Arrived at Birch Aquarium at the perfect time and it was free for the Big Exchange. Learned about the 26 yo sea turtle with a prosthetic back shell who was found in Jersey. She's a Jersey girl! She stared at me straight in the eyes for a long moment. It was awesome! People were surprised by it. But I've had a similar experiences with an orangutan and serval at the zoo. Then learned about the smallest penguins called little blue penguins. It was so educational and fun watching them get fed. And my favorite was seeing the sea dragons for the first time! Straight out of Dr Seuss! Amazing! read more

What an absolutely lovely day at Birch Aquarium. Perfect for the family or a date with that special someone. Walking around you realize how small we are in the grand scheme of things. We think the world revolves around us but in reality we are just a small drop in the ocean. The actions we take though can cause ripples or waves for those around us. Be a positive force and Birch Aquarium provides action steps to help make our world a better place. read more

Birch Aquarium - Sea Turtle - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

Birch Aquarium at Scripps surprised me--it's smaller than I expected (those YouTube walkthroughs lied ) but honestly, it's adorable. The real magic? The outdoor seating with ocean views. Perfect spot to sip, snack, or sneak in a little reading while soaking up the breeze. There's even a cute kids' play area if you're into little humans learning and giggling. The café is small but mighty--the food was actually really good, and eating outside makes the whole place feel sunny and relaxed. Holiday visit = crowded, and parking = a test of patience, but still worth it for the vibes, views, and a touch of aquarium magic. read more

4.2 Stars First time visiting Birch Aquarium in La Jolla with our 5-month-old and it was a hit, for him and us! Parking is a bit scarce, especially on busy days (and yes, even on a Thursday, it was packed). There were a couple EV spots on Level 1 with ChargePoint for fellow electric vehicle drivers, which was a nice bonus. Inside, the aquarium is beautifully done, very educational, interactive, and still tons of fun. It's definitely geared toward families, so expect lots of kids and strollers, and yes, it can get pretty loud at times, but that just comes with the territory. The views of the La Jolla bluffs are stunning, don't skip the back deck or outdoor exhibits! There's a small snack area and I saw someone devouring a giant pretzel. I asked, and he confirmed it was "worth it" if you're in the mood to carb load mid-aquarium. Also appreciated the unique eco-friendly souvenirs, a lot of items were made from recycled plastic, including sea creatures and sharks. Our little guy grabbed one off the shelf (classic move), and we left $39 lighter but with a new favorite toy that he proudly fell asleep with in the car. All in all, well worth a visit, especially for families. Just come early, bring patience for the crowds, and maybe leave room in your bag (and budget) for a surprise toy or two read more

See all

Such a wonderful experience! Very hands on and fun-educational, more than any other aquarium I've ever been to. I love that each station is run by the students. Even though it was under construction at the time, still so many exhibits to check out. read more

I used to come here in college and recently had the time to go the other week. I just love the seahorses here. They're so unique and I even got pictures. The aquarium also has a beautiful view of the sea as well. You have to come here and check out how wonderful it is here. This place can get pretty crowded even on a weekday. read more

Birch Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

I hate to add bad reviews, but giving this place a three was a stretch. The parking lot was under construction, and it was hard to find a place to park after we parked. We walked to the aquarium and a good share of the outside also was under construction. I was surprised at the admission cost which of $39 per person, but assume the inside would be amazing. It was the smallest aquarium that I've ever seen in my entire life. You could get through the whole thing in about 15 minutes, very few sea life. And the penguin area was beyond sad. If you're looking to see animals, I would definitely recommend SeaWorld I would take this place off your list because it's just not worth the money. It took more time to get parked and walk there than it did to make my way through the aquarium. read more

See all

The aquarium is on the small side, but the kids enjoyed seeing the blue penguins, tide pool exhibits and sea horses. We spent a bit over an hour there. We purchased tickets at the gate which ended up being around $40 each. read more

Birch Aquarium - Oarfish - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

Have lived in SD most of my life and just went to the birch aquarium for the first time in October and fell in love. I can't believe I had never been before. It's small and you can see everything in about an hour or so but great for little ones to explore and they have some interaction tables too for them. read more

Birch Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

This is a must stop if you are visiting La Jolla. It's not your typical big aquarium, but a good visit for about an hour or so. Many great fishes, penguins, sharks, jellyfishes, and much more to see. Very unique spot which overlooks the beach and ocean. We did visited on a busy day, so was a bit chaotic. Parking was easily accessible without any hassle. They do offered food, snacks, and drinks for purchases outside the aquarium so you can enjoy with your friends or family. read more

