Aquarium of the Bay

Great place to take the kids, even if they are teenagers! Lots to see and learn, great hand-​on opportunity!

I’m from the Bay Area but this was my 1^st visit to the Aquarium of the Bay. If you haven’t been, it’s definitely worth the trip! But it’s pricey & small… hence the four stars.
$ 23 per adult & the whole visit took less than 2 hours, including searching the two gift shops.
Elvators take you up & down the different levels. Jellyfish, a huge octopus, a couple sharks, turtles, crabs, & otters. Also, a couple pools to touch the starfish, sea cucumbers, & manta rays. Typical aquarium stuff. The gift shops had a lot of cool things. Nothing really for babies, so our 1 year old didn’t leave with anything except for a wooden puzzle. But he still had fun so no big deal.
Overall, we had a great time & the $ 46 to get in was well worth it!

For my trip to SF, I bought the SF City Pass. I had an option of going to this aquarium or the Monterey Bay aquarium. I don’t know why, but I thought Monterey was out of they way. I decided to go to this one and boy, it was kind of a disappointment.
This aquarium is very small. I managed to see the whole thing in under 30 mins, and I walked extremely slow. Regardless, it was still nice to see different types of sea life. I just wished it was more sea stuff to see…

They don’t honor tickets purchased! «Manager». Was not helpful, just repeated herself, I’ll be disputing extra charge we were FORCED to pay as 4 year old child had his heart set on the aquarium plus we drove 2 hours to get there. WONT BE RETURNING!

It was a spur of the moment decision to visit the aquarium because we were hanging out at Pier 39.
It was very small; I think we were in and out in 30 minutes. Initially it feels no more impressive then a home aquarium but the real attractions here are the 2 tunnel aquariums and the otters. I loved the tunnels but my husband and I got a bit quesy inside. The fish, sharks, and rays were huge and all native to the bay! The otters were, of course, adorable. The giant octopus would’ve been impressive but it was scrunched as far away as possible from the glass which was a bit sad.
I’d say this place is not a must but I’m ok having gone since the tickets go to helping the bay and aquarium.

Had a great behind the scenes tour with Sidney.
Only gripe was the other $ 44 we spent for the aquarium part. Save your money. Wish I knew, would have just done the tour. :) She was awesome! Do it.

I got a ticket to this aquarium for free with my Big Bus tour. The aquarium is pretty small, but it hits all the basics — jellies, a touch pool, and a two great tunnel aquariums. They have an excellent collection of sharks. There are a few cute little otters, too, but they were sleeping when I visited.

Expensive and small but overall it’s worth it. There is a lot to see and a few touch pools even. My daughter loved it. Walking through the dark tunnels you really feel like you’re swimming with the fish at the bottom of the ocean. Very cool spot to check out on pier 39 especially if the weather is crummy it’s a cool indoor spot.

I haven’t been to many aquariums, but this one is pretty good. They have otters, fish, stingrays, sharks, and lots more common sealife. There are awesome moving walkways that go through tunnels surrounded by a huge exhibit! Just imagine a 7-​foot shark swimming over your head! Marine life has never been so neat.

Although the pricing was outrageous I really enjoyed myself. The staff was awesome and very personable. They treated everyone the same and greeted us all with a smile. They have touch pools in here and they are a man by very knowledgeable employees. I got to see the biggest bass that I have ever seen in my life. I didn’t really get to see anything that sets this place apart from other aquariums that I’ve been to, But it was still nice. I would definitely recommend going if you have never been to an aquarium or you just have random money to blow. Other than that there’s nothing that makes this place stand out.

I really enjoyed this Equarium! Seeing other reviews states its small, yes it is a bit small, but i think its beautiful all the fish and sea erchands you see. Its a great place to take family and especially if you have kids theyd really enjoy it and have a good time. They have a petting area too. The tunnels are pretty cool you can see the sharks, stingrays and other fish. I love the pretty star fish. The octopus are beautiful!! definitely recommend if you’re in the area!

