Maui Ocean Center Reviews

Beautiful aquarium. Smaller than we expected but very well laid out. A nice place to visit, especially with younger children. IMAX movie about the whales at the end was particularly spectacular.

We missed the 3D Sphere experience because I was so absorbed. I’m not much for museums but I do love learning and this place wowed me!

The live aquariums throughout were beautiful and accompanied by tons of really interesting information.

Lots of families and quite a few screaming kids but if you are patient and take your time getting through the aquariums the screamers usually rush by.

Go earlier in the day. We went around 1pm which was part of the reason we missed the Humpback 3D Sphere.

We had a late lunch at the restaurant on site “Seascape”. Over a week long trip to Maui including our time at the Four Seasons resort this was the best meal!

Bring a camera! Some of the most beautiful sights of our trip were in these aquariums.

Second only to our helicopter tour of Molokai this was the highlight of my vacation!

The Maui Ocean Center is one of the best ocean experiences you will find. Lots of great exhibits, knowledgeable staff, and even artisans on the premises. It takes time to see, but is well worth it, especially the huge aquariums and underwater tunnel. Good gift shop as well. Worth every penny!

We had a great experience at the Maui ocean center. Helpful staff and a good amount of ocean animals! It’s a small aquarium but has a lot to offer. The whale exhibit was awesome. It only took us two hours to go through the ocean center.

This aquarium is beautifully done. The exhibits are amazing and I could sit and watch the jellies for hours. The kids were delighted, and it was fun and educational.

Lots of great ocean life that we don’t generally sea and a little bit of historical perspective. The sphere is awesome, too. We enjoyed it very much. However, I think $35 fee plus parking is a little high. At the very least, offer military and senior citizen discounts.

The exhibits where nicely done. Give yourself about 2 to 4 hours. Parking is $2.00 a hour oh, and font forget to add tax on that parking

Beware that you have to pay to park here. It’s $2.00 an hour. I didn’t like that, especially considering how expensive the aquarium is. Parking should be included. The aquarium is good but somewhat small. It’s not as big as other aquariums I’ve been to.

We visited the Ocean Center on our last trip to Maui 6 years ago and knew we wanted to go again. We had planned to visit the Ocean Center before arriving in Maui, and it turned out to be a rainy so of day, which made it a good choice. I've been to many aquariums and this one ranks among the best, IMO. It is beautifully laid out, and very informative, not only about the ocean creatures, but how they relate to Hawaii's culture. We were lucky enough to see a presentation where a diver was feeding the fish, and answering audience questions through the tank. Walking through the shark tunnel was also very cool, but my favorite thing was probably the 3D whale presentation in the Sphere. It's humbling and gives you a better idea of what those whales we all love to see are like under the surface. It's a great couple of hours spent for all ages.

Wonderful displays, great food. Loved the whale 3D film and enjoyed the many aquariums. Although this is "outdoors" most of the displays are indoors so this is a perfect trip for that occasional rainy day in Maui.

Fantastic introduction to Maui ocean life and ecology. Great visual show on whales. Fantastic restaurant attached. Outdoor and indoor exhibits with touch and feel displays. Ocean views to die for & you can sometimes see whales in the bay.

I have never in my life seen anything quite like the 3D sphere humpback movie. Immersive. Stunning. Really, life changing. Touch longer May have been good but the exhibit designer and the team for 3D sphere - superb.

DO NOT miss the Humpback Whale Showing. The whole Oceanic ecosystem was wonderful, informative and beautiful. Loved it!

Beautiful displays of fish, sharks, stingrays. Humpback whale 3D movie. Admission price is steep. Nice indoor activity. Touch tanks snack stand Was a nice relaxing activity and we enjoyed. Staff was friendly. Informative displays as well on the history of the island.

We enjoyed the aquarium very much, lots of close-up views of amazing sea life. Unfortunately, we were too late to catch the humpback whale presentation. Overall it was a fun experience. I would suggest planning on 2-3 hours for a visit. Remember to have your cell phone to use to pay for parking when you arrive.

Very Nice Aquarium and place to see. A bit expensive, but a very good place to visit and support. Much Enjoyed.

This was our third visit to the Maui Ocean Center. There is something new every time we have visited. We went during the week as soon as they opened as it does get crowded and it can be very hot. Definitely watch the whale movie as it was excellent. watching the turtles is also amazing. Would recommend taking your time to make sure you don’t miss anything. The views of the harbor or even amazing. The staff are very friendly and helpful.

This is a nice aquarium. The Humpback Whale video in the new Sphere exhibit was really awesome. I had hoped there would be more facts about the whales, but seeing them in 3D was pretty awesome. Definitely a must see if you have kids.

We booked on line and were able to select our entry time. I suppose this was to keep the crowds down.

The center was easy to find and had plenty of free parking.

The place is clean and well marked. There are some outdoor exhibits as well as several galleries of tanks.

The fish tanks were clean and fish looked healthy. They had many species of tropical fish, but also eels, starfish, jellyfish, anemones, and lots of living coral in tanks. Most of the tanks were very well labelled so we could identify the fish.

There was a large shark tank which had a tiger shark.

There is a very cool 3D humpback whale experience. worth the wait in line.

There were some kids displays as well.

Overall a very nice aquarium and well worth the price.

Really fun place with lots of different species. Only thing is that it's really small but lots to see still. Would definitely come back with kids

This is one of the smallest aquariums I've been to. The one in Chattanooga and Gatlinburg has this one beat. It is worth checking out on a rainy day, which is what we did.

I highly recommend this adventure. I have been to aquariums prior and thought it was going to be lacking but it was full of different things and our grandkids throughly enjoyed it! It wa smite expensive initially but we were kept busy for two hours or more.

I loved the Aquarium but for the price it wasn’t very big. The whale movie was great but I was disappointed that it wasn’t longer.
Getting the ticket online was very easy even for a senior citizen!!

Beautiful aquariums! The sea turtles swam right up to the glass. Sharks and stingrays in the tunnel were incredible. Took us about 1.5 hours to go through the whole ocean center. 4.5 year old and 1.5 year old loved it!

Most of the aquarium was amazing. There was one naturalist with the turtles name Wendy. I was trying to understand and asked a clarifying question. I am not school age. Wendy said weren’t you here for whole speech I said that. This came across like why are you so stupid. The person talking is responsible for making a point. If Wendy was not clear I have a right to clarify.

We did a behind the scenes tour with Dan. Our family had a great time. Dan taught us a lot about what they are doing for the marine life around the islands and how much impact they have made. We got to feed coral and sea turtles. The grandchildren absolutely loved it. Dan would actually roam around the park and would help with any questions people had at all times. What a fantastic employee.

This was a great aquarium. I thought it was going to be fully indoors so we didn’t put on sun screen, but beware there is quite a bit outside. Be sure to check out the 3-D whale movie and the shark/sting Ray glass tunnel!

The Ocean Center was neat to see, but not worth the $50.00 for one adult admission. Maybe my hopes were too high because it is Hawaii's aquarium but it left a lot to be desired. They show whales on their website and in their ad, but when you get there they explain that law doesn't permit them to have whales, it is a digital exhibit. Had I read the fine print and seen that there weren't any live whales there I would have skipped it.

Fun and educational activity for families with young children. Not as great with teens. Good rainy day activity. Best for younger kids.

Super overpriced for what you get! We went last minute so could not take advantage of the $5 off per ticket online. Pros great job presenting the history of the island and staff were great. Fun seeing the turtles up close and learning the names of the various fish. With that said cons $54 per ticket plus a processing fee (not sure for what) plus tax and then it’s a pretty small aquarium compared to what we are used to. Basically for 2 adults and 2 kids over 12 we dropped $250 just to get in and were done in an hour and a half! One and done- could not convince any of to go back at this price.

We stopped at the Maui Ocean Center this afternoon. It's not cheap, and it's not huge, but we highly recommend the visit. There were exhibits regarding Hawaiian tribal life, and the push to bring back Hawaiian culture, and to restore an island back to the way it was during the monarchy.
But the Aquarium is mainly about aquatic animals, and it was replete with those. Besides a nursery for the endangered green turtles, there was another one for young sharks. Then, the next exhibit hall showed life on Hawaii's Living Reef. From the shallows to the depths, the representative creatures were grouped. Then there was a huge aquarium, featuring a walk-through tunnel, filled with most of the aquatic life seen throughout the Islands.
But they saved the best for last - an exhibit hall dedicated to the humpback whale. Hawaii has outlawed confining cetaceous animals, and such would be an anathema to this Aquarium. Instead there were multiple exhibits explaining their lives, migratory, and social patterns, as well as the sounds and songs they make. Finally, we were treated to a 3D film showing the humpback in their natural state, adult and juvenile males and females, and calves. One cannot help but be amazed at how enormous these animals are, and the film certainly gave us a great perspective, as they glided right beside us. "WOW!" is all I could say.
The tour took us less than 3 hours, but held our attention throughout, as I think it would for children as well. We really enjoyed our visit.

This is an outstanding aquarium and information center. The displays are all very well done but the 3D humpback whale moving was like nothing I ever seen before. It blew me away.

My daughters and I visited Maui and we planned one day at the Ocean Center. We enjoyed it so much. We ended up deciding to go back for a second day and enjoyed it just as much for the second time. The 3-D humpback whale exhibition was particularly excellent.

Amazing facility! Featuring beautiful catch and release species from the Hawaiian islands. Highly recommend hitting the timed talks at each tank - done by highly informed and passionate staff! Like having a guided tour

My wife and I needed a day out of the sun. We went to see the underwater world of the Pacific. We. really loved the 3D "video" of whales. So real and an interesting piece of art. The parking system is interesting so pay by phone or get a ticket.
We visited and there were lots of small toddlers who loved all the fish and excitement. We had lunch at the main restaurant which was surprisingly very good. Hence, we had pie for dessert. It was well worth the money and to support a great cause.

The center is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the depths and breadth of the ocean. Hopefully everyone can appreciate how fragile it is, and especially how we can be more respectful and responsible.

Great for families!

Great aquarium experience, shame about the restaurant service.
We loved everything about the aquarium, especially the 3D dome presentation which is worth the price of admission just on its own.
We went with our children and grandchildren and everyone had a great time.
The only negative was the hostess at the restaurant whose attitude was poor and very unhelpful. She simply told us that they could accommodate our party due to the lack of large tables. (There were 5 adults and 3 children in our group). No attempt to suggest alternative seating arrangements such as two tables for 4 (which were clearly visible).
No problem. We just took our business elsewhere.

This was the second time we went. Awesome activity for families with kids! We didn’t have our kids with us this time but still enjoyed ourselves. We were able to read the information signs longer. We watched the 3D whale show and it was amazing! Just wished it was longer. Loved sitting and watching the tank that the sharks were in and walking through the tunnel that went through the tank. Sea life swimming above us. So cool!

A really great experience for the whole family. We spent a few hours walking through learning about all the animal, marine life and so many other amazing things.
We saw honu up close, coral, and the diver gave the kids some shark teeth from the tank.

One important thing to note is that most exhibits are all outdoors so it does get hot in the afternoon sun.

The tanks at the aquarium have a large variety of animals. We enjoyed the exhibits, but did not really enjoy the movie.They do sell Dole whip, so for fans of that classic treat, it is a plus.

