Oregon Coast Aquarium Reviews

Not a ton of sights, sea otters made the most of our visit as they were active. Otherwise there was not a lot to see. 1 exhibit was still closed for updates.
Wasn’t worth the amount paid but it was a time filler for kids.

When we went all of the bird enclosures were closed. Never saw the otters, could barely catch a glimpse of the sea lions and seals. The viewpoints are not set up to get a good look. The indoor tanks were all cool.

It was way to expensive for what exhibits you had. I don't think we will be going back. My grandkids where disappointed that you had no interactive displays at this time. .

Having been to a number of aquariums around the US, for the size and price of the ticket, this is a great place to visit. While it's not a huge aquarium, it is very well designed, very well maintained, and a fun activity for adults and children alike. The walk-through tunnels are one of the highlights, but the whole aquarium was great.

We've been members for a few years now and love visiting the aquarium over and over. They have new exhibits seasonally and there's always something new to see - a talk or feeding the sea lions etc. Good family fun!

Great place to take the kids to visit. I hope Aquariums would be get more stuff to see in the future.

I read that this is one of the top 10 aquariums in the country, so we absolutely needed to stop. But, I was not impressed. It was nice, but not one of the best. We could have saved our time and done something else. I have been to aquariums in Baltimore, MD, Denver, CO, Jenks, OK , Monterey Bay, CA, Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, CA, Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA. All were much better and I would suggest all highly. But skip this one.

I thought there would be some semblance of social distancing since reservations were timed and limited, but it was horrifically over crowded. It was impossible to see the animals in the exhibits with the amount of people rushing all over the place. I was very very disappointed and actually alarmed. In the shark tube I couldn’t move within 10 inches and not bump into someone. Its a COVID outbreak just waiting to happen.YIKES.

My husband and I debated whether to visit as we felt it was rather expensive at 25 USD each but we're so glad we did. This is an excellent facility with some amazing sea creatures that we'd never seen before. The walk through tunnels with different fish and sharks was also pretty cool, as was the touching pool and of course the otters and seals/seal lions were entertaining.

Shame the sea bird enclosure is currently shut due to avian flu but you can still peer through the grating to see some of them at a distance.

Note the cafe is also closed at the moment while they undertake an extension of the whole place to enlarge it, so it will soon be even better!

Suggest you allow 2 hours for a visit.

it was a little overpriced for how little exhibits they had. in the website it looked like there was more to it....:/

Took our little nieces and nephew. Enjoyed all of the exhibits and the little ones loved watching all the fish!

We felt that it was too crowded for viewing. People want to take their time and watch the fish swim around the tanks. Instead you spend the entire time dodging people. Especially for the steep price in tickets. I am an Oregon Zoo member and I would give them a five star because you have plenty of time and opportunity to see the animals. I think you desperately need to expand and open new exhibits and or limit compacitie. The ticket price wouldn’t be my issue if it wasn’t so crowded. We arrived at 10:30.

This is a WONDERFUL aquarium; interactive and innovative. There are a lot of outdoor/indoor enclosures so bring your rain jacket but count on a great experience regardless. The sea otter enclosure is spacious and open; there’s the prerequisite walk under the sharks glass tunnel all aquariums seem to have now. There’s a really good staffed and interpreted indoor interactive please touch tidal pool reproduction. The animals are well cared for. This is just the type of high standards nonprofit institution one expects of our unique state of Oregon. Absolutely worth your time and maybe a good preparation for exploring actual tide pools on the coast (and ALWAYS watch the water and don’t turn your back to the ocean!) PS I read one negative review and I’m just wondering, were you even at the same place?

I came to the aquarium with my sister and her husband and their 3 daughters and their 3 children and they loved it also

ii absolutely loved the aquarium! Im so excited to come back once construction is done, you can tell everyone cares about the work being done there

The educator was extremely nice and very helpful with teaching us with the Jelly Fish Encounter. We’re from Idaho and and coming to Oregon was so worth it.

If you've never been to an aquarium its a fun trip but not at all like it use to be. Small exhibits and not many animals. Crowded and overpriced which is unfortunate.

I visited a few times in my childhood, and am finally able to bring my own children here. The aquarium is well cared for, and all the staff we encountered were wonderful. The new playground opened just a few days before our visit and is really unique & cool.

There is a harbor seal that seems to like the young kiddos. It kept coming over to the window and hamming it up for all the kids. All in all, a really great experience. A great time was had by both parents and kids.

They have some things under construction, which I get. But there is not nearly as many animals/exhibits as I remember as a kid. I also always removed seeing sting rays in the shark tunnel and I feel like I maybe saw 2. Overall a disappointment to my husband and I, but our 1 year old liked it.

It was very interesting , it have animals I have never encountered before. The star fish exhibit lets you have hands on . Reasonable prize and a peaceful setting!

Family day at the coast with a visit to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Everyone had a great time watching all the animals and reading about them. Thank you!

Almost everything was enjoyable and fascinating except the Avairy, it would have nice if they could have built special viewing glasses to view the birds. I really wanted to see them since I am an avid bird watcher.

the aquarium was a beautiful place to visit, very clean and overall amazing, the staff were friendly

Went here while spending a week on the Oregon Coast with a 9-year-old. It is a fun little aquarium, focused on species from the local environment. This isn't Sea World, so don't expect all of the attractions that they would have. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. The animals were well taken care of. Do yourself a favor and stop by if you are in the area.

Take time to visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium. This wonderful place has a wonderful collection of mammals, fish, and birds, and the open, outdoor concept is wonderful. The sea otters have always been active when we have been there, and I highly recommend taking the "behind the scenes" tour.

My son and I had a great time. The is so much information to learn from. We love the otters and sea lions. We were sad that the avian influenza is still prominent because we missed seeing the birds. Thank you for keeping them safe.

Pretty boring, small & most of the exhibits are closed. There’s not much to see and it’s very depressing

Great little trip. Price is reasonable, nice staff. So much to see, loved how clean the tanks and animal areas were!

I have been to this aquarium since I was 12 yrs old so over 30 years. I was so disappointed in it this time. Hardly any aquatic life, no hands on with the sting rays, no shows to attend, and everything is so small and crowded you just keep moving along because it isn’t worth waiting to see in a small window. Nothing like it used to be. I had told my teens how spectacular it was and it was a huge disappointment.

We have been to this aquarium several times and it is always a new experience. Right now they have several sculptures made of ocean garbage that are really cool. It is about a two hour experience and good for all ages.

We took my family from out of state here as part of a trip to the coast. The exhibits are amazing and educational. Well worth the cost of admission.

Overall I can see the idea behind the aquarium is pretty cool, but there were many things that were just not so great. The coral and anemones were dying, fish life didn’t look too healthy, acrylic on the floor where you can see under you was cracked (no idea how that is safe). The one thing that upsets me the most is that it is very obvious that their sharks do not have teeth and I can’t find any information on this anywhere.

I brought my teenage daughter and enjoyed touching the jellyfish (well she did) and really enjoyed ourselves. First time in years we’ve spent time together and talked and had fun together. Thanks for making that all possible.

This was our first visit to the Oregon coast and I had pre purchased tickets to the aquarium and also purchased a behind the scenes tour. I was disappointed with the outside exhibits…the three sea otters did not show themselves, the turkey vulture exhibit was closed and the other birds which included puffins was fairly lackluster. The inside tanks of anemones and jellyfish were great and the underwater exhibits were very interesting. For our behind the scenes tour, our guide Amanda was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. However, for the money spent I could have skipped it. We saw 3 ailing pelicans from afar and a large Moray eel in his tank and a tank full of jellyfish which I’d already seen at the exhibits. They took us to the top of the tanks holding rays and sharks but we were not allowed to walk over to where they were being fed. Overall expensive and not worth it

Perfect place to go for spring break! We really enjoyed ourselves. They also had volunteers telling us about the otters and different exhibits. At the end there was a wonderful playground area for kids. Overall we will definitely be back.

The exhibits are really well done, and it’s amazing to see so many different marine creatures up close. I especially loved the sea otters—they were so playful and cute! The whole place has a relaxed vibe, and it’s a perfect spot for a fun and educational day out. If you’re in the area, definitely check it out!

My fiancé and I enjoyed our visit to the aquarium on Saturday. She got to enjoy the underwater tunnel for the first time and see all the aquatic creatures that call the aquarium home. Also, take pictures along the way. It was a relaxing time.

Under water exhibit is wonderful. Love the snack bar! Prices were reasonable. Glad to see an outdoor play area coming for kids! Can't wait for touch pool to come back! Thank you for having benches to rest. Gift shop was great. Can't wait for Cafe to be complete

I went with my whole family, and we had so much fun there! The animals playing to make us smile was incredible, and the sharks, the octopus, everything was awesome, but the best part was watching my two year old so happy and excited meeting the "water animals" for the first time!!! Was a day that I will never forget!

