Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center Reviews

My family has been coming to this museum for over 5 years.from the first time we visited, we vappreciated the emphasis on education and all attempts to make the experience hands-on. Not ti be missed is feeding the stingrays after a very informative talk overlooking looking a pool full of stingrays.

Interactive Sting ray pool is great for the kiddies. The rest of the center is interesting and educational for young and old.

Hands on, touch tanks, and feeding fish, turtles, and sharks!! The volunteers are very knowledgeable. Great for young kids. Beautifully laid out. Gift shop has reasonably priced books, and stuffed animals. Enjoyed our visit and will take the "grands" back.

This is a great place to take the kids and/or for anyone who just really likes sea creatures! Entertaining, hands on with live sea creatures and VERY educational. My husband and I came here when we first moved to the area, and loved it. Mostly the stingray feeding and shark feeding. We didn't get to do the walk, but next time we will. Be sure you like to be outside because there isn't much to do indoors here. The guided tour is mostly outside with stations you visit by group. Usually having to be guided through something the entire time isn't something I would be interested in, but since there were a lot of kids it was great; kept the children orderly and attentive listening to the guides talk about the turtles, stingrays, sharks and fish.

- Orderly
- Clean
- Educational
- Entertaining

This was pretty fun. It’s kind of small overall. There are some nice exhibits and the fish feedings were cool.

Admission for military active and retired is free. We are very thankful for the free tickets.

Regular price is $16

Always wanted to get my hands on a Sting Ray and I did today! Touched some sea cucumbers, urchins, snails, hermit crabs, and horseshoe crabs, too. Our 6 and 3-year-old granddaughters loved every minute of it and we did, too. The turtle and fish tanks (housing sharks, snook, sheepshead and other varieties) were fun and interesting, and the staff is very informative. Nominal cost of $12 for adults,
$6 for children is well worth it.

Love this place and their mission. Great knowledgeable staff. The exhibits in the main building are great and informative. The chat about the turtles was awesome, learning about the differences and seeing the resident loggerhead and green sea turtles definitely a treat. The Sting-ray experience was nice as well.

Simple and interesting place to take your family that won't break the bank. Make sure you do the Stingray Feeding the Turtle Talk and the fish feeding.

We live on the west coast of Florida, but we travelled to Stuart to visit my sister who had traveled in from San Diego. With the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center #1 attraction in Stuart, we decided to visit. We arrived about 10:15 am and got to spend the next 1 1/2 hours with Dr. Zack Jud. We shared his time with a group of elementary school children. Our first stop was to see and feed the sting rays. We first were able to pet the sting rays as they swam around their aquarium. Then we received a great overview from Zack about the life, skeletal structure, diet and habitat. After receiving a discussion that was suited for the elementary children, we found that it was perfect for the adults. Then we got to feed the sting rays after we cleaned our hands and forearms of soap and suntan lotion. We found that they have hardened cartilage teeth which will crush and grind, but not bite.

Next stop to the sea turtle lagoon, to see several sea turtles that had been injured primarily by boat propellers. Again a great education, starting out with the fact that there are only 7 species of sea turtles in the world. We learned that Florida is a primary nursery for several of these species. Zack was patient and thorough.

Then we went on to the large lagoon to feed the fish. They must have a great clock or saw the other staff member get on the feeding stand. The show began with many different types of fish jetting through the water to get their morning snack. After the feeding, Zack gave told us many of the challenges in keeping the ecosystem alive so that we continue to see these different creatures that provide both sport and food.

The presentation was just right. It was fun and entertaining. We were all excited that we could spend our time with Zack Jud and his wonderful aquatic friends. If you are near, take a side trip. It is a must see.

This was an excellent, educational, informative stop. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and makes the information so interesting. You can touch and feed stingrays which is pretty cool. This is a great place for school age kids as well as adults.

What a lovely addition to an already great facility. The new exhibit building is great - we spent an hour inside and will go back again. Educational and fun for both kids and adults. Enjoy the stingrays, turtles, and variety of fish in lagoon outside too.

This is a really nice place for a small family adventure. My daughter really enjoyed the sting rays interactive pool and feeding the fishes. It is not a big place so a couple hours is good enough to be in this place and then go to a different one.

We have been several times and have enjoyed it ever time,if you love ocean animals you and your family will love it!

During a recent stay in Jensen Beach it was suggested we visit this Center. After a short drive and with no real expectations of what we were going to do, we ended up staying for several hours. It was pretty exciting for even this old man to feed a stingray. The staff were friendly and very knowledgeable. Its a great place for young, old, and families to learn about Florida nature. Highly recommend visiting this Center.

We took my friends grandkids here and they had the time of thier lives. The kids can touch the stingrays and it was fun to watch. They have sharks, turtles and other fish. When it is time to feed them the fish get very excited and they explain what the name of each fish and other information. It is a very good learning expierence for the kids and adults too. The staff is very knoweledgeable. We will be back!

The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center in Stuart's Hutchinson Island is a great place for kids and adults. The exhibits are very nicely built, the staff that runs them gives excellent interactive talks (sea turtles, coastal lagoon ecosystem and game fishes, touch tanks with rays/starfishes/urchins) and the trails are great for exploration.

Nice oceanographic exhibits and aquarium. Touch pools and exhibits for all ages. Great place for kids. Inside and outside exhibits.

Be sure to plan the timing of your visit around the scheduled feedings and educational presentations. Staff are informative and happy to answer any questions. The manmade lagoon has a variety of fish, shark, sea turtles etc.. The nature trail through the mangrove is informative and relaxing. There is an educational room that has various small tanks of sea life....the seahorse tank was my favorite of the small tank displays! There is construction going on for a whole new educational building but it didn’t affect our time there.

This place was a great way to spend the afternoon and learn about sea turtles and stingrays. Staff was pleasant and knowledgeable. We had fun and learned quite a bit! Will recommend and go back for another visit.

Well staffed with very informative guides. Learn about the environment along with seeing fish, stingrays, sea turtles, and a great nature trail. We stayed 3 hours and thoroughly enjoyed it!!

An enjoyable way to spend the day. Very nice for families with kids. The touch tanks are great. The walking trails are a great way to enjoy nature.

We spent a very nice morning here. There were three exhibits of rays and the like, and a very good-sized lagoon with many different fish. My only regret was we left without walking on their nature trails.

This center is a wonderful place to show kids about Florida’s beautiful ocean creatures. They have a string ray tank and you can touch them. Also they have some sea turtles in a huge estuary with some game fish of Florida that are on display. You will definitely enjoy yourselves.

Looking for a break in the day from the beach and cool off for the heat Then take the kids here. Touch tanks with stingrays and different types of mollusk and echinoderms. Volunteers educate you too. Tour the lagoon to see the huge sea turtles and nurse sharks. Learn about biodiversity and Floridas unique marine ecosystem.

The Center was recommended to us by a local resident. We enjoyed the presentations on the Manatee and the Turtles at the Center. At the Manatee presentation guests are able to feed the manatees. The presenters were very knowledgeable and interesting. There is also a nature path. We were short on time so only took a brief walk on part of the trail. There is much to see on the trail, but definitely requires some time . Although we had no children with us, we did observe there were several activities designed for younger guests. The staff was friendly.

We really enjoyed our visit here. My 2 year old was fascinated! The staff was also very lovely and informative. We spent about 1.5 hrs here.

I had visiting friends from out of state and this was one of the things that I researched and offered for something to do. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. This is a place that all ages can go to. We heard a presentation on manta rays, sea turtles and game fish in their lagoon. We got to feed the manta ray and that was so much fun. When they came swimming over our hands in the water, it felt like someones lips sibling your hand. We got to see the sea turtles get fed and the lagoon fish get fed. There were many types of fish including nurse sharks in the lagoon.

Volunteers provide informative presentations that appeal to kids and adults. Loved petting the sting rays and feeding them.... just not at the same time. Visit and learn why!

Visited this not expecting much and was pleasantly described. Small enough for most to see all the center without overtaxing yourself. Great for kids and adults alike.

The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is super interesting. Employees were so full of knowledge and fun to listen to. This would be a fantastic place to take children as they have so many things you can touch. Feeding the stingrays was very cool!

There's touch tanks with animal feedings.

The staff are very informative. But I wouldn't plan on spending the whole day here.

My boys and I love to visit this place. The educational presentations, the stingray feeding, the sea turtles, the saltwater game fish pond with sharks and the nature trail are all a part of the experience.

We also participated in the Nighttime Turtle Walk program and after a rather short wait for one to be located, we were able to observe in very close proximity as a female loggerhead laid her eggs, covered them up and returned to the ocean. Very Cool!

Great place to take younger kids to see our diverse ecosystem unique to our area. You walk into the front to pay admission, then down a hallway past the gift shop. They have some fun items in there so definitely stop in and take a look on your way back out. Next you’ll enter an indoor room filled with tanks of species in the area plus exhibits about various topics pertinent to the ecosystem. When you’re ready, you walk down a ramp that leads to the stingray touch tank exhibit - a crowd favorite (and my own- not gonna lie😍). They give presentations on stingrays and will let you feed and touch them. You can then walk over to other touch tanks - all of which are underneath shaded areas. You can then choose to walk in their garden area where they have butterflies. That leads to the outdoor lagoon exhibit which houses many species such as nurse sharks and fish. They have a sea turtle exhibit in which they have several sea turtles that have been injured from bot props and such and cannot be released to the wild again. The have a separate presentation about them with much to learn from them. Christmas time they have several Christmas trees on display usually decorated from various schools or corporations. It a fun nighttime activity there. They have annual passes and many things that change over the year so fun to stop in multiple times a year.

What an interesting time! I bought it on a whim on Groupon and was I thrilled I did! We've been telling every one we know about it. It's fun, educational, and great for all ages. There are many activities geared for the youngsters! We had no children with us and we were not bored for one moment. It was so educational and interesting. Check the site before you go. They feed the 3 different types of animals in the morning (3 different times) and that was so interesting to watch. The staff are great & extremely knowledgeable! Great experience!

This place hasn't really changed or gotten better in 15 years. They charge way too much for admission, especially for kids, and their exhibits could be more extensive.

I absolutely loved this place. The staff were knowledgeable & so friendly. You learn about local marine life & why they have the animals they have. They have a few feedings that are always fun to watch. I REALLY liked that with admission feeding the stingrays are included (no telling the kids no it costs money) it was free for everyone. The hands on touch tanks were neat with horseshoe carbs, hermit crabs, sea urchins & sea cucumbers. They had puffer fish & sea horses. Sea turtles, fish & nurse sharks.

The nature trails are a little over a mile long (you can walk only sections of it if you choose) & you walk through the middle of a mangrove forest. I even had a family of raccoons walk up right underneath the board walk. When they realized I was above them the took off but it was really fun to watch them fed before they noticed me. I saw a osprey wearing its meal in the trees. I had a wonderful experience but I walked the whole trail twice trying to see the otters in the wild. If your really quiet maybe you will catch a glimpse of them.