My husband and I with our 9 year old son went on the guided snorkel tour. We chose this tour because it's led by a marine biologist. It proved to be an amazing experience for us all! Paul was an amazing guide who obviously cared for the environment and was able to share his extensive knowledge with us. He took pictures of us snorkeling and what we were seeing then sent the pictures to us as a keepsake. We all left feeling inspired! Well worth it! Highly recommended!

Good for kids but very overpriced for so few exhibits! It's small and pretty basic. and very crowded all day. I'm surprised and disappointed there was not timed entry, especially for the whale 3 D show. However, the attached Seascapes restaurant was quite good, with a nice view.

The Maui Ocean Center was okay. We had really been looking forward to it. There were some good things to see- the kids loved the humpback movie in the dome, having a manta ray swim over us in the tunnel was awesome, and we got to see turtles when we had failed in the ocean. Ultimately, it was very expensive for our family of four. I thought one of the talks would be fun but I went to an area at the allotted time and nothing was happening there. As other reviewers said, we couldn't use cash inside and we were done seeing everything pretty quickly. A paper map or posted list of talks would've been helpful as downloading pages was very slow on my phone. If the admission price was more reasonable, I would probably have rated our experience higher. Parking was a fortune too.

We were in the Maui Ocean Center today as a family of 3 and I regret to say that we are very disappointed by this visit to the aquarium.
The little reef sharks were really nice to see, but you can also see them in every zoo or sealife.
We paid an entrance fee of just under $150 and were through with everything after about 45 minutes.
In our view, the price of admission for what we have experienced is not justified.
But everyone has to form their own opinion.

The Ocean Center is a beautiful facility and provides important education. It is not massive so a couple hours is plenty to see everything. The one part that I would highly recommend is the Humpback Whale theater experience, do not leave until you do that. It is the highlight and the only thing that makes the price of admission worth it. It is so amazingly beautiful, wish it was a little longer but I understand why it is short. If you are really in to fish, you'll enjoy it for sure.

Great way to spend some time, especially when traveling with little ones. This allows them to get close to the sea life if they're too small to do snorkeling or other activities. My toddler loved it, and my infant could watch the fish for awhile! Loved the 3-D whale experience, it was really cool!

This aquarium was okay. Informative exhibits and we loved the 3D humpback movie, but we were done after an hour. We felt it was too expensive for what we got out of it.

Very nice and informative experience. There are no whales nor any dolphins. They do not hurt these creatures!. But a fun 3-D movie on the whales. Took us about an hour or a bit longer to wander through the buildings.

Loved everything about the aquarium.. the new dome show was awesome short but awesome… I hope they expand it to incorporate more sea life

We had a wonderful time, very friendly staff especially Dan who showed and explained many things to our two kids. It was cool to see a tiger shark in the large tank. We were seriously impressed by the 3D whale movie. Would highly recommend, especially the interactions with the staff who were engaging, helpful and friendly.

The money goes towards a great cause for Whales. The admission charge is expensive for what they offer. The whale 3D movie was a joke. It lasted about 10 minutes but showed nothing but a picture of a whale and its calf. Was expecting more education about the life and facts of a whale etc.
we did buy several T-shirts to support the whale foundation in Maui .
It will be fun for small children but nothing more than that.

Lots of fish tanks and many varieties of sharks & fish (including jellyfish) to view of many varieties. Extremely child friendly. Allow about 2 hours.

A great place to visit with family. However be prepared to sell you first born in order to purchase admission. Ridiculously over priced entry and the shops within done in a similar vein. Take out a new mortgage before going and enjoy!

I booked a snorkeling tour with Marine Biologist-Paul for my kiddos ages 16, 11, and 9. Even before the day of the experience, Paul established trust and excellent communication with this Midwest Momma. Paul kindly and promptly answered my questions and provided detailed information.

The day before our encounter, Paul text me detailed meeting instructions.

We arrived at the designated location, and as promised, Paul was ready. Paul reviewed the process and equipment in a manner that each kid understood. During the tour the kids had an amazing experience and saw lots of marine life. While this was a fun encounter, it was also educational.

This is a great aquarium with both indoor and outdoor displays really gave you a sense of Hawaiian sea animals and the Hawaiian culture.

We expected much more for the price.
We thought there would be outdoor pools too, but unfortunately there was only one with the turtles.
What a pity 😞

This visit was well worth it for just the Humpback Whale immersive exhibit and Sphere experience but there is more to see and learn about (Sea Turtles, the history of Kaho'olawe and the work for its restoration, the underwater tunnel). Something for everyone.

If you have young children (under 4 is free) who can't snorkel yet, this is a great place for them to see what's under the water off the stores of Maui. They now charge for parking via a third party service so be sure to pay with your phone prior to leaving the parking lot or you'll get a $29 ticket which nobody wants after paying the high prices for aquarium admission.

Was great for my shark obsessed 7 year old! We stayed over 5 hours. Many cool things to see and do. By far our favorite was the tunnel. Also the restaurant had good food and was very good about our allergies!

We needed a leisurely activity before hopping on the plane and this more than fit the bill. The 3D whale movie was incredible! Staff onsite were very helpful and knowledgeable. We enjoyed lunch at their on-site restaurant which provided views overlooking the harbor.

The snorkeling experience with Paul far surpassed the expectations of my family and I. Paul helped alleviate any fears that came with not having snorkeled before; he provided good gear and made sure everyone was comfortable in the water. During the tour, he provided great insight, and guided us through the coral, where we saw many beautiful fish and, ultimately, multiple green sea turtles. It was a truly amazing experience, and it was awesome that Paul took photos of us and the wildlife we came across for us to keep. Highly recommend!

Worth every penny! My 15 year old did the experience “snorkel with a marine biologist” and had an amazing time. It is a small group experience and the guide was so kind and reassuring with everyone in the group which was a wide variety of ages and swim abilities. He was awesome. I had looked at doing one of the cruise boats that snorkel but I loved the idea of supporting Māui Ocean Center and ensuring my daughter was being taught how to responsibly snorkel in the ocean! Plus the bonus of the small group experience. Her smile coming back to shore was priceless. Paul was great at communicating where and when to meet and was considerate of the weather conditions to ensure we had a great experience. Definitely recommend!!!

We liked that the fish were let go into the ocean, after a time, The aquarium itself, is small, with a large open air area, gift shop and a restaurant. We thought it was just okay, and were a bit disappointed.

Have been to better aquariums. The presenter at the green turtle exhibit was not the best public speaker and only gave very basic information about the turtles. The whales documentary was trying to tug at your emotions instead of giving factual information. $60 per adult for a 2-hour visit wasn't worth it. Parking fee (meter parking) is not included. When asked about a membership, the cashier wasn't familiar with benefits nor cost.

We spent a full day at the Maui Ocean Center and learned so much about the sealife in the South Pacific, conservation efforts and the pollution and indifference that is causing so much harm to our world. We bought the package that included general admission, a set Chef's menu at Seascape and Behind the Scenes looking at the research and conservation efforts.

If you've watched "Finding Nemo", every fish there could be seen here.

Parking was tricky and I ended up having to call to pay by cc. QR code didn't work for us.

We made reservations for lunch at 11am in order to give us time to get to our 1:30pm tour. This was a good move as it was full by 12 noon with a waiting list. We arrived at 10am which gave us just enough time to see the Reef Exhibit. The day we were there was very hot and windy. Apparently, this is the 2nd windiest harbor in the world. The Reef exhibits had a/c as did the 3D whale theatre and gift shop. Everything else is outside and open.

Our lunch at the Seascape restaurant was superb. We had a green salad with papaya vinaigrette, opakapaka fillet on pumpkin puree with squash & potatoes and a uli uli cake slice for dessert. I wouldn't have picked any of the latter two because I didn't recognize the names. Opakapaka is a type of snapper and uli uli is Hawaii's famous breadfruit. It was delicious. Seascape was awarded platinum status due to its ability to use only sustainable ingredients.

While there were lots of children who enjoyed the visual sight of the exhibits, if one took the time to read all the descriptions, information and history, there was a lot to learn and digest. The Maui Ocean Center, along with it's Oahu and Big Island counterparts have done so much to change government laws and policies. The fact that there is a safe conservation zone of several thousand miles square plus changes to the use of plastic and fish nets that cause damage, pain and death, speaks to the good work of these scientists.

The Behind the Scene tour took us to a coral "Ark" where the attempt to grow, breed and distribute endangered coral species has been underway for years. We fed small pieces of squid to coral and were amazed to see them open their mouths and ingest. Our tour guide also told us of the turtle hospital where the injured were brought, healed and released back into the ocean. We fed the sea turtles who were much faster in the water than on land. In fact, they can move at 50 mph in the water. The center is proud of its filtration system that brings sea water in for their exhibits and animals, but pumps it back out clean. They do this for millions of galloons a day.

The 3D humpback whale presentation used to be an extra charge but is now included in the admission. It's only 15 mins where one sits and absorbs the silent movements of these gentle giants while listening to their mournful sound. A little bit of narration told us of their habits, mating and caring for their young. As it was 3D, we felt close enough to touch. We would liked to have had a longer video, but understood this was already amazing footage.

The only part we didn't do due to time was the horticultural walk. Perhaps next time.

No better than any other aquarium in any other city. Not worth the money or a special trip. Might be worth it if you have kids that are too young to snorkel.

The place needs to enforce to "Do Not Touch Glass" signs. Parents were scoffing at the signs saying, 'whatever' to them and letting their kids bang on all the glass. If there were 50 kids in there, 40 of them were banging on the glass. I saw a grandfather show his daughter the sign because she was letting her kid bang on the glass. She said, so what. Too bad because it is a great place to see. Hope parents ignorance doesn't damage any of the species.

This very entertaining walking up and done different areas of the Aquarium while experiencing the culture.

After reading the reviews, my expectations were not very high. However, I was completely mistaken. As an educator, I was thoroughly impressed and loved every aspect of this place. It's great for couples and families, and there is so much to see. I thought the price was high, but it was well worth it.

This may not have been the best aquarium we have ever been to but it was well presented, easy to see and the 3d whale movie a moving experience. I believe it was worth the amount of admission.

Looking at all the beautiful fish. Amazed at how many there are in the ocean. The colors were unbelievable

Maui Ocean Center offers an immersive underwater experience that's both entertaining and educational. The aquarium's diverse marine life and interactive exhibits make it a great place to spend a few hours. Don't miss the Humpback Whale documentary - it's a highlight of the visit!"

Compared to other such aquariums rather small and not really attractive except for the sharks, turtles and jellifish. In particular, the entrance fee is excessively expensive for what it offers.

Great place to Go for few hours on the lunch time when the sun is very strong :-)
However the cost to go is very expansive at 60$ per adult
The 3D 180 degree video is a great experience to understand whales coming in the Maui Bay
Mainly we had a good time without any brochure to know where to go

Was really fun and my daughter loved it. Whale 3D presentation was great, though the narration in Hawaiian so I didn't know what they were saying. Shark pool was hypnotizing!

There are many exhibits throughout the ocean center. There’s a fantastic restaurant on site as well as shops. The animals were beautiful to see and read about them. I’m happy they no longer support keeping whales in captivity, I was very pleased about that.

