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Was wondering around the Pike Place Market and decided to go visit the Aquarium since it was right there. The new pavallion is tiny! The aquarium all together is honestly also just not that big. They use a few big tanks and let you view from multiple angles to make up for the very little number of tanks. There was a fun interactive area where you can poke the seastars, sea cucumbers and anemone.
What a fun place to visit. Very expensive though. We didn't get the city pass as we weren't sure we were coming here so we didn't get the discount. I suggest you look into the City Pass and plan your days using it. The savings is so worth it. We arrived around Noon, Sunday, September 20, 2026 and stayed for around an hour. We got through it much faster than anticipated. We thought we'd be in there for over 2 hours. I'm not sure how we made it through so quickly. We started in the new smaller building. I liked this building the best. It had the best aquariums. Brightest fish. And they were huge. They even had scuba divers in the tanks cleaning them and feeding the fish. We listen to two naturalists talk about the sea and sea life. It's worth taking a listen. I loved seeing all the fish, the sting rays were so fascinating, otters were playing so it was fun to watch them. It was expensive, but worth with the stop. You can only do so much shopping and eating at Pike Place Market. If you get tired they have lots of benches to sit on. They have a cafe and near the sea lions they serve gelato.
I love Aquariums so I had to make sure I visited the Seattle Aquarium it's in a great place. What better than an aquarium in the waterfront. I just knew it was gonna be dope because it was priced at $50 and it had 3 buildings so there was no way it wasn't going to be good. So it wasn't what I expected. I liked the reef which I could sit there forever. I liked the jellyfish bridge. The seals & sea lion, I didn't see any sea otters, they didn't want to come out. Besides that there was nothing else to it. If you're going to go I would definitely suggest the city pass. I wish I would've gotten it for this city specifically. I don't usually need the city pass but it would've been beneficial in Seattle.
One of the bigger aquariums that I've been to and enjoyed it. There are 2 sides, one is a smaller side and the other is where you want to be. It's a good thing to do with your toddler, they have really big tanks that makes it feel like you're underneath. My toddler was happy. It was busy when we went. Order tickets online to reserve a spot. They do allow walk ins too.
I really enjoyed my visit to the Seattle Aquarium. It is nestled on the pier and you have a panoramic view of the city scape and the ferris wheel. The aquarium offers tide pools where you can interact with the sea life. There are many spaces to observe sea creatures, but keep in mind that the aquarium is housed inside two separate buildings that are adjacent to one another. If you went into one side and did not know there is another part with more sea life, you would really miss the entire experience. I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the aquarium, and I recommend it as part of your to-do list when you visit Seattle.
After walking the pike place market two times we decided to wander down to the pier and Check out the Seattle aquarium!! we tend to explore the aquariums in the major cities we visit. We were happy with the price point overall about $50 a person, no first responder rates though. The entrance ticket allows you to go into the main Seattle aquarium building the ocean pavilion and two other piers. Our favorite exhibit ever was the otter exhibit and the sea lion exhibit!!! honorable mention to the indo-pacific leopard shark!!! Really cute merch in their gift shop too!
We visited the Seattle Aquarium as one of the attractions included with the C3 City Pass. While we enjoyed our visit, we were honestly surprised by how small the aquarium was compared to what we expected. The highlights for us were definitely the sea otters, river otters, and the giant Pacific octopus. We could have spent hours watching the otters play, and the octopus exhibit was fascinating. The touch pool was also a lot of fun and provided a great hands-on sensory experience, especially for kids. The aquarium is conveniently located just a short walk from Pike Place Market and offers beautiful views overlooking the bay, making it an easy stop while exploring the waterfront area. Overall, it felt a bit underwhelming in terms of size and exhibits, but it was still an enjoyable experience. It's a great place for families with younger children, a relaxing stroll on a rainy day, or a couple of hours of low-key sightseeing. If you're looking for a massive aquarium experience, you may find it somewhat limited, but it's a pleasant way to spend a chill afternoon on the Seattle waterfront.
We were on a girls trip in Seattle, and three of us decided to head to the aquarium for the morning. The aquarium is spread out over a couple different buildings and it took us a little over an hour to see everything. My girlfriends fell in love with the sea otters and river otters. We could've sat and watched them for quite a while. I wish the tropical fish section was a little more extensive, but the jellyfish nursery was really cool to see. We felt like it was worth the cost.
