Aquarium of the Pacific
Aquarium of the Pacific
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Learn about the rich marine life of the Pacific Ocean at the largest aquarium in Southern California, home to over 11,000 animals across 500 different species. The building's bold facade is inspired by the fluid motion of the Pacific waves; step inside and you'll find over 100 exhibits and 19 unique habitats. Outside, check out the expansive Shark Lagoon with shark touching pools, and the Lorikeet Forest, a 5,400-square-foot aviary. To visit, you'll need to get a timed ticket or make an online reservation. The aquarium also hosts multiple cultural events year-round, so be sure to check what's on before visiting. – Tripadvisor
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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from $44.95
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See what travelers are saying
- waynefromcaliYucaipa, California4,410 contributionsThe Aqurium of the Pacific in Long Beach California is terrific!The Aqurium of the Pacific in Long Beach California has new displays,presentations,new wide screen theatre movies and new additions to their already terrific family of fish,shell fish and birdlife-they are also celebrating 25 years of happy visitors! The touch a fish presentations are now indoor and outdoors and it's so popular with the kids and big kids too! The Aquarium is a great place for an all day adventure and now is open from 9AM till 8 PM daily!The Aqurium is loaded with great picture ops too! Photo tip-the fish tanks are so clean you can place your phone rite up against the glass and shoot for an"in the water" photo or video look! The staff is so helpful,great food and beverages and parking is just $8.00 all day! You need to make reservations now at The Aquarium and can call them directly and they will make them for you! To make your day evan more memorable you can take a scenic dockside walk around The Pike area which features places to shop,eat and drink! We had a great experience at The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach California and highly recommend a visit! . . . . . #aquariumofthepacific #aquarium #seetheusa #fishlife #ilovenature #longbeach #longbeachpike #pacificocean #bubbagumpshrimp #godisgood #ilovenature #ilovelongbeach #fishphotography #underwaterphotography #ilovefish #mantaray #25thanniversaryVisited August 2023Traveled with familyWritten August 22, 2023
- Brandon KFlagstaff, Arizona1,914 contributionsGreat educational and entertaining activity with the kidsIt is always a thing on family trips to find activities that are fun and keep the kids entertained while also not being mind-numbing. We found that combination here. The activities and the observation windows kept the kids going the whole time, which was a nice change. Any time you can pet jellyfish, rays, and more, don't miss out. I will say that there are some curved viewing windows that will mess with you especially if you have any vertigo issues. Give the place about 3 hours.Visited November 2023Traveled with familyWritten November 14, 2023
- lmantelPortland, Oregon53 contributionsOutstanding place to see marine lifeThe Aquarium of the Pacific is an outstanding scientific, cultural, and entertainment venue. The weekend I was there a Pacific cultural festival took place, with crafts, music, and other entertainment. But the heart of the institution is their exhibitions of marine animals and their habitats. The labels are excellent and informative. There are several opportunities to get close to and touch the animals. Their collection of sharks and rays is unusually large. Many interns and attendants are available to answer questions and demonstrate the organisms.Visited November 2023Traveled with friendsWritten November 15, 2023
- DarrylMannSwaffham, United Kingdom58 contributionsPleasant morningI decided to head to Long Beach with the only attraction in mind being the aquarium and it didn't disappoint. Plenty of different species in a well planned layout with some interactive experiences like touching rays and jellyfish. Wasn't overly pricey and worth the ticket costVisited December 2023Traveled soloWritten December 13, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Popular mentions
4.5
3,280 reviews
Excellent
1,791
Very good
1,073
Average
319
Poor
69
Terrible
28
Elissa
Los Angeles, CA595 contributions
Mar 2020
This used to be one of my favorite places. The displays used to have tons of animals, were well kept, and tickets never used to be so expensive. Now, I feel like it's a complete rip off ever since the construction of Pacific Visions. While I like that the aquarium is trying to focus on conservation efforts, it's almost contradictory with all the touch tanks. Hundreds of kids are poking at these animals constantly. The sting rays hardly come up anymore and there are way too many tanks in general. It's great to have a few to educate kids, but there is no need for so many. Staff also don't oversee the touch tanks as well as they used to. No one pays attention to the two finger rule anymore and parents hang their kids over the edge to the point where it looks like they will fall in. The exhibits now have very few animals compared to years ago (sea dragons, jellies, etc). For the price you pay, it is not worth it.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kirk M
Signal Hill, CA7 contributions
Apr 2023
The aquarium is great for families, especially with young children. It is a good place to spend the afternoon letting kids experience different aquatic animals and learn about the ocean. While not the cheapest in terms of ticket price, if you spend a couple hours there it is worth it.