We decided to visit Maui Ocean center, because it had great reviews and we had a stormy day to fill. We were all excited to go, and thought this would be a great way to spend the day. We started in the direction the staff told us, and kept following the paths as they lead you into the deeper parts of the ocean. There was great info of you stop to read, and the shark tunnel is cool. The new sphere where they show a short whale informational show was a joke, but the info inside before entering the theater was great, especially since we had done a whale tour the day before. We finished the whale show and noticed there was no where to keep going that we hadn’t already been. I had to double check the map to make sure that we hadn’t missed anything. We were done with the entire place in 1.5 hours, and we stopped to look at things and read most of the signs and information. Overall we were left very disappointed, and I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone besides maybe very small children. I just don’t think this is worth it for the money. I wish we would’ve spent that money on something else while here. It felt like a total waste.

It was a perfect day to go to the aquarium… Clouds in the sky, but still a beautiful day in Maui! An Absolutely wonderful aquarium, many interesting displays. The 3-D movie on whales was amazing! My only complaint was as I will explain, was lack of social distancing. We had to sign up in advance, that reassured me that they were very cautious of how many people were entering the displays at one time. That being said, no one was monitoring how many people went into the displays at one time. Displays were ridiculously overcrowded… And there was absolutely no social distancing, in spite of masks worn. My husband and I had to rush through the indoor displays… Feeling there were way too many people allowed in one area… With or without masks! I could not even get into Some local stores because they said there were too many people in the store… Please, please, please use some better guidelines at the aquarium to keep us all safe!

Loved it! Super clean and a nice rainy day activity! The employees were knowledgeable and polite. I would certainly go back!

Paul was an incredible tour guide for our family! We felt safe and comfortable with the tour. We loved that we started from the beach instead of a boat. We learned different types of fish and coral and saw several green turtles! We highly recommend this snorkel guide with a knowledgeable and friendly marine biologist!

Overrated and overpriced.
A few interesting
things to see but mostly reading info plaques and photos. Save your money.

We loved the Maui Ocean Center and found it to be the perfect activity to do while we were waiting for our evening flight home from Maui. We enjoyed the indoor and outdoor exhibits and the walk-through aquarium tunnel, where you can view many kinds of fish and sharks. The highlight of the day was the 3-D IMAX movie about Humpback whales. You actually felt like you were swimming right next the whales! I would highly recommend the Maui Ocean Center for young and old alike, and especially for families.

We decided to check out this aquarium because it was a windy and rainy day and we have 3 kids under the age of 8. The kids definitely enjoyed looking at the fish but we finished the whole loop in about an hour tops. I don’t really feel it was worth the cost at almost $150 for the 3 of us, the kids under 4 were free. We saw all the same fish they had here out snorkeling by our hotel in Ka’anapali. The best part by far was the shark tube.

Something I noticed immediately upon entering the first building was all the mold on the walls and floor. It seemed like almost every tank has a leak and they continue to paint over the bulging drywall. We actually got headaches and itchy eyes from being in the buildings with the tanks. Definitely something to keep in mind if you have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) as this could worsen your symptoms.

Overall, fine if you have nothing else to do to burn an afternoon but I wouldn’t put this on the priority list.

Our first time here and yes it is pricey especially without parking included. We enjoyed most of the displays… the coral and local fish were amazing.
We expected more from the Sphere whale movie.
Not really sure why the one display needed to get political. History does not change. But yes proud the US Navy is cleaning up bomb sites. Makes all of us proud to be Americans!

What a fantastic interactive pro-conservation pro-restoration facility! Lots to see, explore, and learn. The 3D sphere experience was awesome.

I don’t know how this place was rated a TOP 10 aquarium. It was tiny, barely any diversity of fish to be scene for the price you pay. Now I grew up in Monterey, CA and went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium often. Then moved to San Diego and experienced UCSD Birch Aquarium a couple times…wow it’s a night and day difference for what your money gets you.

Go for the kiddies I guess if you really just want something to do in Maui, otherwise there are much better aquariums to visit. I think we spent about an hour here and saw it all.

Very nice place to enojo solo, couple, friends or family.
So many different local spices, full of information and great service.
They offer a few options of guided tours.
We did the plants tour with John was great and he is a very nice and knowledgeable young guy.
If the Aquarium is not in your list to do please add it.
You have a gift shop, coffee plac

It was very nicely set up. Make sure to wear sunscreen, bring water,snack and a hat! Snacks were very pricey. Hubby and I spent 2 hours and enjoyed it immensely.

Wish they had more exhibits. Definitely on the smaller scale of aquariums we’ve visited but by far the most beautiful with the views and surrounding landscapes

It was a disappointment over the build-ups on the site. The movie on whales purported to be in 3-D but was so dark the 3-D wasn’t effective. The other displays were not that impressive. The best part was the aquarium walk through the glass tube. The Maui Transit system worked perfectly and dropped off at the aquarium. Senior citizens ride for free and they have a stop near the cruise ship terminal.

My favorite thing was the 3-D whale movie. It really shows how big these amazing creatures are!
The other exhibits were great, too. The lecture at the shark exhibit was great, as was the tunnel out of it. One of the rays kept swimming over us. My infant grandson was fascinated by all the fish.

Learned a lot and had a lot of fun. There was a cool part about the history of Hawaiians and their relationship with the oceans. They had a man demoing how to make traditional fishing nets and another man making fish out of palm leafs to take home. I understand it feels a tad pricey but the animals seem well cared for and happy so it seems like they’re putting the money to good use. That said the turtle enclosure did seem kind of boring and un stimulating for them

Beautiful aquarium., but not the best we have ever been to. The highlight is the 3 D experience with the humpback whales. That was the most memorable part of the visit.

Very educational. Loved the whale 3 D movie. Walking through the tunnel and having fish swim around you was great.

This was family friendly and we learned alot of cool information about the ocean and sea life. Very nice staff. The food options could be better and more inclusive to accommodate different diets and more healthy choices.

Great aquarium! The coral reef exhibit was fantastic, got to see what we may have missed while snorkeling around the island. Very informative especially with the cultural ties with the island.

Highly recommend a stop here.

This is one of the best aquariums I have ever visited. It is well maintained and has a very diverse collection. The shark tank and tunnel are incredible. This is a must-go for anyone.

This is a wonderful aquarium that really gives you a great insight into the coral reefs and native seaside. It’s nicely laid out so you take a journey through different levels of coral life reflecting the depths of sea around you.
Then you have turtle pools and nursery pools and a wonderful shark tank and walk through tunnel.
The 3D sphere shows a film about the humpback whales and through that you get closer to them than you ever could in reality.
The cafe is clean and caters well for snacks and ice creams. The restaurant looks fabulous and the shop is one of the nicest I’ve see at any museum/zoo/aquarium.

It’s great to know that they are active in supporting the coral and seaside around the island too.

We took a snorkeling tour with Paul, the Maui Ocen Center marine biologist, and it was great! Paul is very knowledgeable, and he made sure everyone was comfortable and had the best experience. He texted us the day before with the exact meeting point. We snorkeled from the same beach on our own before, but he took us to places where the visibility was much better so we could see much more fish. He also guided us to the "cleaning station" where turtles come to have their shells cleaned from algae by the fish and we saw 5 of them there which was surreal! Paul took pictures of us, the fish, and the turtles and texted them to us later. We highly recommend booking a snorkeling tour with Paul through the Maui Ocean Center!

The Center was really nice. However, you pay admission then they tell you to pay for parking. The phone scan would not work. We had to get the license number off our rental car and give out our credit card number over the phone. They dialed the number so you did not know if the call was legit or not. Also you had to state the numbers of hours you would be there. I think it should have been included in the admission price. If not, someone should have been at the entry to give you a parking ticket. This was very annoying to us! You don’t even get a receipt at admission.
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great aquarium, lots of fish and sea turtles which was nice. loved the underwater tunnel, very cool. super nice but expensive restaurant with a great view. got to touch a starfish which was pretty sweet. overall very enjoyable interactive experience.

I've been a member of an aquarium, I've visited aquariums on 4 continents, and yet there was a lot of new information here, and I still spent hours - standing in front of fish tanks, watching videos, reading the signs, enjoying the exhibits, and even shopping in the gift shop. I had read in other reviews that the Humpbacks of Hawaii film in the Sphere was not to be missed - and that is very true. Very realistic (it was fun to see others in the theater reach out as if to touch the 3D whales) it even left my husband, an engineer, wondering "how'd they do that?"

There's a lot to see here - inside, outside, several short educational films in a small theater (not the Sphere), a main gift shop but also other vendors in the outdoor part, there are touching pools - make sure you don't rush through it all in trying to make it to the 3D film showing! My only disappointment was that I never saw the Hawaiian state fish - the humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa. There was supposed to be one (some?) in the first tank we viewed upon entering, but I never spotted one there, and then I never saw an exhibit with them further into the aquarium.

We had a coupon to redeem at the gift shop - I wasn't optimistic it would necessarily be anything worth having, but it was a laminated fish ID card that they were selling for roughly $5 in the gift shop, and was something I might have bought for myself, so it was a great free gift!

Do note that you have to pay for parking. We weren't sure how long we'd be there, and ended up running back out to pay for more time. Probably would have been worth it to overpay at the outset than to have to do that.

My 14 year old son got his scuba diving certification and we did the shark dive. The dive master John was very nice, knowledgeable and even gave us a back tour of their reproduction and rehabilitation areas. We didn't know what to expect, but soon learned we were going to be freely open diving with the sharks circling. There were Reef, tiger, white sharks and even a Hammerhead shark. Other various fish, sea horses, star fish and a 12 wide manta provided a beautiful visual symphony which is now definitely an experience of a lifetime! The dive master helped us find shark teeth which made for great souvenirs. Make sure to bring a towel and dry clothes to change into. When we were done we met up with Dad and sister and toured the rest of the center which was very clean and impressive.

It was all wonderful with great information about the islands.. The whale movie was amazing, just wish it covered more…

The Maui ocean center came highly recommended and I think if it was just my husband and I, it would have been perfect. We had our 15 month old with us and her attention span is not that long so we had to move through the exhibits rather quickly. The visit was over before we knew it. I think it would be pushing it to say you would be here for 2 hours unless you did the 3d attractions and extra things. We even stayed for a turtle feed and we were easily done in about 70 minutes. But the exhibits were awesome! Learning about the turtles and watching them get fed was so fun! The price is a little steep for the size of the center, but I realize that money mostly goes to research so I will accept it as is. You also pay to park, which others have mentioned. All in all, it’s worth visiting.

A series of beautiful exhibits
That are informative and visually stunning! The tunnel of fish has you
Feeling that you are in the ocean

For over 40 usd admission I expected a bit more. In the whale exhibition the equipment was broken and there is really not much to see for the price. Turtle are in a small basin. The only positive was the 3D show but that was it.

Nice aquarium displays with native fish, plants, and coral. Also has a great 3D Humpback Whale exhibit. Don’t expect a SeaWorld type park. This is more about education and conservation.

We had an afternoon to spend before going to the airport and so we entered this aquarium, which is right where there is a small shopping mall by the harbor.

The price is expensive because we are talking about 50 dollars per person, it does not cost us so even the aquarium of Genoa which is much larger.

Overall the experience is the classic one of every aquarium, nice to spend an afternoon there but I would not go back a second time here.

We had heard great things about this place so bought tickets. This place is run down and honestly half the tanks have the exact same fish in them. There is some stuff to learn and see but overall it is overrated and overpriced for what it is. I would personally spend my time and money doing something different.

