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Aquarium of the Bay
Categories: Active Life Aquariums Arts & Entertainment Museums Aquariums, Museums [Edit]
The Embarcadero and Beach StSan Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
(415) 623-5300
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 10 am - 6 pm
Fri-Sun 10 am - 7 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
257 reviews for Aquarium of the Bay
Review Highlights
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"The touch pools were probably my favorite." In 13 reviews -
"They let kids touch small leopard sharks." In 17 reviews -
"the behind the scenes tour was my favorite part." In 4 reviews
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257 reviews in English
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Review from Mike F.
Las Vegas, NV
4/17/2012 4 photos
As others are stating it is a bit overpriced at 17 bucks a pop, but this is what they charge at Mandalay Bays Aquarium on the strip and it isnt even half the size of this place!
There are plenty of cool creatures to look at and getting to touch/pet the stingray, starfish, and tigershark was pretty cool as well...I just wish the Octopus would have been up and about but oh well.
All in all, it was pretty cool for what it was... -
Review from Wyman L.
Castro Valley, CA
5/14/2012
You know, it wasn't All That and a Bag of Chips as I'd thought I'd remembered it to be. It was kind of fun, but doesn't seem near as cool as the ads on TV or in the promo.
Coolest part was the Jellyfish. I hoped to see a whole lot more crabs. The diver cleaning the glass/plastic walls was kind of cool. I was hoping to see a lot more sharks.
The TV Ads make you feel like you are totally surrounded by water in one section where even if you look down you might see fish swimming. Rather, there's a base that starts on either side of the tube you're in and the glass and tank wraps around your sides and above you. Some areas were quite dark, making it hard to see some of the fish.
The really large fish (Tuna?) are always a treat. Not enough sharks or starfish. Was hoping for more variety, as well. There's a section where you can pause to watch a video of just how flexible/collapsible an octopus is.
There's the usual gift shop at the end, and you can have your pic taken for a fee. Standard touristy stuff. And there's also a learning center which is fun for the kids because they learn more about sea life and can touch sea cucumber and rays.
I think overall it's not quite worth it for the price, but it's probably better for field trips for the kids, when they still view all this with awe and wonder.Comment from Marisa B. of Aquarium of the Bay 5/21/2012
Hi, Wyman L, Thank you so much for visiting our Aquarium… More » -
Review from Eva D.
Walnut Creek, CA
5/8/2012
Just took my 15 m.o. there today with a couple of buddies. Was not sure what they will take from this trip, but we had the free passes from the local library - so even with the expense of the parking, it was worth checking it out and we mad e a nice little trip out of it.
What we liked is: it is small enough that you can go through it all and not feel overwhelmed and you don't feel like you are missing something; it has several tanks with different creature and it is quite colorful; it has a petting room at the very end; the moving part of the walkway was convenient for the strollers and fun for the toddlers.
Not so great: it is not cheap if you go as a family especially with kids over 3 ( check out your library for free passes, also if you park in the parking lot right across from pier 39 the parking ticket usually has a discount coupon). It is not that big (it was good for us) but if you compare to the Monterrey, it is a much smaller place. Parking is expensive (unless you are patient enough to look for street parking).
If you have a young child and wonder if it's too early - I think it is not! Kids under 3 are free, so it's worth it and they really are fascinated but all the underwater life!Comment from Marisa B. of Aquarium of the Bay 5/21/2012
Hi, Eva D., Thank you for taking the time to write a review… More » -
Review from Erin G.
Belmont, MA
5/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
I am a big fan of aquariums and being in San Francisco for vacation I thought I would have to check this place out. First of all, this aquarium is extremely small- you can see everything in well under and hour. When you first go in, you see a couple of tanks with various types of fish in them. There is also some educational information about the area that you can read. Following this short section, you must take an elevator to the floor which contains a couple of jelly fish tanks and a large walk through tank.
The walk through tank was the best part about this aquarium. You walked through and the fish, sharks, sting rays ect surround you (like you are in a tunnel). After going through this section, you must then take another elevator back to the original floor you started on where you the other side of the elevator opens to a section which contains a few touch tanks. I imagine that kids would really love this area as they can touch sharks, rays, seastars and other marine life. In addition to the touch tanks there are a few other tanks with chinchillas, snakes, and reptiles. Once finished with this, you walk through the gift store to exit.
