The animals are not kept in enclosures that are clean or safe. Animals look sad and are not active. The staff seem to care about the animals, but their hands are tied when it comes to providing the animals with the correct and appropriate enclosures. This facility has a touch zone and there is no supervision that ensures that those touching are following the rules. Please do not support facilities that do not prioritize the health and safety of their animals. read more

I went with my husband and 1 yoa, and let me tell you, I was underwhelmed; I looked at the building and didn't think it would be soo big inside. But There are tons of interactive exhibits. Not all baby friendly but Still great to see through the glass. Also the sting ray exhibit is amazing which a 1yoa can do! They have very happy informed staff that clearly just want the animals to be happy! My whole family had fun! Would definitely come back ! read more

The only reason I'm giving one star is because of how nice Ryan was, the other staff was not welcoming and not attentive. The poor tortoise was harassed walking around. Kids were running wild and hands were placed in and on everything possible. I should have done a google search before coming. read more

Our family had such a wonderful time! We are in from out of town and this was a perfect outing for all of us- ages 72yo to 2yo. Employees Ashley, Julia, and Will were kind ambassadors and educators. The aquarium, bathrooms, eatery and store were all clean and hand sanitizer stations were in every area. Thank you for a great afternoon! read more

We visited with 3 kids of various ages and they had fun but I would not recommend this. This was a small aquarium in a strip mall and I felt I was being sold something at every turn of a corner. Cartoonist, balloon animal making, glitter tattoo, tokens to feed the animals... it was a lot. Wasn't a true aquarium but kids had fun for 45 minutes. read more

I can not express enough how much the staff made our trip here absolutely wonderful. The gentleman at the front desk that helped us with our passes, I apologize for not catching your name, was extremely helpful and really started us off with a great visit!! You see, I am disabled and use a manual wheelchair, so I am used to watching everyone else have fun while I miss out but not here. The staff, along with my husband maneuvering my chair, helped me be able to go into the enclosures and visit with the animals. The manager, Ryan, was amazing! He let us in to see Sid, the sloth, and talked to us about how incredible sloths are! Our limited knowledge of sloths was completely wrong! They truly are amazing animals!! Ryan, I cannot thank you enough!!! Every single one of the staff were the most friendly, helpful and passionate about their animals and the care they receive. I was thrilled that they put the animals well-being above the customers! To the rest of the staff, thank you for making this woman's day incredible. I left in tears because I was so happy that for once, I was included. I just can not express enough how much this has meant to me. Thank you very much! read more

Austin Aquarium - Eric and Misty with the lemurs at the Austin Aquarium! - Aquariums Near Me - Austin, Texas

I know this place seems to have mixed reviews but when we went, we had a blast. The animals all seemed healthy and well taken care of and it was a joy to see them all and to get to go into some of the enclosures and pet them. Super fun to pet the sting rays and the birds and just a very enjoyable experience for our family. We have referred friends who were in Austin visiting a couple of times and they have also had a blast. read more

Cannot justify spending $50 on entry for two. Had to pay another $25 for 10 tokens. The website definitely over sales and makes you believe it's an actual aquarium. There's maybe 10 things for you to look at & a handful of encounters with animals. However staff was extremely friendly. read more

These animals are not treated well. Tanks are dirty and small. As a big lover of animals- this was painful to see. Please don't support. Austin needs an aquarium where the animals are treated properly. read more

From the start to finish you are greeted with friendly, knowledgeable staff. If you're bringing a date, kids or just want to enjoy a stroll by yourself you'll find something to enjoy for everyone in the party. My favorite interaction is the Lemurs. You are allowed to sit and observe while they jump all around you. It's a very safe place for them and you. The trainers are knowledgeable on all the questions you have regarding animal safety and rights. Where did they come from? How did they get here? What's next? Be a part of the journey and go to the aquarium! read more

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I have to say the staff is amazing here! Misty took care of us the moment we walked in. She was pleasant, helpful and got us signed up for the octopus feeding encounter! We had such a fun time! Misty and Amber (octopus encounter) went above and beyond! The staff genuinely seems to enjoy their job, the animals and interacting with the people. Thanks from our family. read more