There’s a really cool humpback whale immersive 3D experience that came with the ticket for admission, a lot of other aquariums would charge extra. The restaurant Seascape was incredible, drinks were really good and the food was delicious, artistically prepared with fresh ingredients. We were very surprised and impressed with the dining experience at a restaurant attached to the aquarium. Service was excellent as well. Highly recommend

So amazing! Loved the aquarium. I would definitely do it again. Recommend this especially families with children.

We stopped on our last day in Maui as we needed to spend a few hours before heading to the airport. You have to pay for parking but there was plenty of parking available.
The aquarium is I would say on the smaller side compared to others I’ve been to but it was worth the stop. It is right on the water so you have beautiful views.
There are a few different exhibits (living reef, Hawaiians and the seas, open ocean) and things you can do. We walked around looked at different fish/sharks and coral, saw sea turtles and watched the Humpbacks 3D sphere.
There is a place to eat (I didn’t get anything) and a gift shop. Overall this takes 2-3 hours depends on how much you want to read and how long you look at things.

Not to miss. An incredible aquarium with three levels of coral and fish. Well done exhibitions. A 3 D movie on whales. Timed visits because of Covid. Leave enough time to visit the exhibits.

This is a beautiful aquarium complex! The shark tunnel is awesome. A great island experience for a reasonable price. Xxx

We had an exceptional host, her name was Ella. She was well versed and knowledgeable in all aspects of the marine life, with a great personality. Our entire group felt that having the “ behind the scenes tour” was well worth it. Feeding turtles, attempting to feed sharks, plus feeding the coral was great. Who knew you could feed coral…….?
And the sphere movie about the humpback whales was a great way to finish our tour. Well worth it! Oh ya, and frog fish.

My son, my brother, and I visited the Maui Ocean Center and were genuinely impressed by the experience. The exhibits are beautifully curated, showcasing everything from vibrant coral reefs and native fish to majestic sea turtles and sharks. Each display felt immersive and educational—not just visually stunning, but rich with information about Hawaii’s unique marine ecosystems.
What really stood out was how the center weaves in Hawaiian history and cultural perspectives. It’s not just about the ocean—it’s about the deep connection between the people and the sea. My son was captivated the entire time, and we all walked away with a deeper appreciation for the island’s heritage and natural beauty.
Whether you're traveling with family or just love the ocean, this place is a must-visit. It’s both relaxing and inspiring—a perfect way to spend a few hours in Maui.

Plan to spend about 2-3 hours at the aquarium. Their new installation was a gorgeous display of Hawaiian history and my 5yo loved looking at the all the setups throughout the hall.

We have been to a lot of aquariums over the years and this one was one of the best! The exhibits are well marked and interesting and the reef was amazing. Make sure to go to the humpback whale movie - I don't want to spoil it by telling too much, but imagine a top notch planetarium, but under water and about whales. It's spectacular.

Having been to almost 15 aquariums in the world. This one is easily in my top 3. Just go. If you are disappointed you probably shouldn't go to anymore aquariums.

The Whale Experience is amazing. Next best thing to being there!!! The entire complex is well worth the visit (this was my 2nd).

We enjoyed our visit to the ocean center and glad the weather was not so good...which made us decide to go here. So glad we went. Definitely recommend.
The whale 3d experience was very nice.
The history of the island is very informative.
There are artisans weaving baskets and it is very interesting to watch them.

Downside...You.have to pay for parking and by the hour.
Also ticket prices are quite steep

My wife and I spent 3 hours here and really enjoyed the experience. This facility has the largest and most varied collection of exotic fish that I’ve ever seen. Information placards throughout the facility were extremely well done. One of the great highlights was the 3-d humpback whale movie. We would definitely go back.

What a gem! We loved the lowkey vibe in a state of the art facility. Worth every penny to support such an exceptional organization! Plan to stay for lunch. Parking is extra

One of the best coral displays, combining education, variety and environment into a fantastic exhibit.

The overall ocean center is great and contains a ton of variety, of course the setting is spectacular and the layout well thought out too.

No crowds, parking (lots and cheap) and generally a great way to spend 3+ hrs if you like marine life (we could have easily spent 4-5 here.

The Maui aquarium is fantastic. So naturally we were excited to go to the 3D film on humpback whales. It was less than 15 min long and only showed 1 breach at the end of the film. Really? Maui is where the whales come for months every single year, and this is the only breach we get to see up close and personal? The hostess at the beginning said the movie took 3 yrs to make. I expect to see much more for a film that took 3 yrs to make with the whales coming directly to you each year. A little disappointing.

This is a really interesting place especially if you have time to attend the talks that are available . The Sphere with the hump backs is awesome.

Loved the new whale exhibit in the sphere and the coral reef exhibit. So cool to see what we saw snorkeling up close!

It was too pricy for what it offers, small and not too much to see. I regret that I went. I've seen much bigger and more spectacular ones before.

Was a very cool way to spend a couple hours. Was a good history lesson on fish of the island. And a real nice shark tank.

Great experience for family of all ages. Military discount was really nice. Great experience seeing a lot of beautiful fish and coal, lots to learn, the presentations were of a good length but not too long and were very interactive and informative. Turtles, sharks, scuba divers feeding fish and talking to the crowd. Awesome

Albert was a great driver. We loved the Aquarium and especially the humpback whale 3D Cinemax movie. The gift shop was also interesting.

We had a fantastic experience with Paul! We did our snorkeling in the early morning calm and due to a late cancellations we had a private tour! The reefs are right off the beach where we started and we followed a sand path to a spot where we saw at least 4 green sea turtles. Paul , a marine biologist, was extremely knowledgeable and pointed out the different reefs and fish along the way. Paul took some fantastic pictures which he shared after our trip. All in all a great experience and highly recommend.

This is a great little aquarium. It concentrates on local tropical fish, has some great presentation and is well worth a visit. No rides,no hype but an enjoyable couple of hours

Aquarium had many sealife Exhibits from native hawaiian waters. You could easily see all the Exhibits in a few hours. Busier on the weekends, Definitely loved this place.
Great for children.

We enjoyed seeing the Living Reef and Coral exhibit with the colorful fish and educational displays. The tidepool starfish and turtle areas were smaller than we expected. The shark tunnel was interesting. The 3D Humpback whale movie shows humpbacks under water. It would have been nice to include video of the humpbacks breaching and showing their above water activity as well. The movie was very short. The gift shop is outstanding with a lot of variety and quality items. Lovely grounds, but fairly expensive admission and you pay for parking. You have to make a reservation online in advance.

We are a family of 19: 10 adults, 2 seniors & 7 children, ages 1-11. We seniors (Maui condo owners for >30yrs, but not full time residents) have been visiting the Maui Ocean Center since it was built, and our yearly visits have been a highlight. We looked forward to this year’s visit too! However, it is now prohibitively expensive for the ticket prices alone, much less with the fees, taxes & pay-to-park add-ons! So very disappointing! And I fear these new prices will drive away customers, ultimately losing revenue for this gem of activities!

Nice aquarium! To expensive for the size of the aquarium. Nice 3D show. Good coral section. They have photo stops that take your picture but then they charge $20 for the pictures. Definitely not worth the price. They have a very nice restaurant.

Nice that the aquarium is there ~ but many of the sea creatures seem confined in cement bath tubs. Some no larger then a home aquarium. Needs a major overhaul..felt sorry for alot of the marine life. If you have been to the Monterey aquarium in Northern California you'll know what I mean. Took about about 1.5 hours to complete the exhibition. However, 5 stars to the 3d humpback whales of Hawaii sphere. Was absolutely outstanding!

We were all adults, everyone had a great time. Loved the special movie on whales, so great. We ate lunch at their restaurant on site, very good food. They also have more casual to go food available. Very beautiful outside aquarium. Spent about 3 hours there with lunch and shopping.

The quality of the sealife on display here is extremely healthy and informative. My husband and I spent several hours touring every corner of this facility.

The big fish exhibit was fantastic , Sharks, Manta Rays, Tiger shark and the turtles was great too . Also the tube that you can walk thru.

Just not what we expected. I would have liked to hear more familiar Hawaiian songs like Hukilau, Hawaii Aloha at the end. The hula dancers and uke player were really good. The Tiny Bubbles Sing Along was fun. I think more singalongs of familiar Hawaiian songs would be better. Lahaina Luna instead of the centipede song. Also the food needs to be elevated or eliminated from the price. Also it says on the recording to raise your hand for the bumpit for the headphones but nobody acknowledged us and the headphones slipped off all the time. Also the video made several people in our group motion sickness and they had to leave. I felt like it’s a work in progress. Eric is such a sweet guy. Would love to hear more of his stories. Loved the one of his grandmother.

The whale 3D show is phenomenal. I loved it. It was so well done. After spending lots of time whale watching above the surface it was perfect to see what swimming down with them would be like. I highly recommend it. The rest of the aquarium is good too. The tank/ tunnel with the sharks is big and awesome. With 3 kids ages 8,5, and 3 we spent 3.5 hours there.

The humpback 3D experience was amazing and I wish it was longer. The aquarium/Ocean center is small but loved seeing the different exhibits. Don’t forget to stop by the art tables and makes yourself something to take home!

The new 3D whale 15min. experience is exceptional! We’ve been to the aquarium a couple of times it’s nice. Your typical aquarium experience, but the new whale made the 3rd visit great!

This is outstanding aquarium! After several days of snorkeling it was fascinating to see the endemic species of Hawaiian fish and sea creatures. The whale sphere is not to be missed. And the Dole Whip as a snack kept us going!

Beautiful Aquarium and friendly staff. Everyone very informative and the displays were amazing we will recommend to family and friends visiting the island.

The Maui Ocean Center packs a lot into a relatively small space. One definitely gets a sense of the rich marine life in the Hawaiian archipelago.

We spent a few hours at the Ocean center and really enjoyed the humpback whale show in the 3D sphere. It was unforgettable. The gift shop was very nice and had gorgeous t-shirts up to size 4X. There was a nice little shopping area right next door.

One of the best aquarium experiences. Where better to see and learn about Hawaiian sea life. The exhibits were excellent. The glass tunnel and 3D whale film were highlights. Excellent setting with knowledgeable staff. Exhibits included very good information. The attached restaurant is only run of the mill. Wish our grandchildren were with us as they would have enjoyed the aquarium. So much to see.

The second day we were in Maui it was extremely windy so an indoor activity seemed like the logical thing to do. So we decided to go check out the aquarium and Ocean center.

Tickets are roughly $50 a person, at first it seems a little overpriced, until you actually start walking through the aquarium displays and see how beautifully laid out it is and the variety of aquatic Life and educational activities involved in your tour.

The highlight of the tour was the humpback whale experience. You sit in a domed theater where the seats lay back and you literally look up while you wear 3D glasses. This is definitely a must be if you make a visit to Maui or you are looking for something to fill in your spare time. The 3D experience was a couple years in the making, and they did a very good job of presenting the video display, it almost seemed like you could just reach out and touch them! Very well done! My 15-year-old son even enjoyed it.

They have a gift shop, everything is moderately priced, we did buy a couple things to support the ocean center.

So wonderful to connect to nature. Especially those of us that can't go in the ocean. Don't miss the 3d whale sphere show.