I wouldn't plan on this being a whole day activity. A good couple hours. I was there from 11am until 3pm but I walked the nature trail twice & took my time. But it is definitely worth a visit.

Have visited here a few times. First to a gala, second with niece and third with some friends. Enjoyed it all three times. Fun touch tank area, great exhibits, informative and welcoming.

The fish aquariums, the touch tanks (stingrays, hermit crabs, etc) were fun to explore and the shark & turtle ponds were all neat to see. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I have to admit, we turned back on the nature trail when we saw the signs of all the snakes we could potentially encounter!

OK I may be a senior citizen but petting and feeding a stingray was still a blast. Nice programs on the turtles and local fish.

Stingray feeding time was very special for my grandchildren and they also loved seeing the sharks and turtles. Our guides very knowledgeable and good with kids.
Also have good indoor displays and a nice little gift shop.

I often bring out of town guests here as well as family members. I’ve never been disappointed. Everyone is very knowledgeable and informative. We got there just before feeding time so that was our first stop. After washing our arms from elbow to finger tips we listened to a fascinating lecture (short) about stingrays. It was interactive enough to keep everyone’s attention. Then we fed the string rays. Off to see the turtles and then feeding of the fish 🐟. One of the trails was closed but we enjoyed the short trail. The children enjoyed the interactive play and touch tanks. Inside was more! Great time!

Antique vehicles, artifacts, and art collection very good. Building attractive and purpose built. Good gift shop and ample parking.

We make several visits to the Coastal Center each year. It is enjoyable for young and adults. The staff and volunteers are friendly and knowledgable. Our visiting grandkids always request a return visit. The Coastal Center is educational and enjoyable!

Fantastic display of sea life and their habitats. Especially liked the feeding of the Rays. Volunteers quite knowledgeable and helpful.

Feeding the sting rays (10:30 and 2:30) and watching the feeding in the game fish tank is always a big hit with our family. The children get to pet the sting rays while feeding them shrimp. There is also several touching tanks and exhibits for children (and adults). The Center has several nature walks where you can become acquainted with the local plants and trees. The staff and volunteers at the center are always helpful, informative and welcoming.

Cute little aquarium, day we went was half price admission. It was very hot outside so we ended the walking tour early.

We arrived just before 11am, which was perfect because that is when the Sea Turtle Program starts! We went to all three programs, and on the hour nature trail walk (with a guide who taught about the fauna and flora). We learned a lot and enjoyed seeing the ocean life. We really, really thought the Sea-ray Feeding Program was neat, and they let you feed the Sea-ray!! It is clear the people working here are passionate and knowledgeable in their field! The gift shop was very reasonably priced, too, so we grabbed some souvenirs for our kiddos back at home. It was definitely a family friendly place, too. The staff included the kids in their programs, but I think older kids or adults would actually get more out of a visit here. We were there a little over 3 hours. I posted a picture of the program schedule for your reference. :)

Very educational, great place for the family. Nice to learn about and see the local sea life. Sting ray petting was also great

My kids enjoyed this place in 2012 and again in 2019. They got to feed and learn about stingrays. They really enjoyed looking at massive aquarium with nurse sharks, snook, and tarpon.

The Oceanographic Center is an easy stop on your trip - it is right off A1A (next to a Publix and across from the Elliot museum). It isn't expensive and it's not huge so you can see everything in an hour. There are nice exhibits for kids with docents who are knowledgeable and nice. The gift shop sold essential books on local history, flora and fauna in addition to the usual ocean chotchka. On the day I visited there were a couple hundred visitors and I took the mile long trail that goes through the mangrove swamp to the Intercoastal. No one else was on the trail, despite the day being clear, cool and pretty much perfect - go figure!

There is so much development on Hutchinson Island, the Center is a good reminder of the importance of preserving wetlands. I was taken aback that despite all of the informative displays, there was zero mention of climate change and the certain impact it will have on the area's ecology. I chalk this up to the State of Florida's disinclination to face up to facts and pressure the current governor exerts not to acknowledge climate change, but it is - sadly - a lost opportunity to inform the public about an issue that will have significant impact on the Treasure Coast. :-(

We got to feed the stingrays, and learned a lot about the turtles and the fish. The docent told us about the environmental challenges to the brackish water in the area. A really educational visit.

Great exhibits and lots of fun for the whole family. Pet the stingrays...walk to the beach. This place is great for a day outside in Stuart.

Make sure you get there for the 10:30 stingray feeding! Before the feeding you can touch the rays as they swim wildly around the pool waiting for food. If you put your hand into the water they will come over thinking you have food. After an informative talk about rays they will give you shrimp or other food to feed the rays, and they will tell you how to feed them so you don't get bitten or scare the rays. There a lot of fish in the lagoon with some 5' sharks. You can spend 1 to several hours here - it all depends on what you want to see and how much time you have to spend.

We visited here recently and wanted to say what an interesting and informative place it is. Especially geared towards young children; there are lots of things for children to try to engage their interest in Florida's water and sealife. As adults we learnt a thing or two and really loved seeing the children's faces when trying different things.

Our children loved it! They especially loved touching the rays and were fascinated by the sharks and turtles. The staff were very helpful and you can tell they love working there.

I'd say you would spend a good couple of hours here, there's a Publix next door - so you could always buy something to eat and eat it on a picnic table at the centre.

Florida Oceanographic is a great place to visit if you are in the Stuart area. It's programs are aimed at a broad audience, but kids will really enjoy interacting and feeding the sting rays.

Be sure to go for either 10:30 or 1:30, because that is when you are able to feed the stingrays right out of your hand. The turtles and sharks are neat to see as well.

But if you are short of time, this is most applicable to kids. You have seen most of their exhibits before. But do give them money. The cause and their efforts are deserving!

Not a most impressive looking venue, but just go in and be surprised!
From the first wet "touch tank" as they are labelled if, in fact, you can immerse your hand and touch the "critters". Some labelled "do not touch" and please believe it. Wonderful, comprehensive displays and great docents. Lots for the kids to do and take home. Watched the kids making jellyfish out of paper bowls and ribbon. Lots of attendance.

My grandchildren always love this and I am always willing to go again! Be sure to find out what time the Stingrays are fed-highlight of the experience usually. There are plenty of adult volunteers to answer the many questions and give information about sea creatures as visitors hold them. Inside there are many more hands on experiences that are of great interest to all ages. Another Treasure Coast treasure!

My husband and I really enjoyed our visit this morning. The volunteers were great as the tours, which are a must, were fun and educational. Feeding stingrays, seeing sea turtles and feeding their large school of various fish took 90 minutes. Then there is a nature walk through mangroves to the river.

Enjoyed seeing the sea life and reading all of the informative material. A little pricey for what they offer. But if monies are used to help the environment than it's worth it.
Only need 1 to 2 hours to see it all.

There are so many activities and exhibits that all ages will enjoy this visit to the Florida Oceanographic Coast Center. Feeding at the ray tank occurs on an established schedule. After a delightful explanation, raw fish is distributed to all spectators stationed around the large tank. So much fun. We also attended a lecture on turtles and walked through a butterfly garden. We also played in the outdoor hands on section. Baby horseshoe crabs were darling. Indoors there are enticing hands on exhibits. One beloved was the booth where we could listen to many sea sounds and loved the sound made by whales.

I stopped here because it’s across the street from a museum that I was visiting in Stuart. This place have a big lake with sharks , sea turtles and other kind of fish. It’s mostly for kids. They have a small pool with stingray that you can touch . Nice place for kids.

We visited the aquarium in a recent trip to the area. We were able to feed the stingrays and learn about the Sea Turtles. The talks on each of the animals was highly informative and interactive. Unfortunately during the visit my daughter was taken ill. I can’t speak highly enough of the professionalism and assistance provided by the staff.
If you are in the area I would highly recommend dropping in for a visit.

We took our family to FOCC a and had a wonderful experience! Our 4 year old granddaughter loved feeding the sting-rays. She loved the tanks where she good touch a horseshoe crab. Great gift shop! Over 200 volunteers donating there time to a wonderful place to see sea life!

The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is clean and well maintained. Being able to feed the sting rays was a lot of fun. There are a lot of turtles to see. The staff is very friendly and informative. The gift shop is also nice. A pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Awesome little spot to feed stingrays, look at huge game fish, and check out sea turtles. Good way to spend a few hours and learn a little about the animals on the treasure coast.

We did this because we had a coupon and we really liked it. It really is science informative so if you have kids that are into learning, they will love it here. If you have children that like sea animals they will also like this place. Most of it is outside so make sure you wear sunscreen and a hat especially in the warmer months.

You get to touch the stingrays and a few other little animals. The gift shop is really cute and the staff was super friendly.

This is also a great place for a few hours for adults to learn about the ecosystem in Florida.

There is so much to do at Oceanographic. Feeding the stingrays is a great learning experience. There is a short presentation about the stingray family and then the kids get to feed the stingrays. There is a lagoon with many fish, sharks and turtles to see. This is just a wonderful place to bring family and friends.

Our boys, ages 4 and 9, enjoyed seeing the sharks, the fishing game, and the touch tanks. They found the hike to be lacking in wildlife, but it was midday and very warm. Overall interesting, but a smaller attraction than expected.

My parents (early 70s) and my girlfriend and I (late 30s) visited recently during an overcast afternoon. We loved it! We were as thrilled as the visiting school kids to feed some of the stingrays, get up close with sea turtles, etc. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. A great way to take in some of the local "color" if you are in the area.

The new Ocean EcoCenter Exhibit Hall is fantastic. Hands on exhibits and activities for the entire family. Visited with friends, all want to bring back family members and other friends.

Took my 13yo son here for a homeschooling field trip. We fed the rays and walked around all that was open (small butterfly garden, touch pool with lots of sea life, hiking trails, and larger viewing pool) but we didn’t realize a lot of it was closed for construction. We were still happy to support this nonprofit and we both enjoyed feeding/petting the rays. They also do beach cleanups so it was great to join in on some of those to really feel like we were helping the community we were staying in!

We had a day with nothing planned. Looked around the area and found this gem. What an exciting and educational afternoon. We learned a lot about the Florida’s coastal ecosystems. The walk through the mangroves provided excellent views and smells. We saw fish, birds and even a raccoon. Their is something for everyone!

We had a great morning here. I expected to only spend an hour or so, but ending up grabbing sandwiches from the Publix next door, having a picnic, and spending the day. My kids loved feeding the stingrays and learning about the turtles. We learned all about the turtle nests we saw at the beach and learned to identify some common fish in the area from the kids play area. We played with the puzzles and did the scavenger hunt activities inside. The presentations were run by some enthusiastic elder volunteers, but my kids really enjoyed interacting with the college interns who were friendly and helpful. The touch tank was pretty basic, but my kids still enjoyed playing with the hermit crabs. It was worth the $6 child's admission. Wish we could have done a nighttime turtle walk, but they were booked through the summer.

