Monterey Bay Aquarium

I never miss the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is simply awesome and unlike any aquarium you'd ever see...I mean, it's got to be the best in the world, or at least in the top 3. They have a deep ocean tank that's got huge sunfish and sharks in it...they even kept a Great White (juvenile) in it for a bit (released now). It's quite a drive down to Monterey from 'Frisco (about 50 or 60 miles), but I always, always go. I usually grab a bite to eat near the aquarium where you can watch Sea Lions bask from your dinner table (but be prepared for lackluster tourist-trap food), then hit the aquarium. If I leave early enough, I sometimes hit the Santa Cruz boardwalk on my way back to San Francisco, mostly for the nostalgia of my parents taking me as a kid (or because the "Lost Boys" from the 80's film hung out there..in the movie anyway), but it can get kind of scary there lately (population wise). The aquarium is great at feeding time (usually around 1 pm if memory serves). The kelp forest is awesome with two-three story tall tanks (also the sea otters). The Monterey area is beautiful to begin with anyway, so it's nice to visit anyway, especially if you like Steinbeck. more

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a family friendly Aquarium that has lots of great kids activities. This aquarium is in an old fish cannery. It’s pretty cool and they even left some of the old factory equipment in place. Here you will see everything from clown fish to sharks, and even giant sea turtles. They are now featuring a great white shark. They have a lot of touch pools for the kids as well as sand and water play for them. They have a neat walkway that goes tight along the bay that you can get to from the aquarium. We say starfish, birds, sea otters, and a seal in the wild right there. If you go back into the aquarium you will be able to see sea otters and starfish in the tanks. This is very pricy. It was $21.50 for adults and our infant son was free. We got a $5.00 off admission card that was in one of the California Tourism Magazines that are free. It was an orange card that was stuck to the state map. You kids will have a lot of fun. It is made for kids in my opinion. more

This is a very cool place to go for a day. This is an awesome aquarium. They have such a wide array of fish and sea animals. The jellyfish tank is so amazing. I could sit there for hours watching those beautiful creatures. They also have a huge tank which house some tuna. You need to watch those fish swim. more

When we go to Monterey to visit, this is our first stop. I absolutely love visiting this aquairum. I never feel like I've seen everything there is to see here and that's a great feeling. Even though we don't have children my husband and I love going here, it's definetly for adults as well as children. You can just sit and watch the giant Tuna swim around or spend all day walking from one end to the other. I love this place! more

This is an awesome aquarium and it is a neat place to visit whether you are a kid or an adult. It will give you a whole day of entertainment because it is so darn big. Actually, it is a little overwhelming and it is sometimes a good idea to get your hand stamped and go shop for a little while on Cannery Row and then come back. It gets extremely crowded, especially on the weekend, and the line just to get in and get tickets takes forever. I would highly recommend pre-ordering your tickets online. Also, the parking is really bad. It is very hard to find a place to park. However, once you get past that and get into the aquarium it is really neat. There are so many exhibits that I couldn't even begin to list them all. Some of the best ones are the touch tank for the kids where they can touch starfish and rays. Also, the otter exhibit is really good because it is a huge tank where you can watch the otters play both above and under the water. The most awesome exhibit is the jellyfish exhibit. It is really big and dark and you can see all the beautiful colors of the jellyfish. I would highly recommend just going in and checking it out if you are going to be near Monterey. It is a much more pleasant experience if you can go during the week and not during the summer or Christmas or Spring break, because it just gets way too busy. more

This is worth a visit if you’re in Monterey or the surrounding area. They have an amazing display of jellyfish right now that is fascinating. Other favorites included the Splash Zone and penguins and the sea otters. Make sure you get over to the deep water to see the huge fish! There is a ton of hands-on stuff for the kids, but adults will love checking out the underwater world too. Get to the feeding shows early if you want to watch (a must for the sea otters) because the space to watch fills up quickly. Get tickets from a local hotel because you’ll get two consecutive days admission for the price of one and then you can take your time and see everything. more

We were in Monterey with the kids for three wonderful days. This aquarium isn't what I would call just an acquarium, but a labor of love by one of the scions of the Hewlett-Packard clan. What makes it amazing? First, the exhibits are out of this world. For instance, they have a million gallon tank where tuna can really go 40 mph around and around. It is an amazing model of the open ocean. Second is the deep water exhibit. They have creatures that were literally 10,000 feet below sea. Something you can see no where else. The place is vast and it is right next to the Monterey Bay, itself an amazing place. Make sure to take a kayak while you are there. The kelp forests out there are amazing and typically a seal will try to jump onto your kayak and give you a kiss. (I'm not kidding!). Perhaps the best thing about the place though is the advocacy and awareness. This is where the kids learned about overfishing. We still have their awareness card. For instance, it tells you that Chilean Seabass is really Patagonia Toothfish and has been hunted out of existence in a few years. And that essentially all the fish from the Atlantic is endangered and you shouldn't eat most of the shrimp you see because the farmed ones are destroying the environment and the rest are essentially stripmined destroying the seabeds. more

