I was excited to visit this aquarium on my recent trip to Brighton as they advertise themselves as the world's oldest aquarium. When I arrived at the ticketing office, I was told that one of the tanks would be closed for refurbishment. However, they didn't stress that it wasn't just one small tank, but an entire section of the aquarium. With such a large section of the aquarium closed, it was an absolute waste of £20. While the architecture is pretty, Sea Life is way overpriced for what you see. With the refurb going on, the flow of the place was messed up and the signs directing you where to go were not clear. I am hoping that I accidentally missed a section, because otherwise I paid £20 to see 2 rooms of fish. The only time I ran into staff members was in the ticketing office and gift shop, so there wasn't anyone I could have asked for directions. This place might be worth the pricey ticket after the refurbishment is complete, but until then I would skip SeaLife in favor of some of the other attractions in Brighton. read more

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This is a lovely little aquarium. It's the oldest aquarium in the world! It was cool to see, and it's perfect for little kids. The arches/tunnels under the main tank were so cool! Everyone liked looking up at the giant sea turtle, manta rays, and sharks swimming over us! I loved the Finding Nemo section! Baby Friendly 5 stars Kid Friendly 5 stars Plenty of room at baby changing station. Nice aquarium. read more

I'm not at all surprised that a place like Brighton is also going to have an acquarium, though it happens to be one of those Sea-life Aquariums that you pretty much see everywhere. Actually, it is a lot older than Sealife - it dates back to the Victorian era, but budgetry probablems meant that it was bought out, and I suspect government funding keeps it from being closed down. While not one of the best aquariums out there, it still has some charm about it, especially since its 19th century styles - it gives it more character that many of the modern ones out there. It's also pretty dark and gloomy as well. Still quite charming though. read more

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Free the tanks. How could you keep such beautiful species in tanks, can't wait for the end of the aquarium. Nothing to deal with employees, just the concept. It's worth than Aqualand or SeaWorld horrible things. Nothing funny or cool to see sharks swimming from A point to B point or in circle. Nothing compared to the ocean. Criminals. read more

Brighton's aquarium is one of the city's most popular attractions, and also one of the oldest: in fact, it is the oldest operating aquarium in the world, opened in 1872. Not that the displays are old-fashioned: the centre blends the best of the old and the new, with the original Victorian dislays - fish tanks set amidst splendid neo-gothic architecture, vying with the huge main tank, with its underwater 'tube' literally allowing you to go beneath the sharks, rays and turtles for a diver's eye view. The main aquarium hall dates from the 1872 building, and has gothic columns with capitals decorated with marine life. It is now a Grade II listed building. Altogether, there are over 150 species in 57 separate displays covering all aspects of marine life, including local species from the English Channel. One of the main draws for children is the 'petting' tank, where you sit on the side and stroke - yes, stroke - the inquisitive and friendly rays as they come to the surface. Now owned by the Sea-Life company (which owns aquaria all over the UK and Germany), the emphasis is on education and enjoyment with a strong bias towards conservation - the company also operates sea-life sanctuaries. The Sea Life Centre can organise birthday parties and other group events - prices and details on the web-site. As you'd expect, it's a great place to take kids, and there's a great shop at the end of the exhibitions to capitalise on their pester power. What always amuses me in aquaria shops is how they manage to make fish, molluscs and crustacea into credible fur-covered cuddly toys, though I admit that there is something oddly fascinating about a red cuddly lobster Practicalities: The centre is located close to the roundabout by the Palace Pier at the bottom of the 'Steine', on Brighton sea-front. Most of Brighton's bus services stop within 5 minutes' walking distance. Admission prices (Easter 2008) are: Adult - £12.99 (15yrs+) Child - £8.99 (3-14yrs) Concession - £10.99 (Senior/Student) Family - £38.99 (2 Adults/2 Children) Under 3's - Free read more

The Sea Life Centre is a place that anyone who is born and goes to school in Brighton must have been to atleast once on a school trip. This is why I reckon most people do not think about taking other people to go and see it, that and the fact that it is mainly for kids. There is lots too see with most of the different types of sea creatures covered and other fun activities along the way for the kids. It doesn't take too long to get around if you are not that interested but for what you pay it's pretty good value. The best bit for me was hearing about the 'misunderstood' shark which gets a bad name for itself by attacking loads of humans and killing plenty.... An interesting day out and a great way to keep out of the freezing conditions we get in the winter. read more

