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Alaska SeaLife Center

Alaska SeaLife Center

Alaska SeaLife Center
4.5
Nature & Wildlife AreasAquariums
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
An education and research-focused aquarium offering underwater views of Alaskan marine animals.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • Marlene B
    8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Place to Visit!
    Due to our wildlife cruise being cancelled, we went to the SeaLife Center and so glad we did. This is a wonderful place, filled with interesting information about life in the sea. We especially enjoyed the I-Sea-U where they care for the creatures. What a wonderful place for children and adults.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 29, 2023
  • NewsByScott
    Phoenix, Arizona321 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Alaskan wildlife up close
    We were here in March and it is really the only warm indoor activity you can do besides drinking. Yes it is pricey to go but considering what they do for rescue,rehab and research we believe it is money well spent. Plus based on seafood costs in restaurants I’m sure it is costly to feed these animals. They have a good selection of Alaskan wildlife to view here. They also have a variety of touch tanks. Every worker we encountered was friendly and engaging and they all appeared to love what they do! It seems more geared towards kids but we middle age adults left happy
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 15, 2024
  • BobWE
    Manhattan Beach, California749 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Variety of Alaska Sealife
    Located at the south end of the Historic Downtown area/Resurrection Bay of Seward is the Alaska SeaLife Center. The aquarium is Alaska's only permanent marine rehabilitation facility and home to a wide variety of sealife including harbor seals, sea lions, Giant Pacific octopuses,Coho salmon, halibut, king crab stablefish, sea otters, puffins and other sealife. There is a touch tank where you get up close to a variety of non-dangerous marine life. Knowledgeable and friendly staff are everywhere to add to your experiences. There are walk in outside enclosures that provide you the opportunity to get up close to the sealife and to access a outstanding view of Resurrection Bay. Many of the creatures are in the center for rehabilitation which is an important function of the center. The center is expensive BUT there is not much else to do in town except drink and eat. A great place for families including the little ones.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 10, 2024
  • looknforthedream
    Karratha, Australia27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must visit if you’re in the area!!
    What a fabulous experience. Well worth a visit if you’re in the area. Bit sad in parts but definitely an overall positive feeling after seeing it all. It’s also very educational and I hope they are able to continue their research and rehabilitation.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written May 18, 2024
  • sainbasha
    Irvine, California4,381 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Something fishy
    This is an aquarium located at Seward town in Alaska. When you are in this area, it is a good place to visit. Operating hours vary depending on season and it is better to book a ticket online as last entry is one hour before closing time. Again, an informative and educative place to visit. Specially for children it is a great place. It is a good activity for around 2 hours.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 26, 2024
  • NapiliR
    Tampa, Florida278 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a visit.
    Small, focused sea life center. We saw the sea lions being fed which was delightful. Different animals are fed at different times so if you want to see some animal in particular, check the schedule. Tanks were all clean, and animals seemed well cared for. We especially enjoyed the puffins as we hadn't seen any up close in Alaska. Excellent gift shop. Seems expensive but consider it a donation to animal rescue.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 22, 2024
  • jerrys01
    Bel Air, Maryland647 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    SeaLife everywhere
    There are a lot of well-designed exhibits at the SeaLife Center. Our tour group was given 1.5 hours, which was more than enough time to view everything. I really enjoyed watching the seals, the sea lions, and some of the unusual birds, like puffins. As an aside, Seward itself is very walkable and very scenic in its own right.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 4, 2024
  • 63impala
    Stoneham, Massachusetts1,627 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent place to visit.
    This is an excellent place to learn about the aquatic life of the area. They have so many different species of animals. The workers really care about this place and you could tell just by talking to them. If you are in the area, you have to spend some time here!
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 5, 2024
  • Fearless58858990802
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth visisting
    Such a well presented and informative sea life center. Presentations of birds, sealons and salmon were good and informative. Defitinitely worth doing before going out on a cruise on Kennai Fjords. Free shuttle bus goes to it.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 13, 2024
  • DutchTX
    The Woodlands, Texas766 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice exhibit, a little overpriced
    Nice place for 2 to 3 hours; especially the bird exhibit is nice, to see puffins so close is extraordinary. Perhaps somewhat overpriced, but a nice break from rain or so. BTW, still bring your jacket with you as a few exhibits are outdoors.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 13, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

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
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,507 reviews
Excellent
2,072
Very good
1,061
Average
313
Poor
44
Terrible
17

kjrigoulot
Cleburne, TX30 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Family
Reservations are required but we went mid week so we didn’t have a problem getting in. Masks are required for your visit. The aviary was our favorite and the staff were very informative. There aren’t too many “big animals” to see. The birds and ducks in the aviary, then a few seals and a few sea lions (their tank was being cleaned when we were there). There are quite a few tanks with smaller fish and sea creatures as well as a touch tank. It was clean and the staff were helpful. I gave it the average rating because of the cost. Our family of 5 cost $150 which is pretty pricey for the hour and a half it took us to get through the center. We would probably not go back if we visit Seward again.
Written May 29, 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.

