Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Discover over 65,000 amazing animals like rescued sea otters, sea lions, and other extraordinary aquatic species in the heart of Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park. Immerse yourself in the breathtaking natural beauty of Canada’s largest aquarium, featuring 120 world-class exhibits, thrilling 4D Theatre experiences, interactive displays, daily educational animal programs, 60+ years of marine mammal rescue stories, and so much more. From the enchanting waters of local Canadian habitats to the exotic wonders of the Amazon rainforest, learn about the incredible diversity of the animal kingdom around the world!
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Stanley Park
Stanley Park is Vancouver's premier spot to get up close and personal with nature and animals. The grassy expanse offers outdoor teahouses and stunning views, beachfront hideaways and splash parks. It is a typical getaway spot for friends and families, especially as it is home to Vancouver's aquarium, and some of its best equestrian outlets.
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2,460 within 3 miles
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634 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- CoderScottsdale, Arizona1,356 contributionsNice first visit.Wind here our first full day in Vancouver. Very nice aquarium, with nice displays easy to get around. Not quite like Atlanta or Monterey Bay aquarium, but still a very nice experience. Would highly recommend to anybody visiting Vancouver.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 5, 2023
- coalharborvanVancouver, Canada279 contributionsThey Rescue Marine MammalsSmaller size aquarium that now does good work keeping injured animals alive that would not survive in the wild, such as the blind sea lion on display. Expensive entry for limited exhibits, but the money seems to go to a good cause. The bad old days of captive whales here are over.Visited October 2023Traveled soloWritten October 5, 2023
- The HappstersHonolulu, Hawaii26 contributionsIt's OkayI've gone to so many aquariums before, but this one is ok, I guess. The Otters and the Seals, and the Big Jellyfish, what made this more entertaining. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed being here, and walking around in the forest area was the best part.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 7, 2023
- evisonn44 contributionsGreat aquarium with amazing things to see and learnThe Aquarium was a surprising find in Stanley Park. Thought it worth a look to while away a couple of hours but it was so good we spent the day there. The sea otters were so good to watch their constant activity. The tanks were well lit and the glass kept clean so photo opportunities abounded.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 23, 2023
- Stewarts Vacation1,543 contributionsAwesome AquariumThe real highlights of this aquarium were the feeding and training experiences. The knowledgeable and passionate staff were very informative and entertaining in their presentations, and interacted expertly with their audiences. My top tip would be: for visitors to find out the times for the otter feeding, sea lion training, jellyfish and seal feeding on arrival at the aquarium, so as not to miss out on these experiences. The Wet Lab was most interesting and hands on. The layout of the aquarium was easy to follow and the exhibits had clear signage. We loved the Graham Amazon Gallery. The only food outlet open on the day we visited was the Courtyard Cafe where we had a coffee. It was a wonderful day learning about Canada and BC's aquatic life.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 12, 2023
- C man!Atlanta, Georgia17 contributionsSee seals and sea lions and otters and fish and.......This is a really nice little aquarium in the middle of the woods in Stanley park. It's not too far from downtown and the exhibits are both cute and well described. The price also isn't bad, running for about 33$ USD a person. Love the otters and seals!Visited December 2023Traveled with friendsWritten December 16, 2023
- Dimitris LSydney, Australia50,924 contributionsVancouver AquariumVancouver Aquarium is a great place to visit particularly for families with young children. There are so many things to see, so many different types of water creatures. It is in Stanley Park and very close to the city.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten December 16, 2023
- LizzyOntario, Canada69 contributionsPerfect way to sneak some education into your kid's vacation!I was worried the kids were going to find it too "young" for them but I was wrong! They explored ever exhibit and we ended up there for roughly 4hrs. My 9 year old's favourite was the massive frog exhibit with a dome where you can get inside a tank to explore. Much to my surprise the preteen loved watching and learning during the live shows. The trainers are engaging and entertaining. My oldest loved the opportunity to touch live ocean life. There is a restaurant on site, and of course it's pricey, but the food is very good for Cafe food. We went when it first opened on a Thursday thinking it would be pretty quiet. We were wrong! Not sure if this place is ever not busy but it has large open spaces so it didn't feel crammed.Visited February 2024Traveled with familyWritten February 19, 2024
- CCCCalifornia127 contributionsGreat!It was fun! We had an amazing time looking at the Japanese Sea Nettle and the white jelly fish. It’s so relaxing to be around fishes and water. I only wish they have bigger space and other water animals to add in the future. Overall, we enjoyed the rest of our tour.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 3, 2024
- Brian L69 contributionsGreat tanks on local animalsNice aquarium. A lot of pinnipeds and really cool how they feature the BC coast. I went on a Tuesday in March at opening. It was very quiet when I arrived but extremely crowded and loud when I left about two hours later.Visited March 2024Traveled soloWritten March 22, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
8,646 reviews
Excellent
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Very good
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Average
915
Poor
202
Terrible
94
Bryn Heather Johnson
Draper, UT153 contributions
Oct 2019
The aquarium was a little smaller than I was expecting, and we were only there for a couple of hours, but everything that we saw was great. We were able to see a couple of their outdoor shows and we were dressed in rain gear which helped. It's kind of tucked away by itself, and its cafeteria isn't super great, so there aren't a lot of food options there.
