SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium — Attraction in Auburn Hills

Typically I am quite skeptical about these corporate run places or attractions like this. Especially when they're located in a mall or something of that fashion. In my opinion they tend to be more of a gimmick than an actual fun and educational experience. That being said, you should also know that if you're expecting something like one of those very large public aquariums that everyone raves about, this very much isn't that in any way shape or form (and that's okay). It is however much larger than what you might be anticipating if you're basing things on how the outside of the building looks.

I say all of that, to say this. Even though this place isn't of the caliber of many major city aquariums, it does have to some great qualities for what it is. I wound up here because my Fiancé and I decided it would be a good weekend adventure for the kids, and as it turned out, we were right.

One of the major perks right off the bat is the fact that they often are only taking guests that buy tickets in advance (at least this was the case while we were there), meaning it is much less busy than it would be if they were letting everyone walk up and buy tickets. I feel that this really made for a less congested and more personal experience with the kids.

I don't know exactly what I was expecting for the price of a ticket here, but I do feel like it was absolutely worth it, not only for the kids, but for the adults as well. There were certain periods throughout the experience that I think I was probably more excited to see a certain animal than my ten year old son was. The way this place is set up is basically you're in an undersea maze where you continue on, learning about and seeing all sorts of creatures, eventually ending up at the end (a.k.a the gift shop). There are also parts where you're able to interact and be hands on with certain sea creatures, and that was pretty entertaining as well.

There are not only quite a few creatures (both salt and freshwater) to take a gander at but also several activities for the kids to take part in during the whole experience. This place also makes it incredibly easy to be able to see everything no matter how big or small you are (you'll see what I mean when you walk through). You might even get the opportunity to see several of the creatures eat, which can be quite fascinating. Specifically the Stingrays, I mean have you ever seen a Stingray eat? Probably not, and you totally have the ability to here.

When all is said and done, should this act as a replacement for those gigantic public aquariums that many cities have? Absolutely not, but oftentimes not everyone has access to those places or those specific aquariums, and this would probably be the next best thing in my opinion. The staff here is also friendly, professional, and seemingly quite knowledgeable about the sea creatures they keep, which was refreshing to see. I truly believe that if you can separate the fact that you're not going to get the full "aquarium" experience that you might get at those other very well known gigantic aquariums, then you can truly have a great time here, especially if you bring the kids.

Buy your tickets ahead of time, and have a great time. Wander around the mall afterwards, what do you...

it was cool. but when we finished and ended up in the gift shop the lady at the counter immediately SHOUTED over a MICROPHONE at us "WE HAVE YOUR PICTURES READY" and i walk up to the counter and she is Still shouting OVER A MICROPHONE even though i am 2 feet away. she had an attitude when i said we didnt wanna buy the pictures. like we took the picture with the memory card cause we thought it was FREE since the dude handed it to us when we checked in regardless of us asking or even saying yes. nothing on the card said it costed money so sorry i didnt assume. aquarium experience was good but unfortunately bad experience at the end left a sour taste. not sure i would reccomend the behind the scenes tour either as it was less of a tour and more like just standing in three seperate locations as she talked our ears off, we didnt see any demonstrations or anything really happening. we saw into a window the "life support" system, we saw the recovery area where the fish are checked by a vet (a small pool), and we saw the lab (some desks, cabinets, and whiteboards.) we also saw the kitchen which just looked like a kitchen. this was all in one hallway. i believe we just didnt come at a good time for the tour because she said all the aquarists had gone home so we didnt get to see them work or demonstrate anything for us. so my advice to future patrons is to schedule your tour earlier in the day (ours was 3:30) we didnt learn much and i genuinely dont think they should hold tours when theres no aquarists! thats on them. anyways! the touch station employee was nice, the front desk was nice, the tour guide was nice (the only issue was there wasnt much to see the aquarists went home. the tour guide did a fine job.) photo desk lady was Not nice. thank you for coming...

I'm not usually one to leave a review about a place, but in this situation it's a MUST! On November 9th my family and I booked a day at sealife aquarium. This was going to be my daughters last outing for quite some time as she was going in for back surgery on November 13th. At the end of our visit at sealife my son had lost his hoodie. We knew it had to be at the aquarium as he had it the rest of our time at the mall. I tried to reach out to sealife via phone, and upon doing that I was directed to reach out via email. Doing so they advised me they DID have my sons sweatshirt and I could come in anytime during operating hours to get it from lost and found. I then had explained to them my situation, about my daughter going in for surgery and I wouldn't be able to take the hour drive to get my sons hoodie anytime soon. The lady who I had been in contact with said they could ship it to my house. Which was super convenient for me with EVERYTHING going on. Fast forward, we just received my sons hoodie yesterday 11/25/2024. Upon opening the box was a card, it was a get well soon card for my daughter along with a stuffed animal. It was the kindest gesture! It brought a big smile to my daughters face, and it warmed my heart. They didn't have to do what they did, they also didnt even have to believe my situation and they did. I will ALWAYS continue to take my family on yearly trips to sealife, and I will ALWAYS recommend them to family and friends. There generosity and care will always be remembered! I would give 100 starts if I could!! So thank you sealife aquarium for not only getting my sons hoodie to me, but also putting a smile on my daughters face and a stuffed animal to cuddle during her long recovery. You guys are...