I brought my family here for Father's Day. We got the snorkeling package sans the feeding. Olivia explained the rules, such as no standing on the floor, and then we spent about 25 minutes on our own snorkeling with the fish and stingrays. This is a nice experience to introduce kids to snorkeling. I have been to Discover Cove in Orlando, while fancier, costs more. St. Augustine Aquarium won't fill up an entire day of fun like the Alligator farm. If you aren't doing the snorkeling there is minimum to see and do. read more

St Augustine Aquarium - The tank to snorkel in - Aquariums Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

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Great place to see a dolphin show. Short but impressive. Good for smaller children due to the length of show. We loved it. Adults and kids. Affordable read more

First: note this is an outdoor aquarium in a wooded area of NE Florida which presents the challenge of heat and bugs. With that said - the staff was super knowledgeable and the aquarium is well kept. This is a haven for kids who want to learn about marine life. The aquarium offers talks and opportunities for hands on experiences with marine life. Best was the snorkeling. Now - I didn't get on the wet suit and snorkel - I'm a city girl - but the kids did. There are specific rules though - one adult needs to snorkel (like be in the water) for every two kids under the age of 12. My 18 year old counted as one adult for his 11 year old cousin, and my sister donned the wetsuit and claimed the two girls under 10. Check the website though because the ages and required supervision were strict. Some lady was turned away because she didn't have the required adults. The snorkeling experience was their highlight. The fish were all native to NE Florida. Overall - an educational (yet rustic) experience for the family. read more

Outstanding! The reviews on here are confusing. Our visit was great, for the price and amount of time you are here .. it takes an hour. I got an hour to entertain and move in. Our guide was Madison I believe. She was most helpful with giving educational info regarding invasive species and knowing marine life which is so great for kids to know their own part in that. The guide included all in the presentation and kept the energy going. Feeding the nurse shark was cool and petting the string rays is definitely a memory for all who do it. The location is small and parking is convenient. I appreciate the concrete paths and plenty of seating throughout the facility. It's very clean as well. We also saw families enjoying the snorkeling g experience which was certainly entertaining. I recommend this place. The seahorses were so cute read more

Nice folks, clean and small place. Good place to kill time if you in the area or just stretch out your legs

Not a big aquarium but still neat to visit to pass alittle time. Alex was our guide and is very informative!

went for a trip with my family, signed up for and expected a guided tour but did not receive one. staff were friendly, but on their phones and did not offer any information on their own about the few exhibits that were in the area around them. $75 for 3 adults/2 kids, not worth the 30 minute visit. read more

The reviews of the St Augustine Aquarium were fairly good and it is cheap to get in, so I planned a day of fun for the girls. Well...it is cheap to get in, 8.00 an adult and 5.00 for a child, but it is SO small that you are done in a matter of minutes....10-15 that is. There is a tank that if you pay 5.00 extra you can feed the sting rays...oh boy! Then they have the aquarium that has several colorful fish swimming around and a few sting rays....but this is also the same tank that you snorkel in! YES, you heard me right, I saw with my own eyes, 2 people in the tank with the fish. That's an upcharge of 35.00. They have several zip lines started and hopefully being added on. This is an added charge of 60.00 for adults and 55.00 for children. They did have a very small petting tank that you could pet the creature if a staff was there. Add in a couple cute photo areas, I mean who doesn't like to stick their head in holes? 1 small refreshment stand and several tables with umbrellas for shade in the heat. Cute idea, needs to expand more, fairly new as an established business....but don't go thinking you will be there all day....you will not. read more

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The reviews of this place were fairly good and it is inexpensive so I thought I would give it a try. Two adults one teenager and a toddler. We couldn't even make it through 45 minutes... there isn't much there to see and it's rather hot out in Florida for something to be an all outdoor exhibit. In the end I felt a little ripped off when originally I thought the price seemed great. This place needs an indoor area filled with even small fish so you have somewhere to cool off for even a few minutes. Overall I probably won't go back until they add more. It was a waste of money. read more