Yes, its small. No, that doesn’t make it any less cool.
Husband and I went there about two hours before closing and it was thankfully semi-​empty.
As soon as you walk in you see about three or four huge tanks with cool fishies, eels, and other sea critters. My husband and I are huge on actually reading things so we read everything and I even learned that Great White Sharks can make an appearance near SF! Le gasp.
After that you go down in an elevator and see the all the Jellies. Super rad.
Then you go into the first tunnel. Mostly small to large fish and sea stars.
At the end of that is the octopus which was REALLY active when we we’re there :)
Next is the second tunnel with the cool stuff: sharks and huge manta rays.
After that its pretty much over. Lol. You go up an elevator and come out to a frog tank and two «tide pools» where you can touch sea stars and little beebee string rays, I think (no stingers so its safe). They also have some reptiles and a chinchilla. (?)
After that is three or four otters in a huge glass tank/​room thing and GOOD LUCK trying to see them/​take pictures. They’re like hyperactive kids after having a pound of candy.
And that’s it.
If you have some time to kill I would recommend going there. What really does it for me is that our aquarium here in San Diego (Birch Aquarium) doesn’t have those cool tunnels you can walk through.
Plus the music is amazing. If you’re stressed just go for the music. It’ll calm you down within minutes.

This was a pretty good aquarium! By no means is it like Monterey Bay, but it is still very fun and great for little kids. They have an opening section where it is mostly a petting area so kids can see a lot of critters more up close and personal. However, my favorite part was the tunnel. You walk through a tunnel that has hundreds of fish, sharks, and more and there is an employee there that can answer most any questions you have about the wildlife. Also, the otter section was really cool to see.
It’s conveniently located just off of Fisherman’s Wharf. So if you have some extra time to kill, want to experience as much of SF as possible, this could be a good stop for you. It is also a pier or two (so a block or two) away from Alcatraz and the Saturday Farmer’s Trade Market.
I would recommend buying tickets here in a package, it makes it more cost effective. Otherwise, I am not sure the $ 30 bucks is necessarily worth it for the size of the aquarium (though it is very well maintained and is still a neat experience). I am a baller on a budget, so I really try to have the most bang for my buck. We had military discount, so it helped a bit.
3 stars because I’ve had better for my money, but honestly it is on the verge of 4 stars because it is pretty cool. I wouldn’t go back again, it was kind of a one time deal for me. I think if you have kids it would be a much better experience!

The aquarium is smaller than others I’ve been to before, but it was still fun! This aquarium was pretty empty the day we went (better photos though :)). There are two separate tunnels, one with small fish and the other with the bigger ones. I thought the first tunnel was the only one and was disappointed since it seemed pretty empty, but the second one was filled with sharks, stingrays, and big fishes! I could have spent forever in there. They also have a small exhibit where you could touch small stingrays and starfishes.
It is definitely on the pricier side for an aquarium, especially considering the size, which is why I’m knocking off a star. Bought the ticket on Groupon (only saved a dollar off the listed price online), and it came with a photo souvenir.

I LOVED this aquarium! It is located at Pier 39 so there are a multitude of activities you can do either before or after visiting this tourist attraction. It is a bit expensive, but what is «reasonable» these days?!
Things to note: try to go early on in the day. If you go in the afternoon, the animals are not as active and it takes from the experience. There is a hallway/​tunnel you walk through. Look around and you see sharks, fish, sea rays swimming around and above you! Maybe I’m not hip to aquariums and don’t realize that this is common but I thought it was great!

When you come to Fisherman’s Wharf, you’re probably not thinking that there’s an aquarium here for you to visit. For you aquarium connoisseurs, you’re missing out if you don’t stop by this place. I think I came here for the first time after I left the bay area which is a pity because this is probably my second favorite aquarium here in California. Yes it is located on the pier and you think from all their advertisements that it’s just a tourist trap but it’s a good one!
If you parked at the Pier 39 garage you get $ 2 off a general adult ticket so be sure to use it. You take an escalator upstairs and prepare for a several level experience of all the bay’s sea creatures. You start off with some of the more tropical fish that you don’t get too much here in California but as you go deeper and deeper you’ll see displays of jellyfish, kelp forest fish and many others. Take a trip downstairs and your adventure continues with more local fish and then the shark tunnel.
Even the shark tunnel features fish from the local area including the 7 gill shark which is the largest shark that is endemic to the area. Yes, there are great whites too in SF bay but not all that common. They had large sturgeons, rays and guitarfish which are always fun to see. Your trip ends with a lot of reptile and amphibian displays followed by 3 playful male otters that are a hoot.
Park at Pier 39 for all your Fisherman’s Wharf shenanigans. While the price is initially startling, your discounts make up for it and also the headache of trying to find somewhere cheaper to park would offset it as well.