This Aquarium is not so large. There's not any of the big sea fishes that some of other full fledged aquariums have. During our visit we saw the interactive sessions with octopus, otter and seal. Most of them are kept at this location temporarily and eventually released into their natural habitat. The underwater dome was a really cool spot. Probably the best feature of the place IMO. The overlook deck has a beautiful view of the ocean and mountain range (on a sunny day). The gift shop has lots of plush dolls, apparels and souvenir items. Our tickets were part of CityPass so couldn't really tell the price. But compared with many other aquariums we have been, this one was slightly less exciting.
The Seattle Aquarium is a great stop for groups with young kids visiting Seattle. We enjoyed our visit, but I think there are better ways to spend your entertainment dollars. Our family includes two adults, a five-year-old, and a 2 year old. Admission to the Seattle Aquarium was $140 for the four of us. This does include their main building as well as a newer building with some ocean exhibits. The main building contains mostly exhibits focused on the sea life of the Puget Sound and the Northern Pacific. The newer building has a focus on tropical reefs, thoygh its much lighter in actual sea life than the main building. Each building has a gift shop, too. five-year-old We spent about two hours exploring the property. We didn't rush, but we didn't stop and read every exhibit sign either. The exhibits are very cool, and we enjoyed our time there. Our kids enjoyed many aspects, especially some of the massive tanks they have in both the main building and the new building. We're talking wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling tanks. Always cool, especially for a little kid. Overall, this was a cool experience and worth checking out if you're in the area and you have the time, but I wouldn't consider this a "must-visit" in Seattle compared to some other aquariums, especially for the price.
Cool Aquarium at the waterfront. It's part of Seattle City Pass. You need to pick a time slot to enter. We were lucky to participate the octopus info session. Violet the octopus was energetic when the dropped some toys in. There was a 360° Underwater Dome to see the fishes from below. It also had hands-on experiences with star fishes and coral life. It's a good spot for family or even just adults. We have been to many aquariums. Seattle Aquarium is not the biggest but it does offer many exploring opportunities for kids.
Let me tell you something about the Seattle Aquarium. When I first got the Seattle CityPASS and saw the aquarium on the list, I thought, "Alright... this is probably for the kids." You know how aquariums are sometimes little fish, little tanks, little kids pressing their noses on the glass. But then you walk into this place sitting right on the edge of Elliott Bay and suddenly you realize... oh no, this ain't the kiddie pool. This aquarium opened back in 1977, and it's grown into one of the best marine exhibits in the Pacific Northwest. It's split into multiple buildings part of it literally sitting out on the pier so you're walking between indoor tanks and outdoor habitats while the ocean breeze is hitting you in the face. Now the stars of the show? The sea otters. Man, those little guys swim around like they're late for work but still stopping to show off. They flip, they spin, they float on their backs like they're on vacation. Meanwhile inside, you've got these massive floor-to-ceiling tanks where fish from the Puget Sound ecosystem glide around like they're in a slow-motion movie. One of the coolest features is the giant Window on Washington Waters, a 120,000-gallon tank that recreates the underwater world of the Northwest. You stand there watching sharks, salmon, and rockfish drift past and suddenly you're thinking, "Wait a minute... maybe the fish are the ones watching us." And here's the thing: the Seattle Aquarium pulls in hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, and it's easy to see why. It's educational without being boring, fun without being cheesy, and it's right in the middle of Seattle's waterfront action. You come for the fish, stay for the otters, and leave realizing you had way more fun than you expected. So if you're in Seattle and somebody says, "You wanna go to the aquarium?" don't act all cool like you're too grown for it. Go inside. Watch the otters. Stare at the giant tanks. Because sometimes the best surprise in the city... is underwater.
Worth the visit! We have been to a bunch of aquariums, and were members of Monterey at one point. While this is on the smaller side, it did not disappoint! The exhibits were really well done and being able to walk around the outside and see the views of Seattle, that was spectacular. Definitely worth checking out!
