Honestly, it's better for families with young children. The main attraction is the touch tanks full of sea stars, sea anemones & urchins, sea cucumbers, sea snails, and more. They advise you to use a short & gentle 2 finger touch. I didn't touch any of them. Lol! I was just happy to see these colorful creatures walking all over their tank. As you enter, you'll see a large orca skeleton hanging over the tanks. I didn't get a picture of it, but you can see it in the reflection off the touch tanks in some of the videos. I enjoyed seeing the grouchy looking sculpin, as well as the sweet wolf eel named Wanda. She's actually quite adorable until she shows her teeth. What's interesting is that she's not really an eel. She's a fish. She came out of her home to greet me. How sweet! It was also cool to see the colorful rockfish. There's more, but I won't ruin it for you. We didn't get to see the salmon hatchery. We were too early for salmon spawning season. It's a better value to wait until the summer months to see it. The admission price was higher than what has previously been mentioned in reviews. It didn't come with a tour. They offer a behind the scenes tour for an additional charge. The proceeds help to maintain the facilities and programs. Would I visit the aquarium again? Probably not. It's a one-time experience for me. There's a gift shop next door that also houses Ludvig's Chowder Cart. The buildings are located on Sage Beach near the Sea Walk trail. It's a beautiful area! read more

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Gift shop has an excellent clam chowder (Ludwig's Chowder) made with finely chopped chorizo sausage for a slight kick. Well worth a visit for a cup or bowl. The accompanying bread was also excellent. read more

Sitka Sound Science Center - Chowder bowl and bread - Aquariums Near Me - Sitka, Alaska

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I was slightly disappointed. We were a group of 4 and each paid the $5 entry fee. The only exhibit open was the touch and feel tank. I wanted to get a headband but at $17 that seemed way overpriced and the hoodie was $74. Possibly with little kids it would probably be a fun little visit. But for 4 adults I'd refer to it as a bust. read more

Sitka Sound Science Center - Aquariums Near Me - Sitka, Alaska

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Great interactive experiences with friends and family. You get to touch life creature's from the sea and explore what they feed on, live with and enjoy the ocean life experience. read more

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I absolutely loved the SItka Sound Science Center! I didn't know what to expect but I learned a ton and got to touch & observe a bunch of fun sea creatures. It's a small center but the staff is insanely well informed and friendly making for a great experience. We were able to go through their hatchery and learn all about how they keep track of the Alaskan salmon populations...plus keep them healthily going along. We saw all the little baby fishies swimming around in some tanks looking all cute. I legit, learned so much from the staff explaining how the whole process worked. Then their aquarium is fantastic even with it's small size. There is a cool little bit where you can climb into a little tunnel and stick your head up in the middle for some cool 360 views of the sea life. They call it the 'Salmon Bubble' lol! Checking out all the cuties in the tanks was fun - beautiful jellyfish! The main attraction - the touch tidal pools. I touched various types of starfish, sea urchin and various sized & types of anemone! I didn't realize just how gooey they were and that they would stick to my friggin fingers! I screamed and jumped back splashing water everywhere, causing a ruckus and laughter. Eek. Overall, great experience at the Sitka Sound Science Center & highly recommended for a short visit while in town! read more

this was actually way cooler than we expected! not only was there a touch room where you could touch different creatures, we also got a tour of the salmon hatchery which was way more interested than I could've imagined! read more

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I am going to be honest I didn't go in the exam. I brought my family here with the horde. Invading from the sea. Descending on this peaceful hamlet (the technically largest city in America). My teens out paced us and stopped by. Got advice on a hiking trail. Decided on the beach. We stopped in minutes later and showed us where they went on a map. Located them and stopped at the gift shop. What a pleasant surprise. Their version of clam chowder was just wonderful. Really hit the spot. And comes with homemade and freshly baked bread. I'd get off the boat just for that lunch anytime. And everyone in town was very friendly. Amazing. Thank you for your hospitality folks. We will remember the chowder and your smiles for years to come. Maybe we will go in the museum next time. read more

lame! there is only three touch pools. not worth $60 for four people. this place is a fishy fishy scam