The way this Aquarium is set up is extremely poor. You have to ride up and down the elevator twice which makes it a little more difficult- I imagine quite difficult if you have a child in a carriage or a large group. When going down to the level with the walk through tank, I encountered others on the elevator who could not figure out how to exit the Aquarium. There is no real clear signage about where to go. With San Francisco being on the water, I expected more from this aquarium. I have been to the Boston, Baltimore, and Monterey Aquariums, all of which are much better then this one. Overall, this might be enjoyable to take a young child to, but I would not waste the money to pay for the whole family. -
Review from Kristan H.
Cincinnati, OH
5/17/2012
This aquarium is small but well kept and organized. It's neat to have a focus on the Bay specifically, to learn about the ecosystem underneath the beautiful views from the Wharf. My boyfriend has a thing for aquariums, so we always go if the city we're visiting has one, and while this was not the most impressive, we enjoyed it nonetheless. Because it only takes about an hour to go through, it's probably not worth a solo trip, but it's a good cornerstone to the Fisherman's Wharf experience. I enjoyed the sharks and jellyfish a lot.
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Review from Samuel Y.
Austin, TX
5/2/2012
We were soooo looking forward to this aquarium since our 1 year old is now very interested in fish and animals.
We've recently gone to the Dallas and Boston aquariums. We thought that San Francisco (being a high profile city, and right by the ocean) would have the best one.
We were extremely disappointed.
First off, as many have said, the place is overpriced at around $20 a ticket. (We did get $2 off, I think, for parking in the garage nearby and getting a coupon.)
Next, the architect that designed the place was dumb. I guess he did not think KIDS and BABIES would come to an aquarium. They have different floors in this place and only 1 elevator which 50 people at a time with strollers and everything try to cram in. You have to ride this elevator two times. (Oh, the "first" floor of this place is actually the second floor. So before you even go into the front door, you need to ride a service elevator which is super tiny and can only fit 2 strollers in there).
All this elevator cramping ruined the entire experience. Additionally, there weren't any fish/animals note worthy in this place anyway.
Overall, this is just a poorly designed aquarium. Families with KIDS are the #1 clientele for aquariums and the fact that you have to go up and down on elevators all day long is just plain dumb.. (at least have more than one elevator if you are going to build a multi-story aquarium)
I always thought the Dallas aquarium wasn't that impressive (well... compared to the aquariums I see in movies and tv shows). But I must say, it is the best one out of Dallas, Boston, and San Fran. Check it out if you are ever in D-town.Comment from Marisa B. of Aquarium of the Bay 5/21/2012
Hi, Samuel, Thank you for your review on Yelp and for… More » -
Review from Kristine A.
Portland, OR
4/28/2012
I think they charge to much but it was a nice little aquarium. We had fun looking at the jelly fish and the touching pool.
The elevator system is weird. -
Review from Jessica W.
Taylor, MI
4/10/2012
Last time I was out in the Bay, I actually spent a few hours being a tourist , which I hadn't ever done on my previous visits. In part of my tourism I went to this aquarium. It was okay, and that's about it. Ticket prices were too expensive for what it was. It was pretty small in comparison to some other aquariums I've visited in different states. The tunnel thing, which most aquariums have, was cool enough but sort of dark and dingy feeling. Other areas also felt sort of dingy.
I was pretty disappointed here. Given that this is in a big city, right in the middle of a really busy tourist area, and right on the water. I had some high expectations but it was really really average. If you're a tourist looking for something to entertain your kids, I'm sure this would do the trick, though with a expensive price tag.
I even felt that the gift shop was lacking. It was also pretty tiny and thus jammed full of people. The only bathrooms I saw throughout the aquarium were in here also, so there were people waiting in lines in the gift shop just for the bathroom. Cramped. -
Review from Shannon H.
Seattle, WA
3/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
This aquarium was very true to the average rating, 3 stars. It was very small, but the exhibits were well presented and the fish are clearly in good condition. For the price, a modest $16, it was the least expensive aquarium I have ever been to, and the ticket states that for each full-price adult, one student is admitted for free. The top floor is great for kids, as they have a tide pool with skates and bat rays that you can touch and watch them being fed. The lower level has a large tunnel exhibit, one featuring large octopus (hard to spot, good hiders!) and the other featuring several species of sharks.
I was looking for a place to kill an hour and get inside to warm up, so I got my money's worth. If you are expecting a lot of wow-factor, I'd skip it. -
Review from Tin F.