Sea Life Centre - www.sealifeeurope.com - Aquariums Near Me - Brighton, BNH

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A great day out for kids and adults alike! There's a wealth of species to explore in this huge aquarium, with a ton of information to digest about them if you wish to. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, which was a pleasant surprise. It can get quite busy during peak periods (such as mid afternoon during the school holidays) so unless you mind being jostled a bit and having to wait your turn to see some of the fish it's worthwhile turning up early in the day, or on quieter days if you can. Depending on your (or your children's) attention span, I'd say there's enough to keep you occupied here for a good couple of hours. read more

Sea Life Centre - Aquariums Near Me - Brighton, BNH

Cute little aquarium. It was rather small though in relation to others I have been to. We walked through rather quickly. It seemed well kept and it was pretty! A lot of history there, which is pretty neat! read more

Sea Life Centre - Aquariums Near Me - Brighton, BNH

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Things that I like about the Sea Life Centre: -freaking awesome sea turtles -terrifying and pee-your-pants inducing moray eels -standing in a tube under a huge pool and watching sharks swim by. -Dory from Finding Nemo in real life. -they stamp your hand when you enter, which makes you feel cool. Things that I do not like about the Sea Life Centre: -£14.50 admission charge -it smells like Arse. And I know that this is not the only possible smell for an Aquarium since the one in Monterrey, California, does not smell like Arse. -Some of the tanks had fish crap congealing on the sides, which made me sad for the Nemos who were swimming around in them. -I didn't understand a word from the lady who gave the talk about sea turtles. She was completely incomprehensible when speaking through a microphone. Sort of entertaining, and fun for a rainy day, but a total rip off. And it smells like Arse. read more

We, 3 generations, all equally loved visiting the recently revamped Sea Life Centre. The Victorian architecture is just stunning, and has been really celebrated in the renovations. The arches are truly 'wow'! The aquariums and the sea life spans a great range, so you really feel like you're seeing different types of creatures. They have a Tropical Rainforest and several other sections. We opted to take the £3 glass bottom boat ride, which was absolutely fantastic! You go on top of the big tank, so you're looking down on all the sea creatures. You are hosted by a marine biologist (in our case, Mike) and he gives a great little talk and really encourages questions from all the attendees. We loved it! It really was a stellar day out and visiting the world's oldest continuously operating aquarium was a treat indeed, especially seeing how it's been renovated. We will definitely visit again! read more

Something fishy's going on in Brighton! Hahahaha! I am like soooo funny right?! Okay, maybe not, but please don't let that jade your view of what I am about to write. The Sea Life Centre in Brighton is the world's oldest aquarium - yes you just learned another great fact from Yelp. Sometimes it takes being in charge of 33 foreign students to make you go to places you'd never normally go. For me, the Sea Life Centre is one of these and I loved it. I have been there a number of times now and don't tire of seeing the funny fish, cute little crabs, sweet starfish and the erm, big turtles. There is a strange, yet tranquil feeling that envelops you when you're in the Sea Life Centre. You feel peaceful and at one with nature: it's genuinely pleasant. There is a café in the centre if you get worn out by all of the fishy facts; a gift shop for the kids and you can also enter the University of Sussex marine biology research area, which is both educational and interesting. Not just for kids, the sea is still a great unknown to us, so go learn some more about it! read more

Sea Life Centre - Aquariums Near Me - Brighton, BNH

Wow! The Sea Life Centre! It's so cool, with the manatees and stingrays... honestly, I've been twice, was once drunk and the other time with small children, so my only reaction to this place is either stumbling through, leering at the sharks, or through the joyful eyes of a child. So, in that vein: it's brilliant! In all seriousness, the Sea Life Centre is great: an educational place that is just as brilliant as it is a great place to learn. You'd think that, being by the sea, there'd be lots of fish and the like in Brighton or plenty of aquariums and that sort of thing: this is the only one, so the only place where the sea isn't just a healthy breeze and a lot fish on the menu. As well as the fish (and all the plaques explaining what they are and other educational bumph), there's a nice bar above it to hide away if you're not up for going around with the kids. So if you're thinking of having an educational afternoon with the sprogs in Brighton... things will be better, down where it's wetter, take it from me! Sorry, couldn't resist. read more