However, this is not a must-do for adults by themselves or in groups without kids. It is too busy, especially on weekends, and you quickly run out of things to do. Unless you are really into marine life, you are better off finding another way to spend your time and money.
Night Dives are a little better for adults as they remove the screaming and running around children, but it then becomes more expensive if you factor in drinks and food. Again, you can probably get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
All that being said, seeing the sealions, seals, and otters is almost worth the price of admission alone. They are a must-see if you do decide to go to the aquarium.
However, this is not a must-do for adults by themselves or in groups without kids. It is too busy, especially on weekends, and you quickly run out of things to do. Unless you are really into marine life, you are better off finding another way to spend your time and money.
Night Dives are a little better for adults as they remove the screaming and running around children, but it then becomes more expensive if you factor in drinks and food. Again, you can probably get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
All that being said, seeing the sealions, seals, and otters is almost worth the price of admission alone. They are a must-see if you do decide to go to the aquarium.
Written April 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lucky RN
Temecula, CA74 contributions
Feb 2020
The Aquarium of the Pacific was a great afternoon adventure. The aquarium was very busy with busloads of children! There were many different movies/presentations that were educational. There is a charge for parking but the aquarium will validate for a partial discount on parking. There is an area outside to walk and picnic by a lighthouse. The Queen Mary is across the harbor. While I was there, I also took a Harbor Breeze tour as they are right next to each other. I spent about 4 hours at the aquarium and another hour with the harbor tour.
Written March 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rochelle F
Randolph, NJ1,103 contributions
Oct 2020
We visited the Aquarium with 3 year old boys. They did a great job of using the space and being COVID friendly. They moved as many of the exhibits outside as possible (only the outdoors portion is open). They also reduced the admission. Kids will love it! We loved it!. There are touch exhibits, a bird house (entry is timed and birds fly around), seal exhibit, sharks, a penguin tank (our boys were fascinated). We spent 2 ½ hours here.
Afterwards we walked around the harbor, saw lighthouse, and then had lunch at a restaurant on the other side of the harbor (Gladstones which was very good). A wonderful outing!
Afterwards we walked around the harbor, saw lighthouse, and then had lunch at a restaurant on the other side of the harbor (Gladstones which was very good). A wonderful outing!
Written February 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
evaready
Dallas, TX34 contributions
Aug 2022
We went on a Sunday morning, we had a reservation for 0900, when they first opened. It was good because it wasn't crowded. It had some great exhibits, the otters were so cute. The cafe they have on site was tasty, with large portions and a good selection. It wasn't overly expensive. We spent about 5 hour there.
Written September 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ryan
Mammoth Lakes, CA10 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
I felt like such a silly goose after coming here.
Pricing for one adult is outrageous at around $50. I got a discount since I attended a conference, at $26 after noon. If you don't have kids, and you are not a marine biology buff, you can get through the exhibits in 2 hours. It's just room after room of the same thing. The fish and coral are beautiful, but you can only take so much of it.
The Shark Lagoon was laughable. It was just a big tank with a few small sharks in it. You can view it from the top, or from the bottom through a dirty window. There was no real information about them.
Pretty much everything outside was closed. The Lorikeet Forest was closed, and pretty much every eatery and gift shop was closed, except for the two in the main building.
It was astonishing that there were no sea urchins, no lobsters and only one kind of crab. Many of the "immersive exhibits" were broken.
There were a few other bizarre exhibits that make it clear that Aquarium of the Pacific has run out of ideas: the frog exhibit, the tropical bird exhibit, the sea lion exhibit (I guess they can just pluck them from anywhere, but it wasn't interesting).