I went with my two grown sons. We love nature, especially wildlife, and we so enjoyed the turtles, sharks, and stingrays. We learned so much from Dr. Zack Jud, who was showing the group around that day. I was tremendously touched by his knowledge and his passion. He not only taught us about the marine animals but also about the environment and how it was been destroyed and what needs to be done to get it back. We loved petting the stingrays. The place has a great vibe -- it's clear the people who work there are committed and truly love the animals in their care.

We’ve been coming to feed the sting rays for years. Our “babies” are 13 now and they still wanted to go. We always go in time for the feeding at 10:30 then stay to wander a bit until the turtle talk and fish feeding. A great place to spend 1-3 hours depending on the weather and the interest of the kids

This was a great place to spend a few hours in the Stuart area. We arrived right at opening and were able to touch the stingrays before the feeding talk at 10:30. If you arrive early enough before the feeding, you can feed the stingrays. The stingray talk is followed by talks on game fish and turtles. Both were well done and provided lots of interesting information. There is also a touch area for some other sea creatures along with an exhibit area with some smaller tanks. There is a one mile walk out to the Indian River Estuary through the mangroves which was also interesting. We spend about three hours here and had a great time. The price is very reasonable and there are no extra fees once you enter. The kids around us seemed to be having a great time.

Toured this environmental education facility this week. In a word: impressive! Take your kids, your parents, your friends. These folks are teaching environmental stewardship in a fun, hands-on (yes, your hands will tough living sting rays and sea stars) way.

Really for children . We went 2 seniors and while it was nice we’d never do it again because it is for young children. Place is gorgeous in the pavilion. So clean and few children were we wound up.
Beautiful gift shop full of families and children crying a LOT because they want everything.
Staff super nice. We paid under $17 each and felt it was a donation. Didn’t really get anything out of it.

Go for an exceptional educational experience. No matter your age, you will be awed by petting and feeding the rays, meeting the turtles and fish in a huge natural-looking environment.

The visit was very interesting and informative. The staff is very customer orientated. There is much to learn about the value of the oyster and the issues we face due to the pollution of the St. Lucie River.(lagoon)

I was in time to touch the stingrays and watch their feeding one Sunday. We proceeded to the turtle feeding, but then a major storm came, so we had to go inside. There were lots of informational exhibits. This is a great place for kids.

Family had a great time even with the extreme heat! Very informative presentations. We would have taken to the trail if it wasn't for the heat.

Thank you to the staff for all you do!!

Great place for out of town visitors or just revisiting with the family.Everyone loves the sting ray feeding time ; so definitely try to catch that.
Very educational as well as just plain fun. There is a fish pond with the native species living very well in it.

Many exhibits were closed or under construction. Lots of interactive activities for younger kids, but not too many for adults to enjoy. The staff of educators and volunteers were excellent, however.

On a blustery day we 5 adults 2 children visited this center. Conservation was stressed throughout our visit, Informing & delighting us with nature. The children’s activities are imaginative & hands on. Take your time & enjoy. Do not hesitate to take the nature walk!

This place is small but they do have some unique exhibits worth seeing. There are two exhibits where you can touch and handle different sea creatures. They also have a feeding session where they allow you to feed stingrays. They have a huge game fish lagoon with a large variety of local gamefish and some nurse sharks that they feed a couple of times a day. It is quite wild to see the feeding frenzy that ensues when they throw food into the lagoon. They also have a loggerhead and several rescued green turtles. They don't normally feed the turtles in front of visitors but the day that we went they did. Lots of things for kids to see and do. All of the folks that work here are passionate about the environmental work that the Center does and the animals that they take care of at the center. Definitely worth a stop, it is right across the street from the Elliot Museum so you can do both in one day.

This is how an aquarium should be. This place is basically where they take in sea creatures that are hurt and take care of them. Way better than just taking animals out of their environment to display in aquariums. When you first get there they have a nice gift shop with a bunch of cool stuff. Then you step outside into the main area with all the sea animals. They had a stingray program where you could touch the stingrays, they had a program where they fed the fish, and they had a program where they teach you about sea turtles which was my personal favorite thing considering I love sea turtles. Then they had a big building called the ocean eco center where they had some exhibits on the first floor and on the third floor they had an observation deck where you could see the ocean in the distance. They also had some walking trails as well as a touch tank. After I recommend going across the street and going to the beach because that was beautiful too.

We had a great time. Dale at the stingray tank made the experience fun and informative. This would be good for all ages and groups. Bring bug spray if you are going to take the nature walk!

After reading so many placards on the local beaches about the sea turtles' mating & laying season and admiring the area's strong sense of protection for these creatures, we really wanted to see a living one. We were directed to the Oceanographic Center where we were not disappointed -- there we saw one loggerhead and three green turtles swimming about in their ample ponds. All were rescued after boat collisions and could not survive in the wild due to their resultant injuries -- so they are "teaching ambassadors" and will not be released. There was an excellent Naturalist giving talks at both the turtle pond and the larger pond full of coastal fish. There are touch tanks for kids and adults alike, and a pleasant walking trail, and an educational indoor display.

We were staying across the street at the Marriott and decided to spend an afternoon at the OCC. We were so glad we did. The presentations were informative and educational. They have a Stingray exhibit (kids can touch and feed them), a turtle presentation, and a talk on gamefish (which includes a feeding). Four beautiful large nurse sharks inhabit the lagoon. They also have a nice nature trail and offer guided walks. We were very impressed and truly enjoyed ourselves! Not to be missed if you are in the area.

This place is great for a relaxing few hours to learn about the impact fishes and other creatures and plants have on our environment. The entrance fee includes a visit to the site which is mostly outdoors, with the main attraction being the fenced in lagoon type tank with several types of fishes and tortoises. There is also a feeding tank for sting rays, which is a hit for children. My grandson was fascinated and spent most of his time trying to touch them. There is also a small children's pavilion, a mile plus long nature trail, free parking and wheel chair accessible ramps. Great place to spend a couple of hours before lunch.

The turtle program was very interesting to learn about and see. It was a nice way to spend a couple of hours with lots of benches for Dad to sit. Nice combination of indoor and outdoor things to see. If we had gone earlier, I would have enjoyed walking around the nature trails. The employees and volunteers were all knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Very nice place to go
We fed the stingrays
Certain times to do that though check the schedule
Very informative
Nice grounds to walk around..
Things for kids too!
People that work there Very nice!

I went here because of recommendations. It was a bit faded, but I don't know if they sustained damage from last year's hurricanes. The nature walk was nice and the nurse sharks were delightful. Also the stingray tank was great. it's so fun to get up close and personal with the stingrays. Also there was a seahorse hatching going on and dozens of tiny seahorses were floating in a tank in the interior.

This place is ok for kids. Not very big but there are fish to see. Kids can pick up live clams etc pet the sting rays

We did not know what to expect from our visit with a six year old grandson (from London). It was an outstanding outing which was educational and fun day that was made by very knowledgeable staff who brilliant in making sure we had a memorable experience.

I took my 8 year old here for an afternoon and we both had so much fun and learned a ton! We were thrilled to learn that we could help feed the stingrays. We will be back!

The Coastal Center is located on A1A at the south end of Hutchinson Island. Parking is easy and free. The center has small tanks with local fish, a kid and adult-friendly ray petting pool, small tanks for touching various crabs and other small sea creatures,a small, clear pond for observing large fish (sharks, tarpon, and others), a sea tortoise observation area, and a nice hiking trail through a mangrove hammock swamp (many boardwalks).
The center is very clean and well-organized. It is excellent for small children and a relaxing experience for adults.

We love the sea squirts program we used to visit here then we moved here full time .we appreciate the work they do thanks!

We took a day trip up to Stuart, FL, to visit the Oceanographic Center. We enjoyed listening to Dr. Zak describe everything about the beautiful sea turtles, sharks, rays and other inhabitants of the center.
Bill took us on a tour of the trails and mangroves. It was so interesting!
We fed the sting rays and got to pet/feel their interesting skin.
We actively learned about all of this as well as about urchins, horseshoe crabs and other sea creatures.
This is a MUST See.

Great way to spend a couple of hours before or after hitting Stuart Beach! Very interesting feeding time, friendly staff, well maintained!

Visited with 5 adults and a 1 yr old. Volunteers and employees are knowledgeable and friendly. Indoor and outdoor exhibits, wonderful for young children as there are a lot of hands on experiences.
We used discounts found on Groupon and Living Social, well worth it.
Would definitely visit again when Grand-daughter is older and can appreciate it also.

Kids loved feeding the stingrays and learning about them. The staff is very knowledgeable and showed a great deal of concern for the animals in their care. Great for all ages.

I thought this experience was a great value for the money. I attended the 3 information sessions.. Stingray touching and feeding,fish feeding/details about the ecosystem/algae and the disabled Turtle Pavilion.

All 3 hosts did a great job in sharing the information very clearly, answering questions, and managing the questions throughout their presentation. Due to the covid-19 since they are limiting capacity and have only two sessions daily.

The stingray area was very spacious with some benches marked off for social distancing. Even with about 25 people in the area , I felt that I had plenty of room to move away from people and still hear the presentation clearly.

The second presentation was on the walkway surrounding the Lagoon Aquarium... people stood shoulder-to-shoulder watching the fish be fed but I was able to step away and still hear the presentation clearly.

The turtle Pavilion was much tinier but they were only four or five people during that presentation. It would have been uncomfortable if everyone at the afternoon session had gone to the turtle Pavilion together.

The Hosts did wear masks however at the second presentation the host opted to pull his gaiter down, but he was in a roped-off area so no one could get close to him.. I did not feel uncomfortable.

The patrons were all wearing masks.

There was also an indoor exhibits area, a children's craft / play area and a second touching exhibit. The sessions are two and a half hours and I felt that was plenty of time. Each of the presentations is slightly less than 30 minutes .. 1:30, 2, 2:30. There was an additional stingrays touching session at 3 and the afternoon session ended at 3:30.

There was an age range of the patrons from Toddlers to seniors

Definitely kid friendly. You can bring lunch and enjoy on benches...no restrictions on bringing in food & drinks. Beautiful gardens of native plants. If you go on the nature trails, best to go with a guide who will share stories and plant information. See the Sea Turtle presentation!

This center has a very informative program for the sting rays and rescued sea turtles. They also have a nature trail to explore, and a guide if you would like. Our volunteer Bill was very good at explaining what we were looking at, as we walked the trails. There was lightning spotted about 6 miles away, and we had to abandon the trail and head for the building. There were some neat fish tanks to look at in there, and a gift shop too. I would recommend visiting this center on a clear day, so you get the most out of your visit.