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Where do I even begin? Should I start with the serious rodent infestation they have at that establishment? The rodent droppings and rodent urine found throughout the facility. Or maybe I should start with the lack of air condition in the facility. Perhaps I should start with just how filthy it is because of the fact that they appear to lack any sort of cleaning crew that goes in on a regular basis to clean the facility. And with rodent droppings and urine found throughout the facility, it stinks and could seriously use a cleaning crew as well as fumigation to rid the facility of the rodents. I'm not the first to review about the rodent issue. I've seen other reviews on other sites of the rodent issue. For an establishment to continue to open their doors to the public despite the serious issue, despite the fact that they are putting people - customers and staff - at risk of contracting diseases through just the inhalation of rodent droppings and urine that are present in the facility, just blows my mind! Just such an awful experience to go through, and do not wish for others to go through it. read more

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WOULD ABSOLUTELY RATE 0 STARS IF IT WERE POSSIBLE. Animals here are treated inhumanely, and the owners only concern is to capitalize on the animals basic needs to survive by implementing a token system in which customers pay in exchange for tokens which can be redeemed throughout the exhibit for animal food which is the main source of nutrients (according to reddit user r/austin-aquariumatx) for these poor animals. Animals are exposed and extremely vulnerable to the harsh touch of incompetent adults and young children. Turtles are mangled, one missing a foot and another missing a large chunk of its shell. A duck was exposed with about a dozen of her eggs that she was nurturing and the only barrier present was less than a foot tall and did virtually nothing to stop anyone from harming her or her soon-to-be children. This place is great for any sadists in town! read more

Go on a weekday! The mammal encounters are half off compared to a weekend. This place is a really sweet hybrid between the traditional aquarium and a petting zoo. Honestly, the kinkajous encounter was maybe the highlight of my decade and that's not even what I intended to do! The staff is nice, the animals are well cared for, and I would know, having been in charge of animal husbandry at my high school for more than 100 snakes as well as dozens of lizards and amphibians. If you are bringing small or very shy/nervous children here, be aware that the animals that can be fed know that you're a potential food source and can be a smidge aggressive as a result. If you stick it out, you will be rewarded with more chill behavior. read more

This aquarium is all about money. They refuse to close their facility during the coronavirus pandemic. They need to think about the public's health and the health of their employees and not their wallets. During my visits, I noted that the facility is usually overcrowded and it's difficult to see the animals and walk around. In addition, their bearded dragons do not have the correct lighting/heat and should not be housed like they are. I do not recommend and will not be giving this facility my business. read more

I was hesitant to go here but my son and I had an absolute blast. It's not an extravagant aquarium experience but it's something to do and you really can get up close and personal with the animals here. A lot to see and do, we will be returning. CONS: over priced, they have a sneaky BS token system that adds up and is expensive. Example 1 token is $3. For 1 token we got 4 pellets of fish food, you can also use your tokens for their concession stand, 1 token=1 small bag of chips, 1 token is $3! So I spent $3 on a small bag of chips etc... I went to the bird enclosure and had to call for help. It was a lot of fun but had 3-4 birds on my head and back and I couldn't get them off, and no nearby supervision. I just wanted to walk out but couldn't with all the birds on me. Surprised by the lack of supervision in all the enclosures (no one in the sting ray etc). Otherwise we had fun, I'd go again. read more

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Felt dirty leaving this place. I felt so bad for all the poor animals - no natural light, small dirty enclosures, and guests can touch just about all the animals which is just so sad. We will not be back. read more

Odd location for an aquarium, but overall, it carries its own personality. The inside is a little dingy, drab and 70s-ish looking. Although I enjoyed my visit here, the aquarium exuded feelings of sadness. A big renovation would do wonders for this place. They have various fish, birds and other animals that you can interact with. If you buy their food, you can feed their stingrays, sharks and other fish. My favorite aspect of the Austin Aquarium is the level of interaction you can have with the animals. Also, all of the employees were super nice--nicer than the parrots! Pros: + Stingrays + Sharks Cons: - Location. - Aesthetics. Overall, decent place to visit. I really enjoyed petting and feeding the animals. Would I visit here again? Maybe not, but it was definitely worth the one visit. read more

Austin Aquarium - Iguana! He wasn't in the high five mood :/ - Aquariums Near Me - Austin, Texas

Definitely something I would do again. Although the smell when you first walk in, almost knocked me out, you will get used to it. Cool place, wish I could have a lemur as a pet. read more

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One of the best experiences of my life! Aquarium is an understatement and we didn't have very high hopes from the outside, but oh my, the inside was a treasure trove of fun! The employees were all very nice, friendly, and engaging with information about the animals, especially Brandy, who we had for our encounter with Sid the Sloth. read more