We had a very nice time, most of the events was open, we did expect the food venders to be open. We did see a lot of volunteers walking around that was good.

Love love love the aquarium! The new touch tank is *huge* and really cool, love the jelly tank and love the quiet peaceful atmosphere. We did the octopus experience-it was really amazing to have that opportunity. The staff are friendly and informative, we always enjoy coming here.

This aquarium is small but has some cool wildlife. The otters were playing hard to find. However there was still plenty left to see

My Dad (82) and I were looking for something fun to kill some time before meeting up with more family members, so we went to the aquarium. While not the largest aquarium I've ever visited, it didn't disappoint.

The staff was friendly and full of knowledge about the animals. The otters and puffins were simply too cute! The man who fed and talked about the turkey vultures was very interesting and answered all of our questions.

The please touch tank was quite large and had many species with which we could interact and the tank exhibitions were wonderful.

I was very pleased with this aquarium. My son and family enjoyed seeing the octopus and we were provided with some interesting information by one of the volunteers. She told us how they use astro-turf at the top of the tank to prevent the octopus from escaping since it will be unable to grip onto that material. She was very pleasant and knowledgeable. :) The other exhibits were also very neat and the gift shop has cute souvenirs, as well as some delicious fudge! We will definitely be back again. 🙂

Your map should have a recommended route. We went through Sandy shores, Rocky shores and Coastal waters after we went through Passages of the deep.

My daughter and I went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium while we were in Newport for a couple days. We arrived at around 10:30-11am, the parking lot has animals labeling the different parking areas so it was so easy finding my vehicle and not needing to wander around looking for it. The aquarium and all of the exhibits are clean and well kept and there is even a great play area for the kiddos if they get bored walking around and need to run and be wild for a bit. I paid a bit extra for the Jelly Encounter Tour, that was absolutely amazing. The two tour guides were very knowledgeable and answered questions in depth and the main tour guide was putting things in such a way that my 8 year old daughter was understanding and enjoying too. Everything about this visit was so memorable, definitely going to make a return trip soon!

My boyfriend and I took his mom for her 61st birthday and she absolutely loved it! She has lived in Oregon her whole life and this was her first time visiting the aquarium, we all had a wonderful time exploring all the sea creatures. We will definitely be back soon!

Never disappoints! Wonderful aquarium with so many interesting displays and very friendly, helpful staff. We had a behind the scenes tour and it was definitely worth it. Visited with my husband and 2 teenage daughters and we all had a good time. Wish there were some more food options for my GF daughter but we made it work.

Great aquarium with a range to see/do. Loved the touch tank - staff were very knowledgable! Jellies were also cool and the tunnels amazing. We went on a rainy day and so the outside exhibits weren’t as good but we did clatch a glimpse of the otters.

My family had a great time visiting the aquarium and seeing all the different animals. The otters are our favorite. My only complaint is that there isn't online ordering available for the gift shop and like most businesses the aquarium gift shop isn't receiving full orders and was out of everything I wanted to purchase.

I enjoyed the aquarium because it is very different from other aquariums I have been to. If I had a suggestion to make it would be that the website let consumers know that this is mostly outside. We brought our 5 year old granddaughter with us expecting to be indoors. We were not prepared for an outdoor adventure and it was pouring rain that day and cold. Our visit was cut very short due to the weather, and my granddaughter was VERY disappointed that she could not stay longer but we had to leave as the rain gear we bought in the gift shop was nothing more than a biodegradable trash bag. It was flimsy and ripped while putting it on so we did not have much protection from the rain. Overall i think the visit would have been amazing had we had the opportunity to be prepared for the day.

It costs $30 for adults which probably discourages frugal travelers who aren’t sure an aquarium is worth $30. Pay it! This is a very cute aquarium that’s very well managed. They publish feeding times. Don’t miss the sea otter feedings, they’re a must see. Much of the day will be spent outdoors so plan accordingly with sunscreen, rain gear, or whatever you’d normally use on a trail hike. The massive touch tank is also a crowd favorite. The special art displays are made entirely of junk ocean debris.

The fossil exhibit was AWESOME! I hadn't been for 20 years, and I'm still so impressed with everything. Keiko had to go, but the tunnels into his old quarters are simply amazing. I fell in love with a Cabazon fish and it was so lovely to see Sturgeon in such a beautiful setting!

This is anvils place to visit no matter your age or if you are alone, part of a couple or family, with or south out children.

Fun stop in at the aquarium with the family while we were waiting for our rental to be ready for check in. We all enjoyed watching the seals play. The highlight was interacting with the octopus 🐙.

Google said the aquarium would be open till 7 so we arrived at 4:15 and they closed at 5. Also lots of construction.

The exhibits that were open were amazing. Did not realize that some of the main exhibits were closed for construction, so a little disappointed by that, but understand that is required for improvements. We overall enjoyed our visit and learned so much.

My one negative comment would be that the gal at the ticket booth was rude and condescending, and therefore started things off on a negative note that took a bit to recover from. Initial impressions are everything!!

The aquarium is OK. For an aquarium. We have been to many around the United States some better than others. This aquarium in particular is clean and the most exciting thing was seeing the sea lions and otters be fed.

I could go 3 times in one week and see something different every time. Captivating and good for the soul. I enjoy the avid volunteers as well.

We visited the aquarium for the first time, kids aged 4 and 9, plus mom and dad, we ALL learned new things and enjoyed all of the exhibits.

Always a classic visiting the OCA, clean and welcoming and super great for the little ones. Thanks for having us!

We especially enjoyed watching the youngest (one-year-old) sea otter getting the older ones to play and frisk with him. Looks like he is making things livelier for them!

I was surprised & delighted when my 11 and 13 YO’s wanted to visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium on our recent vacation on the coast. We’d last been 5 years ago. So glad we did; the tween & teen enjoyed the tunnels and tanks, and the exhibit (a colab of an artist & a paleontologist) was awesome.

After too long away, another visit reminded me of what a treasure this is for all Oregonians. The fine exhibits and the curiosity they encourage are worth many visits with something new always learned.

My family had wonderful experience visiting this aquarium. Lots to see and learn, from sharks, sea lions, playful otters, jellyfish, octopus, etc… friendly volunteers gave a lot of information

Some of the exhibits were closed for remodel but our kids and grandkids g=had a wonderful time and experience

This was my first visit since before Covid. My wife and I came here with her sisters; it was a very fun afternoon.

We loved seeing them feed the sea otters and I got a better look at their Giant Pacific octopus than in my earlier visits.

We especially loved the puffins and the sea otters, but the moon jellies are always a mesmerizing favorite. I think when we visited years ago, the tunnels were not completed. They are such a fascinating place to stand and be surrounded by all those wonderful creatures.

Was a beautiful day, we were expecting so much more though. Last time I was there is when Keiko was around. Lots of empty exhibits. Only thing I like about it is, where the sharks are.

We took our daughter and her autistic son to visit the aquarium and we were so disappointed. It was fairly expensive but the attraction itself was dirty and crowded with not enough staff. The attractions were small and honestly the fish and animals looked miserable. Their tanks and pens too small. I felt depressed and guilty for the poor things. We didn't enjoy it at all

My daughter and I made a trip together to visit the aquarium and we had a great time. It was exciting to see the otters and the shark tunnel but we also enjoyed the thoughtful exhibits about tidal pools and fossils. We had hoped the octopus would be more animated but alas he was resting. Thank you to all who make this beautiful aquarium available to us.

Went to Aquarium with my oldest daughter her first time there and my second time. It was really bad weather, and we were told when we bought tickets that two of the areas were closed. So we paid and went on in and basically all we got to see was the Tunnel and some jelly fish., so I feel that we should have gotten a discount since so much was closed!

what happened to all the seals and otters? we saw one of each, very disappointed, the tubes were great but we really like watching the mammals

Went with wife and two kids under three, drove from Portland. We finished in an 30–45 minutes, not really the big aquarium I was thinking. Everyone was nice, but the Portland Zoo has a way better water experience. Don’t plan on making this a day event if you are traveling from out of town. It should be more of a side event. Expensive tickets for the experience IMO. Parking is free and plentiful though.

visited the zoo for the first time with my disabled father over thanksgiving weekend. staff allows 1 per free caretaker ticket per disabled person which is so kind. they also have wheelchair rentals which is super convenient for not having to transport one as my father doesn't require one except for sustained walking trips.
there was some construction going on but they made that clear on the website if you do your research ahead of time.
overall nice little aquarium for the price.

even though the touch pool was closed there was a lot of things for the kids to explore one of my grandkids now loves rays.

I chose to visit the aquarium as a solo visitor on a weekday in the off season - it was a perfect relaxing activity for any aquarium lover. While the aquarium is not overly large, it is easily navigated and offers many areas for stopping and enjoying the moment as one is immersed by a multitude of aquatic species with most of them being native. The aquarium also does a great job at providing the opportunity to learn about the local ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest and the human impact on our oceans.

