossing merchandise but getting the patch was still very cool. They had character meet and greets. We stayed for one of them, K.K. Slider. Not sure if they have other characters for meet and greets, but that is who we saw.

Few things in this world compare to the beauty of the underwater ecosystem, and fortunately for…read morethose who are fascinated by life under the sea, a trip to an aquarium will allow one to see firsthand sea creatures of all shapes and sizes, from the small but mighty seahorse to the aptly named and gently giant whale shark. While visiting the American Dream mall in East Rutherford yesterday with family from out of town, my partner, his family, and I decided to escape to Sea Life NJ by purchasing via their kiosk. Some of us haven't visited this establishment since it first opened up 4 years ago. Upon arrival, the staff scanned our time slot tickets, and we breezed right into the elevator. It's a smaller, quick-visit aquarium great for an hour and managed to pack a lot into it. It is a walk-through experience where one can marvel at the aquatic animals and read fascinating information on the walls. Especially great for young kids who love interactive features and photo ops. The touch tank was one of the memorable events, being able to touch the sea anemones and starfish. The various tanks looked clean and well maintained. One can pop one's head up into a few tanks for fun pics. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. It's a fantastic destination for families and ocean lovers alike.

As always Jay and his wife who is super helpful have sold me corals and fish that are hardy,…read morehealthy and well-priced. His stock of useable items is also great. carries only the best products. recommends solutions to common problems. and if you didn't know he also test water parameters. My number one store for help, supplies advice, corals and fish. thanks!

Reef shark aquarium to me is the best in Long Island , the owner is a sweetheart , very…read moreknowledgeable, super helpful and also extremely honest , family owned business and I just love coming here for help in anything that has to do with me salt water aquarium, i recommend anyone who's starting a salt or freshwater to come here you'll get guide on how to start the aquarium of your dreams

We had an AMAZING time at Long Island Aquarium! The aquarium is super spacious and never felt…read morecrowded, with so many interesting exhibits to explore. Everything is really well done, but the sharks absolutely stole the show -- seriously SO cool to see them up close and swimming overhead! Parking is about 1-2 blocks away, just follow the signs for "Aquarium Parking." There's a shuttle that runs often, and the driver was incredibly friendly. We were so glad we chose that option because it was slushy everywhere, and the shuttle made the whole experience easy and stress-free. Plan for about 2 hours, which felt absolutely perfect -- enough time to see everything, enjoy the exhibits, and not feel rushed at all. Fun, exciting, and 100% worth the visit. We'd definitely go back!

I felt that the admission price is too high. Many of the exhibits were not open. The parking…read moresituation is a major problem. You have to park approximately a half mile away and walk, not very friendly for anyone who has any limitations.

I was honestly really impressed with Jenks. Based on other reviews I was expecting less, so this…read morewas a really pleasant surprise. Sure this is a small aquarium, but there's still lots to see and do. You can easily spend 2 hours walking around and checking everything out. It's a great way to spend a day by the beach in the winter - especially if it's sunny out so you can walk the boardwalk after. Anyways, back to the aquarium! My kids (2.5 and 4.5) had a blast. We loved watching the seal feeding and the penguin feeding. There were so many fish and reptiles to check out, and even some land animals like little monkeys and parrots. There are some seriously impressive sharks, jellyfish, sea horses, turtles. I could go on and on. A special highlight was also seeing a real life Axolotl - my girls have been obsessed with this animal lately. We got here close to opening so it wasn't hard to find a spot. I'm sure it can be mayhem if you come on a summer beach day! The gift shop at the end was cute, but don't get lured by the low prices. I got my girls each a plastic mermaid for $5 (felt low for a gift shop) but everything cracked and broke after a few minutes of play time. This was a perfect little activity for my kids, and I could definitely see us coming back again.

While visiting the New Jersey this mid April (2026), my wife and I decided to visit this aquarium…read more This aquarium is very popular to take young ones, when visiting the boardwalk. This is considered a very small aquarium but it is perfect for young children. The more popular attractions are the feeding of the penguins and seals It is also a sanctuary for sea animal rescues. There is a very cool large tank which features sharks, stingrays, grouper and other large and small fish There are other tanks filled with frogs, turtles, snakes and other creatures. There is a small tank that allows children to pet some small crabs and fish. Overall, it takes about 30-45 minutes to walk through the aquarium. At the end of the tour is a small souvenir shop. There are clean restrooms and water fountains inside the aquarium. It was fun to see the excited and curious faces of the young children. I highly recommend this aquarium for young families and the young at heart.