San Jose, CA
4/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
This aquarium is tiny!! Definitely not worth the entrance fee of $16.95 for an adult. (thank goodness my husband and I had a groupon for $8/person)
There are 3 floor. One floor has 2 walk through tunnel aquariums which can get quite packed. Another floor is where you a touch a shark, star fish, sea urchins and some sort of ray. The last floor is the basic aquarium of different fish and jelly fish.
I didn't notice where the restrooms were.
They do have a small snack stand before you enter the exhibit. No outside food allowed. -
Review from Kurt C.
Centralia, WA
3/10/2012
This was probably the worst aquarium we have ever been at. It had VERY few attractions, and was not easy to navigate at all. We probably spent 20-30 minutes just trying to figure out how to get from one place to another and then deciding that we had actually seen everything there was to be seen.
It is pretty much 30% gift shop, 30% theater (which costs extra, even on top of the overpriced general admission), 15% aquarium, 10% TV monitors, 10% playground, and 5% over hyped advertisements.
The only cool thing this place had to offer was a huge tank that was on both sides and over top of you, You viewed from a moving walkway, so you didn't get to take much of it in. However, considering this was the only thing worth seeing at the aquarium, it where everyone was. So without the moving walkway, you won't even get to see anything anyway for all of the people. You have to take the elevator all the way down to get there. -
Review from Zachary R.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2012
TOTAL RIP OFF!!!
Tour was only 15 min. What a waste of money. My kids cried they were so dissatisfied. Don't waste your money! Visit the California Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park, it is high quality, not a low quality side show. -
Review from Frank M.
2/23/2012
This place felt kinda small, run down, and old. Someone suggests going to the Monterey Aquarium instead.
But its also youve seen one aquarium youve seen most. I was hoping to see some nice great one since its SF. But no. I guess I will have to check out the one in Monterey.
The neat thing about it is that glass/plastic corridor were you go through the water and can see the fish swimming around you.
Id say skip it. Save your money. -
Review from kien m.
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I am glad I didn't pay $16/head to go here. Took about 30 minutes to walk through all three floors. Overall it is a decent aquarium but it needs a lot more.
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Review from Port L.
New York, NY
1/21/2012
Warning: Tourist Scam
I would avoid this place as much as possible and head to the Monterey Aquarium instead. But if you do decide to visit this aquarium, there are coupons online if you use your smartphone. (I believe it was $2 off adult price)
I honestly would not mind paying more to see a better aquarium. My girlfriend and I came here hoping to see some a very nice aquarium but instead we were utterly disappointed. There was an exhibit about an octopus and a game where it told us to find the octopus in the 300,000 gallon tank. After looking for a long period of time with no luck, we gave up. Only to find out in the gift shop that the octopus died. Really?
The aquarium was small and the touch pool was a bit boring. Definitely do not want to come back. Ever. -
Review from Brittainie B.
San Francisco, CA
3/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
The aquarium was insanely small. For $16 tickets the place is 3stories, but its really 1 just 3 very small levels stacked on top. The tunnels you could walk through were awesome, there were 3 small ones, the touch pools were small but ok. I would give it 3stars if it wasn't for the rudest mass of 100s of kids piled into this place that really ruin it. Also you are forever in the way of someone's shitty tourist point-and-shoot camera video recording *come on you will never watch that* i had a good time because i was with my loved one but i felt bad that he paid for both our overpriced tickets, if it was half the price it would be worth it- but it's not. Spend the extra $6 per ticket to go to the Academy of Sciences aqaurium, it would be worth it
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Review from Jason M.
Fremont, CA
1/15/2012
Save Your Money - Go to Monterrey
It's a great idea - having a good aquarium in San Francisco. But, unfortunately, the facility is small and very poorly set up. The movies were rather boring, and the exhibits tiny. Just a taste of what you'd see in Monterrey.
In addition, it's located at Pier 39, so be prepared to run the gauntlet of tourist traps and shop till you drop, as it is right there. That might be good or bad, depending on your preferences.
The staff were very nice and knowledgeable, but it isn't a high quality aquarium like San Francisco deserves. It's a start. I hope it grows, improves, and gets bigger, but for now - unless you are "in the area" - save your money and drive to Monterrey, which is of course a world class aquarium - about 1.5 hours south of San Francisco. -
Review from Dave K.
San Jose, CA
1/19/2012
I haven't been to many aquariums before, but I would say this one was alright. They had the cool tunnel pathway which allows you to see the various creatures of the sea. It kind of makes you feel like you are up close with the animals.
The whole tour seemed a little short, so that was the only thing I was a little bummed about. They didn't really have many exhibits as well either. The admission prices are a little expensive. I was expecting a little more.