As the world's oldest operating aquarium, the Brighton Sea Life Centre is a place with much history and charm. It's now a grade II listed building, as its main room was first opened in 1872. Designed by Eugenius Birch, the architect of Brighton's West Pier, the Victorian style interior is both ornate and beautiful. Housing over 150 species of sea life, there's no way you'll be leaving without seeing something for the first time. The main room is a picturesq Victorian hall complete with arches and ornate cornices depicting the various animals in the centre. Intersecting the walkway between the parallel walls of this room are a series of small vivariums containing a host of shellfish and coral life such as starfish, shrimps and sea Anemones. Judging by the excited squeals of the younger punters, kids love both seeing and touching even the smallest and weirdest types of life. At either side of the first room are a series of tanks, housing some less familiar creatures including a group of Japanese Spider Crabs, all with a leg span of about two feet, which is scarily big. At the far end of this room you'll find a group of Stingrays, which can be touched through the open-topped aquarium and, if you visit at certain times of the day, you might be lucky enough to join in the centre's feeding regime and get even closer to some of your favourite creatures. Past the large tanks of Catfish and Koi Carp there's second room, which is an Amazonian themed maze of mirrors interspersed with dimly lit tanks of Piranha, various frogs and other pointy things. Having carefully made your way through this slightly foreboding area you'll find yourself at the centre's main attraction: the tropical reef tank complete with sharks, giant sea turtles and a ship wreck. The best moment of the tour comes when strolling through the underwater tunnel that dissects this huge aquarium. With small benches along either side, the tunnel gives you the opportunity to sit and marvel at the beauty of these elegant creatures and also at the jaw dropping size of the sea turtles, each weighing over 200kg. As they pass closely overhead you can't help but feel somewhat insignificant and it's in moments like this that you can truly appreciate the intricacy and diversity of evolution. Without wanting to preach, this is an experience that'll hold anyone spellbound, provided they have a soul. It's both fun and thought provoking, as most of the displays are flanked by information boards providing extra interest for older visitors. If I had kids I'd bring them here without hesitation, however with such high prices I wouldn't be bringing them very often. You can save £3 by booking online but even then I'd want more for my money. However, with its own behavioural biology unit, the Sea Life Centre is both entertaining and educational. Apart from its entry prices I can't fault the Sea Life Centre: it's simply a great day out! read more

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It's Brighton. It's all about the sea. Why not have a Sea Life Centre? In doing a little research about this aquarium, I've just now learned that th Sea Life Centre is actually a chain of aquariums across the world. Don't let it put you off that you might be visiting the Wal-Mart of aquariums, this one was pretty cool. Part of the charm of the Brighton Sea Life Centre is that it is in an almost 150 year old buildling. Honestly, half of the experience is walking around and admiring the architecture. And if a young woman on a megaphone comes by and blares something about Tortoise feeding, follow her. Honestly, one of the coolest things I've seen is a 150 kilo tortoise swimming around in the walk-through-tunnel tank. It checks all the other boxes for aquarium: fish, eels, sea horses, jellies...but it's the architecture that will stick in your mind. Enjoy! read more

I had to take a group of Chinese students here, and then deal with their utter unhappiness at what they described as an "over filled fish tank". While they might have exaggerated the issue somewhat, they do not get close to the point. Everything here feels so very manufactured; over crowding in enclosures and fish tanks, multiple money spinning ventures and far too few staff or assistance. There are a range of interesting things on offer, but for the money you'll be paying, this really isn't worth the visit...especially when the sea front is about two minutes away and that is free. read more

Overpriced and not worth it! Costs about £20 for one person and takes about 10 minutes to work around! Its more upsetting to walk around then fun. Cages are small and very little to look at. Definitely not worth it. Save your money. read more

growing up my parents have taken me to quite a few of these around UK. when my lil sis came to brighton i thought id take her here (shes only little bless) she seemed to have a really good time and loved it so i really recomend it as a thing to do with children. wasnt to expensive either compared to other places i been and kept us entertained for a couple hours :) but as an adult i found it smaller and less entertaining than other SeaLifeCentres i have been to. some of the fish looked really tired and even lost their colour, seemed faded xD i could almost hear them bubbling away saying "kill me" "ive had enough of this tank" read more

Sea Life Centre - Aquariums Near Me - Brighton, BNH

My visit in this aquarium was really a great experience, because you have a plenty kind of different fishes who come from around the world and also many explanations by the Sea Life' staff ! The passing in the tube, under the big aquarium where you can see sharks and big turtles is amazing ! If you visit Brighton, Sea Life is a fun place to be ! read more

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The greatest sealife i've ever been.Its large and beautiful!I felt like i booked a journey in the sea! Für alle deutschen Besucher:Wirklich tolles,großes Sealife,sollte man besucht haben.Nettes,hilfreiches Personal,viel zu sehen und staunen. read more

