Best Aquariums in California
3 aquariums in California
Aquariums across the USA for families.
Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
Aquariums in California: what to expect
California has 3 aquariums we would happily take our own kids to. Aquarium of the Pacific is the one most families start with. Drift past glowing jellies and head out on a whale-watching boat to meet the Pacific up close in Long Beach. Birch Aquarium at Scripps is the other name that comes up again and again. Walk a fictional California mountainside and meet the marine life of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at this hands-on La Jolla aquarium. Monterey Bay Aquarium rounds out the pick of the bunch. Stand inside a towering Kelp Forest and watch playful sea otters off Monterey Bay.
None of these venues publishes a fixed family ticket price on this page, so check the official site for current admission before you set out.
The aquariums on this page are spread across Long Beach (1), La Jolla (1) and Monterey (1), so it is easy to pair two into one trip.
Aquariums
Aquarium of the Pacific
Long Beach, California
Drift past glowing jellies and head out on a whale-watching boat to meet the Pacific up close in Long Beach.
Aquariums
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
La Jolla, California
Walk a fictional California mountainside and meet the marine life of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at this hands-on La Jolla aquarium.
Aquariums
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, California
Stand inside a towering Kelp Forest and watch playful sea otters off Monterey Bay.