If it was cheaper, I would go to it more. But it's just not worth the price in my opinion. -
Review from Fatty A.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2012
This place is great for fat people like me. You don' have to walk and there are plenty of places to sit. As long as u can fit your fat ass in the elevator and the aquarium tunnel this is a fatty's dream. The entire fish tank on the second floor has a moving walkway. Its freakin awesome if you have to carry 500lbs on your belly. The only thing you need to do is hold your fat ass up. Once you get tired from standing while the moving walkway moves you around you can sit down at the 1000s or benches they have around the aquarium. The aquarium is probably 800 sqaure feet. I know for fat asses thats big. Its tough to just turn let alone try to walk around a 800 sq foot place. The good thing is you can be done in 15 minutes. If you spent $20 to check this place out you got jacked. Check out http://travelzoo.com for $8 tickets. Its arguably worth $8. I'd maybe pay $5 and get 2 double double cheeseburgers.
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Review from Ashley P.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2012
The only reason that I gave this 3 stars instead of 2 is because they do have a pretty cool tunnel type arrangement where you can walk through and see fish swimming above your head. The rest of this place is mediocre at best. It's tiny and high priced, I suggest visiting monterrey bay aquarium over this any day.
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Review from Suie C.
9/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good start, bad finish.
We were taken in an elevator down to the bottom floor where they have a walk through tube with animals swimming around you. Definitely cool so we were excited to see what else there was.
We were then taken to the upper level which had a couple touch pools and some animals in display cases.
And then...;that was it! It was a very small aquarium and if we had had to pay for the tix, we would've been even more disappointed (we used our city pass).
The aquarium @ the california academy of sciences is much better and more extensive than this one. It was literally two small exhibits and that was all. -
Review from Sam S.
8/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love animals and aquariums and zoos are some of my favorite places to visit. On a recent trip to San Francisco we had a few hours to kill before the Giants game so I stopped by the Aquarium of the Bay. Overall the aquarium is nice. There are lots of marine animals to see, fishes, sharks and other aquatic life. The displays are good with informative text and photos. There is a large kid's area with opportunities to touch starfish and manta rays. The large "undersea" tunnel is also pretty cool and a fun way to experience undersea life.
However, because the emphasis of this aquarium is the San Francisco Bay it doesn't have any exotic or really cool animals. The jellyfish were the coolest exhibit in my opinion, but that doesn't make-up for the rest of the aquarium.
All things considered I wish I'd saved my $16 and not visited the Aquarium of the Bay, I've been to other aquariums that were a lot more fun and had a much better selection of aquatic creatures. -
Review from Sarah M.
8/16/2011
I love aquariums. And I love this one. I read reviews that everyone thought that this place was small but to be honest, it was much bigger than I had anticipated. I came here 10 years ago and while I don't remember much about my trip overall, I do remember the awesome tunnel on the moving walkway with sharks overhead.
The tickets were $16.95 per adult which could have been much worse in my opinion. Especially for a place like this which is such a tourist hot spot. Maybe I'm jaded and we spent a ton of money on everything else and comparatively, this didn't seem as bad...
Oh, and how can you NOT love jellyfish? -
Review from Irina N.
San Bruno, CA
2/19/2012
Underwater world is silent and this aquarium is a complete opposite. I wasn't even able to see because of all the noise kids and adults around you produce, the tube echo quadrupled the noise. It would only worth if no one there.
Oh! I figured out a solution, one needs earplugs. They should offer it with the ticket :) -
Review from Janelle L.
San Jose, CA
2/16/2012
This is one of my favorite places in the world. Okay, maybe I'm biased because I used to volunteer there, but still love it! It's not quite as glamorous as some of the other aquariums in the area, and doesn't house as many exotic fish, but the purpose of it is to display the diversity of aquatic life in the bay...and that it does. They recently acquired 3 new octopi, and last I heard, they also had 7 sevengill sharks, which are really magnificent to see in person. Most of the creatures are displayed in tunnels so it feels like you're walking under the bay. Lotsa fun...been inside the tanks a whole buncha times, but it's always still cool to do the walk through. Love this place.
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Review from Kelly J.
San Leandro, CA
12/31/2011
This is the absolute worst excuse for an aquarium EVER it's a huge worthless tourist trap!!! Don't even waste the 15 or 20 minutes it takes to go through it just to see like 3 different types of fish.
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Review from Lyda S.