Took our three year old grandson here and had a great time. He really enjoyed the aquariums and the interactive experience, where he got to touch and feed the stingrays. However, I think he was probably a bit too young to sit still for the narrative parts. All in all it was a nice way to spend an hour or two.

There isn't really much to the place, but it's a nice quiet place to see wildlife anfld learn about the ecology of the area. Very friendly staff.

Great place to learn about our sea life in Florida and wonderful for the children. Stingray petting keeps the children excited and the turtle rehab is something to see. They have so many different fish species in their natural body of water that are visible for all to see, especially at feeding time. There is a lot more things to see and do, so enjoy.

The best thing about the center is the Stingray touch tank. We could not see any Sea turtles in the water as it was chilly, but there were some in a warming tank. They are huge. There is also a path to take a nice walk, but it was closed the day we were there. This would be a nice educational place for families.

A very nice educational experience. It is best to show up to tour the facility at feeding time - they feed the stingray exhibit at 10:30; the sea turtles at 11:00 and then the game fish exhibit at 11:30. During the feeding, the staff does a wonderful job talking about these exhibits. The stingray feeding allows you to actually hand feed them - great for the kids. The nature trail leads thru mangroves to the Indian River / intercoastal. While we were at the platform to observe the Indian River - dolphins swam by!
Great educational trip for all ages.

Feed the rays, get lectured about turtles and then watch a feeding of the lagoon fish. Sharks rule. Then, take the nature walk. We bring all our friends there and never tire of the place.

This is the second time I've come here and I really like bringing Florida visitors here. If you can make the show times (check ahead online or call) the sting ray feeding is my favorite feature of this park. It seems a little scary at first but is quite the thrill if you power through! Beautiful nature trail as well, can be hot but still enjoyable for a mini adventure, just make sure you have applied sun screen. Bring family and friends!

They have an excellent sting ray touch tank. And lots of fish and small sharks to look at. Also some sea turtles. My 2 year old loved it. It wasn’t expensive. There’s a nice nature walk trail. I wish there were some more exhibits but the ones they had were very nice and well taken care of. You can see everything in about an hour.

We visited in March 2017 with our 5 and 8 year old. We all enjoyed it. We got to touch and feed stingrays. We learned a lot about them too! I would definitely recommend this if you are in the area.

This is a fun place to take your kids and/or your grandkids. The best part is feeding the rays. If you are a veteran, the admission is free. We took our kids and our grandson there a couple of times when they visited us and they all had a fun time.

Retired and Active duty military are free. Adults $12. Kids under 3 Free. Great interactive place for all. Make sure you take part in feeding a Ray and be around for the fish feeding.

A great environmental education experience highlighting local fish and wildlife. When we were there center had a hands on stingray feeding/petting aquarium.

Stopped by for a last minute tour. Got to feed sting ray’s, see sea turtles and watch a feeding of many different other fish. Very informative tour.

Enjoyed an afternoon here watching fish being fed,stroking rays and doing a very good nature trail through the mangroves and hammocks.
All the staff and volunteers were very helpful and the gift shop is a good one.

I went on a week day in March and was surprised to see how many children were there. There was plenty of parking, though. At the front desk, I noticed they sold bug repellent and later had wished I had purchased some. It was interesting to see the ray tank demonstration, and the turtle rescue information. Then, I watched them feed the native fish they keep in their outdoor tank. Some nurse sharks were 10 feet long! They identified all the fish in the tank.

Then I took a walk along the nature trail. There are a lot of signs identifying flora, fauna, and ecology along the way. I came to a fork which offered two trails. One was 45 minutes and the other was 20. As soon as I saw the warnings about identifying which snakes were venomous and that one should be wearing closed-toe shoes...I looked at my sandals and opted for the 20 minute trail. There were more signs and more warnings. As I walked cautiously, looking for snakes, I saw a sign warning about wildcats. OK. I quickened my pace. Then I saw a sign that warned about jumping spiders. My pace quickened again and I didn't read any more signs. I was relieved to see the end of the trail and the scariest thing I saw was a little anole lizard. However - there were mosquitoes. BRING BUG SPRAY and wear closed toe shoes.

I received a package discount to visit the Elliot Museum which is directly across the street, and no scary snakes!

We loved visiting the Oceanographic center! Touching and feeding the sting rays was a highlight of our trip for my kids. The workers were very helpful and gave a lot of information about the fish. Prices for admission and in the gift shop were reasonable.

Everything is pristine and beautiful at this center. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and answer all questions with patience and kindness. Petting and feeding the stingrays was such a good time and the fish in the lagoon are absolutely beautiful and HUGE(they're eating real good obviously). Nice little nature trails that lead to Indian River Lagoon or something or other, we didn't make it that far before we turned around. It can get kinda hot so wear a hat and sunscreen and bring water and snacks. It's nice for persons of all ages.

The people at FOCC are amazing, friendly innovative and live to save the lives of our south florida marine wildlife. I work saving manatees, sea turtles, dolphins and whales as well as have my own underwater hull maint service company and the folks here are great individuals who care a lot, teach folks about the need to simply be aware of how to protect these creatures and hold public workshops to educate those interested in sea turtles, sharks, etc

An easily accessible drive (just over the bridge from Sewall's Point). A nice selection of exhibits.

Discover Stuart FL marine life education and fun! This is an exciting place to visit with all ages from young children to adults. There is something for everyone to see. They even have touch tanks to get up close with the marine life. One of Stuart's great locations for fun.

This is a neat and educational place for anyone! Lots of outside hands on activities for younger kids. Being able to feed to stingrays is awesome! Loved the game fish feeding as well! Definately worth going.

First time there and it was great. Very informative and educational. We enjoyed seeing different aspects of the center. Loved feeding the stingrays.

Great for small children and middle schoolers. Lots to look at and interact with rays. Outdoor lagoon very interesting.

Very cozy facility. Skilled staff working there for charity. We learned a lot and got to pet a ray, sea cucumber, sea snails...and more

I took my son here several years ago when visiting my Dad and he really enjoyed it. There were plenty of interactive activities to keep him interested and I think he even learned something!

We went primarily to see the baby sting rays and see the sea turtles. The staff were very helpful and friendly. The sting ray feeding was very cool and we had a great time learning about them and watching them swim around the tank. Immediately after the sting ray feeding, the sea turtle feeding began. The timing of them allowed us to participate in both.

Wow! This is really a neat attraction. Touch stingrays and feed them as well. See sharks being fed. Lots of fish swimming everywhere! Something for everyone!

Have taken the Grandkids there twice ,its OK but wish they had more things for the kids to see and do, the feeding of the sea ray was great but kids needed to be a little older, feeding the fish in the lake was also OK but smaller kids no good, would I go back maybe.

It was my first visit to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center in Stuart. We went through the Exhibit Hall first to learn about the environment. Then, we headed to the lagoon where we watched them feed the nurse sharks—a feeding frenzy. Next, it was the loggerhead sea turtles—feeding at a much slower pace. Finally, got a lecture about stingrays and we got to feed and pet them. Slimy to the touch, they sweep over you and suction their food. Neat experience! The center is open seven days a week and only closed for four major holidays.

There really isn’t much to see here except a few turtles; sharks, sting rays, and a nature trail. I think this was a waste of money.

Loved it! We got to pet and feed the stingrays! The staff was very knowledgeable. There were also baby seahorses.

Great place for the kids staff very helpful exibits really good and hands on teaching would recommend this to all families with younger kids

We loving visiting the Oceanographic Coastal Center and feeding the stingrays. Great for kids and a great picnic spot on the third floor overlooking the lagoon.

On a really cold day we still enjoyed the remarkable presentation by the educators on turtles, game fish, and rays. They were very well informed and interesting to visitors of all ages.

Looking for things to do on a day trip in Stuart, Florida we stopped in to this center.
There were small exhibits for the stingrays, turtles, & gamefish. If we hadn't arrived at the time when there were guided tours and feeding, the 12.00 cost per adult would have been not worth it.
Some of the guides were great and knew there stuff and others were just reading off of cards and when you asked them questions they said they would have to get back to them with the answer.

Small but very well run. Fun with the stingrays. Great programs and good information. Worth a couple ours of your time.

Thoroughly enjoyed our experience here. Feeding the stingrays, learning about the sea turtles, and watching the sharks eat was all fascinating! highly recommend!

We spent a hour or so here at the end of one of our days in Stuart. Inside displays are nice with seahorses, starfish and other local fish. We loved the touch areas outside with the sting rays and hermit crabs. The staff were very knowledgeable and friendly. The man made lake is cool to see the turtles and other fish, sharks and sea life. We didn’t have time to do the nature trail.

The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is located in Stuart. The main attraction is a large outdoor pool/lagoon with a wide variety of fish - as well as some large sea turtles. hey also have a pool of stingrays for petting. The exhibits inside are educational about the coastal wildlife. And they have a nature trail. It's a nice stop for kids and families.

Great for all ages. My grandchildren loved seeing and hearing about the stingrays, but especially enjoyed feeding them. We loved watching them enjoying themselves.

An opportunity to see stingrays (and feed them if you want), sea turtles, sharks and other game fish; there is a nature trail, small gift shop and educational exhibits; spent a little more than an hour there as a couple with no kids.

My parents (PSL snowbirds), my wife, and our two boys, 10 and 12, would have had a great time just walking through and observing the exhibits, but the best part of the experience is the people working/volunteering there- everyone we interacted with was friendly, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic! Definitely plan your visit around the schedule and don't miss the feeding events and talks.

Of particular note, the walking tour through the mangrove swamp was excellent. Our guide (a retired orthopedic surgeon) was incredible! He pointed out all sorts of interesting things that we would easily have walked right by without noticing if completing the walk on our own. He was engaging and informative, and patient- I think he gladly would have spent all day with us if we hadn't eventually stopped asking questions to let the poor man off the hook (after the solid couple of hours he had already given us)! Great experience!

PS- Don't miss the Elliott Museum, right across the street. Good for a couple of hours, and a great combo to visit both in one day.

This is a very educational experience for young children as they delight in feeding and petting (though not at the same time) the stingrays. The salt water lake is very well stocked with many species & the nurse sharks are impressive.The staff provide in depth knowledge of the turtles at the park & their feeding of the different species is something all will enjoy. Bring a picnic lunch & enjoy the shade.

Adult and kids Will Enjoy the center very much.
While small It is very informative with hands on activities and tanks.

Much more than meets the eye, the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center offers an aquarium-like experience along with a natural one, thanks to a mile-long walking trail into the mangroves to the Intercoastal Waterway. Back at the center, one can observe fish, turtles, and other sea life in the Gamefish Lagoon and various touch tanks; meanwhile the Ocean EcoCenter features additional aquariums and beautiful exhibits.

Great place to go and learn about different types of see creatures. My kids thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a small place for the price but definitely kept the kids entertained. We have visited twice and most likely will go again.