Awful, just awful I had the misfortune of spending a very rainy 25th August in Brighton and decided with my partner to take my nephew and niece to the Sea Life Centre, there being not a lot else we could do with two children in the constant torrential downpour. After a twenty five minute queue in a wind tunnel and with the onset of hyperthermia we were eventually ushered towards the reception. I was amazed to find a huge open space behind the tills which were situated right at the front of the doorways. Why on earth allow your customers to take advantage of the warmth of the building, when you can leave them standing in the cold and the wet? Talk about poor ergonomics. Once finally at the till I almost had to reach for an Iron Lung, after being told that the cost of entry, plus one programme and a ride on the glass bottom boat would be £73.00!! Yes, £73.00 for a family of four, with no family or child discount, when put into context with say a National Trust Membership which allows free access to all National Trust sites for an entire family, for one year and costs only £99.00 you can see why I was breathless! Indeed the following Thursday 27th August we took the kids back to Brighton on a brighter but not yet sunny day and where able to purchase wrist bands for unlimited access to the end of the Brighton Pier Rides, games of ten pin bowling and laser quest, all for the same price as the access we paid to the Sea Life Centre, value for money the centre is simply not! However, my partner and our kids were keen (much keener than I), so I reluctantly paid the extortion and we entered the Centre. Upon entering it was absolutely packed, so much so that you couldn't get near the tanks and once you did, they were filthy both inside and out, particularly with grubby finger marks. It is hard to see where the money went to refurbish the centre, if it was in space planning then they were robbed. Which bright spark had the idea of putting the Café right in the centre of a throughway, restricting access for anyone wanting to see the tanks either side or make a hasty exit out of the place! We clearly visited the day the Annual Push Chair Convention had hired the Centre, as you couldn't move for them (many of them the size of a small family hatchback), restricting access to the tanks, the narrow walkways, running over your feet and generally getting in the way. The Centre simply doesn't lend itself to large crowds and pushchairs and either a limit should have been placed on the numbers allowed in the Centre or the pushchairs should have been handed in at reception, after all there were acres of space to store them behind the tills! Now to the fish, the ugliest collection of creatures I have ever seen, hardly a bright colour amongst them, if the worst looking of God's creatures is your thing, then you will not be disappointed. However, if want to view in glorious colour his creation then spend your £73.00 elsewhere! After we wound our way through the disappointingly small and narrow marine tunnel locked in by pushchairs and crowds it was finally time to go to the glass bottomed boat. This it turns out is actually a small raft, no bigger than what Kate Winslet floated on in the final scenes of Titanic, which hardly moves across the marine tunnels. Disappointed we definitely were! When it was finally time to leave we all breathed a sigh of relief and agreed, never ever again! read more

i like the center we have all kinds of fun here there lot species in 57 separate displays covering all aspects of marine life, including local species from the English Channel. One of the main draws for children is the 'petting' tank, where you sit on the side and stroke - yes, stroke - the inquisitive and friendly rays as they come to the surface. As you'd expect, it's a great place to take kids, and there's a great shop at the end Most of Brighton's bus services stop within 5 minutes' walking distance. Admission prices (Easter 2008) are: Adult - £12.99 (15yrs+) Child - £8.99 (3-14yrs) Concession - £10.99 (Senior/Student) Family - £38.99 (2 Adults/2 Children) Under 3's - Free read more

A great place to take kids on sunday or rainy day. As other reviewers say look for discount vouchers as an be expensive. Small children may not like nemos tunnel. My son was terrified of the hologram at the upstairs talk but this seems to have gone now? Good if you have family down to brighton and can get a residents pass but suprisingly they dont consider that portslade is in brighton even though we pay council tax! read more

I've been to the sea life centre at least twice since being in Brighton. It's great fun. There's loads to see and you don't feel ripped off, it's totally worth it. read more

I rather enjoyed my time at Sea Life. Having been to a few round the country I knew what to expect, but there were still a few pleasant surprises. We had a 2 for 1 voucher and the total cost came to £22.60 with the boat ride and behind the scenes tour. One thing that really impressed me was a great big Japanese spider crab, which I initially thought must be fake to enliven the other fish in there, but it was very much real. It was pressed right up on the glass. We went on the boat ride and Alan, who did the tour was quite informative and there were a lot of interesting animals in the aquarium underneath. I'd say it's worth the little bit extra to get the boat ride included. One thing I'd like to see is more information on what's in each tank. It's more for looking and I didn't feel myself particularly learning much. It's great for kids though. The same goes for the behind the scenes tour, I did enjoy it, but I didn't learn anything new. It's mainly to show us what they feed the animals, and we saw baby seahorses and angel fish. However I still didn't regret paying that bit extra. Now what they need is penguins! read more

