ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

The tickets are very expensive. If you are looking for an aquarium this is not the place. It’s more of a nature center. There were lots of interactive activities. The presentation on the bottom floor was interesting as well.

I liked this place a lot. It’s really not an aquarium but more of a nature center. The exhibits were great and hands on. Yes, I’m an adult, and I didn’t take any kids with me, I went alone. But the place is nice, there’s a lot of interesting animals and interesting interpretation of Lake Champlain and local natural history. I just think the price is OUTRAGOUS for the place. 11.50 for a student ticket? Are college students made out of gold? I think for what you get this is an 8 dollars admission type of place. Also, I went when the snowboarding exhibit was on and I found it to be dull. So much for a special, extra exhibit. This is my kind of thing– animals, natural history etc but I don’t know what that snowboarding exhibit was all about and I didn’t spend much time on it either. I’d go back but probably not for the price– they’d probably bring more people in with a little bit cheaper ticket. And also, if you do come and bring your kids, don’t be the jerk who puts their kids on your shoulders to see the interpretive talk. I may be an adult, but I wanted to see the bullfrog be fed, like everyone else, and I couldn’t because a bunch of rude adults were standing there, clueless to the fact that not everyone could see. Seriously, put your kid down. Places like this need «adult day» so I can see all the cool talks without feeling like jerk for wanting to observe like every other 3 – 12 year old…

If you’re in the area, it might be worth checking out this place. It’s probably not worth going out of you’re way, it’s barely worth the (expensive) cost of admission. They even charge for parking in an unpaved lot. Mildly entertaining at best.

Overpriced at $ 13.50 for a small facility that is unevenly curated. Add $ 5.00 for parking in the city lot and I do not think this is worth the time or money.

My family had a tremendous time at ECHO. We spent a couple hours there and the kids (9 and 14) weren’t done! The adults in the group also found it entertaining and informative.
The museum itself is striking in appearance and easy to navigate. There’s a lot of information regarding the geological history of Lake Champlain, archaeological/​anthropological information about some of the native American peoples, and the biology of the lake. There’s a stunning display regarding the wreck of a ship just outside the Burlington’s breakwater. The wrist bands/​hand stamps allow for re-​entry, so you do some of the museum, go off to grab some food, walk around and then return later in the day to do more of the museum. Possibly a good option for families with antsy kids ;-)
We really had a wonderful time and would highly recommend it. I also found it paired well as an experience with the information I learned on the Northern Lights cruise of the lake which was more concentrated on the 18^th & 19^th century history of the area. The two experiences gave me a good overview/​background on Burlington.

I chiefly went to ECHO «for the kids». My buddy and his two and a niece were visiting on a super rainy day, so a visit to ECHO made perfect sense.
We got there at around 10 and it was already packed with like-​minded adults. ECHO is exactly what it says — it’s a LAKE aquarium. I was a little nervous (why nervous, I don’t know) that the kids would be disappointed by the lack of sharks, seals, jellyfish, etc… But they freakin’ loved it. There is so much to do and see at ECHO. We spent a solid two hours and could have done 4.
Contrary to what I had previously heard, there ARE living things at ECHO! The turtles, fish, frogs, snakes, and other things at ECHO are derived directly from the Lake Champlain area. I also really enjoyed the focus on the history as well.
Some of the exhibits are dated and should either be replaced or repaired, but ECHO is adding some kind of movie theater-​type room upstairs, which will really add value.
Parking behind ECHO is $ 5 per hour, $ 2 each additional. It would be nice if you could add time within the aquarium, but I think you’d have to go back outside to the pay station if needed. There is not much parking, but there are two lots nearby on College St. at which people can park.
Admission is very fairly priced: FREE — Toddler (2 and younger); $ 10.50 — Children ages 3 – 17; $ 11.50 — Seniors (age 60+) and College Students w/​ID; $ 13.50 — Adults ages 18 – 59
VT residents also get an additional $ 2 off. Admission allows unlimited re-​entry until 5pm.
I was impressed with ECHO. I have been in a few museums and aquariums that feel run-​down and underfunded. ECHO is not that. It seems to have a vibrant membership and is advantageously located on the waterfront. Again, some exhibits and activities could use a facelift, but no-​showstoppers. I’m looking forward to returning!

Geared towards children. We love going to aquariums but this is more of a nature center. I think the name is a bit misleading. We walked through in about 25 minutes. We, however don’t have kids. Definitely a great place for families! So many hands on activities and learning for children.

A great place for families to go have fun! I went during a special event and met the Kratt brothers, which was awesome. Also when you are done with ECHO you can stroll down the waterfront for a great day trip.