It was immediately a tourist trap in my mind when I heard them play "Under the Sea" and "Rock Lobster" over the speaker.
Pricing for one adult is outrageous at around $50. I got a discount since I attended a conference, at $26 after noon. If you don't have kids, and you are not a marine biology buff, you can get through the exhibits in 2 hours. It's just room after room of the same thing. The fish and coral are beautiful, but you can only take so much of it.
The Shark Lagoon was laughable. It was just a big tank with a few small sharks in it. You can view it from the top, or from the bottom through a dirty window. There was no real information about them.
Pretty much everything outside was closed. The Lorikeet Forest was closed, and pretty much every eatery and gift shop was closed, except for the two in the main building.
It was astonishing that there were no sea urchins, no lobsters and only one kind of crab. Many of the "immersive exhibits" were broken.
There were a few other bizarre exhibits that make it clear that Aquarium of the Pacific has run out of ideas: the frog exhibit, the tropical bird exhibit, the sea lion exhibit (I guess they can just pluck them from anywhere, but it wasn't interesting).
It was immediately a tourist trap in my mind when I heard them play "Under the Sea" and "Rock Lobster" over the speaker.
Written August 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicole G
Westchester County, NY227 contributions
Jul 2020 • Friends
I cannot believe how much of the quarry and we got to experience for such a low price! We weren’t expecting much considering the indoor exhibits were closed and the price was significantly reduced. What we got was so amazing. There were so many exhibits open, including all of the ones where you can touch the sash. It was so much fun and everything was so clean and well organized. A major highlight for us was feeding the birds. We never got to do this before and we loved it so much! Highly recommend because you really get a good value for your dollar!
Written August 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
waynefromcali
Yucaipa, CA4,410 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
The Aqurium of the Pacific in Long Beach California has new displays,presentations,new wide screen theatre movies and new additions to their already terrific family of fish,shell fish and birdlife-they are also celebrating 25 years of happy visitors!
The touch a fish presentations are now indoor and outdoors and it's so popular with the kids and big kids too!
The Aquarium is a great place for an all day adventure and now is open from 9AM till 8 PM daily!The Aqurium is loaded with great picture ops too! Photo tip-the fish tanks are so clean you can place your phone rite up against the glass and shoot for an"in the water" photo or video look!
The staff is so helpful,great food and beverages and parking is just $8.00 all day!
You need to make reservations now at The Aquarium and can call them directly and they will make them for you!
To make your day evan more memorable you can take a scenic dockside walk around The Pike area which features places to shop,eat and drink! We had a great experience at The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach California and highly recommend a visit!
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#aquariumofthepacific #aquarium #seetheusa #fishlife #ilovenature #longbeach #longbeachpike #pacificocean #bubbagumpshrimp #godisgood #ilovenature #ilovelongbeach #fishphotography
#underwaterphotography #ilovefish #mantaray
#25thanniversary
The touch a fish presentations are now indoor and outdoors and it's so popular with the kids and big kids too!
The Aquarium is a great place for an all day adventure and now is open from 9AM till 8 PM daily!The Aqurium is loaded with great picture ops too! Photo tip-the fish tanks are so clean you can place your phone rite up against the glass and shoot for an"in the water" photo or video look!
The staff is so helpful,great food and beverages and parking is just $8.00 all day!
You need to make reservations now at The Aquarium and can call them directly and they will make them for you!
To make your day evan more memorable you can take a scenic dockside walk around The Pike area which features places to shop,eat and drink! We had a great experience at The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach California and highly recommend a visit!
.
.
.
.
.
#aquariumofthepacific #aquarium #seetheusa #fishlife #ilovenature #longbeach #longbeachpike #pacificocean #bubbagumpshrimp #godisgood #ilovenature #ilovelongbeach #fishphotography
#underwaterphotography #ilovefish #mantaray
#25thanniversary
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen G
6 contributions
Jun 2021
For the last 25 years, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has been my benchmark for rating others. The Aquarium of the Pacific holds it's own in the competition, as it has a small aviary also. Wonderful varieties of sea life to view as well as good penguin and seal exhibits.