Okay but a little disappointing. Smaller than expected and not very interactive. The open ocean was great though!

We love aquariums! This is one of the best. Tons to do outside and inside. It’s amazing! Make reservations at the restaurant. I had Ahi with lobster….OMG. Delicious!

Had a fantastic time, saw multiple presentations by Kevin who was patient in explaining all the exhibits and answered all our questions (about the marine life and their cultural relevance) with expert knowledge, thoroughly. Hands down the best experience I have had at an aquarium.

Very similar to the underwater observatory in Eilat. It turns out that the architect who built the observatory in Eilat also built the aquarium in Maui. I wouldn't spend time going there if you have other plans...

Lots of kids were coughing- must be out for summer. I put mask on in theater and by the shark tank, but many areas are open air thankfully. We enjoyed the naturalists. They post the times they speak so you can plan on hitting all the major tanks when the naturalist speaks. About 15 min apart. May have started 10 am. Parking was $2 per hour. 3 hours worked for us but I’d say 4 max - we read a lot, but skipped reading in a few areas to hit the shark tank on time. Some hotels gave out free gift tickets to redeem at the large gift shop - cool laminated fish ID card when we went- wish I had it snorkeling!

What a surprise gem! the flow through the aquariums and exhibits is seamless and natural. I cannot believe the variety of fish we could see up close and personal! You can read and learn as much or little as you want, and there are many interactive exhibits that captivate the kids. They even have a "playland" to get their jiggles out! The culmination in the domed theater was MAGICAL. We truly felt like we were in the ocean with the majestic humpback whales! I suggest you visit the Ocean Center BEFORE you go on a whale-watching cruise, because this experience will give you a close up view of the whales' world and make it almost personal.

We are a family of five. Two adults and three kids age 10, 13, 18 (technically an adult now) and I think we are at the point where this experience isn’t worth the cost. It was $220 and we were in and out in an hour. I could see if you have younger children you could definitely get a couple hours of this, but for us, we’d rather spend that money and time to go do something else. We did love the turtles and shark exhibit. It’s clean and nicely laid out.

Had a great experience. Especially the behind the scenes tour with Keo. She was very engaging with kids and made them curious, excited and delighted with her behind the scenes activities.

Very cool displays. The scavenger hunt for kids made it more interesting. Although they only get a tattoo sticker, not a toy. We saw turtles being fed too.

Decided to visit on a cool, windy day. Some trouble paying for parking as it can only be done by smart phone, but fortunately the young parking attendant helped us. We started with the Humpbacks of Hawaii in the 3D sphere - it was interesting, but would have been a lot better if my 3D glasses had actually worked. I did get a couple of peeks using my husband's. We tried to stop for lunch at the Seascape Restaurant but turned out to be an hour wait, so made do with the little Reef Cafe. They had very little food left by lunchtime. My husband took the very last sandwich, all the pizza was gone, so I got a hotdog. The 2 staff seemed overwhelmed. We sat on the patio, but it was so windy everything was blowing away. Enjoyed the Aquarium, so many gorgeous fish and lovely coral, although it was quite crowded that day, I guess due to the weather. The Hawaiians and the Sea was good, and especially liked the Open Ocean Tunnel with the sharks and Rays. Finished up in the Maui Ocean Treasures Gift Shop, which has a great selection of items.

If you're not inclined to snorkel, or if you just love aquariums, this is a great option. It's a nicely laid out introduction to the coral reefs & ocean around Hawai'i. The Sphere with the "Whales" in something like 3D Imax is really something-- almost too close to the Humpbacks!

It was okay, its small and has a few indoor areas to view fish tanks. Some were the nice big ones you may see at a Sea World type location. Ther are a few outdoor pools that you walk through in 10 minutes. Then at the end if the 3D experience thing. We were looking forward to seeing this. What a disappointment. It was around 15 minutes long and included 3-5 clips of video of a whale basically not moving. All played in slow motion. The entire time there is a super slow calming womans voice speaking at a rate this is unrealistic and boring. We all kept expecting it go get exciting, but it never does. Its slow motion, slow talking, slow music and kind of annoying. Great time to take a quick nap because you won't actually miss anything. They missed the opportunity to make it amazing and they made it boring. The woman's voice is so slow that by the time she finishes a sentence, you already forgot the first half of it. This entire stop was just OKAY and took up some time on a hot day when we wanted to cool off. For the price, not sure I'd suggest it. Total time here I think we spent 2 hours max.

It was quite smaller than I thought. But, it occupied 2 hours of our time. Feeding the turtles and sharks was my favorite. The Humpbacks 3D show was good, too.

Our visit here was outstanding. Especially the humpback whale movie in 3-D was amazing. Recommend everyone go for a visit! But beware of the parking. It’s not free. Be sure to pay ahead of time because if you park there without paying you will get a ticket which costs $29 versus paying $2.

A very pleasant experience -- although the number of visitors eventually reduced the quality of the experience. A limited number are available for each time slot, but I'm now wondering how many. Nevertheless, there are many good opportunities to see fish, and the displays all have informative signage. At the "senior" rate, this is a bargain compared to many other "opportunities" available to tourists. (I would have been better off doing this twice than going on a snorkeling tour.)

Paying for parking is required and is a pain for those of us who don't like to use "smart" phones (which are actually not smart at all), but a direct call to the posted number gets a helpful attendant who can take your credit card information.

This was a very nice experience. Lots of sea creatures to view. I really liked the theater 3d presentation. The clear tunnel with fish around you was cool other than that it’s a typical aquarium. A bit pricy in my opinion.

My experience at this place is underwhelming, while the ticket price is overwhelming. Aquariums at other places are much better. So I would highly suggest to not waste your precious time in Maui at this location.

Perfect way to spend an afternoon Not busy and loads of different displays to see and a ton of information

Nice exhibits. Native species. Not a very big aquarium but good. Nice 3D movie on Humpback Whales. Add to your plans for a relaxing day

Great way to spend the day with the family. Paying for parking is a little shameful though. 12345678

For a smaller aquarium, this was very nice. Some outdoor hands-on tanks and exhibits, including viewing sea turtles in action. Lots of indoor smaller water and sea-life exhibits, including coral and numerous sea creatures. There were several larger water exhibits including a Water Tunnel and larger tanks surrounded by glass with sharks, rays, etc.
Overall, it was worth spending the 3 hours there. Our 10-year-old granddaughter really enjoyed it.

This is a relatively small, but very well-maintained aquarium focusing on the sea life of Hawaii. The reef exhibits feature many beautiful and interesting fish and corals, and the open ocean building includes a cool underwater tunnel and displays about Native Hawaiians' relationship with the ocean.

There is a nice exhibit and short film on humpback whales along with several outdoor tanks, including one with honu--the green sea turtle. The complex has two cafes as well as a large gift shop. There is a fee for parking and admission is a bit pricey, but it's a great way to spend a couple hours in Maui.

This is a good aquarium that is fun to visit. Highly recommended for kids. Lots of interactive displays and video presentations to see as well as a glass walk-through shark tunnel.
My issue with this Aquarium is the cost and the value for the money spent. I have been visiting for 8 years and this has become a pricey ticket. For a family of 2 adults and 1 5 year old it was approximately $130….. add to that paid per hour parking in a parking lot that used to be free. A tow truck was circling the parking lot continuously to tow away cars whose meter time had expired. This place really feels like it is trying to take every dollar it can now. We had one snack…. a frozen ice cream cookie $10.20….. and we were asked to round up to save some animal, we said no thanks. We bought one small souvenir for $6.15 and we were asked to round up to save another animal. We decided to leave after that to save ourselves! lol. Good Aquarium but high prices.

Our party had a few hours before we had to go to the airport, and this was a fun place to kill some time. The shark tube was awesome! As adults we enjoyed it - great place to take kids.

Always a lot of fun for the kids beautiful fish sea turtles exhibits clean and native Hawaiian experience was informative , my only issue was parking we had never paid for parking before and the signs that were posted were on the end not toward the ocean center so with our large group and two vehicles I incurred two parking tickets for an additional 38.00 I just wish it had been better posted as I’m 60 years old and have never had a parking ticket

The Ocean center was amazing, one of the better aquariums I've been to. The location has a few restaurants and shops so give yourself a little extra time so visit those places. The Humpback sphere was mind blowing and is included with the admission price!

What a wonderful way to experience Hawaii sea life. We started our visit with the whale movie, 20 minutes of an immersive underwater experience. Amazing. The displays were easy to understand and they were quite interesting. The underwater tunnel was one of the best attractions I have ever enjoyed. We stayed 3 1/2 hours, which included the restaurant. I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food, the menu, the service, and the open-air dining on the harbor. I highly recommend this half day adventure for all ages. Kids and retirees will be equally entertained.

This is a really good place to visit and learn about the unique sea life around Maui. After my visit the the aquarium, I went on a snorkeling adventure. I was able to identify some coral and fish.

Beautiful aquarium with excellent educational exhibits. Information is well-shared through presentations and signs. The 3D movie is amazing. A must see!

This is such a cool experience! If you like yoga, this will be some of the most unique and fun yoga you can practice. It is easy to sign up on the website, and is well organized. The teacher was great, and provided a good all-levels flow class that was clearly directed and offered good modifications. You will need to bring your mat and any other props you like (blocks, etc). Price was reasonable and in line with other single class drop in prices at other nearby yoga studios.

We had a great time at the Ocean Center, kids aged 3, 9, and 13 all had a good time. However I received a parking ticket and was not told at the ticket counter or see any signs saying parking was pay only - after paying $250 entry & $80+ for food and drinks I’d expect parking to be free. Ridiculous.

I found the aquarium to be mediocre, especially given the price and location. The best part was the 3D whale movie but that took 45 minutes to get inside and it was over before I knew it. I think the gift shop has more to peruse than the exhibits.

The aquarium is amazing they've done a great job and I would recommend but their move to Cashless ruined the whole day for us. Our cards won't work here and they would not accept anything but cards. Thank goodness we were with someone else who had a card that did but having to ask someone else to pay for your day was ridiculous and embarrassing. Then we were told don't worry the restaurant and shop take cash. Nope after we ate had to ask for help to pay for our meal again and theirs. My kids couldn't shop at the gift shop either. For a place that's supposed to be about nature and conservation I was disgusted with the heavy push for plastic that just makes the makes banks money with all the transaction fees. The amount they send off to the banks for transaction fees could be given back to ocean inititiatives instead of just throwing it away. Too bad it was a neat place but we won't be visiting again until policies like this change.

Excellent displays, clean and beautiful tanks, and an overall excellent educational and fun experience. My daughter couldn’t get enough and wants to come back with her grandma next time. We loved it and appreciate everything the MOC does to help rehabilitate corals and to inform the public about the wonders of the ocean in order to protect it. I think we made friends with several fish while we were there!

The highlight was the botanical tour conducted by Sara which really brought to light the rich history of Hawaii culture and the flora of the islands

We enjoyed Maui ocean center. It is small and doesn’t have a-lot going on but what they do have is clean and well presented. I don’t know that you would need a whole day here. The parking is not free you will need to pay in advance or you will get ticketed. The new whale exhibit was phenomenal. If it wasn’t for that I don’t think I would have rated it so high. It was a spectacular experience and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We also appreciated that they offer a generous military discount for the hole family.

It is average compared to Ripley in Toronto or other aquariums. The ocean tunnel is not there as per false advertising.