Our son's school decided to take this sad field trip to the animal abuse central here. I unfortunately had to tag along after I swore I would never return from my last visit. Nothing about his place has changed except for getting more animals for abuse. Four South African penguins are put into an enclosure that is smaller than my living room. They stood like statues by the feeding door for hours and do nothing else. Beautiful Macaws incessantly plucking off their feathers due to boredom. The staff and tour guides and arrogant and irresponsible. We need these animals returned to nature or go to a state sponsored sanctuary. This place gotta go. read more

If you are a lover of animals, do not go here. If you care about your health and the health of your little ones, do not go here. This is not a real aquarium. It feels more like a grotesque strip mall side-show. The enclosures and tanks were filthy. The animals appeared so distraught. Each habitat was unkept, cramped, and overcrowded. Most of the interactive habitats were unsupervised, which seems very unsafe for the animals and the patrons, alike. My son and I walked into a filthy enclosure that housed chickens, lorikeets, a tortoise, and several iguanas without the aid or oversight of staff. I personally witnessed a staff member give instructions to a large group of elementary students on how to feed and pet the stingrays. Not once did he tell them to wash their hands before or after. This is a problem. That same staff member let the students pet a sizeable iguana that seemed sedated and once again, never asked the children to wash their hands or go to a sanitation station. Most reptiles carry salmonella. Hopefully, there isn't a bus full of children going home with that bacterial disease. Speaking of the sanitation stations, there were very few. And the one I attempted to use was not working. Thankfully, I had some hand sanitizer in my purse. I am not a helicopter parent, but I felt like the place was so unsafe that I only let my toddler leave his stroller once and promptly strapped him back in. The floors were wet and the interactive habitats were foul. All of the animals seemed unhealthy and dead inside. This place is inhumane. Whoever owns and runs it is a morally corrupt, animal hoarder. Please do not go here. read more

I took my kids here for the first time today. We really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful animals. We really wanted to interact with the lemurs but didn't get a chance to. We'll just have to come back. I really liked that the souvenir shop prices are pretty reasonable. I was able to purchase something for all three of my kids without breaking the bank. read more

Austin Aquarium - Python - Aquariums Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I've been to pet stores with better fish tanks than this joke. What an embarrassment. The construction appears to have been done by amateurs. It seriously looks homemade, in a bad way. The tanks were very, very poorly constructed, lit and labeled. The water was cloudy in most of them. The fish on display were unimpressive. There are pieces of paper taped next to most displays with a printed picture of something that is/was/might have been in the tank at some point. there are some birds, a few lizards, and some tiny crocodiles. The whole thing was awful. It was sad actually. We couldn't wait to leave. I spent money, and would have been disappointed if it had been free. Don't go here... read more

Decent Aquarium, where you can pretty much touch and interact all animals. You can get the admission tickets through Groupon, but still have to buy feeding tokens. There is a $5 off 10 tokens when you check in Yelp. The facility is well maintained and the staff were courteous and friendly. Kids love this place and easy to spend couple of hrs. read more

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This place absolutely REEKS. Few minutes inside and we decided against the tickets. Smelled so bad we had to go out to get fresh air.

If I could leave negative stars I would. Read the reviews people! These people should be SHUT DOWN. Period. The treatment and habitats for the animals are inhumane and I'm certain they are probably breaking some laws. The animals don't have vaccination records, the staff is ignorant about any laws or ordinances pertaining to animal care and these animals need to be released to a proper zoo/aquarium so they are no longer being abused here. Someone contact PETA or other organizations in Austin and get them shut down. I don't even know if behind the scenes they meet the minimum standards for housing and sanitation set by the Texas Board of Health in Texas Administrative Code. read more

So dirty so hot so unorganized and the animal habitats are so sad. I would give 0 stars if I could.

It is very fun for little kids but for older kids and adults it is very boring. The animals do not seems to be treated properly.

Abuses the animals and has absolutely horrible habitats for all the animals. What are they thinking having monkeys in small rooms???? Absolutely disgusting the cleanliness was disgusting. The birds poop everywhere, the lizards bite, and the shop is way too expensive. read more

This is the worst and saddest aquarium I have ever seen, not to mention that it it's super overpriced, both the tickets at $20 and the $3 tiny cups of food to feed the poor animals...you could go to Sea World and you should. This place has sad animals in tiny dirty enclosures and the smell is awful. My son liked the stingrays, you can feed and pet them. It's 4 tokens/person to see the lemurs and even they just respond to the clicking stick, treats and the super cheesy lemur guy. Besides that you have koi fish, ducks, a rooster, some parakeets...awful aquarium! read more