The aquarium is overall great. However it is pretty pricy, about $50/adult. It took us 2 hours for both aquarium locations. It was underwhelming and I was expecting way more than what was available. The first floor has a big, tall tank and a few little view holes. There is a big seating area as well. The second floor is bright with a lower tank to see colorful creatures. As you walk to the back, there are two more tanks. The other older location has outdoor creatures and an area to touch creatures. read more
Came to check it out after being newly built and seriously it's MASSIVE! If you're ever looking for a fun cute date I would definitely come here and if you have little ones with you too! If you get your tickets online there's an option to say you're a resident and you get a couple of discounts so make sure to utilize that! I love that they take your picture as soon as you head in and I think we paid less than $20 to print it out and you can select how big or small you want it! Definitely wear comfortable shoes since you will be walking around a lot! Super fun place to go and will go again sometime soon. read more
This was an educational and beautiful experience. They had touching tanks, an underwater dome, and tanks that you could see under and above water. The area itself was clean and it really felt like everyone loved their job. The service was so friendly with answers and stories to every question. The animals felt cared for, straying far away from that sad feeling some aquariums have. They also provided an outdoor deck to take good pier pictures and plenty of gift shops. I loved! read more
5 months ago
1 year ago
We had to make advanced reservations for a timed entry at 10 a.m. Sunday visit in May through CityPASS. They only have a 5-minute entry window, so I recommend being on time. We walked to the pier and aquarium from our Airbnb, but the parking looked very limited and expensive. They have three buildings, one of which is the Ocean Pavilion, the newest and nicest. There is also one beautiful large tank and several other smaller ones with excellent written or audio descriptions provided. The second building had several touch tanks that the kids were enjoying. The third building featured sea lion viewing and presentations, birds, and other forest wildlife. All three buildings had timed exhibits and presentations, and it took us about two hours to complete them. I recommend coming when it first opens because it gets busy and crowded by noon. My older son and I enjoyed it, but we probably would not return since we've seen it. read more
Totally worth a visit!!!! It is on the pricey side a bit, but really what isn't these days. At least your money is going towards something positive. The octopus was SO cool! Sea lions were hilarious! So many awesome fish to see. Definitely put it on your list if you will be in Seattle, we're glad we did! read more
I have always loved it here. When I was a teenager, I was a member and went every week. After years of not going, I finally got to check out the new space! I was happy to find that the old building is fully in tact and true to its original glory, with the exception of the back tanks being replaced with a VR experience. I didn't try the VR. The new building is STUNNING and a beautiful complement to the original space. It is vast and fills you with wonder from the moment you walk in. It was fun to stand under the massive tank and wait for the shark to swim by. I will say, if you are a local, wait to go on a weekday. It was pretty crowded on a Sunday afternoon and we had to wait in long lines to enter each location. I would imagine mid day on a weekday is much more peaceful. read more
4 months ago
This was cool. There's a tank over the entrance of the building with fish and sharks swimming above us! There are 2 buildings of tanks and an outside section with an aviary and otters. They show you how jellyfish grow, there are touchtanks, and a lot of kid friendly exhibits. I'm still in shock with the giant tanks, stingrays, sharks, and schools of fish swimming around. It didn't feel like there were a lot of animal exhibits compared to other aquariums that we've been to before. read more
6 months ago
2 months ago
1 year ago
One bucket list goal of mine is to visit every zoo and aquarium. This was one I was needing to visit. I thought it was nice and they have 3 separate exhibits to view. There aren't too many different aquatic animals to see but they have some interesting ones that I've never seen before. I'd definitely recommend going if you like aquariums. They have the typical things like the petting areas and they have a cool jellyfish exhibit and the area where they birth jellyfish. read more
1 year ago
I certainly think you get your money worth with how big the aquarium is but I felt a little let down seeing how run down the place looked. Could use a little TLC but I enjoyed my time and the areas that allowed you to touch the sea creatures! read more
The Seattle aquarium was in dire need of a makeover and I think the new ocean pavilion was just what was missing there. We have been visiting for years... I love the otters, sea lions, and the touch pools were fun for the kiddos. It however needed something more. The new ocean pavilion is modern, colorful, and has all kinds of beautiful sea species. I definitely recommend a visit if in Seattle, especially with kids. It doesn't compare to aquariums like Monterey Bay, but is a nice addition to the city. read more
