If you're expecting the kind of entertainment you see at one of the cookie cutter parks, like Sea World, you'll be disappointed. Marineland is much better than that, it is now the Dolphin Conservation Center and it gives visitors the chance to get individual, personal interaction with a dolphin.

My family and I stopped in after driving by to check it out, the staff was extremely friendly, and did forewarn us that all we were about to see were dolphins. This is not the marineland of the past, it is compeltely renovated, including a brand new dolphin habitat. Going in to the habitat for general admission, you get to see the beautiful dolphins playing their habitats. Many of them have toys that they toss around, and sometimes out into the crowd to toss back. The dolphins are amazing, and for the general admission, you can also watch the dolphins interact with people in their programs.

If you expect to have a huge production and show and make the dolphins perform for your entertainment, this is not the place for you. But if you'd like to see someplace that respects the animals, the environment, and everything it stands for this is a great place to spend the afternoon!!

I would definetely recommend this to anyone, and hope to be able to go back soon to have a dolphin interaction experience!!

We went to Marineland yesterday with an out-of-town guest. We had not been there since the reopening and were looking forward to it's 50's kitsch. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME! It was awful!!! They no longer have any of the shows that they were known for. You pay admission to watch dolphins swim in a pool! It sounds like it may be fun if you are going prepared to interact with the dolphins (and PAY for it). A ten minute visit starts at $65 a person. It goes up to $265! Not a budget we had planned for an afternoon outing. At least the scenery, right on the ocean, was pretty. Please, save your money and spend the day in St. Augustine instead!

My family just returned from a week in St. Augustine. I had been to Marineland MANY decades ago, and checked into it before we went. I STRONGLY advise you to check them out as well

The old Marineland went bankrupt and shut down. What is there now is NOT an aquarium/marine show. It is called the "Dolphin Conservation Center", and offers the rare opportunity for visitors to actually get into the tank with the dolphins. For a comparasion, Discovery Cove in Orlando offers a similar program. They charge more, but also offer more.

My 14 year old son participated in the "Immersion" program. He was thrilled! Note that you will probably not be able to go there and decide if you want to join a group. There aren't many programs each day, and there aren't many spots available in each program. The day we went, there were NO openings available for walk-in visitors.

The place is definitely a construction site. However, the areas visitors go in are nicely finished, and there is ample seating for family members who want to watch the programs. If the day is hot, you will want to get there early and get one of the seats under the umbrellas, as most of the seating is in the sun. There is a very limited selection of food available at Marineland, and not much nearby, so don't plan on eating there.

We just returned from a week long vacation in St Augustine Beach, FL. We researched Marineland on line before leaving and were skeptical about going there. It turned out my neighbor just returned from there and had done one of the immersion packages and highly recommended it. We decided to give it a try.

No doubt, the place is a "work in progress" and not very pretty; however, it sits right on the ocean and provides incredible views.

You will also notice right away this is not a "show" or "performance" kind of place. It is better! It is a small, hands-on kind of place where you have the opportunity to interact with the dolphins. Our plan was to pay the $5.00 admission and see if it was worth paying extra for one of the packages. After watching 3 kids do the "painting with the dolphins" package, we immediately signed up our kids (ages 5 and 7) for a 2:30pm program for $65.00 each. It turned out to be the highlight of the trip for all of us. They were paired individually with a trainer and a dolphin who then spent about 5 minutes using squeeze bottles to paint three different colors onto a blank board. Then (the best part), they got to work / play with their dolphin for another 10 -15 minutes while under the playful / watchful eye of their trainer. This included touching, feeding and helping with commands. They were absolutely soaked when finished and I have never seen bigger smiles on their faces.


Everyone at this place was having a ball and the staff was extremely friendly.

I highly recommend going but realize what you're getting into. You're not going to see Shamu jumping through hoops in the place. You are going to get the rare experience of personalized interaction with amazing creatures. Pay the money and have a great time.