I also highly recommend the Behind the Scenes Tour! It was well worth the price just to see Banner, the resident green eel, but also fascinating to see all of the inner workings from the enthusiastic educational staff members.

This is such a great experience for anyone from young to old! The facility is well kept, the employees and volunteers are very helpful when asked any question. We did the behind the scenes tour and loved it. It was awesome to learn and see new things.

Something for everyone and all ages. Love the natural settings. The raptor show was terrific and real, not faked.

I love underwater walkways at aquariums, and I hadn't been through a sunlit one. It was really cool, and our kids (3 and 5) lost their minds (in a good way). The playground was also, predictably, a big hit. We live a few hours away, and will definitely go back, though probably not until the lobby construction is done or the seabird aviary is open.

We enjoyed ourselves a lot here. It was very interesting with all the displays, information and real sea creatures, some of which you could actually touch. Great for kids too.
When we visited, the aviary was closed, due to the bird flu issues, I think.
All in all a good visit.

wonderful exhibits and outdoor fun. Got quite dusty which was hard on my eyes, but great array of specimens to enjoy

For a larger family like mine going to this aquarium is on the expensive side, but I think it was overall worth it. There was some construction taking place but I do not think it took away from the experience. The only negative comment I have was the photographer at the end of the Shark Tunnel took our photo, however only did a quick glance at the picture it self to make sure it was a good picture, there wasn't even a line of other customers waiting. When I got to the photo counter to purchase them, I thought that the focus of the picture was just off a bit because of the computer screen, kinda like a draft, but no. All the faces in the picture are completely out of focus. The is the only complaint, but still overall not a bad experience.

Also, the new kids playground is crazy cool!

Our 7 and 8 year old grandchildren loved the aquarium and exhibits. Almost 2 hours of non-stop excitement. The entire area was very clean. Wonderful time.

We were quite disappointed - our family of 10 drove 2 hours to visit. There were a few interesting exhibits, but we saw much more interesting things by visiting a tidepool. We walked through the exhibit building and couldn't wait to see what was next - and that was it - there was nothing more. IT was a very expensive entry fee for what there was to offer.

This was really fun and a solid place to support. I think they contribute to sharing the need to take care of our wildlife

We went as a family and the grandkids had a great time. They really liked the seals and the jelly fish exhibit. The playground was nice for small children to just have some fun. Very nice aquarium.

I love this aquarium! It may be small but it has great exhibits. You can view all exhibits from different angles which you can't do in a lot of aquariums. Definitely a must if you're in the area.

The Oregon aquarium was a lot of fun. It had numerous exhibits and we also enjoyed the otter feeding. We went on a rainy day and it was definitely worth the trip to Newport. I’d recommend the aquarium to anyone interested in Marine life

What a fun and groovy experience. There really was sooooo much to see. Loved that you could see under the water in so many different spaces to be wondered by all the different stuff. Thank you

We took 5 off our grandchildren to the coast for 3 days. The one thing they asked to do was go to the aquarium! We had a great time, and even though their ages range from 8-15, they all loved it for different reasons! I particularly loved the jellyfish and took spectacular videos!

It was a place a wanted to go because a friend of mine told me about it. Even though it was COVID times, we had fun there. The tunnel with the sharks WoW we love it

We arrived at 10:30am on a Wednesday. It was already very crowded. There are some exhibits closed due to the construction. There is information about this on their website. We paid $25.95 per adult. We spent $51.90 just to see a few things inside, outside and visit the gift shop. The gift shop charges $13.00 for even a small magnet. I’m ok paying higher prices for admission (while on vacation) if it’s worth it. We left looking at each other staying, “It that it? That’s all we were able to see and do for $25.95 a person?! They could have at least lowered the admission price until they get the construction done. There are other things to do around the area. The next day we drove to Coos Bay and went to their amazing, two story museum for $7.00 per adult.

Visiting the Oregon Coast Aquarium was a highlight of our trip. The diverse marine life was beautifully showcased, offering an intimate glimpse into the underwater world. The exhibits were well-maintained and educational, making it a perfect outing for couples like us seeking both entertainment and knowledge. A must-visit!

We drove from Eugene after planning our trip to the aquarium. On arrival we overheard a dispute where the party was refunded and allowed to go inside for free due to construction and no notice. Very upsetting to come all this way and have stuff all blocked off and boarded up.

We had a very memorable and fun time! Our granddaughters loved all the marine life and learned a lot! We will definitely be back soon!

Be sure to come on a non-rainy day. Some of the exhibits are outside and there is some walking to get from one to another.

Enjoyed listening to the otter show, watching Elvis the sea lion playing and the orange octapus!

The aquarium has always been a place we stop when we're in Newport. Staff is so helpful and willing to educate us when we have questions. We did our first "Encounter" this visit with the jellyfish. Sam, who led the Encounter was so patient and awesome with our 7-year old who is full of questions. We can't wait to see the new upgrades and exhibits coming at the end of this year! Thank you for always creating a wonderful, safe and educational experience!

The puffin and seabird exhibit are worth the cost of admission, in our opinion. The staff in that area are very knowledgeable, and we also appreciated the positive helpful attitudes of the staff around the touch tank. Not sure what folks were expecting - we thought it was great!

The aquarium is small but mighty. I got there just in time for the sea otter feeding. The keeper offered a lot of information while the otters kept the crowd entertained. The docents had displays and educational activities set up for the visitors. Many volunteers were familiar with the animals and their habits. The underwater tunnel was awesome!

I had such a marvelous time there. I enjoyed my entire visit immensely, and I found the interaction with the animals quite fascinating.

Super fun they had a few new exhibits that they didn’t have last time. Staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. Very clean and just a nice visit all around.

The pice was very affordable. They offer both senior and military discounts. The displays were amazing. They had an assortment of marine live and even sea birds. The facility was clean and the staff very informative as well as friendly. I would highly recommend.

My first time at the aquarium and I was very impressed and surprised. I am a native Oregonian and have visited the coast many times but never took the time to visit the aquarium. I recently was in Maui and visited their fabulous aquarium and knew I had to visit the one at home. Wow, I’ll be back again and again. Some was under construction so there will be more to see next time. A special thank you to the volunteers. They were knowledgeable, informative, friendly and encouraged us to really enjoy and get to know the aquarium. Great visit.

This is a compact aquarium with great exhibits. It is a great way to learn about the ecosystems of the coast. A few exhibits are outdoors which makes for a pleasant contrast. Our favorites are the jellies, the aviary, and the walk through tunnel (shown in most photos). There are friendly, helpful volunteer docents. It is a terrific place for kids, but please have them keep their voices down inside the small rooms.

This was the first time at the aquarium with the grandkids. I knew Ruby would like the fish. She is 2 1/2. I was sad that the children’s area had turned into a lesson in evolution. Come on. Kids want to play. Put in some interactive activities and hands on play. Other than that and the trail at the end being closed. It was fine.

We bought tickets on line from out of state as required. We were given a 9:30am entry time and arrived with grand daughters and daughter (5 of us) by 9:15am as required but found that it didn't open until 10am? Difficult to keep everyone occupied for 45 minutes! When we inquired why we were told: Well, we changed the hours!. Try harder on that issue! All-in-all, we enjoyed the exhibits.

We had a great time w our 19M old! She loves the seals and playground. We felt a little disappointed so many exhibits were closed and it was under construction. Hopefully we will have better luck next time.

Perfect weather contributed to a fun first visit for our three year old. She really loved the puffin that swim backwards.I did have to wait over 20 minutes to get a single peanut butter sandwich.

We went to the aquarium first thing when it opened on a Tuesday, and had almost the whole place to ourselves! We learned so much from the volunteers and had a wonderful time viewing the sea otters getting fed and watched the seals getting eye drops in! We will be back for sure

Extremely disappointed to spend 100 dollars for my family to see 4 exhibits. If you are going to have several of your attractions closed as well as your food court then you should discount your admission. We went through the entire aquarium in 20 minutes! Even my 4 year old was disappointed... didn't think that would be possible.

This was our first visit to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and we really enjoyed it. While it is not overly large, the exhibits were well maintained and had a good variety. We especially enjoyed the aviary where we got to see a tufted puffin! The walk through fish tunnels are very cool, and the tidepool touch tanks are fun for all ages. All of the employees we spoke with were very knowledgeable and enjoyed interacting with guests and sharing their expertise. Well worth a visit!

There are always wonderful things to see and do. Every time, we feel invited to slow down and enjoy puffins motorboating, otters wrestling, and every now and then the octopus tucking itself into the tiniest spot imaginable.

We were here the first week of October 2023. I'll admit we were told, before we bought our tickets, that two of the exhibits were closed for remodeling. But they made it sound like these were small exhibits. As it turned out, very few exhibits were available, and those that were, were of low quality. Maybe I'm just spoiled because I've seen great aquariums like Monterey Bay in California and the Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia. Of course, I didn't expect this one to be as good as those. Still, seeing these nearly-empty tanks and enclosures was depressing. (Where were the otters, anyway?) The best exhibit was the moon jelly tank in the entrance area, actually full of moon jellies floating around.