5 months ago
1 year ago
Love the new additions to the aquarium! So much to see and learn, loved the attention to detail with the new exhibits Great for all ages. read more
I give it 3 stars. It seems over priced. An I just feel bad for the seals an the sea lion for having a small enclosure even the otters. It's a little depressing. I went since we are not from Seattle orginally I feel like it should an enclosure but to see things in its natural habitat. Somethings maybe were. But this is obviously personal opinion. If you like it you like it. But my option. read more
very expensive for four people (2 adults/2children) $190, but i heard the new building/exhibits opened last year or so. make sense your paying for the updates. my children did enjoy it so it is worth a visit. we spend 1 1/2 hours. what was nice also is the ocean theme playground outside, but watch the kids climbing up the tower. (alot would get up and get stuck or scared to go down slide). lyft/uber is right outside the area too. lots of places for lunch walking distance. location wise gave it extra star. read more
I had so much fun visiting the Seattle aquarium solo! I spent about 1.5 hours there. I used the City Pass to get tickets. I went to the new pavilion building that just opened first. There was a giant tank with tons of fish and everything was very modern. There were 2 levels, with the large tank in the middle as the focal point. It was so fun to watch the manta rays swim past and look at their smiling faces underneath. You have to exit the building and walk across the street to access the other 2 buildings. The first one was a bit underwhelming, with the only interesting thing being the touch tanks in the middle. However, the second building which housed the mammals was my favorite! The seals and otters were adorable and very active while I was there. I also loved how there were placards to describe each animal's name and backstories. I went on a Monday afternoon so the aquarium was not very busy and there was plenty of space for me to get up close to the animals. read more
1 year ago
Pricey for what is offered. However, I really loved their new exhibit. It was well designed and I loved seeing all of the fish! Personally not that into the tablets showcasing the fish. I'd rather have a full ptinted display of the animals than mess with a screen. read more
My partner and I met up with our friend and his cousin while we were intown and the aquarium was the place for us. I loved our time here. The Seattle Aquarium is located on Pier 59 on the Elliott Bay waterfront. While there wasn't a ton of fish compared to other aquariums I have been too, the inside/outside areas of the aquarium made it a great experience and the animals were a great representation of the PNW. The salmon run was really neat, and the inside domes provided an immersive experience watching the fish. I also enjoyed watching the penguins and sea lions. There were also birds which I thought was a great addition (not only fish). Overall, it was a good visit! The aquarium and the beautiful waterfront location made it a memorable experience especially seeing the wildlife in and around the peer. Highly recommend checking it out if you're in Seattle and you can even grab a bit at Ivar's after your visit and feed the seagulls. That was what we did. For tickets and info, check out https://www.seattleaquarium.org. read more
The Seattle Aquarium is one of my favorite attractions in Downtown Seattle. Although a bit on the smaller side, you can still meet a wide variety of aquatic animals here. They have countless fresh and saltwater fish, penguins, invertebrates, and so much more. The displays are organized and spaced out very well, so it never feels too crowded as you move through the aquarium. During busy times, it is recommended to buy tickets ahead of time as spots are limited in each entry time. read more
2 years ago
We had so much fun visiting this aquarium. Love the ease of purchasing tickets on your phone to cut the lines. The three buildings are amazing full of beautiful sea life and lots of learning for the kids. It is pricey but I feel it's a good experience when visiting or taking the kids. Our favorite was the building with the huge aquarium. You can probably sit for hours watching the sea life circle around and think so cool to watch the sharks swim past while going close to the glass. There are individual exhibits scattered throughout featuring various sea life such as jellyfish. The interactive pools were fun and we could touch the sea anemone and starfish. There were sinks to wash up after the exploration. Near these pools there was a huge cylinder like aquarium housing a super large octopus - that was so cool to watch. Another area held animals that were semi aquatic such as the sea lions, seals and turtles. Also cool as you get so close to these animals. The location of the aquarium is next to pike's place market. Parking is not cheap. This place is definitely worth a visit! Sept read more
2 years ago