Hey everyone ! If you are looking for a fun and laid back place for you and the family , look no further ! The entrance fee is $8 for adults , 5$ for kids , 2 and under are free . ( not too pricey). They had a few areas to keep the kids busy : a place to pet star fish and other random animals, a HUGE above ground pool x the size of 5 above ground pools with different exotic fish, stingrays, crabs etc etc. which it is entertaining for the kids to watch the schools of fish swim by . You can pay an extra 30$ a person and go snorkeling which I will be going back to do so on a warmer day . An area to feed baby sharks and to accompany the theme of sharks you can become an archeologist and dig for shark teeth. You could spend about 2 hours here . What I loved was that you could sit and relax without chasing your kids. All of the stations are visible and close enough range to see your kids run around and play . It's not crowded at all. They are in the process of building a zip line which would be extra fun for probably extra $$. They said the zip line would be open late spring . I also noticed the staff was making sure the area was cleaned regularly of trash, the rocks and leaves were off the walkway , and were very educating . They taught our children what certain fish eat, interact, and where they migrate to. Looking forward to our next visit ! read more

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Terrible management and terrible workers. Half of them don't have any experience in what they are doing and the other half are too cocky to talk to you. "St. Augustine Aquarium" is a misstatement. There is no aquarium about this place. It's a giant tank with a shark, stingray, and a fish. You will see more in the actual wild. Go down to the beach and take a stroll and you'll see more wildlife than what you will here. It took us 10 minutes to finish EVERYTHING. Super boring and misleading. Not worth the money. Total joke. read more

Terrible. When you pull up it looks like a tourist trap but we still wanted to check it out because we wanted to see marine life. We walked in to the very small gift shop where we were greeted by two women. The women who told us about the experience didn't seem like she wanted to be there and was rude. But we decided to try it out anyway. We waited 40 minutes for a tour to start. Next to the waiting area there was small tanks so we decided to walk around and look at them, however a staff member told us to sit down in the waiting area because they'll go over the animals in the tour. The tour finally started but our guide didn't even seem that interested to be there. The tanks looked green, dirty and unkept. Also, the tanks look like I could of literally of bought them at petco. All of the fish looked very unhappy. We thought the experience would get better when we got to pet the sharks. I was wrong. The sharks were beautiful and a lot bigger than I was expecting. Their living area was tiny and looked unkept. Since we got the feeding and petting experience, the guide got out food and KITCHEN TONGS. When it was time the feed them the sharks were sleeping, so the guide made them wake up just for our entertainment. I wanted to tell him not to worry about it. The sharks looked so sad that it broke my heart. The guide could tell everyone was concerned so he said "we are planning on expanding the area soon" which I doubt will happen. In the tub right next to the sharks were the sting rays, the big stingray seemed like he was trying to escape by jumping up and down on the glass. The guide said it was normal for them to do that. But if they were in the wild, I highly doubt the would be jumping up and down on glass. Over all, this backyard attraction was terrible. I would never call this an aquarium. Please don't waist your time and money on this shithole. read more

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Wish I would have read the reviews first! We drove from Jacksonville under the impression this was an inside actual aquarium but it's not. After 5 minutes your done and it's all outside. I know it's under construction but still, waste of our day. No big sharks whatsoever. Go to the zoo. read more

St Augustine Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

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Paid $32 for four people and spent about 23 minutes there, and that was really trying to make the most of each exhibit. Would be worth going during the week or at a discounted price. The entrance was also the exit which was very much an inconvenience with our stroller. Unless they build this very small aquarium up more I would say we probably won't ever return. read more

St Augustine Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Nothing to expect here. Very disappointing experience, not a lot to see. Been to better aquariums, with a lot of variety of marine life to see. Nothing compared to this experience. Its only a few tanks with fish, two sharks and rays that's it. Don't even look professional, also everything was closed inside. If you don't want to waste your money, don't come to this place. I personally don't recommend it. read more

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for aquariums and being able to teach kids about marine life. However, the enclosures were quite small for how big some of the sharks and rays were. That and the small size of the aquarium are my only complaints. The staff were incredible and taught us all about sharks and horseshoe crabs, as well as answering our long stream of questions. Brittany, or the shark girl, told us everything we could have wanted to know about the animals in the enclosure and was a great teacher. It was overall very educational and fun, but don't expect to spend more than an hour here if you're not snorkeling. read more

