Florida Aquarium Ticket: Explore 9,000 Sea Creatures
4.3
518 Ratings
Tampa
Explore and learn about more than 9,000 sea creatures at the Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa. Dive into a journey through Florida's diverse aquatic ecosystems and discover interactive touch experiences, a coral reef ecosystem, and conservation efforts.
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • The Florida Aquarium - The Florida Aquarium offers a unique look at all that swims, floats, and crawls in and around Florida waters and beyond.

The 200,000 square-feet attraction is home to more than 9,000 animals. Follow the journey from a single drop of rain to the deep waters where the ocean’s top predators are found. Along the way see river otters, alligators, stingrays, seahorses and pipefishes, fascinating jellies (commonly called jellyfish), lion fish, sea turtles, sharks and more! There is a 500,000 gallon floor-to-ceiling Coral Reef tank, 3 touch pools, plus multiple other exhibits. Watch your children enjoy an outdoor play area (Splash Pad) with wet and dry zones, or see a short film in our 4-D Theater– all included with general admission!

The Florida Aquarium is conveniently located in downtown Tampa, along the trolley line, and between 2 cruise ship terminals.

What's Included
    • Infants aged 0-2 go free
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Parking fee
Additional Information

Dive into the world of 9,000+ coastal species at the Florida Aquarium nestled in the heart of Tampa. The one of a kind tour at the Florida Aquarium begins with a droplet of water from Florida’s bountiful natural springs, stretching to the expansive aquatic environment of the Florida Keys and beyond. Visitors are treated to a recreated wetlands environment under a towering glass atrium where native fauna like alligators, river otters, and free flying pink spoonbills reside. Touch exhibits allow interactive engagements with moon jellies (better known as jelly fish), rays, bamboo sharks, and sea anemones. Explore the dwellers of the Indian Ocean in the ‘Journey to Madagascar’ exhibit. A mammoth 500,000 gallon ecosystem with a coral reef housing sharks, sea turtles, reef fish, eels and numerous other species is sure to captivate. Learn about the conservation initiatives the Florida Aquarium is a part of, including coral rebuilding in the ‘Waves of Wonder’ exhibit. Entry includes access to the Splash Pad, ideal for the little ones!

  • Strollers and wheelchairs are available at the Guest Services counter for an additional fee; quantities are limited.
  • Infants 0-2 are free
  • Parking options include a City of Tampa lot located 1 block north of The Florida Aquarium on Channelside Drive. Additional parking lots and garages are within walking distance of the Aquarium.
  • Please note: your ticket is active for up to 48 hours after your originally purchased date and time of visit as long as your original ticket is valid (has not been used and Aquarium barcode has not been scanned).
Location
The Florida Aquarium
701 Channelside Dr,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(518 Ratings)
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Tinas496
Apr 21, 2024
Amazing family outing - Family had a great time, The fish were so beautiful. We really enjoyed the entire outing. The splash pad and playground area were a great way to chill out after all the walking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E1966kbsarahh
Apr 10, 2024
Relaxing day.... the aquarium with the peaceful music was great - Our children are all young adults and this was the first vacation we went on with just us as empty nester. What a wonderful aquarium! It was so peaceful yet we learned so much!!!! We also noticed the large ship Victory museum next door that was awesome also! We showed our receipt for the aquarium and got half of admission!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mrs_romence
Apr 9, 2024
Best Aquarium in the Area! - We have visited this aquarium several times over the years and it never disappoints! During the spring break season it is extremely busy and I would highly suggest that you purchase your tickets online. When you purchase them online, you are given a select time whereby you are allowed to enter the aquarium. Once inside you don't have a time limit but expect to spend around two hours inside. Also, you will need to pay for parking ($10), the lot is usually very full so be prepared for a decent walk to the aquarium. Be aware that when it is packed inside with people, there are long lines everywhere. Petting the stingrays will easily take up half an hour- if there is a lot of people there. Also, during peak season the Aquarium does raise the price, so check online before you go. It may be cheaper to visit on a different day for you. Once inside here is what you can expect: A lot of different exhibits and experiences. You can see coral reefs, and touch "no bones" sea animals. You can pet sting rays and watch aquarium staff feed the animals. You may also want to bring a swim suit as there is an outdoor splash pad area. You can also have lunch at the cafe- but it is expensive! This aquarium is the best in the area, it is great for families and sea life enthusiasts. With some prior planning you will definitely enjoy this aquarium.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V6395aealiceb
Apr 6, 2024
Give yourself plenty of time on your visit & book in advance - From direct experience (& from reading other reviews), there are some useful things to know before you visit. First off, you will need to book a entry ticket in advance - they offer various entry time slots to manage admission rates. Even though this may seem unnecessary on some days / times. Also plan your parking needs, if you plan to drive there - there are two nearby car parks but both use online (but different) apps for payment, and you pay by the time period needed. The free Tampa trolley bus stops nearby, or you can easily walk to it, if you are staying in downtown Tampa. Secondly, if you are interested in actually visiting all parts of the aquarium (the individual themed areas, the deep sea tank, the touching pool/s, the penguins outside and any temporary exhibitions) - then book entry in the morning so you have the rest of the day to get the most out of your visit. You can easily spend all day in the aquarium. It's jam-packed with marine life, conservation information and exhibits about the various natural habitats in Florida. Thirdly, pace yourself on your visit. Be aware that it is easy to spend lots of time looking at the first 2-3 main areas in the aquarium, and end up having to rush through the final areas (like the deep sea tank), which is disappointing. Finally, look at for the volunteer guides (friendly & helpful) and the short talks that biologists / staff offer throughout the day. You may enjoy the introductory talk about Kraken the otter, or the talk about the habits of rays. Amenities - inside the aquarium there us a large gift shop, a cafe (with indoor & outdoor seating) and plenty of restrooms. There are some stairs (as well as a lift) to various parts of the aquarium. There are also sit down points throughout. Also nearby is Spark man Wharf, a waterfront area with restaurants, bars, an gorgeous outside eating area (you can take your own food) and some great street-food stands - which are well-worth a visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pami_h
Apr 5, 2024
Take your family! - What a nice time with my grandchildren. We came down to Tampa for their Spring Break and the Aquarium helped make the week even better. I wish I would've remembered the gentleman who was in the bird area that gave us info on the 29 yr old python. He was amazing and informative. Kudos!
Review provided by Viator
Catherine_m
Apr 4, 2024
I liked how it was... - I liked how it was handiecap accessible for my mother to enjoy also. And the staff was so friendly and helpful. We loved it.
Review provided by Viator
Hrg2bgrgws
Apr 17, 2024
Was great 😌 we had a... - Was great 😌 we had a great time with our family !!! When we go to the states again we will visit it again
Review provided by Viator
Lshaver
Apr 11, 2024
Aquarium itself was fine, similar to most we have seen.Food at the cafeteria was more than disgusting. Save your money and eat - Aquarium was nice and similar to most we have visited. Friendly staff. Food at the cafeteria is disgusting. East somewhere else.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessicach4156zg
Apr 7, 2024
Nice for a Rainy Day - It was nice for a rainy day. Especially since we had the CitiPass, we didn’t need a reservation and the lines were REALLY long on a stormy day for regular admission. Only gave a 4 star just because I have been to several other aquariums that were bigger.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_j
Apr 16, 2024
It was a good experience... - It was a good experience for a family. Would have been nice if they had Dolphins with all the other great animals they had. The only thing is it said $10 for all day parking but cost $20 for 4 hours if had not been for that would have been more stars.
Review provided by Viator
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1 Adult
May 2024
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