Natalya was awesome! 10/10…read more But I really liked Juniper and she deserves a bottle of milk. Please that make that happen for her. Merry Christmas!! Also the stingrays were adorable!

I live in North Jersey and was searching for an aquarium to bring my daughter to. I wanted to avoid…read moreSeaLife because I try to avoid going to American Dream, so that's when I found Woodbridge. It was close enough of a drive and had good enough reviews. I read that it was small, but sometimes small is good - especially with kids. They were not joking. The aquarium is actually located inside Woodbridge Center Mall. Tickets are $19.99 for adults but if you purchase them online, you can get 25% off - making it $15. I'm not sure if I'd really call this an aquarium but more of a space with several giant fish tanks of fish, and some small sharks. There was a shallow water area with one lobster, which I suspect they buy/replace from the local supermarket. They also have some random animals, like goats, pigs, chickens, birds, snakes - things you wonder why they would be at an aquarium. I guess since it's technically also a 'Wildlife' center - but it's probably because they couldn't get enough marine life. All the animals look really sad - even the fish. You can purchase food to feed the fish, and I have a feeling that's the only time they get fed because once you go near the tank, they think you're about to feed them and they all clamor and crowd towards you. Needless to say, my daughter was probably traumatized by that experience because I was pretty creeped out by it too (lol). We got through the entire "aquarium" within half an hour. You're better off saving your money for a different activity.

Spent some time in Philly and got a CityPass to many attractions, which included the Adventure…read moreAquarium just across the river. Definitely worth it! Parking is easy - $10 for the whole day (and the waterfront is really lovely to walk along, and only a short walk from there to the USS New Jersey battleship). Lines move along quickly to get us in and they took our CityPass and got us our wristbands. Positives: -Lots of different things to experience. Some spaces are a little more kid-oriented, including a pirate search as walking through different mini exhibits. -There is a cool area where you can talk to scuba divers as they work in the big tank. -The rope walk over the shark tank. It's so secure you never feel any danger of falling in, but it is cool to walk over open tank. Child #3 loved this. -The shark tunnel where you are underwater and able to see all the animals swimming around you. -Plenty of bathrooms in each area, all with a clean changing station. -IMAX level movie theater with movies every hour. -Lots of interactive displays. Negatives: -The whole aquarium feels a little fragmented, like spokes on a wheel, which required a lot of backtracking if we wanted to go see a different section of the aquarium. -There are two touch tank areas, including a very large room which can easily fit over 100 people but only one sink to wash up after handling rays and other marine life. Overall decent place to take the family and experience the beauty of our oceans!

We finally made it to the Adventure Aquarium. We visited on a weekday morning and as expected…read moreduring that time, crowds were minimal. After going through a bag check area, your tickets are scanned. There are bathrooms and a locker area in case you want to store items...this is helpful, particularly during the colder months when you are carrying around heavy coats. You head upstairs where there are a few food areas selling the the typical snacks you'd expect, popcorn, pretzels, drinks...there was also a "grill" area but it didn't seem to be open on our late morning weekday visit. The aquarium itself is lovely with some great exhibits throughout. Wide variety of fish as expected but also some other unexpected sea creatures such as a variety of eels and jellyfish and a giant pacific octopus. The large central tank that contains various sharks, stingrays, sea turtles and other sea animals was great...and viewable from multiple sides. There are touch tanks containing smaller stingrays, smaller sharks and some reefs. There is also the "Shark Bridge" which is a cool concept. The Hippo tank is massive and offers some great up close views of them. Overall, I would expect to stay 2-3 hours, depending on how many exhibits you want to read and see. A quicker view-only walkthrough can be done in about an hour. Admission prices are about $34-$42 for adults and $29-$36 for children depending on the day...weekends are more expensive than on weekdays. I think that is a bit high for what you get...prices of about $25-$30 may be more appropriate. Be sure to check for discounts...we saved about 15% by getting tickets through AAA. Parking was $10 but there was a $5 credit when paying using the kiosk inside the aquarium. All staff encountered were great...except the parking lot attendant, who wasn't.