Four stars for the clam chowder and 2 stars for the Salmons tour. We are just walking around and looking at the empty tank and dude that is giving us information that isn't that much knowledgeable. read more

If you get a chance to stop here you should. I tried twice to try and order the clam chowder but the lines were too long. I took it as a good thing and finally just decided to move on and enjoy the fresh air and watch the Salmon from the shore near by. read more

Sitka Sound Science Center - Aquariums Near Me - Sitka, Alaska

Bullet points for your possible visit: -$5 per person -perfect if you're planning to walk through the Sitka National Park or Raptor Rescue Center- it's along the way from town! -LOVED being able to touch the starfish, sea cucumbers and other cool creatures in the indoor open top aquariums -Could use a little beefing up on the salmon hatchery side of things for those visitors looking to learn about the industry and process. -the building itself is quite simple - the star of the show, for me, was being able to touch so many sea creatures and see them up close read more

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A taste of Sitka tour included a stop at this very small, but interesting Aquaculture Science Center. With my background in forestry, hydrology and fisheries, I found it very interesting to see what this small town has done with the resources inherited from the now defunked Sheldon Jackson campus which was a vocational school, a grade school, a high school, a two year college and ultimately a four year college, predominantly for Alaskan Natives. The school received the first state-issued salmon hatchery permit in Alaska and the students built a hatchery in 1972. Over the years the hatchery reared all five species of salmon and trained hundreds of students. It is still in operation today and spawning salmon return right to the mill race in town. In 2007, the Sheldon Jackson College closed its doors. Volunteers from the community helped keep the hatchery operational. Once that was stabilized, the University of Alaska organized a meeting in Sitka of state and federal agencies such as the Department of Fish and Game, NOAA, University of Alaska, representatives from aquaculture and science education and researchers from across the State. The meeting was held to determine how Sheldon Jackson College's legacy of providing science education and quality research for the state could be maintained. The Sitka Sound Science Center was formed as a nonprofit with the goal of improving understanding of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems in Alaska through scientific education and research. The young docents are well versed in the technology of aquaculture and gave cogent lectures on the operations. We really enjoyed this visit. read more

We were actually visiting Ludvig's Bistro for lunch inside the shed which is next to the Sitka Sound Science Center. We heard from the Sitka tour bus operator that Ludvig has the best clam chowder in town. It was good and we ordered the chowder and salmon sandwich to share. Ludvig has a little stand here inside the shed so you can have a bite to eat. Their main restaurant is located in town. read more

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Across the street from the Sheldon Jackson museum. The science Center displays the examples of abundant sealift in the area. Clearly aimed at kids with it's displays and touch-me tide pool display. It's a pleasant and entertaining diversion. read more

Good place to take your kids Dmd yourself for that matter to Learn about marine biology upfront. Young people there excited about their knowledge to share. read more

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The Sitka Sound Science Center is just a short, pleasant walk from town on the way to Totem Park. The aquarium is great for everyone, whether you want to expose your kids to new kinds of touch tank creatures, or you are a serious field biologist. Volunteers, hatchery workers, scientists and schoolchildren are always coming and going, and it's hard to believe that the place was abandoned just a few years ago. At the gift shop in the summer, you can get a simple lunch made by the town's fanciest restaurant. The hatchery is also fascinating, especially when the salmon are running. read more

Very human friendly way to learn about sea creatures, and quite good for kids. Love the Orca skeleton hanging from the ceiling. The store next door has excellent items. On Saturday, Ludvig's Bistro has wonderful food including clam chowder, strawberry tarts and salmon salad sandwichs (great to take with you to Totem Park or the Raptor Center). read more

Such a wonderful facility with a hard working staff!