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony C
Bedford, UK1,397 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
This is one of the destination places when you are in Vancouver and you can couple it with a few hours in Stanley Park where it is easy to find and well signposted.
Admission is reasonable at (Sterling equivalent) £50 for two of us (did include a small senior discount for one) We didn’t find the need to book in advance.
You need about 2/3 hours to enjoy the aquarium without needing to rush. Some of the attractions inside do seem to fill up quickly so you will need to manage your time.
Overall recommended for all ages.
Admission is reasonable at (Sterling equivalent) £50 for two of us (did include a small senior discount for one) We didn’t find the need to book in advance.
You need about 2/3 hours to enjoy the aquarium without needing to rush. Some of the attractions inside do seem to fill up quickly so you will need to manage your time.
Overall recommended for all ages.
Written September 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Krista T
North Vancouver, Canada24 contributions
Jun 2020
We participated in the Aquarium's re-opening day to try out their new, safe, socially distanced experience. As regular Aquarium guests, we weren't sure what to expect, but the one-way flow helped keep space between folks and gave us a chance to spend time with exhibits that we haven't spent much time on in the past. There are signage and staff everywhere to help keep everyone flowing. We enjoyed the new Water Babies: Parenting 101 exhibit that is sprinkled throughout with some cheeky parenting advice. We especially enjoyed seeing some familiar marine mammal faces outside after three long months! This was our first 'public' outing as part of COVID re-opening and felt staff had done a great job of setting up and managing a safe and fun experience.
Written July 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AuroraSeraphina
Canada912 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
What a fantastic visit for our family! We have been hyping up the Vancouver Aquarium for our 4-year-old for weeks, in anticipation of our Vancouver vacation, and it surely delivered. He was skipping around and enthusiastically spotting all the creatures during his entire visit. His mind was literally blown! We went on a Tuesday afternoon and it is quite a busy place. We purchased tickets in advance (recommended as we bypassed a mini line at the entrance) for timed entry and I cannot imagine how busy it would be without this measure. Even so, we were comfortable not wearing masks (I work in the healthcare field so if passed by risk assessment). We had a lovely 2-hr. visit. Recommend to pay for the day parking rate so you can move your car around Stanley Park and visit other sites!
Written July 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura M
1 contribution
Nov 2021
I live very far away from Vancouver and I was bringing my family member to the aquarium because my Fiancé and I have always loved it and supported when you guys were shut down, as we have to booked a time to go visit I decide to go for the 3:30pm one, thinking they will allow guest to visit the whole thing as the hours are set, but I don't know who thinks 2 hours is enough you guys think that we will be flying the visit and no read anything, well we are the kind of people who loves to read everything and actually care for the effort museums and aquariums take to developed such an unique experience, but to our surprise we got kick out not even at 5:30, they literally close the tropical place by 5:00 not giving the 3.30 pm guest time to visit and by 5:20 employees told us the get out of there, such a terrible experience, since you guys put the times available for guest to pick, as I say thinking you will give those people time to see the whole thing (and we didn't even read everything), but instead we were kick out, I don't understand why you guys give times, people who were there since 12 they were still there at 5, what is the point of giving time if you guys are not enforcing the going out.. sorry only the people from 3:30 got kick out without seeing the whole thing, the aquarium is not cheap to have a treatment that I can only expect in a different place. I would strongly recommend to TAKE OUT the 3:00 and 3:30 pm and if you are giving the only 2 hours or 2.5 hours mark to those people is only fair to kick other people out at the 2 or 2.5 hour mark. Thank you
Written November 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rikki R
Airdrie, Canada25 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
The aquarium is shockingly small and boring. The exhibits were mostly made up of creatures you can see by visiting the seawall just outside of the aquarium for free. If you have ever been to the Calgary Zoo, which is a less expensive family day out than the Vancouver Aquarium, you will be seriously underwhelmed. I would absolutely not recommend a visit here to family and friends.