Let's first start by saying that the Aquarium was not on my list to visit, however, I am so glad that I went as I was pleasantly surprised. We decided to include the Seattle Aquarium as one of the five options for the Seattle CityPass. Due to that, the Aquarium experience was essentially $25, which isn't a bad deal. We should have started our exploring in the newer building as it gives more "wow" than the original building. But, either way, we got there. We saw so many beautiful fishes, lobsters, plus many more animals along with a cool looking shark. Then, we got to see the seals swimming and flipping around along with the jelly fishes doing their thing. Overall, it was a joyous, kid like experience that brought a big smile to my face. read more
We has entry to the aquarium with our city pass purchase. We had an 11:30am reservation. We were granted entry slightly before then. When you first enter there is a large salmon tank and then you get into an area with jellies, octopus and touch pools. Then followed the loop to the birds and mammals. The aquarium is different than most I've been to as it is split in 2 seperate buildings. So once you complete the exhibits in the main building you exit and walk accross thr board walk and enter the ocean Pavillion where you will need to show your tickets again. This area includes reef fish, baby jellies, seahorse, shark & sting rays. The aquarium is rather small, were online it states it will take 2-3 hours on average we spent about an hour or hour and a half to do both buildings. Granted we did not do any specific presentations, we did watch seal feeding. The main gift shop has more offerings than the one in the ocean Pavillion but nothing I couldn't live without. Definitely a good place to take kids, but I was under impressed in comparison to other aquariums I have been to. read more
The Seattle Aquarium just opened up their new Ocean Pavillion building this past year as part of the new Seattle waterfront remodel and so my family came to check it out as we haven't been in 15+ years. We came early at 9:30am to beat the crowds. Tickets are currently priced as... Washington resident adults: $39.95 Washington resident youth: $29.95 Non-resident adults: $44.95 Non-resident youth: $34.95 There are $2 discounts available for seniors 65+, tribal members, military members, and those with disability/1:1 aides. These discounts can be stacked with the WA resident discount. You can also buy timed tickets online in advance for discount too. NOTE that you must BUY TICKETS AT THE OLD BUILDING; they don't have the box office set up at the Ocean Pavilion (the new building) yet. We didn't know this going in as there was a line outside the new building and so we wasted time standing in the new building line when we could've been standing in the old building line. The aquarium should have put a big sign directing people of where to buy tickets, but no such sign (or any sign at all) exists. Minus one star for poor directions. The Old Building is mostly the same, except for the new tank at the entrance. It houses the tidal touch pools and play area for kids, the Pacific fish exhibit (which was disappointedly small- it was literally one tank despite looking large on the map), VR Ocean experience, the mammals exhibits (fur seals, river otters, sea otters, and harbor seals) , the bird exhibit, and the main gift shop. They have marine specialist talks throughout the day which are about 10-minutes each and animal feedings too. I enjoyed watching the otters and seals as they were very lively. Note that the mammals and birds sections are both outdoors, so make sure to dress warmly in the colder months! After you walk through the old building, you exit to the waterfront and walk over to the new building which is about 2-minutes away. You use the QR code from the old building to enter the Ocean Pavilion. The Ocean Pavilion architecture is spectacular. At the entrance, you look up and see fish swimming above you through a window. You also see glass fish above you as you walk towards the main cove (possible Chihuly?). Once you scan in, you enter into the main cove area where they give talks. We attended the Ocean Pavilion talk, which was supposed to be about the history and architecture of the building. However, the talk (or mostly just a video they played) included nothing about this and was just about algae- we even double-checked to make sure we were at the right talk, and we were. Thus, taking off another star off for that. The biggest tank is the same tank as the one where you can see fish swimming above you at the entrance. They give several talks there as well, including a scuba diver talk. It is definitely big, but small compared to the large tank at Monterey Aquarium or international aquarium tanks like the one in Singapore. Downstairs, they have several themed tanks with several creatures I've never seen before including upside-down jellyfish that look like anemones and tube eels that look like paper straws. They also have kid coves for kids to tunnel through and interactive screens so that you can identify the different species in the tank. Upstairs, they have tide pool tanks (no touch), a jellyfish breeding lab, and some other educational and interactive exhibits. You also can get an upper view of the large tank and likely a better view of the leopard shark and large manta rays in the tank. After you explore the inside, make sure you also take a look at the exterior of the building as it is absolutely beautifully designed with nice wooden panel texture and stairs leading up to Pikes Place Market (note that there are a LOT of stairs to get there, and so they have an elevator as well). The Seattle Aquarium still has some poor experiences to resolve, but hopefully their system will improve over time. Overall: 3/5 for experience read more