It didn't seem right to have paid full price to see so little. While under construction, they should either close the place or reduce the ticket prices.

#disability #accessibility

Most of this place was wheelchair accessible. There were a few places where stairs required a mobility-impaired person to go the long way around.

Be aware that much of this park is outdoors, so dress for the weather.

It would be best to wait until all the remodeling is finished. Their website is unclear about when to expect this.

Great afternoon spent with our 3 year old daughter. She was amazed through the entire aquarium and all of the staff were nice extremely nice and helpful.

I would never recommend.
This was one of the saddest places I’ve ever been too. Worst aquarium ever.

This is a Nice and clean aquarium. However, it doe not have enough to do/see for the price. Areas were clo

Aquarium visit was a nice day out. Some of the things were closed which was understandable. Seemed to be well maintained.

Young and old had a wonderful time. This was our second visit, can't imagine the coast with out a visit.

Loved this aquarium! Seeing so many of the animals outdoors is a treat. The feedings are informative & interesting.

Yes, it seemed half of exhibits were closed but knowing that we went at opening at got to see the sea mammals very active and getting fed. We had fun but kept it a short visit.

This was our first trip as a family, and the 2 year old was absolutely in love! Us adults hadn’t been there since we were kids, and we noticed and appreciated the many needed renovations. We purchased our tickets online, so we knew that all aviary exhibits were closed. We wish we would’ve known the cafe was under renovation prior to our arrival. We would’ve packed snacks or water instead of looking to purchase it there. There is a small cafe, but it is busy due to the cafe being shut down. Overall an awesome experience, and we can’t wait for the touch tide pools to be renovated.

We had an amazing visit to the Oregon Aquarium—the displays were great and our kids loved the touch pool display and the aquarium tunnels. The staff and volunteers were so friendly and enjoyed hearing facts about the sea life. Our daughter lost her camera and the staff showed concern for finding it—many thanks to whoever turned it in to lost and found for us!!

This is a great aquarium experience with exhibits, live animals and touch pools. Very friendly staff. Plenty to see and learn about. A great place to visit.

We purchased tickets on line. We got right in. The staff was friendly. We all had to wear masks inside,but that wasn't an issue

so small, we walked the exhibits in less than an hour for almost $50! Plus a 2 hour drive. Not a good trip…. Exhibits are all mostly outside in terrible weather, cold , confusing, and disappointing. Got to see glimpse of sea lions for 5 min… no other animals except open sea exhibit which was crowded. Touch pools were small and lame and crowded… the Price here is ridiculous for what you get. Overall just so disappointed we were so excited for this trip. Waste of $

very enjoyable, not crouded and very clean. animals were easy to see. Iy was nice to have room to get up to tyhe viewing glass and see the animals

For our first time visit, I was definitely not oohed, or awhed. The shark tank was super cool. First room all decked out, the other two rooms empty. But that was the big excitement, a couple seals and 2 otters. I think for what is charged at admission, should definitely have more to offer for kids and fami

This is a very good aquarium but we have been to better. It is very expensive for what you get. We all enjoyed it (traveling with 2 grandsons ages 9 & 10) but we probably would not go back again due to the cost.

Everything always looks clean, animals look healthy. Love the educational vibe and the changing displays. Was a little disappointed in the change in the gift shop (all the great adult type gifts have been removed, more kid toys and t-shirt type items)

We ended up here on a drizzly afternoon - you need to walk outdoors to many exhibits so make sure to bring a rain coat! The kids loved the sea otters, and the tunnel with sharks was really exciting for them. There were some hands on exhibits, and a fun playground at the end.

I had an amazing time at the aquarium to be the first time to go as a family it was a great experience and will definitely come back once my baby has 1 year to 1 1/2 year. So she can be walking and putting more attention to the animals and the experience of looking around

Very cool for the kids! It was kind so a challenge getting around and knowing what’s in the area but other than that it was fun.

my wife and I are no stranger to the Aquarium as this was our 5th visit in 19 years. This year we were treated to a Fossil exhibit Crusing the Fossil Coast. Very enjoyable. Aquarium was busy the day we went.

Not all of the exhibits were open for being a top ten I would say I was a little let down.now take that statement in regard to my love for Monterey aquarium and San Diego zoo

My family had a blast! We enjoyed the first part with all the art and information. The touch pools were great for kids to learn alot! Absolutely loved the i got a sea urchin hug stickers! We will definitely be back once construction is done.

Anytime we visit Newport, we make sure and visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The environment is so friendly, the exhibits are so clean and the employees are so happy and attentive. Very knowledgeable with any and all questions we had. Our visitors thoroughly enjoyed the visit and all the exhibits! Young and older, there is an attraction for all!

The aquarium is still undergoing renovations, but is a nice visit for a couple of hours. Don’t expect a large aquarium but it is still fun for kids.

From the animals to those that work there and the grounds maintenance, it was a very great visit. Very clean facility and all of the animals were a joy to see! Large variety as well.

My back and hips decided to try to ruin a fun trip but the aquarium had a wheelchair available so I had a wonderful time. Thank you Oregon Aquarium ♥️

You guys should really go back to set time ticket’s I couldn’t enjoy anything because there was 8 families looking at one thing and there was no room to even look

We had a great time here during our stay in Newport. I've heard about this aquarium for a while and was ecstatic to get a chance to take our 3 year old here. He had a lot of fun going all over the place and seeing something different. The puffins were amazing to see, love these little critters. The price of admission was pretty high for all the exhibits that were down and the construction though. Adult tickets maybe could go down especially with all of the traffic that goes through here.

For as expensive as tickets are, you'd think the place would be a lot better then it is. I was so disappointed to realize that while looking into the stuff to do there, i was looking at the aquarium in Newport Kentucky. Now that's a place id like to go! This aquarium had very limited things to see/ do and other guests were pushy and rude. Definitely wont be back.

This was such a great place to take smaller kids. The exhibits where low enough toddlers could see without needing to be lifted

It was a great place to spend time and see the wonders of the ocean. Passage of the Deep was incredible to go thru, being able to see the different types of aquatic life!

My grandson went to the aquarium last year with his parents. He loved it so much he wanted to share with his grandparents. It’s a wonderful facility with some unique features that are magical.

Small aquarium with only local animals which is great to learn about the animals In the ocean nearby. But don’t expect to see anything not local. There are some tropical fish but that’s about it.
The location of the aquarium is nice with nearby hiking trails etc. 1-2 hours max.

Can’t even compare with bigger aquariums.

Anytime we travel, we always try to stop at an Aquarium as Im a sucker for sea life. It was a relatively slow day when we went. The staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable!

The aquarium itself js a bit different than traditional ones, it has a massive outside section with a lot of the cooler stuff in separate buildings off to the side! With that being said, the highlight at this aquarium in my opinion is easily the Sea Otters. They have 3 housed there, and we got to watch the handlers feed them and tell us cool facts about them! Really neat! One of the other buildings nearby had a big touch tank full of anemones and urchins and the like, we got to watch the staff feed them and they took time explaining their life cycles and eating habits to us as well since we were the only two in the building.

The second highlight at this location were the tunnels. Several tunnels you can pass through full of a crazy array of different mid sea life. That and the otters were easily the best parts. Ticket prices were a bit steep but it’s worth if you enjoy these sort of things.

Very nice aquarium with great touching tank. Very well laid out with great information found throughout the buildings. Very nice cage and playground.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium does a great job showcasing the species present on our coastline. They have great educators and a well rounded experience as you go through the different tanks and pools.

There’s lots of things to do as a lot of fun even for the family that has teenagers. They didn’t think it was gonna be fun at first but after being there it was lots of fun and a lot to look at.

For the cost of park I was disappointed in what was actually offered to see an experience. I understand non profit but I feel like for families should be offered at a better price for an hour experience.

An amazing place to stop in and visit!
Staff educational and friendly!
Loved seeing my seal friends and otter friends! Love them!

A very nice day start and before driving to Bend for 4 hrs with a stop on route to there! Got me in the right frame of mind to drive safe and make it safe seeing this nice aquarium first! One cute guy smiled at me no kidding and gave me a tear!

Thank you!

I was first in line too after the day before big time rain fail! At 955 am!

Our family spent a fun morning at the aquarium seeing all the animals, reading the information and talking to the volunteers. We enjoyed ourselves immensely!

A fun afternoon. Our first visit.
Creative layout to showcase the animals and environment awareness.
The person at ticket sales was very clear in noting what is closed and that most viewing will be outside.
Not disappointed!
Enjoyed the learning and the holiday lights too!
Thank you!

Interesting place to see with some great views (even if no seals)! Been a few times and this time we went in April and it was packed with seals!