This aquarium is the best around and anyone passing through Monterey should spend a day there. The exhibits are amazing and they often add new ones. There are various hands on exhibits for the kids. Located right on the water in Monterey the facilities are very impressive. Don't rush through as there many one-of-a-kind tanks here. more

We stopped by here one day during a tour of California, and I was amazed by everything I saw. This aquarium is amazing. They have everything a kid (and adult) would want to see. All the information that is provided is great, and you always learn something when you're there. I could spend days there and never get bored. I recommend this aquarium for the young, and the young at heart. more

The city of Monterey is a beautiful area in and of itself, but when we're in town we always make a visit to the aquarium. We love to go outside and see the natural tide pools. But it's really the jellyfish are the most amazing. I never could have imagined all the different shapes, sizes and colors that these come in. The whole visit is really an unbelievable experience. The tickets end up being expensive, but last time I think we ended up getting them online at Costco.com before we went and that saved us some money. I think kids would love this because you get to touch the stingray. more

Monterey bay aquarium is a nice place and a must to visit if a visitor to the peninsula. It is nice, friendly, great exhibits BUT OVERLY expensive (I think around $15-$20 per person) and VERY busy on weekends to the point that I'd stay clear of cannery row on any weekend day. It is a fun place to bring young kids though on weekdays for a day out. My toddler loved the fishes, sharks and there is also a small play area for toddlers to explore themselves. a fun place once in awhile or on a rainy day but to me it didn't live up to all the hype that people gave it before I lived there. more

This place is so fun! There's a lot to see, do and learn about. Food and gift shop get a little pricey. There are so many marine creatures here. All ages love this place, and the new Shark exibit is so wonderful. They're always adding new additions, so it's a good thing to keep going back. If you're going more than once in a year, it's a good idea to buy a membership! more

I personally believe that the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the best out there. Every time we visit Monterey it is a must-see for us. It gets crowded because it is so popular, so try to get there as close to opening as possible. It is expensive to get in (and the food inside is pricey) but it is definately worth the price. They are constantly upgrading and adding new exhibits; the tanks they have are amazing (both the size of the tanks and the animals inside them). Don't miss it if you are in the area! more

Monterey Bay Aquarium is in a very cute section of Monterey right by shopping and restaurants. The aquarium itself is pretty nice and seems to be pretty new. They have a lot of exhibits and even shows. It's perfect for children! I did think it would be a lot bigger, but that could have been just my expectations. I really loved it there though and so did my husband. more

World renowned, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the place to visit while vacationing along the coastline. Some of my best memories are of visiting here. Walk through the dim jelly-fish corridor with many tanks of luminscent, pulsating jellyfish. Visit the petting area where you can hold a live sea cucumber (VERY weird feeling) and touch a starfish. Then walk over and try to touch the rays that swim smoothly around in a large tank. This is amazing and kids will love a visit here... oh, and be sure to say hi to the penguins! more

Monterey Bay Aquarium is a world renown aquarium with one of the biggest tank exhibits in the world. What makes the aquarium so special is that it is huge, so it has countless exhibits. There are hundreds of tank exhibits, ranging from hundreds of kinds of fishes to turtles, and even jellyfish. They have a touch center for sting rays, and the aquarium is built literally on top of the ocean bay. There is a great view and a Monterey bay aquarium cafeteria. What especially makes this place so special is that it has a great white shark in captivity. DO NOT miss it. Only about one in 10 million people have ever seen a real great white shark. Allow at least three hours for this wondrous place. more

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is renowned as one of the premier aquariums of the world and when you visit, it’s apparent why this is so. The displays are absolutely awe-inspiring. My favorites are the multi-story kelp forest and outer bay displays. Definitely not to be missed! more

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a great place for both kids and adults. All of their exhibits are beautifully set up and very informative. I love the sea otter exhibit and watching the daily feedings, and the penguins are marvelous as well. The jellyfish exhibit is so amazing that it almost feels like you're walking through a living art gallery! Admission is a bit high but it really is worth every penny, and they offer discounts for students and seniors. The aquarium is in a beautiful setting too, with lovely views of the beach and within walking distance to all the downtown shops and restaurants. more

Located at the end of the historic Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is home to thousands of underwater creatures. In the Kelp Forest, watch as sea otters (the only marine mammal housed at the aquarium) swim about the kelp. Watch reef sharks and zebra sharks circle the tanks. View jellies, giant octopus, tuna fish, sunfish, rays, and visit the touch tanks where there are sea cucumbers, sea stars, and rays. And don't forget the land animals! There is an aviary area and a penguin Splash Zone. Admission is less than $20. more

This is one of the main California attractions, and is considered to be the best aquarium in the country. They are famous for being the first to keep a great white shark alive in captivity. Besides the countless fish and sea life species that can be seen there, there is also a large number of local wineries that have tasting rooms within walking distance of the aquarium. more