We so enjoyed our visit to the center. The staff were wonderful and friendly. There is so many types of fish to see plus turtles and birds. There is a lovely walking trail as well. They are going to be an upgrade building for more interesting things to see and enjoy.

This is a must see for the family. You hand feed stingrays and fish. Up close and personal with our salt water friends. The lagoon is where it all comes together as you watch turtles, tarpon, snook, red fish, pompano, mullet, spiny lobster and the list goes on, all in their natural habitat. We live here and frequent the Oceanographic Center for different reasons. My wife and her sister had enjoyed the many opportunities at the center especially the night time turtle walks. When her sister passed away from cancer, Our family purchased a "brick paver" in memory of her sister and had it placed on one of the walkways at the center. Take time to visit the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center. Conveniently located on Hutchinson Island, across the street from the beach and the Elliott Museum.

This place is an education center and a rehab for turtles surrounded by a preserve and on the Indian River. Very peaceful and great time for the whole family. We love the seahorse tank and the feeding of the water inhabitants. Sharks especially. My grandson played the wooden fishing game for an hour and just loved it.
If only they could improve the water quality of the River.. stinky and murky. bluck!

While visiting the area a local family recommended going to the Center, I am so glad I went. I learned so much and the highlight was getting to touch and feed the stingrays! What an experience

This museum is geared towards kids with lots of hands on displays. Watched Sea Turtles and Stingrays being fed. There were sharks and other fish, butterfly garden and walking trail

While friends from up north were visiting, we went to the Oceanographic Center and everyone enjoyed the educational, informative experience. Two times a day they do talks on Sea Turtles, Sting Rays and Game Fish. Must see!

I absolutely loved this place!! It’s great for kids but I’m 32 and I enjoyed it without kids! If you love animals than you will enjoy it! Feeling and feeding the stingrays was my favorite part 🙂

Our sons 8 and 5 loved this place and so did we! Get there early for the 10:30am Stingray feeding! The staff is wonderful! Lily the Loggerhead turtle was a fan favorite! The nature walk was fun! Well worth the $12 for adults and $6 for kids! Our kids loved it so much they decided they wanted to donate and "adopt" a stingray! Well worth the money to help the stingrays and conservation in the local area! We went on a Tuesday and it wasn't very busy at all! Go early in the day before it gets too hot!

So educational and interesting. Such great opportunities to learn and interact with the environment.

Staff is super knowledgeable and very friendly.

Check it out!

This facility is small but packed with information for all. Lots of "hands on" experiences for the kids. Stingrays, crabs and the like are on exhibition for them to watch and touch. A reasonably large pool where everyone can watch the shark feeding with only a few species available on exhibit but narrated by a very knowledgeable staff. The nature walk is interesting and short. A great couple of hours for the kids to learn about the local sea life!

We stopped in to the Coastal Center for about two hours on a Saturday. I had a 14 year old and 9 year old with me. It is a very small place (almost all outside) and if you do not take the nature trail or attend the talks it would only take you about 15 minutes to walk through the exhibits. Check on talk schedule before you go. There were a few things for younger kids to do, touch tank/arts and crafts that we did not do. We thankfully showed up right before the first demonstration which was feeding and petting the sting rays. My 9 year old absolutely loved this and chose a stingray stuffed animal from the gift shop and could not stop talking about the stingrays. Next was the turtle talk and seeing the big game fish. We then walked on the nature trail through the mangrove swamp which took us about 25 min. We are planning on going back next time we are in the area.

I love this place its neat that you are able to hold and touch the animals and sea life here. I love coming here to hear more and see new animals that come here and the old ones who still live here.

Great place to take the kids or grownups to spend a couple of hours learning about and playing with saltwater fish and turtles. Very reasonable and inlightning.

I went after a few hours at Bathtub Beach on a Sunday. Got right there at noon when it opened, From the cashier, to the Gift Shop Attendant, to the Sting Ray Presenter~ all of the staff were SO LOVELY and informative!!! I got to feed a ray~ I laughed out loud like a little kid; it really touched my heart, as did the turtle area where I took a short but FAB video of their "humpbacked" turtle. He was fascinating to watch! This place makes me want to work with all sorts of marine life! Their main big game/shark pool is mesmerizing! I could sit/stand there for hours and watch all of their goings-on!

My boyfriend and I had some business to do up in Stuart and wanted something fun to do for an hour or two while there. Found this place and it was a great time!! A couple touch tanks, a big lake with nurse sharks and turtles, and a beautiful nature walk. Staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. I recommend for families with small children, but honestly anyone can have a good time here!

We fed the rays. Got to see teeth of sheepshead up close. Would go back again and again. Walk around huge tank with many fish. Have a friend in Stuart who always invites to visit the coastal center. Very pleasant time

It may be small, but we learned so much about turtles, stingrays and the environmental/algae issues in Florida waters. The staff and volunteers are very knowledgeable and seem to love their job. They are very passionate about conservation and cleaner Florida waters. My 13 yo son loved feeding the stingrays and watching the nurse sharks.

Lovely place to spend a few hours. Highlights were touching the stingrays, seeing the sea turtles and the shady nature walk. Bring water.

Great learning center! It's good for young kids and adults. Zach has a PhD and he explained the stingrays, fish, sharks, turtles, and the algae in so much detail! He also explained the issues that the aquatic animals are facing in Florida. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer. You'll leave having learned alot.

You can feed the stingrays which was a cool experience

Military gets in for free all year long.

It's small but it was worth the visit. There is a touch tank with snails, sea cucumbers, hermit crabs and sea urchins. Not only can you touch the sting rays you can feed them. The presentations on the sea turtles, sting rays and fish / lagoon were interesting. Staff were super friendly and knowledgable.

We had a great time at this center! My family visiting from Ohio really loved it. The kids (and adults, too) had a blast feeding the sting rays and really enjoyed the sea turtles as well. We went on a Wednesday so it wasn't very busy which was nice-plenty of parking. This is a great experience for a couple of hours!

We were excited to see all of the animals who call this place home. They are unable to be placed back in the wild because of injury or illness but they provide a great learning experience for the visitors here. The folks who work here are so knowledgeable about the animals. It was fun listening to them talk with people and their passion showed. Great for family as well as classes.

This was a very small educational center. It has a small butterfly garden, very small touch tank and decent lagoon to see sea turtles, nurse sharks and fish. There is also a small stingray feeding tank but it was closed.
There is a 1 room educational center and a small gift shop.
The trails were nice but I guess staff doesn't walk them before opening as large spiderwebs made them prohibitive. Please note I camp and am a Floridian so spiderwebs are not unknown to me, but usually staff walks the trails before openings so guests can enjoy.

I had a groupon so it was only $8.50. I'd been more disappointed if I'd paid full price. I saw a regular family pay $45.

I think the Turtle hospital in Juno Beach is better and its free.

Chance to get up close to nature! Go on a cooler day because it can get extremely hot!! If it's to hot you may not enjoy the hikes etc

been there three time all with grandkids. i thought it was expensive for what they had which wasnt much. A small pool of stingrays you can pet, some hermit crabs you can hold and a pond with some fish and sharks

Admission for adults is $12. Small property with basically three attractions, the lagoon with maybe 10 varieties of local fish, the stingray pool where u feed but do not touch the rays and the turtle pond that had three rehabilitated turtle residents. Each attraction had a staff member that spoke but if u miss those designated talk times you’re on your own and it wouldn’t be as interesting. The staff will answer questions at the talks. There’s two trail options, a quarter mile or one mile, with a boardwalk through the mangroves. There r signs that identify local vegetation. One path leads to the river and a small beach. U could get your feet wet but it’s not like you’re going to hang out and swim.
There r a couple of picnic tables on the property. I didn’t see any food being sold and don’t know if u could bring your own in, like a little picnic so not sure the purpose of the picnic tables. There a gift shop. There r tanks/aquariums inside that have other smaller aquatic life and more information.
If u miss the talks u would be in and out in an hour. We heard all three talks and did the one mile trail and we were there for two and a half hours

Interesting small place. The trails were close more than an hour before not to inconvenience the staff, but the price was the same. Children will have a good time here, adults not so much!

What a beautiful arrangement of marine life to be discovered or touched by children. The volunteers make the difference. Taking the walk tour is a must to learn also about the mangroves and other tree species. Clearly a place to visit

After visiting the Elliott Museum, we went to lunch, and someone recommended this place. We got to see some sea turtles and learn a lot about the local environment. I was particularly happy to pat some baby sting rays [with the barbs removed]. They have a nice gift shop as well. Well worth a visit. BTW, if you show your Elliott museum receipt, you get a discount. Can't beat that!

My husband and I visited this week and loved it! I petted the stingrays. We viewed numerous sharks, numerous varieties of fish, stingrays, birds, natural grasses, sea turtles, sea urchins, crabs and more!!! There are 3 petting tanks and they are really cool. There is also 2 walking trails with education opportunities along your walk. Inside they have so much learning capacity it's unreal. This place is beautiful. Breathtaking. Peaceful. A MUST SEE FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN. They also have volunteer opportunities.

A highlight of his trip and we enjoyed it just as much! Small but lots to see if you slow the pace and take it all in. Nice air conditioned gift center. Well staffed with caring volunteers.

When we got there the entrance was under renovation but that did not ruin anything. First they had a building called the ocean eco center which had many exhibits including an observation deck on the third floor. The outdoor exhibits were a touch tank, a regular and turtle observation deck, trail leading to the Indian river lagoon, and a sting ray touching program. The gift shop was also good because it had every thing from stuffed animals to books. Great place and I recommend visiting if in the area.

Thank you to whomever had the foresight to preserve this space. The area is old Florida at its best, right in the middle of civilization.
The staff were professional and entertaining at the Ray Tank demonstration. They shared enough to educate people but didn’t overwhelm them.
I overheard another staff talking about the larger fish/shark tank. As with the other, first concern was educating but also kept them interested without being boring. Both were gifted.
Sadly, not that many folks walked the trail loop through the mangrove marsh. To me that was the highlight. They have been able to construct the path/boardwalk without really disrupting the fragile eco system. To walk the loop and listen, watch and stop and be still was quite a treat.
Visit but don’t miss out on the trail loop. A glimpse into what much of the region used to be.

This is an attraction for kids. It would likely be boring for any but sheltered adults. Not worth the $12 admission fee.

As adults we visited and we're very pleased that we did so. Lots of exhibits with great and enthusiastic educators at each one to explain and encourage all ages to safely interact with the sealife. Great respect and education about our ocean were provided. Wooden raised walkway outside of building goes over wetways and pools in which several other species of fish live. Beautiful outside walk is available also and all areas include signs to educate about wildlife. Nice gift shop. Good parking and wheelchair accessibility. We love our ocean and it is evident each step of the way.