The aquarium is nice but a lot of it is outdoors. We unfortunately chose a cold rainy day in March to go so it was a bit of a bummer. The octopus was active and that was cool. It was fun watching the seals/sea lions swim from below water level. Otters were not on display.

We have walked through a shark tunnel before (Oddly enough, the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky) but they did not have a lot of sharks. We liked the two jellyfish displays also.

Didn't have any hands on type of things for kids.

Gift shop was fairly large

Heard a lot about the aquarium so a visit was necessary.

Not on the scale of the aquarium in Dubai but it's unlikely Newport had the money to spend like the UAE would have but either ways it's a great place.

I felt some of the displays were so insitu lifelike. To be able to gently touch some exhibits felt unreal.

I wasn't expecting aviaries either.

Entrance money well spent.

Thank you Team Aquarium.

My fiancé and I decided to run away, so to speak, for Christmas break. One of our little gifts to each other was a visit to the Aquarium on Christmas Eve. AMAZING!! Not too crowded and thankful they were open. An absolute must visit for any vacation!

Couldn't be happier with our experience. They made sure everything was sanitized and lots of areas to clean your hands.

Favorite part of going to the coast. My personal favorite is the tunnels with the fish and the sharks! Super cool!

We took our 18 month old and our 4 year old and they both had a wonderful time. Lots to see and do. The tunnel through the shark and sting ray tank was a big hit as well as the seals. We look forward to going back again.

I thought since it was by the coast it’d be a lot better but it wasn’t… I should’ve set the bar lower. I travel a lot and have been to many aquariums and this was one of the most boring. It was quite small too. Went through the whole thing under 30 minutes. I don’t think it’s worth the price for adults. Overall a very underwhelming experience I wouldn’t go back or recommend to family/friends.

Let's just make it soft and sweet. Not worth $25 to go in. Point blank there's shark exhibit had two sharks. They don't have a lot of different fish. It was just boring. They did do an otter feeding but they only have two otters so they should most definitely go down on their prices because they don't have that much there. I for one will not go back

This visit to the Aquarium was not as fun as all our other visits. With many exhibits closed and daily events canceled, this visit was sad and not worth the money at all. No entry pictures. Not feeding schedule for the animals. It was very sad for us. And the fossil this was not little kid friendly.

Great aquarium focused on local wildlife in and around the sea. The highlights are an impressive underwater tunnel to give a feeling of scuba-diving / seeing fish from all angles and the sea otters. There are also shorebirds and many sorts of fish and other marine wildlife. It also provides some insights into the local environment.

Jeff was very helpful from the start, beginning with my email about seeing the octopus and throughout the whole encounter experience. My wife and I went to Oregon from California for her 30th birthday to meet Olive the Octopus, as that is her favorite animal. Oregon Coast Aquarium made her birthday wish come true being able to finally meet and touch an octopus. Thank you all again, we’ll never forget our experience!

Loved it! Would highly recommend for all ages. My husband loved reading all the information and displays (very well done and easy to follow), my son loved watching the seas play and I fell in loved with the two otters playing/wrestling.

Very chill. Not crowded so perfect pacing. Octopus and so much more. Friendly volunteers. Ray Troll exhibit which is person from Alaska. Nothing but great things. Found geocaches one in park one out! Recommend book Soul of an octopus 🐙

the price of the Oregon Zoo is the same and has well over double the attractions as this aquarium does. disappointed. baby did have fun though.

You’ve got to go if your in the area. Outstanding aquarium. Very good time and very educational. Great displays and presentations. Easy access and parking.

I went to the aquarium for my senior photos it was so nice and beautiful. No one bugged us everyone complimented us.

Very nice use of indoor and outdoor space. We enjoyed all the exhibits and were impressed with the precautions taken during the pandemic.

I’d never been there my wife had years ago. We had a great time and the animals looked well cared for. The jellyfish were her favorite she took minutes of video of them swimming. I liked the sturgeon and sharks. The fossils were also very cool. We’ll definitely be back to bring our kids. They’ll love it too. Everything including the displays were clean and informative

Awesome aquarium with a giant octopus and an outdoor bird sanctuary with puffins and penguins. I highly recommend.

Great aquarium on the coast. Beautiful displays and the animals and fish are amazing. Very glad we stopped here as we were visiting Newport. Preorder tickets made entry a breeze.

I highly recommend going to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and especially the behind the scenes tour. You will be glad you did, as will your family.

We took our daughter and granddaughter for the visit. They enjoyed the see through tunnel and the pool where you can touch the sea stars, etc. There were plenty of volunteers to explain about the exhibits and animals. On the negative side, there were not that many exhibits and no special presentations to warrant the admission price.

This Octopus Encounter experience was so much fun. My granddaughter loves aquatic animals and this was something you just would not be able to explore on your own. The guides were so interesting and so helpful in making sure we did what was safe and made it very enjoyable

Was under construction so a lot of it wasn’t open to public and was super cold but lots of fun, took our 1 year old daughter, she loved it!

We absolutely love going to the Aquarium! We love attending the feedings of the animals and my daughter loves the tidal pools to touch and learn! Staff has always been so helpful!

I came without children to just explore. A few favorite exhibits were closed but I loved the jellies nursery and can’t wait to come back and pet the octopus. Skipping petting jellies …..

The aquarium is a great place to go. So much fun, from the grounds to the octopus. I would go back again. Don't miss it. You won't regret it

We came to the coast for a baseball tournament and HAD to stop at the aquarium. We have been several times but this was our best experience yet. My husband two kids 11 and 6 had just finished two baseball games EARLY in the morning and got to the aquarium around lunch time. We were quickly immersed in the amazing environment and extremely knowledgeable staff that really kept us energized and loving every attraction. Honestly the staff/volunteers made this trip for us. They taught us so many new things we didn’t know, and helped us explore all the critters and creatures in a way we hadn’t before. Thank you all so much for making our long rough morning and turning it into an amazing day!

Went in about an hour after opening not sure if that affects the amount of animals not being in their enclosures. There isn't much to see other then jelly fish, fish, small sharks, seals, birds. Honestly, not sure if its worth the ticket price.

We went to go see the Oregon aquarium because of the connection that they had with the Nintendo animal crossing however, when we arrived, we had asked several questions and none of the staff had any ideas to what we were talking about or any idea where we could go and get further answers We felt that this was a little weird and a little bizarre that the staff is not kept up-to-date, especially especially events that should bring more guest through the doors during the special event.

Great visit and the staff was very knowledgeable. My wife and I had a wonderful time. The underwater passage was fantastic.

My daughter was disappointed the sea otters didn’t come out. Other than. That she liked the sharks, and loved everything

I was so excited to bring my daughter (7m month) and she loved looking in the tanks and my mom and I loved the tunnels, we all were mesmerized my the jellyfish. We got tickets for 10am and by the time we got there there was already a huge line, at soon as they opened we got in so quick. It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to go through everything. The two cons form the trip would be that we weren't able to see any of the outdoor sea animals, the otters and seals must have been sleeping in. Also, it would have been nice to have a couple more maps, we got a little turned around a couple times. One more positive was that it was so easy to push a stroller and the staff was so nice.

The ocean trash art alone was worth the price of admission. We loved the sea otters and the octopus exhibits. There are both indoor and outdoor displays, so it’s advisable to go on a nice sunny day. This is a smaller aquarium, but well worth the visit.

Loved the new playground which had fun activities for all children. Much of the aquarium had outside exhibits, so it felt very spacious. We caught part of the bird lecture and the feeding of the seals. Loved that there was underwater viewing for the seals and otters too. Inside the 3 fish tunnels, it felt like walking through parts of the ocean. Schools of fish, sharks, halibut and more. Well worth the drive.

Our family loves visiting Oregon coast Aquarium. Signage to direct you to the aquarium is very good. Generous sized parking lots, pea gravel outdoor paths, plenty of viewing areas for all of the exhibits indoors and out. The size is perfect for kids of all ages. Nice gift shop, a small cafe, coffee and ice cream, plenty of restrooms. Tons of wonderful spots to take photos with your family.

The otter enclosure attracts quite a crowd during feeding times but a little patience waiting out the crowds and you should be able to see the otters from the multiple viewing points. The staff and volunteers really show how much they love the place and are all happy to share their knowledge and insights. During our visit the seabird aviary volunteers were wonderful to make sure visitors did not miss a thing and they seemed like proud parents to the residents of the aviary. The indoor aquariums have a wide variety and the glass tunnels are beautiful.

We never get tired of this aquarium. Every time we visit New Port we go here. The only negative this trip was the renovations and certain exhibits being closed.

I thought there was going to be so much more to see but there was not much. Over all kids where disappointed

Everything and everyone was nice I only wish the exhibits were closed were open . The gift shop was quite spending also. The staff was great with us being 10 minutes late also.

