Aquarium of the Pacific — Attraction in Long Beach

My wife and I had the pleasure of a visit from our oldest son, his wife and three of their youngest children, ages 8 – 12, visiting us from their home in Sandpoint, Idaho. They stayed with us for five days and we did lots of fun stuff.

One of those days was devoted to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We made reservations the night before and bought the Annual Membership to get the full benefits of that package and use some of them toward discounts to help with the merch and food we were certainly going to want while we were there. The benefits were all spelled out on their web site, and were explained to us again in person the next day when we checked in at Member Services to pick up our newly minted Membership cards. These would get us discounts at the gift shop and in the onsite restaurant, Café Scuba. (For those of you keeping count, there were seven of us in our party.)

The Aquarium is a pretty cool place, lots of great exhibits, live sea creatures, shows, a great place to take the family, fun for kids of all ages. Until we went to lunch at Café Scuba.

So, the seven of us place our lunch orders at the counter and I confidently show my brand new Membership card for my 20% discount off my $174 purchase. I am told by the guy behind the counter that the system is down right now, so he can’t apply the discount for some reason. No problem, I thought, I’ll get it fixed later, not going to ruin lunch for my three grandkids, who are having a great time.

Later in the day, as we got ready to leave the Aquarium and do some last minute shopping in the gift shop, I decide to go back to Member Services to see about that discount. They explain to me that the restaurant is run by a separate company, not the Aquarium itself, and I should go back up there to talk to them about it. So I go back up to the restaurant to see what I need to do to get that membership benefit credited back to me somehow. Is there somebody I can speak to, is the system back up, should I call somebody, etc.

That’s when the guy there tells me they just don’t do that anymore. There is no membership discount at the restaurant that is inside the Aquarium of the Pacific, the discount that is advertised on their web site and was spelled out to us as one of the many benefits of membership that very morning on the premises as we bought tickets for seven of us. I asked the guy why he told me earlier that the system was down. He said, that’s what we tell people who ask for the discount. It’s easier than saying “We don’t do that anymore.”

So I’m writing this as a public service to anyone considering buying that membership. Don’t believe everything they tell...

From child-friendly interactive exhibits to the genuinely passionate staff, the Aquarium of the Pacific was a delightful and engaging experience.

Getting stopped by keepers: listening to their stories and vast treasure troves of knowledge allowed me to look past the glass and acknowledge the unique and wonderful marine life displayed in this venue. This visit was undoubtedly one of the greatest highlights of my LA trip- largely attributed to the enthusiasm and genuine kindness displayed by trainers and exhibit workers alike.

Exhibit wise, the designs were extremely considerate of each individual species as well as visitor viewing experience. Keeper and expert talks were a regular event- spread generously throughout the day, and contained a lot of interesting content to keep the little ones engaged. My personal favourites: outside moon jelly exhibit (overlooking the dock), mudskippers, amphibian sector, jellyfish displays, glow-in-the-dark coral, outdoor penguins, and a little grumpy fish hiding in a shell and glaring at spectators. (See if you can find him)

While the exterior layout was a little confusing, there are a heap of signs along the way to guide you on your route, as well as people you may pose queries.

Café with small food items and drinks is available inside - though greatly recommend eating at the restaurants nearby or bringing snacks from home.

If you would like to slowly tour and admire the displays, 4 hours is a good start, but families can expect ~2 hours to get through everything. The best times to visit are early in the morning and late in the afternoon- you’ll pretty much get the aquarium to yourself!

Nearby whale-watching tour is pretty worth the investment too. It gets REALLY windy and cold on deck, but there’s a small cafe under the surface that offers views that are just as nice. Expect to see plenty of dolphins and other marine life, and whales if you are lucky (I did). Café items are quite overpriced and limited, bringing your own food is recommended!

All in all, this was a truly memorable experience that put local wildlife on full display for international and domestic travellers alike- absolutely...

The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is a great place to spend the afternoon with kids. The exhibits are well-done and informative, and there's plenty to see and do. We started our visit with the Lorikeet Forest, where you can feed the birds nectar from a cup. The kids loved it! They also enjoyed watching the sea otters play in their enclosure. We also saw a variety of fish, sharks, and other sea creatures. The exhibits are all very well-done, and the kids learned a lot about the ocean. We had lunch at the cafe, which had a good selection of food and drinks. The prices were reasonable, and the food was good. After lunch, we went to the touch tank, where the kids could touch and feel some of the sea creatures. They loved it! We also saw a whale show, which was very informative and entertaining. The kids loved learning about whales, and they were impressed by the size of the whales. Overall, we had a great time at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The kids learned a lot, and they had a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend it to other families. Here are some tips for visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific: Arrive early, especially if you're visiting on a weekend or during the summer. The aquarium gets crowded later in the day. Wear comfortable shoes, as you'll be doing a lot of walking. Bring a hat and sunscreen, as there's not much shade in the aquarium. Allow plenty of time to see all the exhibits. We spent about four hours at the aquarium, and we didn't see everything. If you have young children, bring a stroller or wagon. The aquarium is big, and it can be tiring for little ones to walk the whole way. The aquarium is a great place to have a picnic. There are plenty of tables and chairs outside. The aquarium also has a cafe, if you don't want to pack a lunch. The aquarium is a great place to learn about the ocean and the creatures that live there. The exhibits are all very informative, and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The aquarium is a great place to take kids of all ages. They'll learn a lot and have...