My kids’ favorite place to visit while in Vermont. They have so much fun and are old enough to ask to go now. Mom and dad love it because it offers hours of entertainment.
It’s also commendable the amount of conservation they do and how much they do to educate our youth about conversation and protecting wildlife.
We usually begin our day with a visit to the café located on the first floor in the back. They offer healthy meal and snack options and coffee to get your day started. There’s usually an exhibit or a craft table outside the café that will entertain the kids a bit. Then we make our way to the aquarium section. It’s not grand by any means, but there’s still plenty to see and a sunken ship for kids to run under.
Upstairs is the majority of the exhibits that include reptiles, a preschool room, a water play area, frog land, some sensory tables and whatever special exhibit for that time period.
We can spend a good two hours by then before we make our way down to the gift shop. They have some irresistible toys that aren’t just junk, including cute t-​shirts. My favorite is a $ 5 frog that has gotten more play than some pricy dolls.
Parking is $ 10 in their lot if not a member.

For children only. The majority of the science center is designed around children’s activities and the aquarium is quite small. The permanent exhibits are a waste of time and money for adults, but some of the rotating exhibits like Bodies are worth it.

The Echo Lake Aquarium and Science Center is the perfect place to spend an afternoon with the kids. The staff at the center are all extremely friendly and helpful. The aquarium is filled with interactive exhibits which any young child will enjoy. With a wide range of fish and wildlife, a visit to Echo is always entertaining, if you’re in Burlington with young children and looking for something to do for a day, stopping by Echo is definitely a good idea.

This place is definitely really not an aquarium. It should be named simply as a nature center.
The animals and fishes on site are not Indigenous to the area. One of the frog is a species from Vietnam. I made a mental note only because I’m Vietnamese.
I enjoyed a free cup of coffee from Green Mountain.
The staff are super friendly so it is a 4-​stars rating rather than a 3.
If the place renamed as a nature center, people will give more stars because it is not deceiving. I was hoping to see jellyfish, etc.

Nice little aquarium right on the shore of Lake Champlain. Some really cool fish and reptiles in here. But, it is very small, especially with what it costs to visit. Make sure you find one of the readily available coupons, as that helps a little. Nice folks working here but you can really see everything here in less than 30 minutes, much less.

The ECHO center is simply beautiful. It’s absolutely stunning. The view is always gorgeous and worth taking in. It is right on the lake and the scenery is literally breathtaking. I love being down at the waterfront-​nothing beats the atmosphere.

We went here this past week with our daughters (ages 5 and 10). We got in for free with our Boston Children’s Museum membership (they’re part of the same network of science centers — ASTC), so that was a definite bonus. It’s a fairly small place but we all learned a lot about Lake Champlain. The girls really liked the interactive exhibits, there was a weather reporting center and a shipwreck that they especially liked. The café there also has good healthy food for a reasonable price. The parking was a little pricey for Burlington, you could probably park at a garage near Church St and walk down for cheaper. Overall, it was a fun place to spend a rainy afternoon while on vacation.

Very interactive, educational museum. I loved the kinetic sand box (I spent 1.5 hours constructing an epic island paradise). I found all the staff to be very friendly and approachable. This is not a giant aquarium with polar bears, But it is a place where most stations can be tinkered with (makes it great for kids). Beautiful location on the lake.

This museum is a good spot for young children. This is not a museum for adults, nor is it an aquarium. It’s a kid centric science center. None of these are bad things, but the museum name can easily confuse those looking for a typical aquarium setting.
There are a few interactive exhibits that are worth checking out if you have an hour or two to spare. I especially liked the interactive water creature exhibit upstairs. I’m not sure it would warrant repeat visits though, even for my curious nephews.
I had to show my student ID and my NY issued license in order to qualify for the student discount. I’m not disputing the reasoning, but whatever the reason was not made clear to me. I checked the website and there’s no mention of restrictions on student discounts. In all, it was a bit off putting to make such a big deal about giving me $ 2 off my admission price, especially in a town with such a large college aged population.

They make a big deal about being an ASTC member and how if you join ECHO you’ll be able to go to any ASTC member museum for free… but they don’t reciprocate. They gave me a real hard time about my ASTC member museum employee ID. They actually quizzed me about my job responsibilities and employment history, which was incredibly patronizing. Every other museum participating in the passport program has given me two or more complimentary passes, while ECHO only gave me one and then asked if the friend I was with (who is in her 30s) was a child or an adult. Their staff acted like we were two 15-​year-​olds trying to buy cigarettes, not people working in the same field.
Then they tried to talk the family behind us in line into becoming members so they could participate in the ASTC passport program.
This is a tiny children’s museum with some cool exhibits on the local ecosystem. They have a cute touch tank and some tanks with fish, frogs, reptiles, etc. The upstairs has a nice view of the water.

This is a very small so so aquarium. They don’t have very many fish and it was kind of boring for our kids. They did enjoy the sand exhibit and the river exhibit.
The bathrooms were clean and it was conveniently located.

Really really small. I felt like exhibits were way too ‘kid friendly’ and simply not interesting. More like a science center with a few water exhibits than an aquarium. Very disappointing.

This place really needs to change their name. If you are looking for an Aquarium you will be very dissapointed. If you are looking to take your honey to see some fish, get some seafood. But, If you are looking for a place to take a kid to learn some rudimentary geology/​lake science this is the place to go.
You won’t see too many fish, but they have a nice frog section. All in all it only took about 2 hours to go through all of the exhibits if you move at a snails pace. Over all it was a pretty big disappointment but Burlington itself is still nice.