Irvine, CA
5/27/2011
I would say "Meh. I've experienced better" but this was our first time ever to an aquarium so I have no comparison.
However, we were left unsatisfied. It was small, short, and not as thrilling as we had anticipated. Nonetheless, it was an aight experience and gave us some entertainment for about an hour. We did enjoy touching some sea animals (which gave me the hebegebes from the rough texture of its skin) and we got to take some funny pictures. Still, not exactly worth $34 dollars so I can't say I recommend it.
Personal opinion: I would not come here again & the hotdog cart outside sucks!Listed in: Yay Areaaaaaaaa
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Review from Dave F.
This isn't the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but it is a really interesting place to visit. The way how the displays are laid out and the order in which you view them insure you see them all. The most interesting exhibit takes you down an elevator to the tunnel tank which shows you what it looks like under the piers and the creatures that inhabit it's waters. The other half shows the aquatic life out in the bay. It's really interesting to see what goes on below the surface. Whenever we ride a boat or walk on a pier, we never really think about what may be living right under us!! The staff are very helpful and they guide and interact with visitors very well. One note to fellow Yelpers, I checked in after I purchased my tickets, but little did I know you get a 20% off admission deal when you check in on Yelp!
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Review from Charissa G.
Elk Grove, CA
5/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is a small time aquarium compared to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It takes about 45 minutes total to view the whole aquarium with time to interact with the touch pool and other hands on activity on the second floor.
The first couple of rooms you go to will be dark in comparison to the touch pool area. So if you have kids that are not very comfortable in dark places, I don't recommend coming here.
But, if you have little ones (5 years or under), they will definitly enjoy this quaint aquarium with not many frills to it. -
Review from Lempi M.
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
You can see sharks, touch rays, and hand feed the critters in the tidal pool. The staff are crazy about their job and interesting. And yet, it's sadly out of date, and there's the crap hawking Pier 39 element that makes a local shudder.
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Review from Adrian P.
El Sobrante, CA
9/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. They had a decent amount of exhibits, but the main highlight was the underwater walk through aquarium. It was much larger than some aquariums have.
For the price, it is a nice mix. I wouldn't pay more than $15 per head. You could be in and out in about 30-45 minutes.
Our 2 year old son loved it! I'd consider taking him back. -
Review from Sonia A.
Modesto, CA
3/28/2011
VERY SMALL & OVERPRICED. Only cool thing was petting stingrays at the end. We were in and out within 30min and had seen everything!
Save your money and go to Monterey Bay Aquarium! It's not that much more and you'll have hours of fun! -
Review from shirley k.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
Nice place to take your little ones, big ones will get board easy but its still pretty cool for the price. The walk thru is very cool and the fact you can really touch the fish in the touch pool is nice. Take the kids have lunce at the pier and play tourist for a day can be a great outing
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Review from Matthew D.
Tempe, AZ
Definitely better than three stars, this place may not impress people as being a super-duper mondo aquarium-plex, but it is a really nice, small aquarium packed with all kinds of animals, marine and otherwise. There's so much there, that it doesn't really seem all that small. . .
Normally, I'd have lots of words to describe a place that I'm reviewing, but in this case, let me direct you to the dozens of pictures that people have been taking in here (I've got a few here too). There's so many of them that quite a number are redundant and it really gives you a good idea of all of the animals you can see here in their settings.
In addition to the sea creatures, there are a few land critters as well from small tarantulas to a display case of chinchillas, complete with information on the number of times chinchillas poop per day.
My daughter likes the touch pools towards the end of the exhibit, especially the one with the rays. I'd say of all of the attractions and shops on Pier 39, this is probably the one that is most worth the price of admission. I actually think I like it a little better than the new Steinhart Aquarium at GGP. If you are going to spend a day at Pier 39, don't neglect to come here--spend a while wandering around and enjoy yourself.. -
Review from Jennifer A.
San Diego, CA
5/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love marine life and aquariums so I had a nice time at the Aquarium of the Bay.
The big highlight is the tube through their 700,000 gallon tank. I also think it's cool that they feature all bay area animals.
It is a bit small, so it really doesn't take all day to go through everything...but its at Pier 39 so you can take a look at the sea lions and shops after!
(btw, parking prices at the pier are INSANE. I think it was like $7 bucks an hour. Geez) -
Review from Chris R.
Dublin, CA
1/14/2011
It was between Monterey Bay Aquarium or Aquarium Of The Bay. I chose Aquarium Of The Bay because I didn't want to drive two hous to Monterey Bay. This aquarium has all the good stops for toddlers or little ones. Adults know this place is just medior, but little kids don't know that. As long as there are fishes in the water and they can touch a couple sting rays, they're happy.