The Oregon coast is beautiful, so it comes as no surprise that a stellar aquarium would be there. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits, plus an acrylic tunnel that allows you to be surrounded by sharks, rays, eels, and other sea-creatures. we particularly enjoyed the Octopus Cave. Seals, sea lions, and otters were delightfully playful.

always good but disappointed touch exhibits under construction and only 1 otter was out. drove from portland with out of town guest but will be back.

We have two small children and the experience was absolutely great for the whole family. Even our 10 month old was mesmerized by all the sea life. Volunteers were friendly and knowledgeable about the sea life, which really added to the visit and experience. Thank you everyone!

Went for the sea lion and otter feedings in the middle of the week. The aquarium is very well maintained with friendly, helpful staff and volunteers. The animals looked very well taken care of. I loved the very thought provoking exhibit featuring animals made out of plastics found in the ocean and what plastics are doing to our planet.

We go to the Aquarium every time we visit Newport (once or twice a year). We never tire of watching the animals, fish, and birds. And the amazing staff and volunteers share something new with us every time. This past visit, we did the behind-the-scenes tour—very informative! We can’t wait to see the renovations and we’re really excited about the proposed rehab facility, so the aquarium can help even more animals.

M first time here and fun to be had. This aquarium is not as big as the Monterey aquarium but very nice all the same. To give you an idea we walked through all of it in a few hours. Worth a stop when you are in Newport.

We love going to the aquarium. This year we did something different. We went through the entire place as usual. Then we took the behind-the-scenes tour. It was so much fun. We learned a lot and the 2 ladies that showed us around were very nice. The people who were vacuuming the shark tank that day gave my kids each a shark tooth they found. It was a wonderful time and my kids were thrilled. Definitely recommend.

Visited the OCA a few days ago, last time was about this time last year and it seemed like a new experience all over again. Exhibits changed and there was enough to see and learn despite some areas being closed this time. Online ticket purchase was straightforward, saved even a short wait in line with those who didn’t use the web. Overall always a highlight when in the area.

I've been here about four times over the years and enjoy visiting. I love the fish tunnel but recommend going during the week when its less crowded.

We visited the aquarium as soon as we got into Newport. Parking was easy and convenient. We pre-order our tickets. So we had no wait time getting in. The animal touch pool was really interesting. The underwater section with the sharks, was also a highlight. Before we left, we enjoyed lunch. It's not cheap as expected. But the food was amazing, which was a pleasant surprise.
Oh and don't forget to stop by the gift shop. It's pretty good.

We had a very nice time, and especially loved the glass tunnels and seeing otters being fed. The touch tank was popular with our children (6 - teen). The kids also ranked the souvenir pennies and whale jaw photo op higher that I would have expected. They also remember the groups of elderly people pushing kids out of their way to get to the front of the exhibits but we've explained that one can be ruthless when one's time is limited and it has become a funny family story.

Pretty neat for being a smaller aquarium! We surely enjoyed it! We spent a few extra bucks on the “Behind The Scenes Tour” which in itself was worth the entire trip to the aquarium. Will be back for sure our next trip to the Coast.

The aquarium is under construction and a lot of the exhibits are closed, but they still charge full price. To top it off the enclosures for the animals seem small for a lot of them. Hopefully the construction means better habitats for the animals.

Magnificent coastal creatures, displays and aquariums. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is beautiful, displays are educational the visit can be completed in one day.

Wonderful display of many types of local marine life. Huge well tended aquaria with nice variety of local fish. Fun walk through a transparent tube surrounded by sharks, rays, halibut and many other types. Good explanations. Cute sea otters, performing sea lions, puffins, mures, etc. very interesting to an easily bored teen!
Well worth a visit. Not as big as Monterrey aquarium but of equally good quality.

We enjoyed a weekend visit during the earlier part of the day. Highly recommend getting to the Aquarium early as by the time we left around 1:30PM the park was starting to fill. The tanks were clean and the animals looked healthy even if some were in their older years. I liked the descriptions of the particular animals and their various features. The petting pools were very entertaining. We went on a behind the scenes tour which I also recommend particularly for the Moray eel and the jelly spawning set up. For families with kids I liked the play area where kids could be active and climb on things appropriately rather than climbing on the exhibit rocks (which is prohibited). We enjoyed about two hours of observing and learning before becoming saturated with all the information. We definitely could return multiple times for additional pleasant hours of learning.

Nice aquarium exhibits and interesting for all ages. Has a play park for children, has a coffee shop and a cafeteria. Several exhibits inside including a tunnel with different sea life and fish. There are two jelly fish tanks. Sharks, large fish, colorful smaller fish. Petting tanks with starfish and urchins. Outside, there are sea otters and seals as well as bird aviaries. Nice gift shop with art, tshirts, stuffed animals, etc. Veteran, senior and AAA discounts. Perfect size for young children. Very enjoyable.

One of the highlights on the beautiful Oregon coast and a great place to visit for the young and old.

This was the second year we went and we were not disappointed.We take our grandchildren and they love it. The people there are awesome and they keep all areas very clean.

Worst aquarium I have ever been to! And I have gone to many -NY, FL, MN, VA to name a few states. They did let us know that there were a couple exhibits under construction BUT they did not tell us it was MOST of the aquarium! $50 to see 2 otters, a sea lion, 3 kinds of birds and 2 small areas with fish. I LOVE supporting Aquariums and Zoos - this just mad me angry.

My husband and I had such a great time at the aquarium - the behind the scenes tour was tons of fun, highly recommended!

This was a lot of fun. There was a large variety of aquatic animals available to view. The underwater viewing areas were a great option to view some of the wildlife as they were swimming. This was one of the funnest things we did in Newport.

The seals and sea lions exhibits were our favorite. A very nice volunteer talked to us about the sea lions and was very knowledgeable. We also very much enjoyed the stingray exhibit. Overall I recommend going for a fun short stop, you will get lots of amazing pictures and have an amazing time.

We had a good time at the aquarium - there was some construction which was a bit of a bummer but I'm sure it will be great when it's finished. A few exhibits we weren't able to see much. It's a bit on the small side but we had a good time. I recommend highly for a quiet, enjoyable afternoon, family fun day, etc.

If we had to pick one thing to do in all of Newport, OR, it was the Oregon Coast Aquarium. My teenager just wouldn't have it any other way. We love aquariums as we have one of the top ten in the nation in the National Aquarium in Baltimore back in Maryland. Well, this is one in Newport is another one of the top ten in the nation as well. It has been open to visitors since 1992.

The aquarium is open during the Summer Hours of Memorial Day weekend thru Labor Day weekend daily from 10AM - 6PM and during the Winter Hours of Labor Day weekend thru Memorial Day weekend daily from 10AM - 5PM. We arrived around 3:45 PM on a Thursday in June, and left shortly after 5PM so I'd say allowing for about 1 hr. and 15 mins. is good amount of time to allot for your visit. There is plenty of parking so that will not be an issue. We paid $25.95 per adult and $19.95 for our son's ticket admission. These are insanely good prices. As a comparison, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD charges $49.95 per adult and $39.95 for youth admission. So, it's literally $20 or greater of a less price for admission at this aquarium making it a steal and a must-do attraction for families.

Animals we got to see during our visit included a skunk, turkey vulture, sea otters, California sea lions, harbor seals, rockfish, halibut, cod, stingrays, sharks, mackerel, salmon, seahorses, giant Pacific octopus, common murre, pigeon guillemot, tufted puffin, horned puffin, rhinoceros auklet, black oystercatcher, sharp-nosed crab, California sea cucumber, strawberry anemone, basket star, hairy hermit crab, Pacific sand dollar, buffalo sculpin, sailfin sculpin, common blue mussel, and silverspotted sculpin.

The volunteers were very friendly and knowledgeable. The ocean life is beautiful. They have recently finished new exhibits and they look great.

Though they had some unique attractions most were closed. Drove kids 2 hours to see the aquarium But was disappointed when the touch pool and other exabits were closed. Still charged full price probably will never visit or recommend to anybody.

I love the updated galleries. They are lighter and brighter, spacious, and a fresh look. The new jelly exhibit is beautiful. If you have not been to the aquarium in a while it is worth a visit. A new exhibit is going to open this Spring.

Really not much to see. Pretty meh and disappointing. Definitely not worth the high ticket cost IMO. Some of the exhibits were closed.

We took our 2 1/2 year old and 1 year old to the aquarium and both had a blast. Our older child loves Finding Nemo, this was like being in the movie to her. She absolutely loves every minute.

We thoroughly enjoyed coming here as we were in town last year and sadly it was closed down. The tubes you walk through under the water are breathtaking and worth every penny for admission. All the smaller tanks were lovely also. Our only issue was the filth in the seal lion exhibit. The water looked contaminated and no seals to see. Also I suggest you have someone take a few moments before you open the doors to go to the outside exhibits and wipe the glass view areas as the rain and weather makes them very difficult to see through.

