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Monterey Bay Aquarium Gift & Bookstore
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Bookstores [Edit]
886 Cannery RowMonterey, CA 93940
(831) 648-4848
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
24 reviews for Monterey Bay Aquarium Gift & Bookstore
Review Highlights
"...Store has the best stuffed animals and stuffed penguins..."
(in 7 reviews)
"Penguins, Penguins, Penguins."
(in 3 reviews)
"...sterling silver sea star and sea otter jewelry in the glass..."
(in 3 reviews)
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24 reviews in English
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Review from Thomas T.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2011
The Gift Stores in the Monterey Bay Aquarium are in three places. The main one is by the entrance. There is a kids store, with kid-sized clothing and books and gifts just for kids, and that is near the whale skeleton. The third place is on the second floor, and is especially heavy in penguins.
At the main store they have jewelery, books, gifty stuff, blown glass, t-shirts, hats, sweat shirts, plush polar bears, otters and penguins, jackets and more. Things were presented well and even with a mob scene in the store the day I was there the clerks were very helpful and friendly. -
Review from Jessamyn W.
Monterey, CA
7/15/2011
This expansive bookstore has SO MUCH! From fun stuff for the kids, to nice little souvenirs, to cute t-shirts and bags, I could walk around this piace for hours trying to find something. So much stuff!
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Review from Virlie B.
Portland, OR
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
had so much fun here. Lots of things to buy and varied prices. From $5.99 to almost $2,000.00. Lot's of shirts and tops, hats, limited number and size of socks, magnets, pens, jewelry, hand-blown glass paperweight. wow. I wish I could have bought more, especially since I had grat fun at the aquarium itself, and wanted to have lots of memorabilia of the creatures I saw.
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Review from Laurie H.
San Jose, CA
4/15/2009 5 photos
Penguins, Penguins, Penguins!
Oh how they waddle, squawk and coo. I walk in and start grabbing penguins until my arms are full of the adorable stuffed creatures. A big sigh as I eventually put most of them back on the shelves for someone else to adopt. As a member of the MBA I do get a small discount on store purchases, and most have been penguin items. The Ocean Discovery Store has the best stuffed animals and stuffed penguins along with many kids toys and kids books. The Splash Zone gift shop near the penguin exhibit has many penguin items like t-shirts and sweatshirts with penguins on them that the main store may not carry. The main gift shop has penguin pot holders, postcards, posters, books, mugs, jewelery and magnets.Listed in: Monterey's Cannery Row, Getting My Penguin Fix
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Review from Rita Y.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2008
Not the best giftstore I've ever seen in an aquarium. They have a sale going on some of their t-shirts, 40% off, including one with an ugly MBA print but the cotton was wonderfully soft and made with 90% energy saving methods. Mostly sea/ocean themed items which are pretty pricey. In a locked glass case were local artists glass renditions of jelly-fishes. Just gorgeous, but $400-$600 sticker price. Not a lot of local artists creations, more "Made in China" things that you would find at most higher end tourist traps.
A few MBA publications/books are against one wall with ocean music CDs. Their otter stuffed animals are awfully cute but way too expensive.
There are a couple of other smaller giftstores in the aquarium but carry solely items which appeal to younger tykes. If you're a MBA member, there's a discount on purchases but no reciprocity if you're a member of another aquarium. -
Review from Dana P.
2/18/2010
I loved coming here at the end of me and my boyfriend's tour of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I really enjoy walking around and observing what items to purchase that would be the most worth my money and my time. The store is a good sized gist shop and it is full of varieties of items: kitchen items, socks, purses, jewelries, stuffed animals, toys, and etc.
I thought the little Sea Otter plushy was SO adorable, and I really wanted to purchase it just for the heck of it, but I didn't.
My only issue is the items are bit over priced. Yes, it is a vacation spot, but things can be lowered just a bit. -
Review from John G.
10/17/2006
Located in the Aquarium. Nice gift shop and loaded with all types of books and take aways. The books range from kids to scientific. Worth checking out.
Some neat souvenirs for those that need a momento for their visit.
Caution: cute plush otter animals will be hard to not buy for your kids.Listed in: Monterey Peninsula Highlights
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Review from Marissa C.
Oakland, CA
1/1/2009
The gifts here are crazy expensive, but at least I can feel good knowing the money is going to help fund the research and education of the general public about Monterey aquatic life. I just really wish they wouldn't sell so much cheap tchotchke crap (like bendable pencils) - I know it's all to provide something within a price range for everyone, but I have a hard time with an environmentally-conscious organization (and this is a problem with ALL gift shops) providing the world with a another way to fill their lives and our environment with needless junk.
That said, other items like jewelry, posters, clothing and books are all excellent quality and there is a HUGE variety to choose from. Even if you're not "into" museums or aquariums, you could still find something in this gift shop to suit your fancy. -
Review from Jackie S.
4/27/2008
OOoOOO..I saw this huge white seal stuffed animal in the gift store!! The seal was soft and so cute!
What did the price tag say? $39.99!!!! Yikes!!! I don't need the stuffed animal anymore. $40 isn't worth the price for a toy.
It's too bad because Walry, my walrus stuffed animal, needed a friend. -
Review from Emily F.