St Augustine Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

We are so glad we are locals and can't wait to watch this place grow. Today was our first visit and all the staff was amazing! Knowledgeable and friendly! We loved watching the seahorses eat! And also really loved looking at all the fish! But of course the sharks were our sons favorite. He loved The employee Kelly almost as much as the sharks. Feeding the nurse sharks was super exciting! Like I said we can't wait to watch this place grow! read more

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This aquarium is very small and right now there's not a whole lot to see. They are expanding though. They had three nurse sharks and also some rays. For an extra cost you can feed the sharks with tongs. There are beautiful fish in a huge tank and also a touching tank. The touch tank is too high for most kids- I had to lift my nephew up so he could touch the horseshoe crab. They have a ropes course and zip line under construction. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. I wish they had been further along when we visited but I don't think it was a total waste of time/money. read more

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Very nice staff and cool experience nice place to take kids that are interested in ocean

If I could, I would leave zero stars. This place is a joke. My bf and I were literally there for 15 mins before leaving. There's just not much to see. We drove from Jacksonville and had to find other things to do so it wouldn't be a complete waste of a drive. I love aquariums so I'm extremely disappointed that their website is misleading and they are actually calling it an aquarium. $8 is too much for entry just to see a swimming pool of 20 fish and a pond of sharks and sting rays. It's like someone really wanted an aquarium and decided to collect these animals and place them in their backyard lol. We decided to get nachos for a snack and instead of it coming, normally, in a bowl with toppings, we got a bag of chips, a cup of cheese, and a small container of jalapeños. Very odd. read more

St Augustine Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

I wish I could give this place the ZERO stars it deserves! I purchased snorkeling passes for my kids. When I called to make the reservation, I spoke to someone who didn't know what they were talking about and told me I didn't have to snorkel since I would have 2 14 year olds swimming. Now had he told me what he SHOULD have told me, I would have shown up in a bathing suit ready to snorkel with my kids. Unfortunately tho the guy answering phones for them told me wrong. I drove 45 minutes WITH 6 kids only for them to say "sorry, he didn't know what he was talking about". Uhm....if you don't know policies, you shouldn't be answering phones. The supervisor gave me the number to get my tickets purchased through local flavor refunded. I was glad to walk away and not give them my business. If you're going to be so rude, I don't want to be there. I got my tickets refunded!! And I was so glad that I did, because I had this place confused with Marineland.....which is where I had thought my kids were going to be snorkeling. Don't confuse this place with Marineland....there's no comparison whatsoever!!! read more

Honestly I was surprised at the size of this outdoor aquarium. We were greeted by the shark & sting ray tank girl. There was one other family there and we waited for the scheduled feed time. She was training a new girl that was very friendly and polite. My daughter and nephew did the snorkel which is very cool! Hunter provided the equipment and explained everything. However, I they wish they would have given them a bit more time to get comfortable with their breathing. While sitting on the bench I found the hidden gem to this aquarium, her name was Cortney! She had a lovely personality and wow she really has passion for ocean life! She taught me so many things! It was so interesting. She even offered and took pics of my kids snorkelling for me. She then had to return to her station and offered to help carry my oxygen. It was brutally hot that day so any help was appreciated.My kids joined us under her tent and she shared a bunch more Knowledge with us and we even got to learn how to handle the sea-life without hurting them. Courtney even gave us pointers for our deep sea fishing trip we were scheduled to take later in the week in Mayport. So after learning a lot of interesting educational things from Courtney and some heart felt stories too we had to go. She is definitely an asset to the aquarium! So on your Next visit to the aquarium look for Courtney if you want some interesting education and please tell her Debbie said hi We of course hit the gift shop on the way out (which is always supportive to the animals) they have some lovely items but don't purchase the window decals their all dried up. I called Andrew but he refused to credit me the $3.50 out of the $25 I spent on gifts because I did not want to travel a 50 mile round trip with my disability for a faulty product that I had discarded. But I would have loved to have one that works instead! My overall experience was great, but the $3.50 is the reason behind the missing star. read more

even though this is a work in progress, my family had a blast. The interns that work there are passionate and knowledgeable my kids loved asking them questions which they never failed to answer. We loved the learning atmosphere and look forward to the finished aquarium. read more