The aquarium is nice but a bit crowded. I have been told the aquarium is pheniox AZ is way better. Which is surprising since OCA is on the coast of Oregon

My family and I went in this little trip and all my kids of ages ranging from 3-17 had a dang good time. The shark tunnel could have been a little more sharky but the kids had a blast and everything was pretty decently priced! Will be back this summer and might just make it a yearly thing !

This is not a large aquarium, but seems well maintained and the staff are knowledgeable and friendly. A few of the exhibits were being remodeled, but even with them open I can't imagine this taking more than 2 hours. The otters and seals were our highlight, the puffins were pretty cute as well. The walk through time at the aquarium for aquatic viewing was really fun.

I was trying to figure out my route through the aquarium and this very nice person approached me and proceeded to walk me through and give me insider info!!! It was the best day. She was so friendly and had so much information. I completely appreciate her time and will definitely be back!!!

Our family, including our twin granddaughters, thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. One of the twins kept exclaiming “Wow” at each exhibit. The other twin enjoyed the shark tunnel. All in all a wonderful visit.

Great selection of Pacific Northwest ocean creatures and history! 50/50 inside outside. (Wear a hat and warm clothes) Going slowly took about 2.5 hours.

We really enjoyed that the Oregon Coast Aquarium is mostly outdoors! We loved seeing the sea otters and jellyfish, and the Passages of the Deep tunnel was very fun. It didn't take us more than an hour to see everything, but it was well worth a visit to see this unique and special place!

Took the grandkids on vacation to Oregon to see the aquarium. My grandson is autistic and loves marine animals of all kinds. He absolutely love the aquarium , the tunnels where all the sealife swims 360 around you, and seeing some sealife in a more natural way. It was a great day. Well worth the trip.

Everyone including employees made this sound like it was going to be such a great experience, and it was anything but… half of the exhibits were closed, including the touch pools. Some of the exhibits were inaccessible or where you would never be able to see the animals

Such a great place to take the kid(s). Loved seeing all the animals. A great place of learning and enjoying there is to see.

We recently moved to the Oregon Coast and took a trip up to the aquarium last weekend. We had a wonderful time. It is a great aquarium with lots of wonderful exhibits. We spent the extra $15 per person to get the Behind the Scenes tour. It was worth every penny, and we highly recommend it! This aquarium is great for adults and kids alike!

This place is INCREDIBLE. So much information, variety of animals, beautiful facility, and nice people. Highly recommend!

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is excellent and a great experience. The only reason I have for writing a 1 star review is the man was incredibly rude and condescending to my family and I when we approached to purchase our tickets. We were not greeted whatsoever, just starred at until he blurted, " So do you need tickets, or have passes, or what?" Then after purchasing tickets turned to his co-workers and laughed at us as if to suggest how stupid we were. It was one of the rudest experiences I have ever had trying to enter a family establishment. It was hard to shake off her rudeness for awhile after entering the aquarium. The aquarium is excellent but this rude employee needs to lose her customer service job since she obviously knows nothing on the matter. The employee had dark purple hair.

Also left a review on Google. No one should laugh when customers walk away.

I was not aware that the main attraction of the aquarium was closed down. The website did mention some spots were under construction but wasn't made clear which areas. I feel there should have been a lesser charge for what we were able to view. We took our son for his 2nd birthday, really excited for his reaction in the tunnel and the hands on exhibits which were not available. Thankfully he's only 2 and won't care, but as a parent I feel the pricing shouldn't have been so expensive. We will try to visit again later in the year, after all construction is complete ☺️

I have loved the Oregon Coast Aquarium since it opened with Free Willy as its star attraction. We were thrilled when our daughter and son in law were the first couple to enjoy the aquarium as their wedding venue almost 20 years ago. .A gorgeous venue with amazing volunteer hosts. However my visit this past week was the most I've enjoyed - a beautiful day, beautiful grounds, animal keepers sharing stories while feeding the sea lions and birds - the spectacle of the sharks and fish in the tunnel exhibits and the fascinating fossil exhibit. Thank you for keeping this space new and inviting to visit time after time.

Understand there are parts under construction but for $49 for two seniors I expected a whole lot more to see! Very disappointing! Maybe lower the prices until the construction is done and there are more features to look at?

I know your job is to heal these creatures and release, but we were sad to only see one. He seemed lonely. In general it seemed there were more animals in the past visits.

My daughter absolutely LOVED visiting! She's 3 and already wants to go back! She's been telling everyone she sees about the Leopard Sharks.

Very enjoyable. Easy walking. Lots to see and do. Great place for kids. Walking through a glass tunnel under the water. Different exhibits including a touching pond. Moving from one exhibit to another is out doors so the weather will make a difference.

New exhibits are amazing-great to see the new indoor octopus space! The new jelly exhibit is super cool, very peaceful and relaxing. Always love to see the sea otters and lions, just a great experience every time.

Total waste of money. So disappointed. It was expensive and not much to see. Our local zoo has a better display for aquarium than Newport did. And by the way I don't consider otters to be aquarium species.

Brutal experience for anyone in a wheelchair. Not ADA accessible. No automatic doors for entry and exits. Pathways to the exhibits are small loose gravel. Several exhibits are too high on the wall for disabled persons in Wheelchairs to see them. They have a paved breezeway to access some exhibits halls but it was closed for renovation and no ADA options were available. Very surprised the state of Oregon let's these ADA violations exist.

The otters are the highlight of the quaint aquarium. They are definitely cute and playful, glad we got to see them before a feeding time. The elusive octopus is also super cool when you can catch a glimpse of her.

We enjoyed the visit. There was an abundance of sea life to see and learn about. The fossils were really cool also. My favorite was the shark tank and the octopus. I recommend you visit at least once.

Cute, educational aquarium in a beautiful town with great eats. If you’re the kind of person who could stare at jellyfish all day and are thrilled to see that all of the carefully selected flora are identified with plaques, then this is the place for you!

My sister and I went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium on a Monday morning, figuring that it wouldn't be too crowded. We were wrong. There were a ton of families present, most with young children, and this is a great place for kids. Much of the aquarium is outdoors, so kids can run around between exhibits. It's small enough that the kids won't get bored or overtired unless they're very young, but there's enough for adults to see, too. A fine place for young minds to learn about the critters that live in various bodies of water.

We love going to the Oregon Coast Aquarium! The staff is always so nice and informative. There is a lot to see and they really keep the grounds up well. I can’t wait to go again!

For anyone visiting the area, this aquarium is a beautiful way to learn about the diverse ecosystems of this region. I am a sucker for immersive tunnels, and there are three of them!! Passages of the deep is the crown jewel of this facility, with a variety of sharkes, rays and an assortment of native fish. It is clean, well kept, and the signage is excellent. I imagine this is a very popular field trip destination for students in this area! You can see everything in 60-90 minutes, depending on whether or not you stop for an animal presentation or fish feeding. There is a cafe and gift shop on site, as well as picnic tables and a play area for kids. Get here early! There was already a line at opening.

Exhibits were closed and the entire experience lasted about 20 minutes. Had more fun at tide pools along hwy 101 and watching sea lions at Newport Pier. I understand that COVID has impacted every experience but they have taken no extra steps to overcome the barriers. I have been to the aquarium in the past and had a great time. This was zero fun

What an exciting adventure to the underground waters all the creatures and animals and fish that live there. This aquarium is small, but lots of fun and great for kiddos. The gift shop is amazing.

We took our son! He has sensory issues and is special needs. He had the BEST day! It was such a fun day for him and for us! The staff was amazing! A truly special experience.

It may be a smaller aquarium, but it is packed with quality! Very, Very clean!! The volunteer docents are especially knowledgable and friendly. We were a group aged 4 to 64 and we all had a great time and will definitely return.

I love the Oregon Coast Aquarium. I have been coming since I was a little girl but this was the first time my 1.5 year old daughter got to experience it with me. She LOVED watching all of the fish and animals. We got there right when the aquarium opened so it was not too crowded yet. The exhibits are beautifully done and it was just the right size for her attention span.

This was a great way for our daughter to see, learn about and explore marine life while knowing that what we were seeing was being taken care of in a humane way, unlike some other aquariums. We do wish we would have scheduled the jelly fish experience, though.

We come to the aquarium every year in the spring, but this year we tried the jelly fish encounter. Our guide, Patricia, was amazing. Very positive and fun, and was able to help my special needs son get to enjoy it all! She even found us in the gift shop and gave him some octopus jokes, since he'd told her his favorite ocean animal was the octopus. So fantastic!!! Thaniks, Patricia!

All the staff were nice and the attractions were really cool to look at and read about. Was very clean too.

We drove from Eugene to visit the aquarium with my 1.5 yr & 3 yr old. It was much smaller than expected with not much of a variety to look at. BUT!! what they DO HAVE , the kids LOVED! like the walk through tank was the best part! overall, I DO recommend it and the money is worth it either way because it goes to support wonderful things as a non profit aquarium. If your driving the distance , it's still a good trip because the beach is 8 minutes away and historic bay front is fun to walk around also!