Written June 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Norman H
Spokane, WA44 contributions
Feb 2020
This place is a fantastic place for all ages. Hundreds of different kinds of marine life with detailed information on the species and locations. Beautiful exhibits with hands-on experience with sting rays. You can watch staff in the tanks with scuba gear feeding fish. Location is next to the Long Beach marina with the Queen Mary in the background. We've visted before and waited patiently to a second visit, was still amazed on the second go-around. Plenty of parking, all day costs $8 with validation from Aquarium, very cheap for the area.
Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lucia B
Oak Glen, CA
If I go past the allotted time at the Aquarium, is there additional charges?
AussieTraveller454
Canberra, Australia28 contributions
What's the best way to get here from Hollywood without a car?
Jeffrey S
Long Beach, CA43 contributions
Need to use the metro line. Use the line from western and change to the blue line at 7th. Take the blue line to the last stop and there’s a 5 minute bus shuttle from there. Allow 1 1/4 hours.
However in these Covid times stay home or in your neighborhood.
Katrine Poulsen
1 contribution
How much time do you get with the animals at the Aquarium of the Pacific if you buy a VIP experience with seals, sealions and penguins?
Suzie W
Madeira Beach, FL345 contributions
As much as you want!
Leeanneeee
Melbourne, Australia200 contributions
Hi. We are looking at booking at a whale watching cruise in November.
Do you know when those dates will be available?
Also I can see a behind the scenes combo or whale watching combo. Is there a combo ticket to include both?
Thanks
venckman2017
Fullerton, CA42 contributions
Harbor Breeze Cruises, which operates next to the Aquarium, offers multiple whale watches daily, and is open almost every day. On very rare occasions they cancel due to weather or rough seas, but those times are few and far between. All of these cruises have an Aquarium staffer on board to give you expert commentary on the wildlife you see. Info about combo tickets are available at Aquarium website. Go to ticket information, and on the lefthand side is a panel listing all of the available ticket combinations.
Enjoy!
Mindy J
Logan, UT6 contributions
We are getting off our carnival cruise and have quite some time before our flight from Long Beach so I’m considering going to the aquarium but I need to know if it is in walking distance to the cruise terminal or will I need to do a taxi or is there a bus stop and then will I be able to get a taxi from the aquarium to the airport
manders2016
Omaha, NE78 contributions
Actually, the city of Long Beach has a FREE "Passport bus service" that circulates to the tourist areas and downtown shopping.THere is a stop close to the Carnival cruise terminal, which is by the Queen Mary, and stops at the Aquarium of the Pacific. It runs every 15 to 30 minutes. You can find the schedule and stops online, justsearch for the Long Beach Passport Bus.
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Claim your listingAquarium of the Pacific - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Aquarium of the Pacific
- Aquarium of the Pacific admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost $44.95, while a popular guided tour starts around $15.29 per person.
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Aquarium of the Pacific:
- Skip the Ticketing Line: Aquarium of the Pacific General Admission Ticket (From $44.95)
- Go City: Los Angeles Explorer Pass - Choose any 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 Attractions (From $94.00)
- Private Helicopter Tour over Long Beach (From $199.00)
- Long Beach Self-Guided Audio Tour (From $15.29)
- Long Beach Self-Guided Bike Tour (From $28.00)
- Hotels near Aquarium of the Pacific:
- (0.10 mi) Hyatt Centric The Pike Long Beach
- (0.17 mi) Hyatt Regency Long Beach
- (0.16 mi) Dockside Boat and Bed
- (0.21 mi) Hotel Maya - a DoubleTree by Hilton
- (0.43 mi) The Westin Long Beach
- Restaurants near Aquarium of the Pacific:
- (0.03 mi) Hooters
- (0.03 mi) Hooters
- (0.08 mi) Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
- (0.09 mi) P.F. Chang's
- (0.06 mi) Outback Steakhouse
- Attractions near Aquarium of the Pacific:
- (0.05 mi) 2SeeWhales Harbor Breeze Cruises
- (0.05 mi) SoCal Whale Watching
- (0.05 mi) Harbor Breeze Long Beach Harbor Cruise
- (0.15 mi) Wheel Fun Rentals - Rainbow Lagoon Swan Boats
- (0.11 mi) The Pike Outlets