This is an extremely well done aquarium, and would be a good way to spend a morning or afternoon in Maui. It’s just a shame how expensive it is. Two adult tickets came to nearly $100 dollars, which is a lot for an activity that takes at most 2-3 hours, or 1-2 hours if not reading all the signs. By far the most expensive tickets I’ve ever spent at an aquarium or museum.

The exhibits are well arranged and the signs are informative to read with the right level of detail. Good variety of fishes and animals. There is an interesting exhibit focussed on the island of Kaho‘olawe which explores Hawaiian history, culture and politics. There is also a 3D virtual reality show on whales that was also very immersive with impressive technology.

It’s a shame that such a nice aquarium is targeted to wealthy tourists and out of the price range of local Hawaiians.

Highly recommend this for families with children. We have been going to Maui every year since 2004 when we first visited the Ocean Center. We did not think too much of that first visit, but the center had only been open a few years. We decided to give it another try this year and we were truly surprised at how much it had changed and grown. There is much more to see, and the live exhibits and shows are interesting and really educational. We liked the turtle exhibit and the sharks show. Kaho'olawe: A STORY OF HISTORY AND HEALING is a must visit and listen to the history of this island. I did not know the full extent to which our military had destroyed this land. We found it amazing how the native peoples have cleaned up the munitions and continue to restore the natural health and beauty to the island. We can also highly recommend the Seascape restaurant next door and accessible from inside the Ocean Center. Wonderful location with a beautiful view of the harbor and cool breezes. Great fresh fish and food. Enjoy!

This was our third visit to the Maui Ocean Center and it is still one of our favorite aquariums! We purchased tickets at the Military Veteran rate ($25 each) as I am retired Army.

The neatest thing right now is the 3D swimming with whales show projecteed on a hemispherical screen which often leaves the viewer ducking to avoid getting hit with a fluke or fin from a humpback whale! Not to be missed.

The aquarium has all sorts of wonderful exhibits - reef dwellers, baby sharks (NO music!), sea turtles, Hawaiian history, and an open ocean tank with a 47 foot long tunnel through the center of it.

Usual gift shop but a very nicely done one with a lot to offer.

This is a good but not great aquarium. However, the movie in the Sphere is so awesome that we went to it twice. Without this the $40 adult price would be excessive. And having to pay for parking.

This is a nice enough small aquarium but nowhere near worth the price of admission. Takes less than an hour to walk through and even the humpback whale experience was much less than we expected. Might have been a better experience with young children along but then the price would have been even more.

Turtles, rays, groupers, octopuses, small sharks, touch tidal pool, history, gift shop, restaurant, ADA, kids friendly…

One of the visual highlights of our trip. The 3D sphere was a wonderful experience. The walk through the various exhibits was well worth the expense.

This is a small aquarium that is really only good if you have small children. The admission price, about $55/person, is not worth the experience. I recommend going and snorkelling instead if you are an adult

If you keep your expectations at the right level, this is a very good place to spend an afternoon with a young child. Our 3 year had much fun and we got a bit of a relaxing time also

The Maui Ocean Center is a total ocean party! Imagine walking through tunnels under the sea, and all these sea creatures swim right above you. There are sharks, turtles, colorful fish – you name it. You can even touch stuff in a special pool – like an underwater high-five. If you're into fishy adventures and wanna learn about the ocean, this place rocks! 🦈🐢🌊

My wife and I had a pleasant afternoon at the Maui Ocean Centre. Our favourite areas were ‘The Living Reef’ and the exhibit about Kaho’olawe. We spent about 5 hours, which felt about right. I should say that we are the type to take our time and read most of the interpretive material.
The restaurant had good food. I would recommend it to adults or families.

This was the perfect visit to kill time before our flight home. It’s small but clean and well laid out. We loved the 3D humpback exhibit!

Great place- very relaxed and not overly crowded even on the weekend. The exhibits are well maintained and a great educational opportunity fir all.

Since our flight didn’t leave till 7:00 PM we visited the aquarium in the afternoon. It was good to pass some time but felt it was overpriced. Some of the exhibits inside had lightbulbs burned out making it hard to see. The 3D movie was poor quality and we were not able to hear the narration. We did enjoy seeing all the different varieties of fish. We were able to see several of what we saw while snorkeling.

The views were amazing. The 3D whale show was amazing!!! That was my favorite part!!!! The cafe had very delicious food and wonderful service.

This was my second visit to the Maui Ocean Center and it was every bit as wonderful as the first. This aquarium has a seamless layout, taking you through exhibits that represent going deeper and deeper into the ocean. The fish and other marine creatures are well identified and demonstrate local environments. The large habitat with sharks, rays, and other large fish is the best tunnel type exhibit I have seen at any aquarium.

There are also displays of cultural and historical significance to Maui and the other nearby islands, particularly Kaho’olawe, which was reclaimed by Hawaiians from the US military and is undergoing restoration of its natural, native habitat.

The Maui Ocean Center can be found in a beautiful setting on Maalaea Bay and is well worth the visit.

We go here every time we visit Maui.Nice clean aquarium.There is so many things to see. One of our favorites is watching the 3D movie on whales. It’s not very long but I could sit and watch it for hours.Boy do you learn a lot about whales.

If you want to go, you need to go on line and reserve a time to go. As far as I know you can stay as long as you want. You do have to pay for parking.

This was amazing!! Our guide Paul made our snorkeling trip unforgettable! He took us to the most beautiful spots full of colorful fish, coral, and sea turtles. He was very knowledge about the maui marine life and his focus on safety made us feel completely at ease. This was a highlight of our Maui trip — highly recommend! Great for our 11 and 14 yo kids!

We were in Maui for one day while on the Crown Princess cruise ship.
We had not booked a shore excursion ( ridiculously expensive - but more on that later …)
I found the MOC online .
We got a taxi from Kahului port to MOC at 8.30am for $38 including tip . We had pre booked tickets at $40 each .
What a fantastic facility ! From entering , staff were friendly and knowledgeable. We spent three hours happily looking at beautiful sealife in their happy place . The tanks were spotless and it was obvious that care and concern for our natural environment was paramount to this facility .
The turtles were fabulous . The nursery area with shark pups was so good to see . The tunnel through sharks and stingrays was wonderful .
We loved the Orbit Sphere where you could kick back in chilled
comfort and view a humpback whale and her calf in a beautifully cinema experience.
There’s a great cafe on site as well as one of the best gift stores I’ve ever seen for a facility like this .
Well done to all those who created this very special place. Worth every $ to visit here . A must see in Maui.
Outside there are other cool shops and restaurants . The pacific Whale Foundation also operates from there and books whale spotting in season and has a great store .
Hula cookies are outstanding and there’s lots of interesting souvenir shops .
We also found that there is a free shuttle coach back to the Port leaving at 12.30 or 1.30pm .
So in total we spent around $120 for the best morning . The ship excursion for transport and every was $360 for 2 . It’s a no brainer and It was easier doing it independently.

This was super cool. It was the first thing I did on the island, so that I could learn and get a scientific and cultural context for what I was seeing, and I was not disappointed. The various tank exhibits were really cool, seeing the huge variety of fish, corals, crustaceans, and other creatures that live in the ocean. Almost all of them were easily visible, none of this stuff where you don't see anything because it's hiding behind a rock or whatever. The tide pool was cool, getting to touch the fluffy black sea cucumbers and some starfish. And I really appreciated the exhibit about the island's history, aquaculture, the story of Kaho'olawe and so on. Of course, seeing all the sharks in the tunnel was a highlight! My only regret is not having more time to spend in the (quite large) gift shop, although I did snag a fridge magnet.

My wife and I are visiting Maui from San Diego, we immediately wanted to see the turtles so we booked passes to the Naui Ocean Center.

During our tour we had a funny, engaging, yet knowledgeable guide named John. John was very patient towards adults and children who had a question regarding the animals, he also kept the tour light hearted and humorous with his quick witted responses or jokes.

Towards the end of the tour we were able to broadcast feed the turtles, which allowed the turtles to come up close for great pictures, my wife also loved how they chomped away.

Overall learning about and seeing the turtles up close made the trip definitely worth it, and meeting John and Taco were bonuses!

Fun indoor activity on a rainy day. We visited the Maui Ocean Center in our last day before flying out. It was raining so it was a perfect activity. There are some parts of the museum that are outside though. The whale movie is a must!

We were not impressed with this center. Very few exhibits and for the location this could/should have been so much better. There were long lines for 2 of the exhibits for which we waited almost an hour each. Otherwise we would have been in and out in 30 minutes. Would not go back and would not recommend.

I had heard that this aquarium was small and not worth the price, but I disagree. Yes, it was not cheap (especially for large families), but the quality of the exhibits was very high and included sea turtles, sharks, rays, eels and an array of gorgeous fish. It had a walk-through glass tunnel and there’s also a wonderful 3D movie about whales.

Such a cool place to spend time learning about the local marine life. Great exhibits and friendly staff that you can tell are passionate about the ocean.
It was fun learning more about the fish we had been seeing while snorkeling off Maui. The movie about the humpback whales moved me to tears. It was beautifully done. And the glass tunnel through the shark tank was fun.
Definitely a great spot to explore- we did so on a rainy afternoon. The gift shop is fabulous too! The best tshirt designs on the island.

We planned to stay there for 2 hours but ended up staying for 6 hours. Learned a lot of information about ocean fish and how they maintain the salt water environment at the Maui Ocean center. Had an opportunity to see many types of ocean fish. and attended informative sessions. Watched a 3D documentary about Whales at the dome theater inside the ocean center and it was amazing. We had lunch in the ocean center as well and the food was good. We really enjoyed visiting the place.

I booked a boat tour with Pacific Whale foundation and I stopped by at the Ocean Center activities which is also located at the Maui Harbor! The Ocean Center is beautiful and small while their souvenir store is big, I had already being nominated as the customer of the day at the Pacific foundation store because I spent over 100 dollars in gifts. But I entered the Ocean Center store to see if I find something different and support them, but an employee older woman approached me and asked me what was a wearing , I said they are boy-shorts and she said but is it a swimming suit? I said yes because they can be used for swimming! And she asked me to leave she was very ofended. I did not want to cause an scandal so I left, posting the photo of the outfit that offended her 😜🤪

The aquarium was awesome and the whale dome was worth the trip alone. Absolutely amazing!! However the inside stuff was a bit stuffy and masks were not being worn by many and really packed in. If this is something that you are worried about you may want to speed thru the inside beginning part. Plus the best stuff is outside or in bigger areas anyway. Overall we loved it. But when you have a guy who constantly seems to be standing next to you even when we skip stuff to get way ahead and he is coughing and has a runny nose and keeps standing next to you and your children, it was pretty annoying

Oh but did I mention they have a tiger shark!?

We did the behind the scenes tour and it was well worth it! We were able to feed the sea turtles and sharks while learning so much about the marine life! I would recommend seeing the 3D humpback whale exhibit before leaving because it was a breathtaking once in a lifetime experience!

We took our 2 yr old grand daughter. It was very mellow. She loves the honu and octopus exhibits most

The entire aquarium is put together very well. The displays are clean and easily viewed. They are not just educational and enjoyable for the animals displayed, but they also are on focus for teaching conservation and our role in keeping the planet in balance.