Always enjoy visiting the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Great exhibits. Don't miss the walk thru aquarium tank.

We visited the Aquarium on a Monday afternoon. It was surprisingly crowded with lots of kids. The line for tickets wasn't long so getting in was quick. There are certainly some interesting animals to observe but they are spread out and there weren't any shows or demonstrations. The aquarium display include an observation tunnel under the water, which was nice but it was loaded with screaming kids.

We enjoyed the visit but it wasn't as good as other aquariums we've visited.

Our experience was disappointing because of how much we didn’t get to see. Everything was under construction and I feel we should’ve been notified before purchasing tickets.

It was difficult to see the otters. We saw one for a few seconds and he was adorable! Wish I could have seen him better. That was my primary reason to visit. The jellyfish exhibit was amazing though. Got some fantastic photos!!!

I've been coming to the Oregon Coast Aquarium for years, it's awesome. The rotating special exhibit is always a blast to check out, and the tunnels are fairly breathtaking, especially the shark tunnel.

Oregon Coast Aquarium is good but I was a little underwhelmed as I was expecting it to be like Monterey Bay Aquarium and it is very small and low key in comparison. Having said that I wonder if any aquarium worldwide comes close to that of the Monterey Bay one.

It was nicely laid out with outside exhibits of sea lions, sea otters and seals. Also an aviary and turkey vultures. Although I was a little unsure where turkey vultures fit into an aquarium setting.

There are a few indoor buildings with good displays including a section where you can touch starfish, sea anemones, sea urchins and other creatures in rock pools with guides on hand to supervise and answer questions. There's a glass tunnel area where visitors can see large fish and shark swimming above and below them. Also great displays of jellyfish near the cafe and in a cylindrical tank elsewhere.

We were expecting to be there 2-3 hours but actually had done it all in an hour so felt the $25.95 admission was overpriced. With hindsight I think we'd have preferred to visit the nearby Hatfield Marine Science Centre which has a visitor centre that you can visit for $5.

The aquarium was under construction - and no notices were posted. There were many exhibits that were so small - or had no animals. The Aquarium seemed almost deserted, and although the cave structures were cool - they served no purpose. Would have preferred more outside exhibits to have more than one animal swimming around.

Was looking forward to visiting this place for a long time. It is well worth a visit.HOWEVER, once in staff does not monitor or enforce mask policy. Inside. So many folks taking masks off when inside, outside some crowds with no masks.
We left after a few minutes and asked for a refund for the reasons above. Staff was accommodating and full refund given.
Really disappointed that staff not doing their job. I understand it can be difficult but COVID IS NO JOKE AND TOO MANY ARE ILL AND DYING.

Took my daughter to the aquarium for spring break and had an amazing trip! We went on Saturday March 26th, got to see the eels get fed snacks, got to see the sea lions get fed along with their tricks and dance moves (my daughters favorite part) and also saw the octopus out crawling around on the glass. We got there around 12:30/1 and it was the perfect time to go.

I had an absolutely fabulous time visiting the aquarium with my friends. We were able to see two feeding/training sessions, which were so engaging. The care of the animals was immediately evident and it was such a wonderful experience to take that in and learn about these fabulous creatures and their habitats .

We took our pre-school grandchildren to the Aquarium for their first visit recently. They loved all the sea life and the ability to freely explore inside and out as we went through the exhibits. We were not able to touch any sea animals because of COVID restrictions but they still had a wonderful time. We found the grounds and the flow of the exhibits made it very easy to keep the kids engaged and under our watchful eyes and letting them take the lead in where we wandered. It was clean, not too crowded, and very interesting.

Something for the whole family at this aquarium. educational displays, sharks, etc Takes about an hour.

This is the best place to spend some time while visiting Newport. We really enjoyed walking through the water tunnel as well as, being able to touch some of the marine animals. Would highly recommend!

Very nicely done. I'm from the East coast so I thought the sea life was really unusual. We went on a weekday and it wasn't too crowded.

We had a ballast. Our guys for both the behind the scenes and jelly touch Abby was a lot of fun and very knowledgeable on every thing! Would happily do again.

Visiting with an overall great experience. But the only thing I think would’ve made it even better would’ve been the other exhibits open but I understand it was under construction. Other than that all the employees would amazing and knew how to answer questions about the animals nicely and it was a very educational experience as well.

The aquarium was very nice lots of educational displays, history and information. A great place for all ages.

The aquarium is just another attraction which far from lives up to expectations and which could easily be so much better. The 4 indoor areas presents various natural surroundings. But where you would expect a broad variety of sea life represented, this is limited and quickly done. The ‘main attraction’ the passage of the deep, do contain both sharks and rays but when we went obviously 7-10 scuba divers who seemed to be similarly popular with the majority of the crowd whereas we considered it more of a peculiarity.
Less focus on entertainment and buying stuff and more focus on aesthetics and knowledge transfer to the guest. The aquarium clearly needs a revamp and many of the tanks should have more information and interactivity
A typical overpriced and underperforming attraction.

The experience was truly awesome and the tour was truly educational. I especially loved the life cycle of the jelly fish and the tanks of the various sizes. It was fun seeing the new octopus and learning about where it came from and the octopus' time with the aquarium.

Great highly recommend also doing the behind the scenes tour. Well worth it. This was our first time going.

Extremely well designed. Lots of marine life to see. Clean, easy to navigate. A great place to visit when at the beach.

Cool but over priced. Especially the price of adult tickets. Almost $70 to take two adults and one child. A lot of the tanks are small. Especially the tunnel with the sharks. Just seemed crowded in some of the tanks. However, this place is fun for kids. If your an adult just don’t go without children.

The level of expertise and beauty that this Aquarium offers in their exhibits are simply incredible. They educate you to be a more mindful, better "ocean citizen" even as they curate for the public the most astounding animal showcases I have yet seen (and I was a diver). Thanks to them, I now refuse to use plastic garbage bags and implemented reducing plastic consumption overall. They are a model of oceanic stewardship that should be utilized throughout the U.S.

I love the Oregon Coast Aquarium! I love bringing my kids here! We had a great time and loved seeing all the aquatic animals that we don’t get to see in the city. T however, some parts were so busy, my whole family was immediately overstimulated and just tried to make it out of there quickly. That’s no fault of the aquarium, just a hurdle one may have to get through. There was no shark paraphernalia to purchase which made me sad since my special interest is sharks.
All in all, my kids had a great time!! though they did get stuck in the climbing tower (it’s very tall!!) We liked the jellyfish, sharks, and a big hit with my youngest was the Japanese spider crab!

We were afraid that the Aquarium would be too "kid-centric," but that wasn't the case at all. We absolutely loved it!

There's a combination of indoor and outdoor exhibits and around every turn is something of wonder and awe. The jellyfish, the star fish, the otters, the seals, the octopus, the sharks. the puffins....it was all so wonderful. And, we really appreciated the Volunteers who were a wealth of information and insights about the animals we observed.

It was a delightful way to spend an afternoon and we highly recommend it.

I am happy to see the aquarium and all the sea creatures but I don’t think the money is worth that much!

We payed a little extra to do the behind the scenes and see the jellyfish area, best 15$ I have spent in a long time. Got to meet a ton of really knowledgeable people and learn a lot. Highly recommend for all ages. In my group all of us we’re over 18 and it was great! Such friendly staff, not your typical aquarium (:

Loved this amazing place! A nice stop in on my tour of Oregon this past early Oct! I will be back one day I am sure from Canada. (:

It was so crowded / you could hardly move. People bring strollers ( double strollers ) in and kids not in them while kids running wild.
Should have one direction thru tubes and allow a group in tube for a max mt of time then next group. It is just too chaotic otherwise and not pleasant

We drove all the way from Eugene to go to the aquarium I honestly thought it was going to be bigger.

Suggest going on a nice day since there is some outside time! it is more than an aquarium , very interesting and great for kids.

Young kids loved it ages 3 and 5 amazing place and still talking about it…. Can’t wait to go back and spend more time there later on

It was clean, friendly and educational. A few exhibits were closed. Overall it was a good experience and worth the visit.

I hadn't been to the aquarium in years and went as an early birthday present to myself with my husband. I had a lot of fun even though one gallery was closed.

What a great experience! Highly recommend, honey and I did without kids= that’s a first. Very impressed! The environment is so unique and intriguing. Will go back for sure… maybe bring kids next time.

The variety of information and exhibits are great. Would recommend an umbrella if you come when it’s raining.

All of the displays were beautifully designed. The signage in both English and Spanish was very informative. Everything that I observed had to do with more-or-less local waters, so no exotic tropical sea life. The walk-through tunnels surrounded by ocean creatures were wonderful. Some of the larger aquatic animals were being a bit shy when we were there, so I was disappointed that we weren't able to see more of the otters that feature so prominently in the advertising.

The grounds are compact but still allow for a very complete experience. Parking is free and convenient, a short walk from the entrance.