Temple City, CA
4/4/2011
This bookstore has so much merchandise in it. They had these Japanese silk print coin purses, and they were made to be in the shape of a fish, with the mouth having a clasp enclosure. My niece and grandmother adored them! Also, I saw a kids polar bear t-shirt that said "Melt hearts, not ice caps." How cute is that?? I would've bought it on the spot if they had adult sizes. So much polar bear stuff, but I only wish they had polar bears at the aquarium. Loooveee!
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Review from sibani b.
El Cerrito, CA
8/21/2008
On busy days, this gift shop is not exempt from the annoying crowds.
We found a cute sea otter back pack for my partner's niece. Well, that was the excuse we used to buy it; we'll see if it ever makes it into the care package for the holidays. I like their selection of temporary tattoos; I'm a big fan. Some of their jewelry was way too ocean-themed, but some of it was nice. In general, the prices are very inflated.
The staff was nice. We were looking some sort of glow-in-the-dark paperweight thingie, and a lady offered to hold a light to it and bring it back to us in a box so we could see it work. She seemed very proud of herself; it was cute.
There are store along the Row that have similar merch, but this is the place to get stuff with the MBA official logo. -
Review from David H.
Rosemead, CA
1/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Big Tank Was closed
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Review from Sheila C.
San Jose, CA
9/7/2010
typical gift shop. inflated prices cuddly cute and gorgeous no use for knickknacks adorn here. However I was nearly taken by a polar bear plush but i resisted! I did however leave with a polar bear tee with the logo "Melt Hearts not Icecaps" chosen by my S.O. it was cute and afor a good cause so I couldn't resist. a definite stop in after you tour around the aquarium.
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Review from Nine N.
San Jose, CA
9/25/2010
lOve it here, especially all the sterling silver sea star and sea otter jewelry in the glass cases. prices of their ss jewelry are pretty moderate too. then they have quite a nice selection of natural stones, affordable for tourists. and the stuffed toys? so adorable! and sometimes they have sales. they have an awesome collection of sketches and postcards that are just too cute not to buy (sea creatures) or too gorgeous not to want to frame (scenic carmel and monterey images). also, there's a selection of books for children and for the avid book collector.
it's definitely worth it to stop by here and buy a memory trinket for yourself whether it's a stuffed toy, piece of jewelry, postcard, poster or even a tshirt.
in fact, i think i enjoyed the gift shop more so than the actual aquarium exhibits hahaaah ;) -
Review from Michael U.
Dublin, OH
3/5/2009 2 photos
High prices, overcrowded, nothing really novel aside from the stuffed animals. Mostly generic items with a decent book section and a few minimal sales. I'd go with 2 stars if the profits weren't going to help the bay and the animals.
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Review from deb n.
Palo Alto, CA
8/22/2006
Isn't a large store, off of the entrance but chock full of cute stuffed animals of the sea, bags, cups, trinkets..you will no doubt leave with something to remind you of your awesome aquarium experience.
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Review from Katherine C.
San Francisco, CA
8/5/2008
They have lots of things to buy at the store, but boy... are the plushes overpriced.
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Review from Peter R.
Norfolk, VA
9/22/2008
I bought a lighted display stand for a cool jelly fish glass piece...actually two sets of them for my kids. Not cheap...$120. I purchased them on my way to the airport. Of course when I got home and plugged them in, they didn't work. Good luck contacting someone in the store. No responses to any attempts. Not even possible to talk to a person in the store....Update-Ultimately I did get a call back and they exchanged the item. It was difficult to get them but they did the right thing in the end:)
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Review from meg r.
8/8/2008
I have on several occasions found many awesome penguins here. They carry them in many forms -- from little plastic toy ones, to penguin earrings, to plush cuddly ones. They may not have penguins in the aquarium, but they certainly have them in the bookstore, and it's worth the trip for penguin lovers!
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Review from Alysia W.
2/22/2009
I'm a sucker for the stuffed animals and this place has just about every type of marine mammal to feed that hunger. All of their selections are adorable and irresistable and you just want to buy one of each. They're lucky I don't bring a shopping cart with me to fill with my new friends [: I still have the mini penguin I bought from here and I love it!
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Review from Shiho F.
Carmel by the Sea, CA
8/6/2008
Picked up a sterling silver MBA logo charm about 10 years ago to remind me of all my good times there as a child. I used to live up the street!
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Review from Veronica A.
Union City, CA
Updated - 1/18/2009
We found t shirts that were on sale, got a penguin t shirt for $5.00 bucks and a fish t shirt for $4.18. That was a steal considering those same t shirts were seen at the touristy trap stores for $12.99!! Got a small magnetic dolphin for $5.99.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/31/2008
Well my kids dont really like stuffed animals..I've got 2 boys. There isn't anything much other… Read more »
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Review from Sharon T.
6/6/2007
plushy animals, picture books and oodles of random trivial odds and ends related to monterey, the bay, and marine life. i still have the piece of amethyst from my very first field trip visit there close to 15 years ago... [i had a cool chaperone... ha!] - but i am always tempted to pick up some jewlery and stuff from here every time i find myself in the area...
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Review from Angelina K.
La Mesa, CA
1/14/2010
I really really like the mid-sized Penguin stuffed animal, and it is so cute and adorable. My bf bought it for me as a Xmas gift and I loved it. Unfortunately, someone stole it from me when I put it in my library desk at school, and I was really upset...I wanna buy a new one but could not fine any on their online catalog, seemingly, you have to have a item number so that you can call the store and order one...anyone have an idea on that? Thanks in advance...