We have been to aquariums around the world. Some excellent and some not-so-much. This is easily in the top-10.

It was the perfect place to wrap up our trip to Hawaii. All the wonderful and informative displays. Places to grab a snack or eat a nice meal. The Whale center was truly the best. (Had to take it in twice!) A must for you and your family and or traveling companion!

Great place,lots of beautiful fish,lots of info.Parking ticket was a bit of a challenge.Great gift shop.I loved seeing all the fish

This place is awesome. The only negative thing I could say was that I wish it was bigger. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting here. It is so clean & nice. We had just been to Long Beach Aquarium the week prior and it’s kinda dirty so I was extremely impressed with the state of their exhibits and how clean all their tanks were. I would highly recommend visiting here.

Pay to play parking scam.
They have paid enforcement to ticket you immediately if you don’t pay, BUT THE PERSON IS UNABLE TO TAKE PAYMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They force some kind of app pay that’s hard to deal with and in my opinion makes people turn away, as I saw at least 2 or 3 other people get so frustrated that they left too!!!!!!
STOP SCAMMING PEOPLE
MAUI OCEAN CENTER, shame on you, all for an extra dollar or two, if you’re hurting so badly, stop scamming on parking and ticketing and just charge an extra dollar for admission instead of harassing people who just want to enjoy their limited time here.

The aquarium is filled with amazing marine life, and the walk-through tunnel was a total highlight—seeing the sharks and rays swimming right above you is something else. It’s such a chill spot to learn about Hawaii’s ocean life and just enjoy the beauty of the underwater world. Definitely worth a visit!

I had planned a trip to the aquarium with my grandsons to learn more about the under water life of the fish and have lunch there. I found the aquarium experience quite interesting and informative ,BUT when it came to having lunch I was blown away with the price of the food,3 " gourmet" hotdogs and 3 small drinks were $32.00 (the hot dogs were just plain nothing gourmet about them) and then we thought we would cool down with a Dole ice cream cone and the price was $14.00 for ONE. needless to say I only bought one . But the nice thing about this experience was that the girl serving us was kind enough to suggest putting one treat in two cups.

There website says you cannot buy tickets at the gate, but in fact YOU CAN. It's faster to buy tickets at the gate than to buy them online. Also, when you buy your tickets online they ask for a lot of unnecessary information. They practice price discrimination based on what state you are from. If you're from the wrong states, you will pay more. The place was an absolute crush, VERY crowded. The aquarium is "OK" nowhere near as nice as the Monterey Bay aquarium or the Dallas World Aquarium. I preferred the aquarium in Honolulu, easy parking and just pay as you walk in. The main problem here is the crush of people. About one hour to wait to see the whale movie. If you can find a way to go when they're not particularly busy you might want to consider it. Personally, I would not want to take time away from the other things you can do on Maui than to go to this average but super crowded aquarium. I did like the restaurant. You can go there without going to the aquarium. It has a nice ocean view and good food.

The staff was amazing! However, your experience will definitely depend on your expectations. Small tanks and very few exhibits. The turtles and sharks were really cool to see. However, that's about all this aquarium has to offer. The price is high for the experience, we walked the whole aquarium in less than an hour. I just wish there was more to see! After visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the ocean center is pretty disappointing. I don't think it was worth the money.

We were with our grandchildren so we couldn’t spend too long on the exhibits that we found interesting as there were so many awesome marine animals to see up close and personal. There were plenty of hands on exhibits as well. The way the aquarium is set up makes it very easy to know which way to go. Don’t forget to buy a pineapple Dole whip too!!

Well done, very clean and beautiful exhibits! We went at opening and it was quiet and so nice to avoid the crowds! Glad we went!

It is a wonderful experience. The new 3D theater features the whales under water habitat. It is easy to make a reservation on line.

It was a serene, 3-hour dip into the ocean with a lovely view of marine life via a glass tunnel and a 3-D film of the Humpback Whales!

GREAT LOCATION BUT SMALL FEE TO PARK, VERY CLEAN CENTER WITH FISH AND TURTLES, AND A GREAT WHALE 3D FILM THAT IS INCLUDED WITH YOUR PAID ADMISSION LOTS OF OCEAN CREATURES TO LEARN ABOUT...WE LOVED IT HERE

Very educational and focused on environmental awareness. Loved being outdoors. Went at 9:30 am and it was not crowded. It’s about a 3 - 4 hour activity, depending on how much you read or how long you stop at each exhibit.

We were very disappointed. If you've been to any other aquarium, you can skip this one. We went to see their Humpback whale film, hoping to learn about whales, and it's a more artistic film than anything else, could hardly understand narrator. Great gift shop though, you don't have to pay admission just to go in there. We just considered the $100 admission for 2, a donation.

The Ocean Center is a gem and must-see for anyone visiting Maui. It combines a fabulous aquarium with an impressive museum that informs with pictures, photos and written details, as well as audiovisual presentations. The talks by the marine biologists in each of the various sections throughout the day were both educational and enjoyable, adding to the value of the experience. The many areas of seating throughout the exhibits help provide the visitor with opportunities to rest. The visit to the Ocean Center could be completed in a couple hours, but plan to spend the day if you have time. Pay attention to the schedule of talks by the marine biologists and enjoy as many as possible. The Ocean Center has been one of the highlights of our two-week trip to Hawaii.

We are convinced that such facilities have an important role to play in explaining to people what needs to be protected. The Maui Ocean Center has implemented this in an informative and entertaining way. The staff was friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, some of the information boards are no longer legible and should be replaced.

The aquarium was great. They have multiple exhibits and they are all very interesting.We would go again the next time we are in Maui.

The whale movie is really, really good!!! All the exhibits are engaging and top notch. Don’t miss the tunnel and the educational exhibit on the history of Hawaii.

Average aquarium. Not very big. Not very helpful staff either. We had to book in advance for a 330 visit. Place closes at 5. Receptionist could have given us a heads-up that there were performances and/or theater events that were starting soon. There's only so many every day and it wasn't until it was too late that we realized and missed out on the few that we good have made it to. For $60 Cdn per person, I think a tourist deserves better.

Let's start at the parking lot. You have to pay and if you don't have a smart phone to scan that little square dealie you're out of luck. Says if you don't have a phone call this number. With what? Your imaginary phone? $29 parking ticket.
Displays are crammed together. Aquariums are small and the place was overrun with screaming children so it was like a day care center with fish.
This place is basically a big gift shop and a couple of coffee shacks'
Avoid it.

It was a nice experience. Lots of beautiful fish, turtles and sharks.
We also liked the 3D experience center.
You can spend a couple of hours in the ocean center.

The guy at the reception (Monday 22nd of september in the afternoon) needs a couple of lessons on how to be nice to customers, speak with multiple words and be less demanding.
When asking for my last name: “SPELL IT!!” Is not very polite.

A very nice aquarium with lots of tropical fish.
Tunnel with sharks and manta rays.
Pool with beautiful turtles....

It is a great aquarium but they require a credit card for everything. I did not wish to use our credit care but we had to to get in . We went to purchase some items from the gift shop and we were told about the credit card usage requirement . I refused. We were never told about the credit card requirement before we entered nor at the gift shop. No Signs No Warnings at all

The cost is $100. a ticket. For this price, you receive admission to a small aquarium with cloudy plexiglass viewing windows that obscure the fish. It's so cold inside the buildings that I suggest you wear an Arctic parka to be comfortable. I would forgo this Maui attraction. You will get a world class experience going to an aquarium in Seattle or in any large city. Maui price gouges the heck out of people. I'd add photos but they are of cloudy plexiglass. Sorry for the poor review. Rent a car and drive. Hike. Go to a free beach. Send your savings to the people who lost everything in the fire. Truly a catastrophe.

Easy access, nice place except we went on a weekend, very busy , lots of children which is great except if you want to see anything the kids are all front row, we had to pay $3,80 and hour to pay and $40 admission, we did not get to see the whale movie as there was along line and our time was limited, The rest of the exhibits were very educating and nice, confused with all the programs to save the ocean and its inhabitants but saw a lot of garbage on Maui, If you go allow plenty of time, go during the week as parking is cheaper and maybe less crowds.

I came to enjoy a visit with my daughter but was told I could not pay with cash. What the heck is this about? Local families are often using cash rather than credit cards. This facility is obviously here for tourists not for locals. Shane on you!!!

First of all, you have to make an appointment to go here, and if you're late, you may have to wait a long time or come back another day. Next, you would think with the really cheeky price of 44 dollars a head that it would include parking, but it doesn't. You also have to pay for the parking with a phone app, and being from out of the country, my phone doesn't work in Hawaii, soooooo there were other hoops you have to jump through. Too much BS to plow through for a so-so aquarium experience.

It is worth a visit to see a lot more and bigger fish that you don’t usually see snorkeling especially the sharks and rays. My wife wanted to go, and I was hesitant but glad I did. It is a one and done thing here on Maui. So if you have 3 hours to blow, then go and see and learn

Loved our visit to the aquarium! Great stop on a rainy day in Maui!! A bit pricey but enjoyed by all.

This is a wonderful ocean science center with a surprisingly large number of thoughtful displays. We love aquariums and this did not disappoint. There is also interesting historical information.

The on site restaurant was very good and reasonably priced for Maui. The gift shop also had a great collection of art, jewelry, books, and souvenirs.

Very informative and right on the harbor. Small, but has lots of Hawaii specific species and conservation. Great gift shop

It is one of the the ten aquarium in the world by TripAdvisor , what a fantastic , spectacular underwater world , excellent place to see and learn the history of marine life around Hawaii , very clean , family , comfortable atmosphere , not too busy at all , very relax and we take our time to enjoyed every display , I am so appreciated and lucky to see those amazing tropical fish , coral , and large stingrays and the sharks , also the turtles ,etc not expensive at all , only $ 44.95 per person , for seniors $ 37.95 , also there is restaurant next to the center , it is super fun for every ages !

I enjoyed all of the exhibits. They we well maintained, clean and informative. The staff were friendly and willing to answer questions. Great place if you have young children.

I enjoyed the visual effects associated with the whale video i the big theater but can't help wondering if this could have been improved by proving better audio and maybe add the whale life cycle and migration into the video.

A gem of an aquarium! We spent over 3 hrs looking at & reading about all types of local fish, whales, reefs & our effect on their environment. So neat to walk through the tunnel with fish, sharks & rays swimming over! Such an education resource right on the bay. The restaurant is great, the snack stop has a terrific tasting Dole frozen treat-large enough to share😊 Of course there’s a gift shop—but this is an amazing shop- you can find all kinds of wonderful gifts for everyone!! Ornaments, clothing, nik-naks, cute toys, books & beautiful jewelry… truly something for everyone! Take the time to plan a trip here—you will def learn so much.
There’s handicap parking & senior rates, too!

For the high ticket price this was quite a disappointment. I was expecting much more from the exterior and how grand it appeared. There were pockets of greatness but turtle tank was less than I thought it would be and the under ocean walk was very small. Not to mention they pump tonnes of people through with no rules so the incessant sticky hands on everything and screaming made it tough when in confined spaces to read the walls and enjoy the experience. We didn’t get a chance to see the show in the big circle so perhaps that would have made it seem worth it but for the price it should have been a much longer more enjoyable time. For us it was not. Having someone go around and clean the glass would have been helpful as we didn’t want to touch anything which was often also hard to see through. Yuck.