The aquarium was a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. The staff is the best and extremely friendly. We learned more about various sea creatures in the time we spent there, than we have as annual pass holders to the Florida aquarium in Tampa. Our guide Emily was extremely knowledgeable and kind. She took time to answer any questions our young son had about the different animals. It is not a huge aquarium, but they do not claim to be, and they do not charge what the big aquariums cost. Do not let the size fool you, it was a wonderful time and was worth every penny! read more

. We did the snorkeling experience which is neat because it does have fish you would see in the ocean, however it is very expensive for half an hour. I've spent less on a snorkel charter in the keys to see fish in the actual reefs. The tank has so much algae, it's difficult to get nice pictures. I was also worried about getting an ear infection. The aquariums are very dirty and the swim shoes they make you wear in the tank have holes. We brought our own snorkel gear so I can't say the condition of those items. Overall, it has a great need for improvement. Starting with the price. The snorkel experience shouldn't be more than $20. I will say the people that work there are friendly. read more

Only takes ten minutes to go through the entire exhibits. Should be free it is not worth the money. Also if you are handicap and can't do a lot of walking good luck getting a parking spot. Top ten city for tourists in our state and only one handicap parking space is ridiculous. Kids did not enjoy it at all. Lastly they have boxes of sand to go through to get shark teeth it is not sand but muck and only has pieces of sea shells. Highly recommend finding something else to do than waste money on this place read more

If I could, I would rate this experience a 0. The reason for that is because the name is very misleading. It should be called marine wildlife educational center, when seeing the marine life in tiny tanks, they all looked sad and unhappy and probably depressed which is what this place did to me. I wish they would make the shark tub bigger because my pool is bigger than that and they probably have been in there all their life's which is over 10 years. My heart goes out to them. The sting ray kept wanting to get out of the tank which didn't seem normal but we were told it was. If I could I would take them all and put them in a better place. Should have turned around when we saw the tiny building and that's it. Not worth the trip, definitely recommend reading the reviews first!! read more

I love this place so much. I got to pet their lovely nurse sharks Bruce, Bruiser, and Helen for only $5. Everyone was lovely and knowledgeable, you could tell they loved what they were doing. We went on a Thursday so we were the only ones there. Also when you drive up the exhibit was pretty small but if you really love marine life like we do we managed to stay for, I couldn't believe, but TWO hours. When you visit you'll see why I'm surprised. The best part is they're almost all rescues, and they do their best at trying to keep them active and entertained while giving you the best experience. Will be trying to visit every year!! read more

The day we went it was raining heavily and the entire complex is an outdoors experience. To wait out the rain, myself and the friend who came with me (both of us having come from out of town) decided to get in her car, and just go drive to a restaurant and come back. When we came back, the gates were closed and the business was empty. My car was locked inside. We called the cops who then called the owner to open the gates so I could retrieve my vehicle. In doing so, the moment he stepped out of his truck, I was met with cursing and insults. After I apologized and tried to explain what had happened, he didn't even let me get a word in and continued to insult my intelligence, and my person, and continued to yell at me as I tried to get into my vehicle and leave. Not only did I leave without saying a word to further provoke him, he continued to insult me as I drove off the complex, told me never to come back or show my face there, and then blared his horn at me as he aggressively drove by when I was trying to make a turn on the highway. I would have liked to enjoy the facilities on a future date, but now I will never support him or his business for his lack of professionalism and human decency. read more

This is a small aquarium with a big personality. Although geared to kids 4 - 12yrs, we had a great time. I am 50 and my son 13. Don't let the tanks, pools and tents throw you. This place is educational, friendly and a great way to spend an afternoon. Every single person working there was outgoing and helpful and has a real heart for ecology and the planet. It was a wonderful experience. read more

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Enjoyed the marine life and all staff were amazing. The professionalism was exciting for the children who were full of questions. Nice event for all ages. read more