First time here in many years. We thought my mother in law visiting from London would get A kick out of it. The trails were nice. Not very much to see really. Just trees, mangroves and a lot of stinky standing water. But it ended up at the river, which was nice. The stingray thing was geared more for young kids, so we bypassed that, but we loved the pool in the middle with all the nurse sharks, staigrays and fish swimming around. We stood there for a good bit and watched the fish. It was a nice day. Disappointed in the butterfly garden...not a single butterfly and it’s no wonder...there wasn’t a single milkweed plant in there..no milkweed...no butterflies...helloooo! Not well cared for with a lot of weeds. Somebody needs to get on that and plant some butterfly friendly flowers...it was a mess. All in all I’d give it a 3 out of 5.

This place was a bit disappointing. Mostly for children. Not much to see. $12 to get in for adults. We were there about 1 hour (or less).

They had a stingray pool. Butterfly garden with no butterflies. 1/2 the place was blocked off for construction I guess. The shark pool had some fish and some turtles.
There was a small display in the building and a big gift shop.

We did not do the walking paths but will go back to check them out. We skipped that due to the wetness of the ground.

Fun opportunity to feed the stingrays and learn about the coastal habitat. The staff is very knowledgeable.

went today with my granddaughter... got to touch and feed the stingrays and observe turtles as well as other fish...staff and volunteers are first rate... highly recommend for kids of all ages.

Great place to actually touch nature!!!

Everyone can have a chance to feed fish right out of their hand.

Great natural preserves!!!
Nurse sharks
Snook
Black Drum
Cobra
Snapper
Sheepshead
Tang
Two species of sea turtles
Etc.

MUST SEE!!!

Fun, inexpensive place to check out!! Great place for kids & a couple of nice trails towards the intercoast.

Wonderful visit. The stingray tank and the lagoon with the turtle talk was very informative! Would highly recommend as it was both fun and educational.

This is a great place to relax, learn about sea creatures, and just enjoy nature. The trail through the center is very peaceful and you can spend as little or as much time there as you wish. You can see everything in a few hours depending on the timing of feeding the sea turtles and other fish, or you can spend half a day to really absorb all they have to offer. I was able to take some great photos of the sea turtles so definitely take your camera. I recommend this to all ages!

The Florida Oceanographic Center is a very family friendly place to visit. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. You can feed and pet stingrays but don't worry the stingrays barbs are trimmed and can't sting you. They also have touch tanks with snails and sea cucumbers. The center has a nature trail as well. This is a very good place to visit on a vacation.

We visited the Oceanographic Center with our 2 kids, 1 year old and 4 year old and they had a blast. This place has a lot of interactive exhibits for all ages and fish to look at in their building. Outside they can touch stingrays, and other ocean life under their outside pavilions. In a bigger thank outside they had turtles, sharks and other rays. This is definitely a place where they help the aquatic life and teach others about them. It's nice and cool inside with a small cute shop with great items. The people there were very informative and great with the kids. Highly recommend!!

There are specific feeding times, which we were unaware of. I thought the touch tanks were all the time-they are not. We caught the last few minutes of the touch tank and a blonde employee yelled at our 2yo to get his hand out of the tank. When my husband pointed out others were still being handed food to feed the stingrays, she said "No, we're done with that. Please tell him to get his hand out." We asked if there was a fee to feed that we needed to pay, she said "No. We are done feeding. Get his hand out of the tank." As we were walking away, another employee handed a child food to start feeding the stingrays, encouraging him to do so. Singled out and rude enough for us to not go back.There is a nature trail which we did not go on, so that may be good.

This is an attraction that my teenage son and his uncle went to. They really enjoyed it here. They were when it was time to feed the rays and got to feed them too, they held the fish betweeh their fingers hands facing palm down and the rays swam over and suctioned the fish from them. They also saw some turtles that will remain at the Oceanographic Center forever because they have no air in their shells and would die if released back into the ocean. Very educational and informative in a fun way. The admission is reasonable at around $12 per person.

Took some friends here recently. Very interesting and informative. would go again especially with young children.

This was our third year visiting this center. We had 7,3 and one year old with us. It's a great place to take your children to and introduce them to aquatic life. Our 7 year old was in owe touching sting rays and watching fish being fed. Great place to visit.

This facility is excellent for children, but boring for adults. The stingray exhibit is cool, as well as the pond.

Perfect for adults seniors and kids this wonder nature park has it all from turtles and sting rays to sharks and tarpon to a wonderful nature trail through a prehistoric hammock.

All sorts of hands on things for kids to do including touching sting rays and crabs to feeding of sharks.

Don't miss this park. Enjoy.

We stayed at the nearby Vistana Beach Club in Jensen and came to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center for a few hours one day. The Center occupies a large plot of land all dedicated to conservation and education. There is a large man made lagoon which you can walk around a view sharks, turtles, rays and many species of fish. There are frequent feeding sessions throughout the day and some are interactive. DEFINITELY get there for the stingray feeding, it's hands on and very cool (kids will love it). The staff and volunteers are extremely friendly and knowledgeable and you can tell they love what they do. There is a nice gift shop and plenty of areas to just take a walk and relax.

Pet the stingrays and watch the sharks eat. This is a great family afternoon place. Very interesting history of our local waterways

This is a great way to spend a few hours with your family. The Center is well laid out and has a small exhibit area that has some real hard science to showcase. A display on water quality for example shows some of the major ways water quality is measured, some of the instruments used to make the measurements and nice graphical displays of water quality historical data from various places in the Stuart area of the intercoastal waterway. There is also a microscope area where you can see a bunch of prepared slides of different sea creatures.

Outside there is a large artificial lagoon where they have sea turtles who have been rescued from boating accidents, different types of fish and sharks. There is a great nature trail that goes through the swamp and ends at the Indian River before looping back to the Center. The trail had many plaques with information on the different wildlife in the area. We loved learning about the mangroves - all of which have different mechanisms for filtering salt out of the swamp water. One of these actually produces huge lumps of salt crystals at the base of the plant - I mean huge lumps! Really interesting stuff, our 6 year old really enjoyed it.

Also this is one of the very few environmentally focused attractions that doesn't come across as overly political. They don't beat you over the head with scare tactics about global warming and pollution. Exhibits present facts and where humans have had an impact they detail it out as well as practical things that each of us can do to help. They don't appear to spend money hiring lawyers to pass legislation - they appear to be actually focused on science, research and actual preservation. I find this very refreshing and worthy of support.

Bottom line, well worth a few hours.

Very nice surprise this place. Although it is small it is very well organized, excellent explanations in each pavilion and very friendly the staff of the institute. The estuary they've made very nice.

We took 70 4th grade students here for a field trip. The kids loved every minute of it. The lagoon was beautiful and the students loved seeing all the sharks swimming around. The staff are very knowledgeable and spoke about each individual turtle they are rehabilitating. The touch tanks and stingray tank were a huge hit and it was great to see the kids be able to get hands on while learning about each creature. Definitely recommend for large groups or families.

We went today, took our 3 yr old grandson, he really enjoyed the stingray program and got to touch one, the girl doing the program was informative but annoying, don’t think I could listen to her for too long. Unfortunately the weather turned bad so we didn’t do the sea turtle program outside and the trail was closed.

We were looking to do something local and found this place on trip advisor. It was a pleasant surprise. They did a great job teaching about the stingrays, sea turtles and various fish. We were able to feel and feed the rays, better than Sea World. Will visit again! Shout out to the young ladies that were running the show, you did an excellent job explaining the different sea life.

My boys and I first visited the Oceanographic Center when they were preschoolers and have returned every visit since! Feeding the sting-rays, seeing the sea turtles in their sanctuary, hiking the trail through the marshes and touching the sea cucumbers and crabs in the touch tank make for some of the memorable, relaxing experiences that you will want to return to whenever in Stuart.

We arrived at the centre at 10am, just as it was opening. There is a large car park for the centre. I was using a wheelchair but there was no problem with access to any part of the center.
We started with time to view the first room which gave all sorts of interesting information about the local coast and it's marine inhabitants.
We then had an interesting talk about rays and we were shown how to feed them, this was a real highlight. While the rays were digesting their breakfast we had interesting talks about turtles and then went on a nature walk through the mangroves.
By the time we returned the rays were in a mood to make contact with us and we had an enjoyable experience 'stroking' them ( more accurately they swam under our hands)..
All in all a very enjoyable morning. Recommended.

The ground were just beautiful, staff was great, very nice and helpful. The kids that were there especially had a good time. They have a lagoon with fish, sharks and a separate area for turtles. They have a touch tank and a sting ray presentation. They let everyone feel the sting rays which was cool.

A really great place for all. Very handicapped accessible.

Staff are super knowledgeable and friendly. Learned a lot both adults and kids. Went for toddlers birthday. They even announced her name and wished her happy birthday. Fed stingrays, touch tank with crabs, sea cucumbers..play area with boat and learning center. Sea turtle exhibit and lagoon with sharks, fish and rays. You really do learn a lot and appreciate the experience.

This is just one of those places that we drove by almost every day and never made time to stop. That changed last week and we really enjoyed our time. There are some nice trails to walk and also some sea life exhibits. The sea rays, sharks and turtles are clearly the highlights here.

This little center is amazing for children who are learning about the creatures of the ocean. They offer a little stingray informational show where you get to feed the stingrays (the highlight of the visit) and you got to see the employee feed the sharks their food! It was very educational and they also have a demonstration with the turtles and tortoises. I loved it!

When we want to share our town and ocean experience, we take our visitor's here. It's a microcosm of our coast both in the sea life you can experience first hand and the beautiful trails you can walk. We point out all the trees and flowers along the trails. It is well maintained and has a very nice gift shop. It's close to both the town of Stuart and the beach!

Visited with our 10 year old granddaughter and were lucky to arrive in time for a series of lectures/demos (sting ray feeding, sea turtles and fish). It was a fun and informative time. We'll come back another time and try to see more of the facility.

Beautiful lagoon setting (750,000 gallons) with a broad selection of local fish and wildlife. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children 3-12 (under 3 = free). The staff call all the marine life 'ambassadors' because they are there to teach us about the local marine life. There are sea turtles, nurse sharks, tarpon, cobia, pompano, snapper, and more. There are three types of native rays in a touch tank, and a one-mile trail walk through the mangrove swamp to the Indian River Lagoon. Great experience for the whole family.

The Oceanographic center is very clean and pretty but there is not much to do they're for an $18 fee per person for adults. I know most of the money goes to the center. They only thing to really do there is see the turtles and touch the stingrays. Large pond with fish, a few reef sharks and a few stingrays. Very nice gift shop but expensive. Not crowded because we went off season. But if you have a large family, it is not worth the expense!

The ospreys, nite herons and great horned owls in season (look up at Indian village) are the reasons we live in florida. Great for children ie touch tank with rays. Enjoy, there's nothing but to love.