Daniel F
72 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022 • Couples
We were super excited to check this place out after learning a lot about what they do via documentaries and reading. In the end the experience is of an overpriced small aquarium with lots of screaming children. All of the mammals and birds there obviously can be seen for free in the wild.
I think it’s very important that people go and support the place through ticket sales but the experience is definitely more fitting for young children.
Adults who are eager for information and a taste of wildlife rescue and conservation will not find it here unless they are on the inside.
Written September 8, 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.

Gouri P
Irving, TX6 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
I expected at least some of Alaska marine wildlife to be here which is sadly not the case. Didnt expect for animals to be put in confinement but some more reference or some info graphics could have been there. Felt little old. Only few of main ones like seals and puffins were present. Its small and good for very young kids. Tidepools are nice and staff is very good and friendly.
Loved reference to water pollution and project done by kids is amazing and must see! It was octopus created with stuff collected from ocean which is unbelievable and really makes you think.
Good if we have to kill 1-2 hours somehow. Felt bit pricey at $30 each adult and $18 for child.
Written July 14, 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.

Geraldine V
41 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Couples
They have nice displays and a few animals but it is very small and quite expensive for what it is. $34 for a bunch of kids displays and a few sea lions that you see in 30 mins. The Anchorage museum is less expensive and have much more to see. I love to explore museums everywhere I go and I was a little bit dissapointed with this one. If you don't have kids, you would find it a little bit boring. The only cool thing was the tank with the starfish.
Written July 20, 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.

Bruce A
Washington DC, DC1,244 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
This is a pretty small aquarium with a very hefty admission fee. The highlight of the aquarium is the room with all of the sea birds (including both horned and tufted puffins), where the birds have free flight. This was an excellent opportunity to photograph colorful water bird species that I did not manage to see in the wild. The other star attraction is the Stellar's Sea Lion, which was playful and active while we were here. There are also touch tanks where you can pet crabs, starfish and other small critters.

Overall, though, we walked out of here surprised at how small it was and feeling that we did not get our money's worth.
Written June 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.

georgia drew
Chicago, IL83 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Friends
This place is a total rip-off. It is nothing but a zoo of captured animals taken out of the wild paid for by oil spill $ and used to make $ for the locals off of tourists. Go to the harbor and see the animals in the wild, not stuck in tanks for viewing by tourists. Beware of local guide reviews which are from people who work there who are tying to get tourists to spend money.
Written April 22, 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.

Stefanie H
Lincoln, NE1,745 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
We enjoyed our visit to the SeaLife Center! We saw puffins, seals, and sea lions, and there are beautiful views of Resurrection Bay from the outside balcony. You can use the QR code on the sign outside to buy advance tickets if you don't want to stand in line, and all of the tickets are timed. You are directed through the facility via arrows on the floor, and the touch tanks are visited by group, so you have to wait in line until it is your turn. We would recommend a visit if you are interested in marine life.
Written August 6, 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.

JamesMourPrestigeWW
Long Beach, CA8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
We did the Octopus Encounter with Leo who was an absolute gentleman and very passionate and knowledgeable about these elusive and mysterious creatures. He really gave us a great and informative tour and we were able to watch him fed the octopuses rock crabs which was very interesting to watch.

The aquarium as a whole is very clean and easy to navigate. All the guides were helpful. They had the best COVID response out of any of the places we visited, keeping safety first, and we respect that. My only wish was for the otters to be present, but the tufted puffins, octopuses, and eels made up for that. The gift shop isn't too bad either, but we didn't find anything that really caught our eye. Overall, well worth the time and money. I hope they keep Leo around for a very long time, he is a treasure.

Written July 29, 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.

E R
Minneapolis, MN52 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
I would avoid the Alaska SeaLife Center. It cost our group of 4 over $130 to attend and all we saw were a few seals, sea lions, and the typical aquarium type of stuff (star fish, fish, birds, an octopus) that you can see in practically any state that has an aquarium. We saw the whole thing in about an hour and it just wasn't worth the price paid. I would guess the high prices are driven by the cruise ships that come in and offer a visit as an on-shore excursion, but it definitely is not worth what they charge.
Written August 27, 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.

NewsByScott
Phoenix, AZ321 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
We were here in March and it is really the only warm indoor activity you can do besides drinking. Yes it is pricey to go but considering what they do for rescue,rehab and research we believe it is money well spent. Plus based on seafood costs in restaurants I’m sure it is costly to feed these animals. They have a good selection of Alaskan wildlife to view here. They also have a variety of touch tanks. Every worker we encountered was friendly and engaging and they all appeared to love what they do! It seems more geared towards kids but we middle age adults left happy
Written March 15, 2024
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.

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Alaska SeaLife Center - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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