To me, the Sea Life Centre is very much about children. I went with my nephew and niece; there were some things that I wasn't terribly interested in that were fascinating to them. There were other things that we all thought were wonderful, like being able to stroke a ray with the backs of our hands, even the little nine year old felt able to do that. My sister is a teacher, and she bought quite a few things to use in her classroom, plus pocket money toys to hand out as presents. The cafe was good, because we were able to sit down and enjoy our tea, but the kids had the run of quite a large space. A great way to use up a couple of hours, especially in bad weather, and they still remember it very well now, quite a few months later - building up a store of memories! read more

Its hard to rate this place, I dont wish to slate it too much as I have fond memories of seeing dolphins here as a child!! I think its horrendously expensive for what it is, and, only use my vouchers to attend. Can be in and out within an hour. Very victorian looking and worth a visit. It would be a shame to lose this attraction, but cant see many people in this day and age paying the prices they command. Needs bringing into this century in a subtle way. read more

Smaller than the other sealife centres I've been to, but better in some ways. For example, the Brighton University Students studying marine biology often have projects on the go and exhibit there. The snack area is a bit small and right in the middle of the main area, which is annoying, but if you're into fish, it's really special. Plus, if it gets you in the mood, Harry Ramsden's is just across the road for dinner. read more

Situated underground in the Marine Parade, this aquarium has a good selection of aquatic species and some interesting displays and "hands-on" experiences that will keep adults and children busy for several hours. The staff there are friendly and very keen to share information with you. In what is claimed to be the oldest aquarium in the world, there have made excellent use of the unusual space to make the experience enjoyable and educational for all ages. read more

Being in Brighton for an impromptu weekend, we stumbled upon the Sea Life centre and did not have great expectations (just 90 minutes of relative peace with our 2 daughters aged 5 and 2 on a very grim and rainy day). It turns out that we had a great time, and our daughters had a complete blast. The centre has a very long history, back to the 19th Century when actually Brighton was a real destination for holidays and weekends (ie pre Easyjet days). The place is well organised starting with small Victorian aquariums with lots of different varieties of rather small fishes, then it goes crescendo in the various other rooms with more exotic fishes (including the Amazonian section and the manta ray fishes) and the very large room hosting the beautiful sea turtle named lulu. That room feels a bit like a 1960s Jams Bond movie as you expect to see the bad guy ready to send his accomplice to the sharks. We did not see James Bond but saw a few sharks, which was fun from the tunnel under the acquarium. Overall it was much better than what I thought it would be but note that the Sea Life Centre is controlled by a private equity group (Blackstone) and is clearly run very efficiently (ie run to maxilise cashflow) and there are signs of limited investment (we spotted a few places with rust around mettalic protections which could be hazardous for children). So if you go make sure you find the coupons a lot of other Qypers refer to as we did not have them and found the 12.50 pounds entry price a bit steep. read more

My daughter had her 6th birthday party at the Sealife centre and I went with the bemused and harried expression of a mother who though happy that her child is about to have fun is secretly dreading the thought of entertaining children at a birthday party. The endless smiles used to make my face ache as I tried to convince children that yes I really did just love watching them screaming round places that I'd paid a fortune for to entertain them. Well I was surprised. This place held them spell bound and I defy anyone to stand under that glass tunnel and not be bewitched by the sight of a stingray gliding above their heads. It is historic, perhaps now past its best but I think there are still parts of it touched by fairy dust. And if you are amongst the army of harrassed parents out there stuck with a child stomping their feet saying for the upteenth time But I'm bored!!!!! you could do far worse. Also if you are visiting pop into the tourist information centre first as they often have promotional vouchers for the Sealife centre. read more

me and my boyfriend whent hear it was quite pricey to get in which was a bit of an ouch moment but it was so worth it we spent an hour and a half looking round and it was so nice to touch a star fish but the best bit was going through the tunnel underthe big tank where they keep the sharks and big rays you could all most touch them grate place but can imagine it would be very pricey for a family to enter read more

Brilliant for children and they always have discount vouchers online or in the newspapers so well worth keeping an eye out for. Great location in brighton. read more