Our second time visiting while visiting Hutchinson Island and it was great again! Get there early to pet and feed the stingrays! Then enjoy the rest of the educational talks and the nature trail! We received a discount from staying at the Vistana Beach Club so just ask at your resort! We always love visiting this place!

We had not been back to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center for over 11 years. We used to live locally and had moved in 2005. We had gone quite often and whenever we had visitors.
So, my mother and I decided to take my daughter who is 8 and niece who is 4 there on Sunday, July 24th 2016 and we got there right when they opened.

They have really improved the inside and outside. We were impressed with the changes. They did have some areas they could improve like broken slides where the microscope area was and better quality microscopes. The sound booth was awesome, kids and adults were using it.
All of the employees and volunteers were very helpful and answered all of our questions and those of the children. They have daily events, like the Stingray Feeding and Educational Program, the Turtle Educational Program, etc then they have special events like Nighttime Sea Turtle Walk, Adopt a Beach Cleanup and numerous volunteering events.
The Lagoon area and Sea Turtle Pavilion were new to us. The staff were so wonderful, answering all of our questions. Then they started talking to the children and telling them things about the sea animals they were seeing.
We left earlier than anticipated due to a storm. However, we would so come back. It is worth it. They have really improved the center and I want to be able to walk the paths like I have in the past and see how much more they improved.
This is a great place, check out their web site an

Cool place to experience some new things. The best was being given food to feed the stingrays. You hold the fish between 2 fingers and hold it near the bottom of the pull. They come swimming by and suck it out of your fingers. Then they swimming away while brushing across your hand they are amazingly soft, like velvet. This is also very popular with the kids too. Very memorable.

Also saw large turtles being fed by trained staff. Allow 2 hours.

The first time we went here was to bring our grandsons. They absolutely loved it. That has been so many years ago and they are grown men now but still talk about their visit!
Things have changed now. I took several family members to visit and I was so pleasantly surprised at the changes. I love the small lagoon they've added and the stingray pool! You can feed the stingrays! They also do feedings of sea turtles and fish in the lagoon! There are also sharks in the lagoon and you can see everything! Love this place because all the while you're having fun, you're also learning about the wonderful sea creatures. A must visit!!

My favorite part of the coastal center was having the rays eat fish out of my hand. Be sure not to miss this activity. The day we were there, a retired pediatrician from Pennsylvania served as the docent for both the ray feeding and the turtle talk, conveying a lot of good information about the sea life in a way that was understandable to both children and adults. The self-led nature walk through the mangroves is also interesting and should not be missed.

Even though it was a hot August day, I found this place unbelievably interesting!!! I touched a live stingray (so cool) and was amazed how much the lady who worked with stingrays knows about them!!! Jerry was a tour guy on a trail and was explaining everything in detail. This gentleman KNOWS a LOT! The sharks were awesome and so were the people who took care of them.

We spent a couple hours hear. Love the tanks with sea life. Guide discussed sheepshead with great photo of their human-like teeth. Petted stingrays. Would be great place to take kids

Please go, it is wonderful for adults and children. They do a wonderful job there and it is not too expensive.worth the time and money

A small but nevertheless interesting place.

No kids in tow but I am sure kids and families would love it as there are lots of interactive areas, creature touching opportunities and close up encounters.

Good for a short 60-90 minute visit. Better in good weather as much is outdoors.

Was skeptical about this place from outside/location. There's a lot more to it than meets the eyes thou. There is a museum like room with lots of interesting information that both children & adults can enjoy and learn from. then there is the amazing outside area with game fish and a ONE mile trail which takes you through the palm covered swamp area out to beach and back along boardwalks and hard sand covered paths. Would definitely recommend and look forward to going back when in the area again.

The staff was extremely knowledgeable. The facility was clean and well maintained. The educational experience was phenomenal! Truly enjoyed the experience!

We brought an extended family - 9 adults, three kids and two newborns to check this place out. The main "shark" and fish pond was shallow enough to see everything in the water, and the docent was very informative and patient with all the kids' questions. We were most fascinated by the stingray "petting" area. I would definitely go back, although it is a short outing 1-2 hours is plenty of time. We did not go on the trails because it was too hot, but will the next time we visit.

Great afternoon adventure feeding stingrays and learning about sea turtles. My 46 year old son enjoyed as much as my 14 year old grandson! The staff and volunteers were super nice and informative...and as three in our group were Veterans...admission for them was free!

Learned all about stingrays and got to feed them. They have a large salt water pool with sharks turtles and other fish.

A real hands on experience for kids. They can see and learn of the various species that live in the ocean off Florida. I would suggest checking ahead to find out the feeding time for the sharks. We thought the best exhibit was the stingrays where they get the opportunity to touch them as well as snails, clams etc.

Lots of local marine life, sting Ray feeding, a touch tank, and some nice trails to the St.Lucie Lagoon.

This a great place to take the kids. Its fun and educational and interactive. So many sea creatures to learn about.

I was so excited to take my summer camp here because of the awesome hands on experience that I thought they would be getting from this trip. I was way wrong. I registered my camp in the beginning of January for a July field trip and everything was good to go, we show up and they already are telling me negative comments about with so many kids, not all the kids will be able to feed the sting rays, (I only had 19 kids) and that all my kids have to use the outside bathrooms etc, immediately assuming my kids are wild animals and telling them multiple times to keep their voices down when my kids were the quietest group of any group and even quieter than individuals that were there. They kept the summer camp group from touching any of the interactive shows during the presentations and let everyone else touch the animals/interactive objects before we could do anything and made my camp wait to the very end when the presentation was over, I felt extremely disrespected by the staff. I have been running my camp for 3 years now and previously worked with other camps for many years and I have never felt so disrespected ever before the way the staff made me feel, my staff felt the same way, and a few of my kids started crying because they could not understand why they weren't allowed to do anything that the other people were allowed to do right in front of us. If this place does not like/want summer camp groups to come then they shouldn't allow it instead of allowing it and then treating us very disrespectfully. Unfortunately, this is a wonderful place to educate children on sea life but I will most certainly never come back with my camps or myself due to the fact that I cannot allow anyone to disrespect my camp like that ever again especially when I honestly have the most well behaved kids.

We were visiting area and looking for things to do and found this. We were very impressed. It was $12 per adult (not sure what child prices are). We got there too late for stingrays feeding but did get there in time for the other two demonstrations. Definitely check before you go since they have several over the course of the day so your visit can be timed to see them all. There is a little trail to walk and a little learning area by the gift shop. Plan about 2hrs for everything. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and you can tell they enjoy what they do. It is a great learning experience.

I've taken my grandson here a couple times. We always enjoy it! The volunteers are so good with children. So fun to be able to touch the sea creatures!

Good for kids and for adults who don't scuba dive. Here you get to see the sting rays being fed, and gamefish being fed. There's also sea turtles feedings. There were kids here when I came. Covid protocols are not in force. Each visitor decides whether to wear a mask and whether to maintain social distancing. Adults are charged $16. Kids under twelve are changed half price. The facility isn't open on certain days.

This is a great place to learn about different aspects of the ocean. Coming from Kansas, we were fascinated by the stingrays. Kids got to feed and touch them. They learned about sharks, turtles and other creatures. Great place to spend a few hours.

We have been visiting the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center for many years. Last year we came in June and we were able to partake in the turtle nesting walk. This is such a treat! We have preteens and teenage kids and they absolutely loved this. It's late at night and it can go as late as midnight. I believe they have these walks in June and July. Bring water and definitely bug spray for your ankles! It's a long night and you might be walking a bit. Unfortunately it's not accessible for walkers/cane users and if you have trouble seeing in the dark, be sure to bring someone to help guide you or you might want to stay home. You will also be standing quite a bit. But what you see if truly nature at its finest! Mother loggerheads creating their nests and laying their eggs. Our walk was led by a bunch of knowledgeable volunteers and a marine biologist, Zach. You can tell he has such a passion for what he does! It's a wonderful experience and definitely recommended for couples and small families with older kids.

This was a really fun place for our family members of all ages! You can touch, learn, feed stingrays, and so much more. Gotta check it out!

Interesting and informative. Feed live sea rays. Learn about the ocean as a habitat and how to protect it from human abuse.

We didn't get to see all the trails because many were closed due to flooding but the parts we did see we enjoyed. We arrived as a presentation was going on and it was informative. We enjoyed watching the sea turtles and sharks swim for a while. The smell along the one trail we were able to take was horrible and there wasn't much at the end. The volunteers telling us about various creatures were knowledgeable. We'd go back.

Nice way to spend a few hours. Learn about ocean life, watch everyone feed the Stingrays and learn and see our Florida turtles. The lagoon is filled with all types of fish including sharks. Their staff is wonderful and very very knowledgeable. We go there every year.

We hadn't planned on stopping here but had a few extra hours. What a pleasant surprise this turned out to be. A great place for families with little kids for just curious people.

The kids and adults enjoyed the visit. Lots to learn and new experiences for everyone. Kidsovedvthe stingray pool.

We went to this place today and it was so nice !
All the staff is friendly and knowledgeable! As we came in we were greeted and saw a cute gift shop .As we opened the door we made it just in time for the sting ray show .We visited the butterfly garden, gamefish feeding ,educational/research center , lagoon and nature trail .On the way out we bought some things at gift shop reasonable prices .
Check it out if in the Stuart area !

My Mom lives in Stuart & my 12 year old son & I visited her in April so she suggested we check it out. They have stingrays, turtles, fish and small sharks. Follow the schedule as they have specific feeding times for the stingrays and the turtles. There is a butterfly garden but there were no butterflies. Maybe it’s not the season, I’m not sure. There’s a cute little play area for younger children. My son & I did the nature trail walk. It’s about a mile. Nice 2 hour visit.

I must have passed the Center 200 times during my business trips and assignments on Hutchinson Island but never thought to visit. We took the advantage of a Groupon to to make the drive from West Palm Beach. It was definitely worthwhile. We arrived a little after 10:00 a.m. and had a little time to look at the aquariums before the scheduled programs started at 10:30 a.m. The volunteer in the aquarium room was very helpful and pointed out some of the creatures we might have missed. The regularly scheduled programs we attended included a stingray talk and feeding, a turtle talk, and a feeding "frenzy" of their game fish in the lagoon. We started the guided walk down to the Indian River Lagoon but it was too hot by then in our opinion. All in all it was a great experience. I would like to bring my grandchildren there in the future.

Okay for kids a good portion was closed when we were there. Not worth the price of admission. Look for something else to do.

Went here with several couples. Great place to spend a relaxing day wondering around. A great place with a family as well. The up close educational aspect is second to none. Whether you need a relaxing couples day or a great fun filled day with the fam this is one stop that should not be missed.

This is a small venue, but very informative and worth going to see the creatures. Nice walk to the river if you are up for it, too.

This is the most wonderful location to view and learn about the environment on the Treasure Coast. Adults and children will learn about the environment by display and hands on learning of the sealife and history of the Treasure Coast.

