Oklahoma Aquarium — Attraction in Jenks

I hate to leave a negative review for a place like this. But I took my 8-year-old niece here today because she asked me "Are octopuses real?" Well, let's go see one. It was pricey to get in, but whatever, we're here to see an octopus. And this experience was so disappointing.

Once inside, the problem was: severe overcrowding and no crowd management whatsoever. I was having trouble keeping up with her because she could slip past people and I'd have about 5 random people with baby strollers immediately cut in front of me.

The other problem is that everything inside costs more money. It's a grift. Commemorative coin machines, multiple gift shops, $7 for a small (think single-serve yogurt cup) dippin' dots, $5 to feet the turtles (and nobody was there when we went to the stand), $10 VR thing, I didn't even stop to see how much the carousel was. I felt bad I had to keep telling her 'no' on things, but damn, nothing in there is free except slipping past sweaty tourists.

(I might have said 'yes' to more stuff, but I caved and got her a commemorative coin. The machine messed up and charged me for 4 coins instead of 1. There were no controls on it to fix it. Once you tap your card, it just takes your money and doesn't care what you wanted.)

My last problem is, despite all this money, nothing's been updated in over a decade. The last time I went to the aquarium was my first week in Tulsa in 2012. The interactive game near the shark exhibit is the exact same game from 2012! But hey, at least it was free.

The playground area was pretty nice, though, and they have some fun stuff for kids inside -- tunnels you can crawl through, little cavelike structures you can climb.

So for all my complaints, she had a good time. She remembers the fun stuff more than the things we couldn't do. She loved the shark display (which hasn't changed since 2012). She never did get to see the octopus, though. That tank only some giant sea...

This was my second trip to the Aquarium and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, interactive experience.

On our first visit, we paid for the Behind the Scenes Shark Feeding Tour, which was a wonderful, educational experience. I would recommend this for older children and adults who are interested and engaged. It's a wonderful opportunity to learn fun and exciting factoids about the specific animals you're seeing.

On today's visit, we had a 10-year-old with us, so we stuck to the "public" opportunities. These included free petting opportunities with several small "tide pools" and larger, timed opportunities to pet stingrays and jellyfish, as well as paid opportunities to feed turtles and stingrays. These exhibits were spaced out well to re-engage children who might be otherwise distracted.

On a practical note, throughout the Aquarium were paper towels and hand sanitizer stations, especially around the more hands-on exhibits, there are benches and seating spread throughout for those who require or want frequent rest, and there are bathrooms at both ends of the Aquarium.

There are clearly visible, easy-to-read signs throughout the Aquarium with information about the animals and plants on display, however, there are not many audio options. I would love to see an audio component somewhere in the future. Perhaps a QR Code that can be scanned for "guided tour" style information, that way people with learning disorders or who want more in-depth information can more easily access the information on the signs, even when there are lots of people in an exhibit and standing in front of the signs for longer periods is impractical.

Over all, our experiences have been wonderful, and we will certainly be back. Highlights definitely worth checking out include: extremely active and playful otters, a shark tunnel, a large octopus, a large sea turtle, an electric eel with a voltage meter, and many more...

The moment I stepped into this aquarium, I was captivated by the stunning design and modern features of the space. The whole aquarium was an epitome of cleanliness and orderliness. The underwater world was brought to life, with all the marine creatures beautifully displayed in their natural habitats. The colors and textures of the fish and plants were so vibrant and diverse, making it easy to marvel at the wonders of the ocean. The aquarium was divided into different sections that catered to different aquatic regions and ecosystems. From local land and water education features, immersive shark tunnels to deep water sea creatures, every corner was carefully curated to create a realistic underwater environment! The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to answer any questions visitors had about the marine creatures. They were very passionate about marine education, promoting conservation awareness, and actively worked towards preserving marine life.

The interactive exhibits were the highlight of the aquarium. Feeding the sting rays, watching the beautiful Iguana, and marveling at the deep water Isopod were some of my favorite experiences. I also loved the underwater tunnel that provided a 360-degree view of bull sharks swimming around me. If you're hungry, thirsty, want to shop, or want to get unique local collectibles and gifts, you can count on the Oklahoma Aquarium to have it.

In summary, my recent trip to the Oklahoma Aquarium had everything I could hope for in an aquatic, education center. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and dedicated to marine preservation. The exhibits were engaging, interactive, and of high quality. The space was clean, aesthetically pleasing, and well-organized. This aquarium should be on your bucket list if you're a fan of marine life and enjoy interactive aquatic...