Go online and look for a smartsave discount for 20% off the general admission price. Yes, this aquarium is kind of pricey but I enjoyed my stay. It also is kind of small compared to other aquariums i’ve been to but this is the first time experiencing the water tunnel — theres two of them. If you’re lucky you’ll get to see a «live feeding».
They have an octopus, kind of big but in a small tank. I kinda feel bad for the guy.
They also have hands on interactive touching to feel the back of a shark, stingray wings, sea cucumbers and starfishes.
Overall it’s great for kids, and others who love any sort of marine life!

I saw a CHINCHILLA! Super cute, my daughter asked me if we could take it home lol. Got to touch the sting rays and starfish. I never knew whale sharks existed. I know I’m late lol. I had so much fun. The river otters were quite entertaining too. Not too crowded for a sunday.

Warning: Long, educational review to follow! This is a great educational and relaxing place that the whole family will enjoy.
We entered through the gift shop, immediately going to a few exhibits in cylinders and tanks against the walls. One of those exhibits was the «Trash Tank,» where they show what happens when people throw their trash in the ocean. There was a decorator crab in there, so named because they camouflage themselves by decorating their shells with items from the environment. And speaking of «shells,» the decorator crab doesn’t really have one. It’s more like a spider or snake that outgrows its skin, then sheds the «shell,» and its outer skin starts hardening up again. Once the skin gets too hard and inhibits growth, the process starts again. Cool!
Once through the tanks room, you go down the elevator to the jellyfish displays. I learned many things from the employees: the very fine, thread-​like appendages are stingers and for protection only; the shorter, more gloppy limbs are actual arms that the jellyfish uses to eat. If you can’t see the gloppy arms, that means it’s eating. Also, if you see through a jellyfish, there are four circles, like on a sand dollar. These are four stomachs, and when you see colored rings around them, you are seeing its digested food. Awesome.
On into the tunnels. These tunnels have both a moving sidewalk and a standing/​walking part; I’d recommend walking through and going at your own pace, though if you come too late they’ll be turned off. The first tunnel contains the native bay fish and real bay water, part fresh, part salt, but it’s filtered so it’s less murky and you can see through it. Lots of starfish populate this area, which, like jellyfish, have thicker, stringy folds in their centers. In the sea stars, as they call them now, these are mouth and anus parts; the food goes in and out the same spot. If you can’t see strings in the center, the sea star/​starfish is content.
The second tunnel contains more deeper, saltwater fish. The ones that look like catfish with «whiskers» are actually sturgeon, and those «whiskers» are growths called barbels. Catfish and sturgeon are not related. I didn’t get to explore this second tunnel much, since I had to meet my ferry, but I’d recommend checking out the different rock fish and watching the schools swim by.
Back up the double-​sided elevator and out the back this time. There’s a tidepool to touch sting rays, sea stars, and other fish (only with one finger), as well as jumping seals to get your picture taken next to. Don’t forget souvineers on your way out.
Very educational. Go and enjoy a few hours to really see everything.

Das Aquarium of the Bay ist wirklich ein nettes Aquarium, wenn man noch keine anderen kennt. Es befindet sich direkt am Pier 39, neben dem Hard Rock Café.
Der Aufbau und die Ausstattung ist solide und für Kinder sicherlich ein Wow-​Effekt.
Kennt man aber andere Aquarien, wie z.B. das in Barcelona, dann merkt man schnell den Unterschied und sieht, das dieses eben doch nur eines der kleineren und nicht so spektakulären ist.
Den größten Part nehmen die Röhren ein, durch die man gehen kann und einem das Gefühl vermittelt, im Wasser zu sein und nicht nur davor.
Hier durchschreitet man mehrere Becken von Schwarmfischen bis hin zu Haien und Rochen.
Im Anschluss folgt noch ein Bereich zum Anfassen der Tier und ein Bereich mit Schlangen, Echsen und Co.
Einzig der Anfangsbereich mit den Quallen war faszinierend, da ich Schwärme von Quallen noch nie so in Szene gesetzt gesehen habe.
Ingesamt kann man sagen, dass das Aquarium für Kinder sicher ein Muss ist, ansonsten hat aber SF so viel mehr zu bieten, da muss man die beschränkte Zeit eines Urlaubs nicht unbedingt hierfür opfern.

My wife and I were looking for something to do today because it was a little chilly out… We stumbled upon this!
It was very reasonably priced and some really interesting sea life! The staff was super friendly and helpful!
The exhibits for the most part were really cool especially the tank where you get to touch a sting ray and a shark! The one draw back was the sea otter was taking a nap… We really wanted to see him.
Not the aquariums fault by any means but only reason I can’t give 5 stars… Really fun way to spent an hour though we have some great pictures!