We have been there at least 20 times. Never gets old and great for the kids. New improvements as it grows.. Does a wonderful job educating the public about our enviroment.

Wonderful small town venue. Don't expect the Boston Aquarium. The local lore is informative and the volunteer staff is knowledgeable and very friendly. Try to go at feeding times to get the best view of the variety of fish in the manmade lagoon. Nature trails and educational offerings abound. Turtle walks during nesting season are late night adventures, but book early.

Here’s your chance to see turtles and sharks and then take an extended guided tour walk of the property. Very interesting.

This place was outstanding. We visited during the day for the stingray feedings as well as the turtles and fish. It was easy to get around and the staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. We also went on the sea turtle walk at night. WOW!! We were fortunate enough to see a mama lay her eggs on the beach. It was an incredible experience. The team there is exceptional and very passionate about what they do.

If you have kids this is a must do in Stuart. You get to feed stingrays and there is a great touch tank. Take the walk outside and see native fish and birds. So much fun!

My wife and I were in the area and decided to stop in and check out the center. As someone that is from the Midwest, we found it very educational in learning about the swampy land in the area and what is going on with the wildlife in the Indian River as well as the ocean. Fun to see them feed the fish and the stingrays. Also was allowed to pet the stingrays. Great environmental emphasis and restoration efforts underway. Interesting to see how they are recycling clam shells for clams! Great place to go and support.

They have various presentations every day and you can hand feed rays, and watch fish in an enthusiastic feeding frenzy. The injured huge sea turtles are either inspiring or depressing depending on your mood. A nice little hiking trail leads to the intercoastal and on the way you may see wading birds. There is a broad beach right accross the street. So a good day trip. Spend early part of the day at the center and then finish with a swim.

The staff at the Florida Oceanographic Center were super friendly, helpful and knowledgable. We visited the cnter with our family on a Sunday from 1:30-4PM. It took us about 2.5 hours to tour the museum and go to the three different presentations that ran during that time (stingray touch tank, marine life feeding and the sea turtle class). Learned a great deal about enviornmental issues and solutions. Make sure you go to the third floor of the museum as the views are amazing.

Great stop for young and older. Educational opportunities to learn about the river, animals that depend on it, how human habits are affecting it and what we can do to. Very clean and accessible. Plan 2-3 hours but you may wish you could stay longer. Great staff, friendly and knowledgeable.

Nice day spent petting the rays, urchins, and hermit crabs for the grandson. He especially loved when they fed the large fish. Just a nice time there. Very relaxing and educational.

The tour was very informative. People were excellent. Lots to see and Do. Excellent for the money.Had the chance to pet the Manta Rays.

This is a pleasant morning or afternoon visit. We did hands on feeding the sting rays. Listened to the turtle talk and the game fish talk. The displays in the center are informative. We ran out of time to walk all the way around the nature trail, but would like to go back and finish that. The price seemed a little high for the amount of time it takes to see all and do all, but it is helping to educate and rehabilitate the local nature resources.

I volunteer at Loggerhead Marinelife Center and took a trip to visit this center. I was very impressed by the displays and the educational talks on sea turtles and marine life in general. The speaker was very knowledgeable (I believe he has a Phd in marine biology) and his talks were really informative, interesting, and relevant. I would highly recommend visiting this center.

What an amazing place! We stopped in not knowing what to expect and were immediately thrilled that we did. The staff and volunteers are absolutely marvelous the sea life fascinating, and we all want to take a sting ray home for a pet!(not really, they're just super cute) We learned a lot and had a great time doing it.
If you are in the area be sure to visit- you wont regret is and they are doing such very very important work, you may even want to volunteer or donate :)

This is a great place to bring learners of all ages. Kids especially like the exhibits, touch tank for stingrays, sea turtles and the large outdoor fish lagoon. Adults can learn about how the scientific and educational staff are working to protect our marine environment and waterways. The nature trail in the back leads to the Indian River Lagoon and provides another opportunity to learn about the history and ecology of coastal Florida. The volunteers clearly love their jobs- they are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The gift shop offers lots of nice but inexpensive gifts suitable for birthdays, Christmas/Hanukkah or just plain souvenirs.

This is a very family oriented opportunity to learn about Florida marine life, how it lives and how it is at risk. Feed the Sting Rays and see the turtles. Check what time they are feeding the sea creatures and be there.

This was well worth the time. Very educational and fun to feed the rays! I learned a lot about the habitats of turtles . They are a non profit trying to educate the public on how pollution and global warming has changed the estuary in Florida. Worth the trip, fun for kids too.

Purchased a Groupon special. Due to COVID there is a 50% capacity restriction, face masks required, and there's hand sanitizer throughout the center. The stingray feeding and touch tanks with hermit crabs, urchins and sea cucumbers were nice interactive marine exhibits. There are walking trails varied in length. Unfortunately, we visited on a hot afternoon and didn't get to do any hiking. If you like to hike, go in the morning.

This was a great place for adults and kids of all ages, it was on the smaller side, but there was plenty to do. And seeing as the admission goes to a good cause, I was happy to pay. They had an adorable little gift shop, the 2 year old in our party loved petting the sting rays and they were so friendly! The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly also. We loved seeing the 4 large sea turtles and nurse sharks in the pond area

Can be enjoyed by all ages, this has a lot to offer families, as well as adults. The trails are wonderful as is the ray feeding areas.

It was our first visit to this place and we were a bit disappointed. The light display was a dozen Christmas trees in the grassy area.

This might be a better venue to check out in the daytime when the exhibits are open. However, the price seems a bit steep for the exhibits we saw.

We visited the Oceanographic Center on a Sunday afternoon and found to be a very well conceived, professionally manned environmental center concentrating on the beautiful Indian River lagoon. The Stingray pool, sea turtles and various fish and sharks were fun to vire and the kids got an opportunity to feed them, The staff was very competent and fully explained the :lives of the marine "residents" of the center.

Not a very large place. There are 4 programs during the day, guided nature trail walk, stingray feeding, sea turtle program and gamefish feeding. During the programs you are given very interesting facts and can also ask questions. There are activities for children, that are also enjoyed by adults in the exhibit hall. Plan on spending a couple hours here. Very clean. Staff is very friendly.

Staff is wonderful...a woman in front was beyond kind (her name was Joyce)...my 9 year old grandson just loved it...so did his grandmother.

Wonderful experience for the family. Education on aquatic life in South East Florida. The whole family can feed stingrays, learn about the waters off the Florida coast, view sea turtles and spend a good few enjoyable hours indoors and out

Everyone enjoys nature and learning how to help protect it. Everyone loves petting the stingrays, from my 80-year-old mom to my 4-year-old granddaughter.

We attended several of the presentations, dealing with the Everglades and the estuaries of eastern Florida (the intrusion of fresh water and nutrients from Lake Okeechobee). The presentations were well done. The fish "ponds" were a bit difficult to observe fish in. Worth the visit.

We are members here now, we enjoy this place more and more, kids have so much fun petting stingrays and other exhibits they are showcasing. The volunteer staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. Very educational as well. A must if you are here.

We enjoyed our visit here! There was a stingray pool that our grandchildren really enjoyed. The woman who gave the presentation was very knowledgeable. They were able to feed the stingrays also! There was a water area with sharks, large fish, and rescued sea turtles.

THe stingray were so gentle for us and our kids. The turtle in the lake we loved . A bit of (no see him) so bring lemon . We just loved that place.

This is a very low key attraction with so much to offer! If you have kids who are looking to be thrilled this might not be the place for you, but if you have little ones who are thrilled by almost anything or kids who are genuinely interested in marine life you HAVE to visit! We sat through the presentation and got to feed the manta rays, listened to a presentation at the sea turtle exhibit, and got to touch starfish! There's lots to see and the whole place is very serene. We went on a weekday afternoon and there was a small crowd. After the sit down presentation everyone dispersed and there were no crowds at any individual exhibit. The tickets were cheap and we got a BOGO coupon out of the tourist guide (grab multiple!) which made it an even better deal! We will definitely be back!

This place exceeded my expectations by a long shot! The presentations were excellent and the employees were very knowledgeable. They all did a super job communicating the info about the wildlife and ecosystem in a fun, upbeat manner! The facility itself was the biggest surprise. The huge "tank" with the gamefish was less of a tank and more of a natural-looking tidal pond. So much more cool to see the fish in a natural looking environment. My kids and wife enjoyed feeding the stingrays. Nice mile-long hiking trail through the mangroves, to the intracoastal waterway.
Left me wanting to go back for another visit!

Bring the kids and have them experience feeding the rays while enjoying very knowledgeable tour guides in local fish and turtles as well as what's going on with the local waterways. Worth the trip.

We went to the oceanography center on a Thursday. It was moderately busy. It was smaller then I thought it would be. There are a few touch tanks carrying small sting rays and some smaller tanks with hermit crab, snails, and sea urchins. My kids were disappointed because they wishes there were more touch tanks.
There was a lagoon with varies fish and a smaller enclosed part with turtles. Again my kids wanted to see more. It would have been nice if there was an underground area where you can under the water.
I guess this can be added as the center grows with more donations. It’s a good place to stop, pet the rays and, walk the nature trail which is one mile long. Kiddo didn’t want to walk the whole trail. we walked back after going a quarter of the way.

Staff was very knowledgeable and told us all about different types of aquatic life, they had stingrays and other animals you could touch.

Thought this would be a good activity for a rainy day, however lots of their outdoor area was closed due to lightning so we came back another day. Worth the visit.

We are a family of seven and we booked a private tour on the day the center was closed. What a great time we had getting to feed the rays and the fish. It is a much bigger place than you realize and you could easily go back and do other things that you didn't get to on the tour so take advantage of the membership they give you with the tour.

A good thing for my little ones to do because the hands on activities and native animals! We enjoyed feeding the Rays and observing the sea turtles and sharks!

Wonderful educational and hands on opportunities. Admission fee a little pricey. Exceptional ability to educate the public in a diverse and fun manner. Wonderful advocate for the Indian River Lagoon

A lovely place for a relaxing day out. Right by the beach, shops, and the Elliott Museum, so in a very convenient spot. The highlight for me was that you get to feed some rays by hand. Be sure to bring a lot of bug spray if you go on the nature trail behind the center.

We visited early Saturday morning - my husband, me and 1.5 year old daughter. All of us had a great time and great value for your money. This isn't an aquarium, but a mostly outdoor center full of interactive exhibits with a goal to educate the public to help marine life. There is a very wonderful indoor exhibit and 3rd story observation deck where you can easily see everything in the large outdoor "tank". Outside you can touch/feed stingrays and other small marine life. Every program is very interesting and educational. The whole facility is very clean and the staff was very nice.

The rays were the best part! You could touch them and that was really fun, along with the kid area ..Maybe skip the nature walk, so many spiders