Written August 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eddie T
Calgary, Canada98 contributions
Apr 2023
The aquarium is huge and well maintained. It requires a few hours to go through all the exhibits, which offer a nice selection of species to look at. There are restaurant/cafe facilities on site, which are very expensive though this is somewhat expected given that this is a touristy spot within one of Vancouver's most touristy locations (Stanley park).
Aside from the exorbitant admission cost, another consideration before visiting is that it gets extremely crowded. The crowding element results in long lineups to enter, and also in a parking nightmare which may include a very long walk from parking to the entrance of the building.
Worth a visit if you can arrive early enough to beat the crowds.
Aside from the exorbitant admission cost, another consideration before visiting is that it gets extremely crowded. The crowding element results in long lineups to enter, and also in a parking nightmare which may include a very long walk from parking to the entrance of the building.
Worth a visit if you can arrive early enough to beat the crowds.
Written April 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adventurecurls
Rietberg, Germany321 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
The aquarium is divided in themes which is great.
Our one year old baby really enjoyed quite a few animals, which is lovely.
We all loved the sea otters, those are really cute.
Some of the areas were closed due to maintenance. As a result of that no animals there.
I personally found the entrance fee a bit too much for what you get. Only a certain amount of people can get in so prior reservation of a ticket might be recommendable. The sooner you book the cheaper it might be.
There is a cafe and a snack bar and there are some souvenir shops.
Most places are reachable via an elevator or a ramp but some aren’t with a stroller or wheely as there are only steps.
We couldn’t check out the 4D as this is only for people older than 6 years of age.
There are some kids areas, like tables to do some drawings or a play area with small fish etc.
Our one year old baby really enjoyed quite a few animals, which is lovely.
We all loved the sea otters, those are really cute.
Some of the areas were closed due to maintenance. As a result of that no animals there.
I personally found the entrance fee a bit too much for what you get. Only a certain amount of people can get in so prior reservation of a ticket might be recommendable. The sooner you book the cheaper it might be.
There is a cafe and a snack bar and there are some souvenir shops.
Most places are reachable via an elevator or a ramp but some aren’t with a stroller or wheely as there are only steps.
We couldn’t check out the 4D as this is only for people older than 6 years of age.
There are some kids areas, like tables to do some drawings or a play area with small fish etc.
Written August 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex H
Toronto, Canada32 contributions
Mar 2019
This is one of the best aquariums I've been to. Not only does it showcase incredible aquatic creatures, it's also home to several rescues. Everywhere we went, there was something interesting to see. The penguin show was quite fun and filled up pretty quickly. The instalment displaying the plastic found in the nearby Vancouver waters really hits you and inspires you to reduce, reuse, and recycle. The gift shop had plenty of great finds including some stunning sculptural pieces by local artists. Definitely worth checking out this gem!
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Harry T
6 contributions
Dec 2019
Learned alot about the Pacific Northwest marine world. Aquarium setups were exclelent and the training show for the sea lions was well done. LARGE ISSUE THOUGH - plastic lids for cups? Come on!
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is there a coat or bag check? I’m coming from airport with my luggage as my accommodations will not be ready till later in the day.
Written July 29, 2022
yes saw one don't know if they will take luggage
Written August 31, 2022
How long takes the visiting trail? If the acquarium closes at 5 pm and I arrive at 2.30pm is it enough foe exploring the entire place?
Written December 29, 2019
I think that’s plenty. We stopped on our bike ride around Stanley Park and saw all exhibits, watched the seal show and watched the walrus talk AND had lunch all in less than 2 hrs 👍🏼
Written December 31, 2019
Is it worth visiting the Aquarium if it's raining? Are there more attractions outside or inside?
Written November 23, 2019
It's definitely worth visiting. There is more inside than out. Especially visit the theatre for a unique experience.
Written November 24, 2019
Hello. i would like to visit aquarium while bicycle traveling. is there designated space for parking it? i will rent a bicycle so not sure if lock and key are included though.
plus how long will it take normally to look around all sites in the aquarium??
Written December 3, 2018
Hi
there are parking place but you need to have own lock or rent from bike shops. It really depends on your pace for watching. Normally me and 7 years old my son takes 2-3hours enough.
Hoping that you have wonderful trip.
Written December 4, 2018
We did not buy tickets online . Just the day off .
Written September 27, 2018
Is photography allowed inside the Vancouver Aquarium?
Written September 26, 2018
There is plenty of parking but you might have to seek out a spot and walk back.
Written September 10, 2018
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