Overall a great location. I love Pier 39. -
Review from Lottie R.
Menlo Park, CA
4/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
A great little aquariam perfect for keeping families entertained for an hour or two. It is small but they have interesting exhibitions and a great tunnel to walk through.
Our children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and an hour is more than enough for them. -
Review from Lisa T.
San Jose, CA
5/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was not worth my money at all. Nothing was unique and the tour is super short. I can, literally, go through the whole aquarium and observe everything in 15 minutes. It's so small! The only things I can touch were the sting rays and starfishes.
The underwater tour had a really unenthusiastic tour guide, who didn't talk much. There's really nothing to say. Yeah, they're striped bass, squid, shark, sturgeon...the stuff I eat. YUM!
You should still go for the kids because kids' fee is low and its free for 3yr and under? For me, I rather go watch the sea lions for free. -
Review from Julie A.
Escondido, CA
11/8/2011
I enjoyed my visit to the Aquarium of the Bay this past weekend. I never even thought of going to the aquarium on past visits to San Francisco because other have been expensive and disappointing.
I was delighted! I truly never expected an aquarium in a tourist area to be such a good representative of indigenous sea life, nor to be so educational. There were a number of activities for preschool - elementary aged children and amusing photo ops like an aquarium with a bubble from the bottom so children (and myself) could have my picture taken inside the aquarium. The staff was knowledgeable, twice I asked a question that they couldn't answer, so they went and got the answer, and found me to tell me what I wanted to know! That is rare customer service! Thank you!!
They have two smaller aquariums that contain two different kinds of jellyfish- that were in pristine condition. Absolutely beautiful! The lighting is excellent and the water is clean enough that you can really see them... see through them... watch them move inches from you. Mesmerizing.
The glass tube was surprisingly long and gave a long opportunity to watch the behavior of the fish. There is a moving walkway for those who just want a quick view and a stationary walkway for those like myself who want to linger and watch the behavior of the animals. (Sea World does not offer an opportunity to go at your own speed!)
The schools of silver fish (sardines) that make shapes in the movie "Finding Nemo", they really swim together in a bunch like that (of course they don't really mimic faces). I've never been to an aquarium that had large schools of fish that allow you to see how they act together! Fascinating!
My absolute favorite was the petting grotto... I got to pet a bat ray! The bat ray's were friendly and not stressed out. What a treat! There are also small shark to pet, healthy sea anemone, sea cucumber, a variety of healthy looking starfish to touch. There is a honey bee exhibit that is pretty interesting too!
All in all, the message about protecting the planet and its creatures was consistent but not political, and backed up by sea life that is well cared for- you will not feel guilty enjoying this aquarium, the animals are well kept!
I see reviews of people who were disappointed... maybe they were expecting the Shamu show? I'm guessing they tromped through with the energy of the city and didn't take time to see all the little surprises throughout the building from start to finish!
My thanks to Aquarium Of The Bay for a lovely afternoon! Next time I will do the behind the scenes tour too! -
Review from Daniel S.
San Francisco, CA
6/18/2011
Havent been to the aquarium in a LONG time so I decided to take my girlfriend to the aquarium for our 1 year anniversary. It was OK. Looks smaller compared to a few years ago. I havent been there since I was like 7
I had buy one get one free tickets. So that was always good. Regular ticket was like $!7 though. Got 2 of them for that price. So wasnt a bing ding in my wallet. I know Goldstar has tickets for about $12, get them there. Heres a lin
But anyways back to the review, the Aquarium was REALLY small and tiny. The Aquarium consisted of 4 sections. The first section had some fishes, and some info about different animals, next 2 sections were 2 long tunnles showing you the different fishes and sharks they got. Nothing too extravagant, some of the fishes WERE HUGE. and the last section was a little petting zoo where you can touch the rays and small sharks and fishes and stuff like that.
Then at the end which i hated the most they had not ONE but TWO gift shops to make you shop for their overpriced items. They had one small one at the end, which was also their exit. then they had ANOTHER one in another building as you exit.
They also don't offer re admittance to the aquarium, so once you leave you cant come back in. Most museums in SF let you come in throughout the day but not this one. SO we stayed a little longer jsut to get our moneys worth.
Check it out if you can. Its not much but you can say you been there. Try finding specials or going for their combos to save money.