Such enchanting, elegant sea creatures, fish, mammals, and birds! Amazing native species and rehabilitated animals housed in the aquarium. Kind of expensive but you get a good discount with the Seattle CityPass and honestly, I think that it's worth it. My group spent a few hours here and it could have been even longer. The smaller building has a very cool petting zoo tank staffed by very knowledgeable workers where you can feed & touch the urchins! Otherwise, the interactive exhibits are a little limited, but it's very educational and just cool to walk through. Great for kids and families especially, it seems very catered towards youth. read more
1 year ago
Seattle Aquarium is a spot I like to visit when i travel to Seattle. It's so pretty inside the building! The animals look like they're healthy and are treated well. I believe my biggest issue with the aquarium is the fact that there's not really a lot to see even with the Ocean Pavilion added onto the price. A lot of the stuff that they have is really cool and fun. You get to touch some of the animals as well. But it doesn't seem like the quantity of animals equal the price of admission. I understand having to keep the aquarium funded. However, $80 for two people is just so much especially when there's not a lot to do. Lastly, I will say, for the most part, the staff were nice however, others were a little interesting. We entered the building because the front door was open and we walked in. Multiple employees looked at us, but didn't say anything so we didn't think anything of it. Until one of them with a little bit of a raise voice said "oh we're not open yet". It was literally 30 seconds till opening. I can understand not wanting to have anyone in there but at the same time we could wait in the line until it was officially opened. It was very odd and rubbed me the wrong way. Other than that, go on a weekday, it's cheaper. Because the usual price is $100 or more for two people. read more
1 year ago
Quite a good aquarium but pricey. I love how they have some outdoor exhibits to see sea animals and fish in their natural habitats. Sea otters and seals were lovely both inside and outside. read more
I had a great experience here! I took my 14 year old and my 2 year old and both had an amazing time. We really enjoyed the diver inside the tank and they talked- it was there as soon as you walk in. It's not a huge Aquariam but had a good time! They do offer military discount and ent/wic discounts. Parking is tricky Kid and strolller friendly! There was a bit of a wait to go inside but the line moved quickly. read more
It had been close to 20 years since my last visit to the aquarium. The new aquarium is MUCH larger, but for all the space it takes up, the content just isn't really there for me, especially for the price. The new layout also has some issues with the flow of people with bottlenecks that make it impassable and too overwhelming. For the price, I was expecting an experience similar to Monterey Bay Aquarium, but the Seattle Aquarium is a long way off. My kids loved it, and I enjoyed myself too, but it just was not worth the high price. read more
10 months ago
I've been to about one aquarium a month lately. This is a nice aquarium. You can see the whole thing in about 2 -3 hours depending on your pace. You can spend a more extended time with the sea lions and otters than we did. With kids & going slow. Maybe 4 hours. I enjoyed the exhibits. It was clean. Staff was nice. We bought the city pass because it has a few of the things we want to do this trip. read more
It's been so long since I've been to the Seattle Aquarium and I really wanted to visit since they've finished remodeling! I really enjoyed our time there and loved what they have done to the place. But it was very cool to see the octopus as she camouflaged herself. A lot more to see and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did. read more
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Ask the Community - Seattle Aquarium
How long does it take to see entire aquarium?
It depends on what you do and if you have kids with you. Some kids love spending a lot of time at the tide pools or at the sea otter, etc. areas. I would say 1 hour for a faster visit and 2 hours for a slower visit. The most recent time I went with…
How much is it to get in?
Tickets ranges from $24.95-$30.95 depending on which day of the week you go. You can also get a city pass for $109 which will allow you to go to a total of 5 attractions such as the space needle, the aquarium, etc. Groupon sometimes have coupon…
Review Highlights - Seattle Aquarium
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