South Carolina Aquarium

We took our 12 year old daughter for her birthday and I'm truly embarassed we did. When we reached the end we couldn't believe that was it. It's very small and nothing really great to see. Been there, done that, and won't do it again. more

I really enjoyed the aquarium. There were a lot of nice exhibits and I loved the fact that it sits on the harbor. What I did not like was the price of admission. $17 for anyone over the age of 12. I think this is a little much. But, very well laid out. Three stories of family fun. more

The whole family will enjoy this place. All of the exhibits are really interesting. The way they have it set up with a different exhibit for each different region of the state is very unique. No other aquarims that I know of are set up this way. The little programs they have to explain about the animals and when they allow the visitors to play with and hold the small horseshoe crabs and blue crabs and other small animals are awesome. I would recommend this as an activity for anyone in Charleston. more

The South Carolina aquarium is a great place to spend an afternoon. I am especially fond of the deep ocean tank that they have. I have enjoyed the special exhibits that they have had as well. The gift shop is a must stop when you visit as it offers all kinds of books as well as jewelry created by local artists. more

Every time I have gone here I have been so disappointed in the staff, in the admission price, in the lack of exhibits...it's just very troubling to me that this could have been a world-class Aquarium and instead it seems to be a joke. It took many years and tons of money to make the aquarium dream a reality. Sadly, that dream is more of a nightmare. The price to get in, per adult, is around $12 per person, slightly lower for children. This would not be so bad in and of itself if there were exhibits that were open. Instead, you see alot of blacked out walls and empty tanks. Hardly worth the money. The staff also seems to be confused about hours and dates of operation, as there have been occasions where I have called ahead to ensure that the aquarium would be open, only to get there and find that it is, in fact, closed for personal parties. I cannot reccomend this Aquarium. If you want a very good aquarium adventure, drive to Myrtle Beach and see Ripley's Aquarium. more

this is one of the attractions of charleston. Has a lot of exhibits such as scuba divers in the large fish tanks, different exotic animals. also has tour guides that you can have accompany you to every exhibit. Also have great sovenirs to buy and take home with affordable prices. Also have the martin luther kng jr. birthday $1 weekend every year. Staff is very friendly, energetic and fun! PROS: Great fun! CONS: None! more

The South Carolina Aquarium is a great spot to spend an afternoon. It's small enough that you can "do it all" and yet fun at the same time. We had a family membership that just expired and we went dozens of times in the past year. They are very friendly to kid's and homeschoolers. Lot of educational projects can be done at your visit. They have a very unique touch tank where the kids can touch and pick up most everything in the tank. Volunteers are standing right there and keep the animals safe. They have a nice play area inside with a slide and ship to crawl into that is a new addition. Very nice way to spend the day. Parking is somewhat of a pain. You can park on the street if you find a spot but of course that takes change. Plan on at least a couple of dollars in loose change for the parking meter for your visit. Parking is available at the garage across the street but it ranges from $1 (for under one hour which is almost impossible) to $10 for the day. O more

If you go more than twice, it's probably worth it to get a membership. It's always a great placed to go with the kids rain or shine. My boys always enjoy the feeding of the otters and the fish in the Great Ocean Tank. PROS: Very child friendly CONS: Small compared to other aquariums more