I cannot call this place an aquarium, one big fish tank and a sting ray and shark pool that's it, we finished in like 10 min! There was a sandbox that supposedly had shark teeth in it although our grandson and other children found none. Would not recommend it. They also charge extra to watch the shark and sting ray feeding. Definitely a tourist trap read more

I would save yourself the $10.50 and just go to a pet store you'd see more fish. I'm more so upset that I drove 40 minutes to come here to see 5 fish tanks in a field that are outside... than I am about paying $10 for it. Seems like someone's backyard setup and not a legitimate aquarium. read more

The facility was small and not much to see after 20 minutes but they have great potential since they are starting small. The employees we talked to were extremely friendly and honestly had the young lady at the front entrance that was probably the most enthusiastic, helpful and all around perky person I'm seen working a customer service position. The amount of information the workers had on the animals gave a great feeling for being happy to help others learn about the sea creatures. Can't wait for their expansion when ever that happens. read more

Adventure meets education at this brand new facility, which is excitingly the first aquarium in north east Florida! Still in its infancy the aquarium is small for now, but not for long with big plans in their future. They are currently completely outdoors with 4 interactive exhibits proudly displaying all local North Florida species. The 4 exhibits, snack and gift shop can take you anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to enjoy. They have a tank dedicated to some beautiful and graceful seahorses as well as an interactive touch tank with marine invertebrates. Of their 2 larger exhibits their main attraction is the 80,000 gallon artificial reef tank. Proudly boasting over 200 fish and lobsters of more than 14 different species they bring The Florida Keys to you! You can actually pay to snorkel in this mini tropical reef paradise! Their second large exhibit is the Shark & Stingray Cove with cute stingrays that zoom around their tank and 3 personable nurse sharks all with names and seemingly big personalities. You can buy tickets to hand feed them (with tongs) at specific times of the day. The staff are actual marine biologists who are very knowledgeable and friendly and work hard to make sure you leave each exhibit knowing something you didn't know before. This is a great place to spend an hour out of your morning or afternoon in St. Augustine! read more

I was able to attend the soft opening for the beautiful Saint Augustine Aquarium and did the snorkel adventure. Even as an experienced diver I still enjoyed being able to swim up close with so many tropical fish. I can only imagine kids having an absolute blast, childhood me didn't want to get out and couldn't stop talking about it once I did. This would also serve as a great intro for anyone who wants to test the waters before an ocean snorkel trip or getting dive certified. No need to worry about any sharks here, they are safely in a separate area of the aquarium. At a third of the price of a typical dive charter and with the convenience of being local in St Augustine this was a great value. I will definitely be going back and bring friends/family with. read more

As parents of a special needs child, we found the aquarium delightful and serene..especiaaly sitting in front of the large tank! We knew the park was still in its development stage, but enjoyed our visit none the less..the staff was kind and knowledge about the aquatic life and we assured them we would be back! We thanked them for bringing such an excellent exhibit close to home..So folks, give them a break and a chance to grow..What an investment for our community! Be supportive! It's only $8 bucks! Even Sea World wasn't built in a day! read more

Yes, it is small and all outdoors, but it's a small local business and is not meant to be the same experience as a large aquarium with a lot of funding. The gift shop has high quality items. The staff is friendly, passionate, and informative. It's cool to see local aquatic life. read more

I can't in good conscience tell anyone to go here, yet. I had such high hopes for this place. I donated money to them at One Spark years ago. Went with my wife and two kids. Even my kids were done doing everything after about a half hour. Everything just seems so, temporary, like it could pack up and move at any time. The best way I could describe it is unfinished. Seems to me like they rushed to open. I hope it gets better but, until it does, don't bother. read more

We took our kids (6 & 7) to learn how to snorkel. My daughter (6 yo) was terrified at first but then got the hang of it and now she's hooked! The staff is so incredibly friendly and patient - whether snorkeling, feeding the nurse sharks or watching the guitar rays - they answered every. single. question. that came out of my 7 yo's mouth. :) The animals are very well cared for and we'll be back next time we're looking for an activity - supporting a family owned business that was fun AND educational. read more