We purchased combined aquarium and boat tour tickets. The boat ride was very nice. We passed some nice homes on the bay before we did a little nature walk on one island. On the way back they dropped a net and brought in small sea creatures which everyone enjoyed passing around and viewing. The aquarium was small but nice. They... more

My 12 and 8 year old girls and I went on a Nature Safari with Mote and then spent the rest of our day exploring the aquarium. The safari was a great experience, cost was around $110 for the 3 of us. Took a little over 2 hours. Our tide was very high and so we got extremely wet. Phone... more

Was surprised at how nice this one was based on some of the reviews here. Ended up spending about 4 hours there. Checked out the 2 interactive theatre shows (dolphins and the food chain trying to get to the white shark status). Also had a 12 minute movie about sharks, loved the stingrays, manatees, dolphins, sharks, seahorses, jellyfish, eels, etc.... more

My wife and I went here and thought it was pretty nice. Others complain about the price but it seems to be going towards a good cause. The turtles are really neat to see and I thought their movie about sharks was well done. No it is not Disney World quality but still worth going to. more

I agree with others that it's a little pricy, but the staff was friendly and I'm glad they offer a public opportunity to visit a research facility such as this. We enjoyed the smaller viewing tanks indoors; the petting area for sea cucumbers, sand dollars, etc.; the hammerhead shark tank; the shark tank that allows one to view from above... more

We visited the museum late September of 2008 and I have to admit, after reading the reviews here, I was not expecting much. I was shocked. The exhibits were nice and the staff there were friendly. It was a little pricey but I am not complaining. The staff were all older folks but the few we interacted with were very... more

I interned for 6 months at Mote Marine Laboratory in two different areas, although this did not involve the aquarium, it did allow ample time to explore it during lunch breaks and weekends when my intern badge conveniently opened many doors. It is important not to approach Mote with false expectations, first and foremost Mote is a non-profit research organization... more

I have been to a lot of aquarium's and they do cost around the same but get a whole lot more than this place. We were unsure if we wanted to go here or the Ringling Museum... well we should have spent our money on the museum instead. more

The kids enjoyed the Aquarium but it was very high priced for what you received. $17 for adults is a little pricey, IMO. $10-12 would have been more reasonable. The favorite exhibits were the Sting Rays and the Prey/Predator interactive game, and watching the sharks. If you go, I would take a sack lunch and drive a little farther than... more