If it were a bit bigger it would be a 5. The whale 3D show was amazing, sitting in a dome like a planetarium. The exhibit on the history of the islands and reclamation from Army use for bombing practice was fascinating. Those two exhibits were worth the price. The actual marine life exhibits were more geared to families I felt. Parking is extra.

We loved the view and took lots of photos! Friendly staff and we had a great time. Thanks for having us!

Very informative. We got lots of great presentations about sharks, whales, turtles and other marine life. The 3D film about whales was spectacular. The turtle feeding was so fun to see up close. The whole center is very well organized and clean, and well maintained.

Cute aquarium. I thought it was overpriced and overcrowded when we went in dec. My toddlers enjoyed it. I would recommend it if you are looking for a quick 2 hour activity.

Beautiful location and exhibits. The sharks are impressive. The marine education is superb and the historical section crucial. The 3D whale film did not disappoint!

Several good venues including an auditorium for viewing a movie on humpback whales. Along side is the Seascape restaurant

You MUST have a smart phone to be able to park here. Period. There is no other option. And not only for the Center, but the entire area surrounding the site - so parking and walking is also not an option. Travelling without a smart phone and relying on email and internet coverage through local hotspots does not cut it. Too bad - we opted out and took a miss. I guess "everyone" has one.

This was a nice adventure. The whale movie was a bit disappointing…wanting to learn more about the whales but still good. Go early in the day because it gets very crowded and warm in exhibits. Nice gift shop. Overall a fun time!

Good for small kids. They had loads of fun watching sea turtles, sharks, sting ray and other colourful sea animals. The restuarant was good too, a bit expensive though.

Wonderful aquarium. There is a great tunnel exhibit showing ocean life, green sea turtles, and a fantastic exhibit on Hawaiian island history and culture. Don’t miss the Humpback whale 3D sphere! You have a great view of the harbor as well.

I have been to many aquariums over the years, we like to visit local zoos and aquariums when we travel. There is nothing special about this one. Yes, you see fish and you get a name but there was no digging into anything that was beyond the attention span of young children. The children there were enjoying the pretty fish and it looks to be a great place to take your family. The sphere was the big draw and I was looking forward to it. It started, talked a bit and ended. I actually sat there expecting part 2, but not to be. 2hrs later we left, still wishing for a good aquarium experience.

Maui Ocean Center offers a great variety of viewable and touchable items. This variety keeps the interest of the entire family. I recommend giving yourself 2-3 hours to enjoy this facility. Don't rush, or you will miss something.

Loved the humpback 3D. The rest can be seen in an hour or so. Great for kids
$ 80.00 taxi ride hurt a little

This is a small aquarium about 35-40 minutes from Kaanapali. It have several interesting exhibits and some talks about turtles, sharks and whales. It ends with a 3D show about whales. It is very realistic. We spent a couple of hours here. My kids age 7 and 11 enjoyed the treasure hunt where they searched for stamps for their booklet. I think it is a good activity with kids but not sure I’d recommend it for adults.

The aquarium is beautiful. The tanks were clean and easy to view. We especially enjoyed the 3D whale show and the turtles feeding. This was an excellent way to learn about the marine life of Hawaii

Was much smaller than I expected. I was there in 2009 and they have way less fish, sharks, turtles eat. They are doing a good job at showing, telling others on how important the ocean shark s, fish , etc need to be saved. Everyone was nice but be ready for the high price to get a snack are a drink. One pineapple dole whip was 10 bucks.

Let's address the cost. $55 per person. Unless you're walking here be prepared to pay $15 for 5 hours of parking. I acknowledge the high costs to run an aquarium but this price point would surely price out large families. Maybe it's the reality of 2025, but shelling out $165 for family three to spend two to three hours isn't exactly budget friendly. To add to the pain, I saw a flyer for $15 admission for local residents on weekends. Ouch to the tourists.Now to the visit itself. This is not a large aquarium (think aquarium in Baltimore or Atlanta). Comprised of two buildings and outdoor area, everything is minutes walk from each other. Interesting to see local species. Facility is clean, signage appropriately placed, no "out of order" signs (except for water bottle filling station). The 3D movie about whales was unimpressive. The outdoor area seems fun maybe for four year olds, but not much entertainment value for adults. Standard oversized gift shop, a restaurant, plenty of bathrooms. Overall, decent place to learn about local marine life, clean, seemingly well organized exhibits. However, $55 and to pay your own parking means no return for me.

With a great Kamaaina rate, this was a great family day. Don't miss the Whale sphere as it is an amazing experience. We definitely enjoyed ourselves.

We spent a few hours in the afternoon here after a morning of outdoor exploring elsewhere. Our main complaint is the expensive price of admission at $50+ with no option for AAA discount. Our favorite aquarium is in Atlanta but this might take second place. We enjoyed the afternoon here, in particular the whale movie, indoor exhibits of colorful sea life, and outdoor exhibit of turtles.

The center has nice displays and a pleasant location. However, the experience was substantially ruined by our parking experience. Admission to the Center is already expensive, and then you want more money for parking? We paid for a couple of hours and were delayed getting back to our car by our eating lunch at the facility. We tried to pay for additional time, but the parking kiosk was closed -- I guess they were too busy writing parking tickets to sell any more parking passes! The Center should terminate its relationship with Parklinq, which seems to be a draconian organization. We will not be visiting the Center the next time we are in Maui.

For $44 I expect to be somewhat entertained. I can for the same price go to the national aquarium in Baltimore, and it’s a much more thrilling experience. There are 2 exhibits here, and not much going on. 3 staff were all I could see. We looked at everything in 25 minutes or less and we’re thoroughly unamused. If you have young kids maybe it’s worth it to kill time but I would not spend this money again for such a lackluster experience.

We were excited to go to the aquarium. The price is steep at $55.00 a person. The ticket salesperson we dealt with was not really nice. Not someone who should be in customer service. It was painful for her to direct us. We did enjoy the aquarium and especially liked the black tip shark talk. For people unfamiliar a “sign” stating “blacktip” is not very explanatory. You may want to add the word “shark” so people have a better understanding. The other talks were also good. We spent about two hours there and saw everything. The Whale “movie” was different but not as good as we would have thought it too be based on the buildup. If you had to make a choice between paying for whale watching or the aquarium, go whale watching.

This is a great aquarium that shows many of the native species in the Hawaiian Islands. I really enjoyed seeing all of the sharks and the pool where you can touch some of the coral and other small animals.

We've been to this aquarium as a family a few times over the years, and it has been about the same. Not to say that it isn't a good aquarium, but we were BLOWN AWAY by the new Whale Show in the dome. It was like a religious experience in 3D glasses. I highly highly recommend viewing it if you have any love for the ocean and sea life.

It’s worth it visiting this ocean center. Very educational and entertaining! Enjoyed our time spent there!

Jess gave a fantastic Behind the Scenes tour. She was very knowledgeable on on aspects of the aquarium function such as the water usage, on site propagation of sea life, and more. We toured a special coral lab and feed some coral a snack. A trip to the turtle tank included some great information and a fun time feeding the interactive turtles. She shared ways to support the marine ecosystem such as being knowledgeable in sustainable fish to eat. Thanks to Jess for making this a fun part of my Maui Ocean Center trip!

Wonderful experience, but it was just my husband and I... probably pretty expensive for a family. And you do have to pay for parking!

Amazing, travelled Nov 2023 for a wedding stopped here, excellent, saw sharks and turtles, and history of the island - would go again

Beautiful aquarium! Our family of four went one morning and had a nice time. Not an all day event, we spent maybe 2-3 hours exploring. Nice to experience once but I don’t think we would go back.

Not a huge aquarium, but nicely laid out with the sights well presented. Friendly staff and lots to see.

The site was Awesome to see these animals live in their made up environment. Which really looked much like ocean waters. But to walk under the pipe tunnel as the swam over your head was pretty Fantastic as well. For Kids it will be a site they will remember all their lives. A MUST SEE! Plus . The people there are Fantastic!

In Maui, where every activity is way overpriced, I especially appreciated our behind-the-scenes tour as well as the aquarium overall. It was not very long but it was fun to get to go into the non-public areas of the aquarium and learn about how they are growing coral and working to help injured turtles. We got to feed several of the animals at the aquarium which was very fun. I was pleasantly surprised that our group was almost all adults with only one tween/teen in the group (and she was very knowledgeable about all the animals). Our guide was very warm and gave us lots of great information. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

We were lucky enough to catch the turtle feeding and the shark feeding. The workers who did the presentations during the feedings were great. There is a paid parking lot. There are indoor and outdoor areas. Lots of colorful fish and coral along with turtles, sharks, and manta rays.

A truly impressive experience. You could actually admire many species in the outdoor or indoor pools, or even walk underneath them in a tunnel. There was also a 3D film about whales. Unfortunately, the volume in the "cinema" was unbearably loud! Fortunately, there was no dolphin show.
All in all, very interesting, detailed information everywhere, but unfortunately only in English (as always in the USA)... I found these little sharks particularly impressive; they look so cute and harmless, but aren't at all. It was a wonderful trip on a rainy day. Recommended!

We had no idea what to expect. This was really impressive and informative. We've seen lots of posters and had no idea all of these different fish and corals live together. Definitely worth the time. Do bring your sunglasses (you will be going inside and out as you go through the exhibits). And definitely save time for The Sphere and the movie with the humpback whales.

We needed to stay out of the sun and found the Maui Ocean Center to spend the day at as a family. We had a great day, we explored the many exhibits, the kids loved the scavenger hunt and we also stopped at the restaurant for happy hour mai tais. Win for the whole family. Thank you for a great experience.

Wonderful aquarium with lots to see and learn. Tour guides were very kind and informative. Staff was friendly. You only need about an hour to an hour and a half to see the entire place.

The Maui Ocean Center is a meticulously maintained aquarium. Definitely worth the stop, especially if you have kids! Be sure not to miss the new whale exhibit; it is surprisingly profound and inspiring!

Wonderful exhibits on ocean creatures. Its well laid out so there is room for many to view. Loved the way they related the ocean creatures to the Hawaiian Islands.

Have been to aquariums all over the world and while this wasn't the largest or fanciest, it was very tastefully done with excellent exhibitions and presentations. From sea turtles, to seahorses, to sharks, to jellyfish, coral reefs and tropical fish, we had an awesome time. It is important to actually take time to read many of the informational areas, view the videos, and we loved the live diver presentation in the shark tank. The price is worth it as in addition to your entertainment, it helps support efforts to preserve the ocean.

Grandson first visit, our several time visit. Good time had by all as usual. There is something for everyone. Kid playground was a favorite, could be bigger as it was very popular. Perfect cloudy day activity.

It's a fun little aquarium with a mix of indoor and outdoor space. I would say if you make it to see the diver Q&A with shark and sting ray feeding, then it's worth it. We happened to catch the 30 minute demonstration, and it was interesting and informative. Overall, we spent about 3 hours there, and that's including all the shows and eating ice cream and bathroom breaks. We did enjoy ourselves, and it was a nice way to spend half a day. We wrapped up by eating at the attached Seascape restaurant, which was good food and great views.

Visited with kids aged 12, 9, and 5 in April.

This was a great first stop for tourism in Hawaii, because it provides education interspersed with appreciation for the great natural beauty of Hawaii.😎