The Aquatarium — Attraction in Ontario

After hearing so much about the Aquatarium and that it was our new tourist attraction. Not to mention the hype from knowing how much was spent to get this up and running, I had some expectations. I went on a weekend, which is the only time anybody with a normal job can go due to its hours 10am - 5pm. I took my girlfriend here as a date. We went into the building and the staff were very friendly and helpful to get us our admission. You start off with an elevator ride and you come out on the 3rd floor. The floor has a few fish tanks and a small salt water touch tank. The fish in the tanks are all freshwater and they are fish you can see and catch in and around the St.Lawrence River. The River Otter exhibit is very limited, its like a zoo where you just observe them from behind glass. The Otters and Fish are confined to areas where they only get artificial light and I was concerned for their well being (some fish did not look well). I continued and there are a few interactive exhibits that I liked. They have a water area, one mocks cascading water and you get to build a dam to divert water to turbines and produce a power dam (My Favourite). The other water area if a mock of the St. Lawrence Seaway and kids were putting foam boats in at the top and sending them down stream (This looked fun for young children.) The ropes course is small and although fun you couldn't do that more then a few times without it getting redundant. The boat simulator is interesting, nothing like actually driving a real boat but the concept is intriguing and fun.

The Aquatarium has its place for educating and introducing kids to some of the fish and wildlife in our area. Its by no means a replacement for getting your kids outdoors and taking them fishing or on hikes etc. I have seen and caught all the fish from the wild that you can observe in their tanks. It is not natural for some of those predator fish to be in such close proximity to the other fish.

Needless to say I will not be going back unless I am taking small children. The hours of operation are poor, exhibits are mediocre at best and it was not impressive for the cost of admission.

Kids (ages 3-10) seemed to be really enjoying themselves and it has a lot of potential for doing events at if you were to do theme weeks or had in guest speakers etc. I could see this...

Update: reply to the Aquatarium's response.

My comment on roadside attraction was not taken as I intended. I wasn't clear, and for that, I apologize.

I have zero doubt the staff are doing what they can working withing the confines of an older building, and, as in the case of most museums, a no doubt a less optimal budget.

I wasn't clear that I was NOT referring to staff.

With one exception, the few I did see knew their jobs, and were knowledgeable. But they were not plentiful.

The building is old. The lighting is awful, the floors uneven, and the air quality isn't wonderful. All of this is outside the control of museum staff, and I apologize that I was not clear on that.

It's definitely oriented to young children, and I suspect that is where the staff focuses, which honestly, is as it should be.

.... But some extra information/details geared to adults (info cards? Flyers?) would be helpful

~CC I didn't know how to rate this... Excellent place for the under 10 crowd, and the under 5 crowd will adore it.

But if you're an adult, prepare to be completely underwhelmed.

It honestly feels less like a professional operation, and more like a roadside attraction. Given the number of years it's existed, I have to wonder at the behind-the-scenes setup.

It's nestled among several businesses, and is a maze spread over three disconnected floors. It's a very confusing layout, and a number of the "stations" either don't seem to exist, are tiny and lacking in information, or are blocked off with no explanations.

Because the displays have little explanation, you're left with nothing. Example is "Justin Beaver"; How'd he get there? Why is a very social animal alone? Does he spend his life in that tiny room, a small pool, concrete, and constantly running water (is he deaf?) there are no answered, and no one to ask

It's also an expensive experience - and adult tickets are highly overpriced. Google sends you to very expensive city parking lots, and there appears to be no other option. The gift shop seems to offer nothing locally, or even Canadian, made, the exception being Justin's art (I'm hoping he's earning some pocket money)

I left with a feeling of profound disappointment. Not even the otters could...

Aquatarium was a hit. It was our 2nd time there (ever), and we attended on the August long weekend. We spent about 2.5 hours there and could have stayed longer if energy levels allowed. Our group was two adults, a 5 year old and a 6 year old.

It is so well designed and interactive. We tried almost every exhibit and spent probably 45 minutes at the amazing ball station in the gift shop.

The only flaw from my perspective is that feeding times are packed so it's not likely that you'll see much from the animals unless you're early to stake out a spot before it starts and comfortable in a crowd.

It's walking distance to the south end of the railway tunnel, nice waterfront space, and several options for food.

Parking was a challenge. We were told it was much worse than usual as there was a boat poker run happening.

Of note, we also attended the travelling bricks exhibit. It was ok, but underwhelming for me. Parking was plentiful and free. We spent about 1h20min there. It was a few nice LEGO builds on display grouped by theme, then at the end there was a LEGO pit where the kids could build. If the Aquarium didn't throw in a bonus activity, I would have been disappointed at the value for cost. There is a little gift shop at the end. Table in the center had little Lego knock off sinks or sea creatures or a light up extension tube fidget thing for $3 each. Prices of other items around the sides were higher and varied. Bonus activity had to be chosen and time booked on arrival. Options were the train, obstacle course, or escape room.

The escape room was a fun, cowboy themed experience. It's got a time limit...