At first I was skeptical that the aquarium was in a strip mall, but inside the exhibits made up for the outside. I'm a teacher and got in free, which was nice, but then you need to buy tokens to do everything else - interactions with the animals and feeding them. My only issue is that the cost of tokens seemed pricey, so to have a sloth experience for two was over $100. Overall, this was a fun way to spend a Sunday morning when the weather was grey and overcast. read more

Austin Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Austin, Texas

Horrible conditions for the animals. They all look done with life. Small enclosures. Dirty tanks. Burnt iguanas. Stresed parrots. And a tortice so streded and with a bollon tied to it that it would just lay on in its own shit. Don't give your money to this place. read more

This place is hidden in a shopping center off of Research blvd. Do not judge a book by its cover. Upon entering, there is the reception desk where you can purchase the tickets to enter the exhibits. The staff was very friendly with warm welcoming smiles. The first animal you see is a bird that is "in training", adorable as heck. There is a very large gift shop with a huge variety of keepsakes and more that is next to the entrance and the exit areas. Everything there is fairly priced and there is a ton of adorable stuff to purchase. The animals exhibits are pretty dang awesome with some educational information along the way. There is a small play area for smaller kids and a decent size snack area where you can purchase tokens to buy food to fed the sting rays, birds, etc... This place is not as large as many aquariums I have visited in the past but it is entertaining none the least and with a friendly staff who excel in Customer Service, I like it and will probably be back. Our toddler grandson had a blast as did my two adult children. Thank you for the great experience! read more

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This is THE worst aquarium I've ever been to in my entire life. And I have been to so many. This low rating does not just have to do with the fact that this place is super small, it is so much more than that. This aquarium is embarrassing in so many ways. There needs to be supervision of animals at EVERY feeding or interactive session. And there isn't. That doesn't show that you care about your animals. The coy fish area smelled worse than a public toilet. I hate that they expect you to pay tokens for so many experiences...what does the overpriced general admission get you then? And the tip jars are even tackier at some of the interactive stations. This is a money making pit and it is tacky as can be. Please shape up !!! And take better care of your animals !!! read more

Horrible place, anyone with a heart can see that these animals are mistreated and neglected. One penguin looked like it was on the verge of passing away, the other had its beak just pressed up against a door looking away from everyone. Luckily my daughter is 1 so she won't remember this, but I left feeling desperate to do something to get those animals out of there. The most depressing thing ever, the city needs to shut this place down. Do no waste your time or money supporting such an evil and cruel place. read more

Being a Science teacher for my school district, it was amazing to see a team who were so passionate about their careers working with these animals. Ryan has built such a strong bound with the Aquarium's residents and you can see the pure joy he has with the reptiles and others. I was able to have full conversations going back and forth with our known knowledge and learn new facts to bring back to my students as well. The team that we were able to meet, Ryan and Brandi, both made this visit an informative and engaging experience. The habits were well taken care of and they have been constantly updating them to add the the cognitive stimulation for the animals, making them as comfortable as they can be. The animals were a joy to meet and another amazing experience, the animals would show their joy in seeing their caregivers and be calm around the Aquarium's guests. Another sign of passionate animal enthusiasts who enjoy what they do and provide. read more

This was a very fun experience for us! We're visiting Austin from Wa/Ca and this was a unique stop! My 2.5 year old lived every moment. I'm 32, My husband is 37, my mom 66 and my sister is 25 and we all had a blast! The staff are soooo incredibly warm and welcoming! We were constantly greeted and chatted with! They offered assistance anywhere they could. You can definitely tell they LOVE what they do! And they love working with the animals here! We really loved that we were able to safely interact with so many animals. We made sure to follow instructions and frequently wash our hands! We went on a weekday around 10:45 and it was just busy enough to see kids play together but empty enough to really enjoy taking your time and not feeling crowded and rushed! Definitely worth the trip if you're an animal lover and would like the opportunity to support this little aquarium + the rescued/surrendered animals they care for! read more

It's a great place for kids. They've a lot of little animals and it's very interactive. I would highly recommend it to friends and family. The staff and animals are wonderful read more

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This place seemed sketchy since it's in a strip mall. It has a nice selection of animals. And you can touch many of them. But, overall it seemed a bit unkempt and dirty. Many animal displays did not have signs saying what kind of animals they are or any other info about them. But, my daughter (2.5 year old) did enjoy seeing all of the animals. read more