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South Carolina Aquarium

100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC 29401
843-720-1990
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Ranked #36 of 87 attractions in Charleston
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Type: Aquariums
Owner description: Fun, wonder and education come together at the South Carolina Aquarium. An intimate family-fun adventure, see a rare albino American alligator; get... more » Owner description: Fun, wonder and education come together at the South Carolina Aquarium. An intimate family-fun adventure, see a rare albino American alligator; get hands-on at the Touch Tank, marvel at the sharks in the Great Ocean Tank, come face-to-face with rays in the Stingray Encounter, or take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Sea Turtle Hospital. Don’t miss our interactive dive shows and animal programs offered daily! « less
Useful Information: Activities for young children
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392 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    135
    133
    81
    30
    13
Date Rating
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 21, 2013 NEW via mobile

We took our young son to the aquarium to avoid a gloomy day at the beach. Thank goodness we found a coupon they advertise a price of $29 but general admission is $25. Compared to other aquariums we thought it was very small and not worth the admission price. The kids played longer in the play area than it took... More

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North Port, Florida
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2013 NEW

Nicely done. Special exhibits. Usual aquarium, so unless you really like them, you may not want to spend the money. Very, very small snack bar so don't plan to eat here unless you have no where else to go.all that being said it was clean, and nicely kept.

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See 8 more reviews by Tomlin2232 for Charleston
Saint Louis, Missouri
Top Contributor
78 reviews 78 reviews
28 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
19 helpful votes 19 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 15, 2013

This aquarium is located right next to the Fort Sumter tour. A free shuttle bus takes you there from the visitors center. The aquarium is focused on South Carolina, and it does a good job. There are nice areas for the kids as well. The gift shop is quite nice. The main concern here is price. The price was listed... More

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See 23 more reviews by Davigeta for Charleston
SCAquarium, Manager at South Carolina Aquarium, responded to this review
May 16, 2013

Hi Davigeta, Thanks so much for visiting the South Carolina Aquarium! We do want to clarify one thing-- General Admission tickets are $24.95 per person, the $30 ticket is for the Aquarium experience plus the 4-D movie. If for some reason you didn't see the 4-D movie please contact us and we will make sure to get you tickets. Also,... More

Folly Beach, South Carolina
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
15 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 13, 2013

If you're looking for a huge shark tank, this is not the place. The aquarium has only species found in SC. It divides the state into regions, from the mountains to the sea and devotes a section of the museum to each. There is a nice touchpool for the kids.

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See 6 more reviews by dpbull for Charleston
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2013

Heard a lot of good things about this place, my local aquarium was bigger than this and I was very surprised by that! It was nice But it was just like any other aquarium. The view outside was great and the outside exhibits were nice. The building was nice as well. We enjoyed ourself but really expected more.

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See 6 more reviews by SummerTeager for Charleston
Senior Contributor
33 reviews 33 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 8, 2013

This aquarium is small compared to other aquariums, but the theme is different from most, too. This aquarium features the plants and animals native to the four regions of the state. The views of the river and Ravanel Bridge are fantastic, too. Plan to stay at least two hours.

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See 9 more reviews by Nanatotwo for Charleston
Phoenix, AZ
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2013

I really enjoyed our visit to the aquarium, interesting exhibits. Great views of the river and bridge from inside the museum.

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1 review
1 of 5 stars Reviewed May 5, 2013 via mobile

Big waist of money in south carolina it is smaller than it looks you can see more by going to the beach and that is free in most places and much more fun I wouldn't recommend it to someone I didn't like

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SCAquarium, Manager at South Carolina Aquarium, responded to this review
May 16, 2013

Hi shthed1134, We are so sorry to hear that you didn't have a great experience. We strive to give every single visitor the most hands-on persona experience possible. Please let us know why your visit was so horrible so we can work immediately to address your concerns. You can email us at publicrelations@scaquarium.org. More

Spartanburg, South Carolina
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed April 27, 2013

We have visited other aquariums over the years and in comparing those to the S.C. Aquarium, sadly we feel that this was overpriced for what they offer. Even after purchasing our tickets at the Visitors' Center and getting over $3 off the regular admission, it was still overpriced in our opinion. Signage at entrance leaves alot to be desired as... More

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See 3 more reviews by maltimom for Charleston
Washington
Top Contributor
79 reviews 79 reviews
19 attraction reviews
Reviews in 42 cities Reviews in 42 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed April 25, 2013

First, it was too expensive: $55 for two adults; $6 off for being seniors. We caught a show in a two story aquarium involving a guide outside and a diver inside. Only so-so. I guess we (the audience) was not very responsive or inquisitive. The layout was odd and the displays were pretty boring. We didn't think it was worth... More

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