Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

Small free aquarium with a variety of small to medium fish and sea creatures. Great value given that it's free, though donations are encouraged. The fish and such are fun to look out but don't expect an in depth scientific explanation of their behaviors. It's right by a nice beach and park as well!

Became a member this year and attended their Halloween event the aquarium itself is not that big but still plenty to see and do around as well. Members get free parking and get special invites to their events ..my kids had a blast at the sea scare event and there were music, games, treats. I would highly recommend for a day trip. Oh and it's right next to the beach so you can lounge about afterwards too.

Nice little aquarium! Took my grand babies here and they loved it! Wasn’t super crowded, and the employees were pleasant, from the entrance all the way to the end at the gift shop! Had a great experience all around! Will definitely be back when we are visiting L.A again. ( The entrance is free, but a $7 donation is mentioned which I gladly paid for each adult in my party! Well worth more! And parking is $1 hr).

The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is a great interactive “classroom” where people of all ages can learn about marine life and conservation. I am a student at East Los Angeles College, and I had to come to the aquarium for a class assignment. In my experience, aquariums have always been more of an entertainment center than an educational experience. However, this aquarium manages to keep balance between learning and enjoying yourself. While the facility is small, it is very easy to finish and read all of the information in about two hours. First, the aquariums themselves are very well maintained and make it easy for visitors to see which animals are inside. The information boards or signs are also very easy to read and present the information in a non- over the top way, but in a way where everyday people can understand the concepts. Additionally, I really appreciated how open the facility was about exposing the inner workings of the tanks or laboratories and how they manage the breeding of jellies in the nursery. The employees who work at the facility are very nice and seem to love where they work.
Finally, entrance into the facility is completely free, besides the one dollar payment per hour you have to pay for parking, which is a penny in today’s economy. Donations are recommended but not required. This facility is a great facility for families, students, or anyone who is interested in marine life to spend a few hours learning but also to have fun while doing so! I would highly recommend!

Can't beat free. Donations always welcome. Parking was $1 an hour. Playground nearby. Gift shop had alot of nice things.

Such a great place to visit with the grandkids. Educational and fun. No use of cell phones! Support this place if you can.

What a great little aquarium. Entrance is free, they would like a donation to help keep the aquarium running. I enjoyed the sea creatures and information displays. My 15 year old also enjoyed it. We saw jellyfish and sea horses, when we went to Sea World last mos they didn't have either. The gift shop has cool gifts and mice cold drinks.

I LOVED this aquarium, and so did my kids. It’s also free with a recommended donation, and parking is $1/hour. It’s a tremendous value.

The staff are super engaged and seem genuinely happy to be there. It made me really happy actually, that positivity was infectious.

The exhibits are great. It’s not huge, this isn’t the Monterey Bay aquarium (I was there last month), but it was somehow just as fun. My kids were completely stoked by the exhibits and animals on display. The exhibits are well designed and very informative too. You even get to see their lab where the grow and raise animals for exhibit.

Overall I can’t say enough good things. 2-3 hours is probably a good amount of time to spend, but if you read everything you could stay even longer.

We love this aquarium and are members. Admission is donation based and donations go back into the facility. Staff is friendly and informative. It's not as high tech as the aquarium across the way, but it's not as busy and is a great way to see and even touch sea life with your kids.

Awesome small museum!

Will definitely make a good trip for kids to learn about marine life.

Free and have many rare animal in this aquarium. Had lovely time with baby and family.

Lovely small aquarium, great for a quick or half day trip, near scenic beach and a pier with a scenic beautiful walk.

Really amazing place for how small it is. They have some stuff I've never seen anywhere else! I love how research orientated it is. And donation based!

Technically you only pay for parking for this gem. You can donate and the suggested donation is $7 per adult which I was more than happy to pay. What a wonderful place for the kids. The staff is super-friendly and their selection of displays is second to none. Mantis shrimps, monster lobsters, sharks, invertebrates, and so many other things to see!!! A must for the family!!

Well worth the drive. They have so much on display, and the petting tank was amazing. The personnel were great, and you can't beat the price. You can enjoy the beach and jetty afterwards. It's just on the other side of the parking lot. I highly recommend this aquarium for the whole family.

This aquarium hasn’t changed one bit since I was a kid. But all of the sea creatures are still fun to look at. While the seahorse are the most adorable little creatures to watch, frolic in the tall grass….. the jelly are mesmerizing and hypnotic. Can watch for hours. It’s like they’re all doing a beautifully graceful and well synchronized water ballet. The touch tank is fun, although after watching Finding Dori, I feel bad about touching sea life that desperately cling to the walls and floors of the tank. I feel like they’re thinking that if they get as close to the wall and make themselves as flat as can be, all the while not moving, they won’t be seen…. Doesn’t work out too well for them, lol. They have two wave tanks that are a lot of fun. One is in a timer and lets the viewer see what happens under water after a wave crashes in the shore, while another one is manually done. You crank a wheel and are able to create waves, making the sand come up in little wisps, crating the slightest possibility of viewing the few fish that lurk beneath the sand. If you happen to have tired feet or need to cool down for a minute, try catching a quick little ‘movie’ in the aquariums new auditorium. They show little educational clips and have docents answer any questions one night about the clip or the aquarium in general. They have recently opened up a nursery just outside of the auditorium entrance. Wether it’s to get itty bitty baby fish and other sea creatures big enough to go into their own tanks, or to support the breeding program of one of the many species that are on the brink of extinction, it’s a very cool place to visit. Makes the reality of how not only is our oceans a sacred thing, but also the life our ocean provides, in and out of it. All in all, it’s a very cool place to visit, even if it’s just once. But while you’re there, take a look at what other programs and events the aquarium and the beach itself has to offer. You’d be surprised how much fun you’ll actually have

What a great way to spend a day. Small but very nice museum.

You can give a donation instead of paying to get in. Small but enjoyable.

The workers are so sweet. They let you know things you’re curious about even if you don’t ask. I came here about 6-8 years ago and there weren’t really any changes. I really recommend coming here for a cheap weekend with family, it’s hot but the ocean breeze makes it worth it.

My childhood all over again, in glad to come here after 25 years. Such a beautiful place and very interesting.