See all

The Birch Aquarium is perched on the La Jolla coast, with a beautiful view of the ocean and the dramatic coastline. There are some one of a kind exhibits here, like the oarfish, which is kind of creepy in a good way and worth lingering over. I also loved the penguin exhibit, the tactile "touch tank" exhibit (where you can touch sea urchins, rays, etc,) and watching the scuba diver feed the fish. I loved spending time looking at all the various fish and sea creatures. The reason for the 4 star (vs. 5 star) rating is the aquarium is on the small side when compared with more dramatic aquariums elsewhere (eg. Long Beach Aqarium of the Pacific). It's also a bit on the pricey side too. But definitely worth a visit. read more

See all

The Birch Aquarium at Scripps is a nice aquarium. It's not very big or robust like the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, but it is exceptionally well-maintained and provides a genuinely pleasant, intimate atmosphere for its visitors. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and passionate, always ready to answer any questions you might have. A visit to the penguin exhibit is a absolute must-see, especially if you can catch their feeding time! Keep up the great work, Birch Aquarium! You guys rock. :) read more

It's not huge but honestly its a super cool place, I loved how after looking at the aquarium there is 2 play areas for kids to let if some energy , but I have to be honest the food here is really good they have a full menu plus the view is incredibly fantastic the ocean views are awesome I had a burger and I have to say it didn't feel like I was at the aquarium eating the souvenirs are pricey though all in all it was a great time read more

See all

Do visit the tide pool. The volunteer docents are teeming with knowledge and enthusiasm. They know so much about the behavior, physiology and environmental status of these animals. Some of them are fluent in Spanish as well. read more

I visited during a Friday morning and it was surprisingly pretty busy! There were a lot of exhibits to check out and keep the attention of the young and old alike. There were both indoor and outdoor exhibits and I enjoyed seeing the different marine animals. They had a few shows throughout the aquarium as well. I was here for work, but it seemed like everyone was having a great time and the workers were all very pleasant and nice! read more

Birch Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

People need to be kinder to this place!! The employees were knowledgeable and kind, the tanks are well kept, the views are beautiful. Not to mention I've never been able to be that close to a penguin before! It may be a smaller aquarium but it's very well cared for and the gift shop had the cutest items! read more

See all

We loved visiting the new Living Seas exhibit which was perfect for families with young kids. It's an easy way to spend a few hours learning and exploring. There's parking on-site, clean bathrooms (always key), and a little café where you can grab drinks and snacks to bring inside. (Pro tip: the coffee comes in a Coca-Cola cup, which feels odd... but it gets the job done!) Highlights for us: touching the sea cucumbers, spotting seahorses, and watching the octopus do its thing. A fun and educational outing that kept our 7-year-old fully engaged. read more

See all

I had a wonderful visit in April 2026, if you get the tickets online and go in the afternoon you get them for a big discount. I had so much fun, the penguins were delightful. I didn't get to see the octopus awake I hope to next time. Going in the afternoon, you avoid the school field trips, which gives you space to see the aquarium. It was my first time visiting, and I will be back. read more

Its small but a great experience for anyone who cant travel to a regular size aquarium as it covers all the bases within a smaller tank. Has jellyfish, little reptile, better tropical fish that are unique, some discovery exhibits, shark, a tortoise!! With a talk show, penguins, starfish, mini octopus, lobster/king crab, giiaannt bass fish, touch pool with anemone. Comes with free parking, best to go if you have some sort of deal, sometimes its free for children. I was surprised there was no hand washing required prior to touch pool and after. Also had a great outdoor view of the ocean. Honestly nice place packed with a lot. It can be a bit pricy for the size (similar to normal aquarium) but its better to support. I just feel like Im sure theres a lot of people interested in marine life in san diego, so it'd be cool if there were private donors of maintained tanks or school collaborations to better maintain the facilities. Actually a great part that set this aquarium apart from others was that they had signage next to each tank that labeled what was in the tank with pictures, and more tropical fish. You can probably finish it in a hour. Very kid friendly, interactive, dedicated staff and a relatively cute gift shop. read more

See all

Visited the Birch Aquarium today and was a little disappointed. Half of the Aquarium was closed due to construction. So there was truly very minimal marine life to see and experience. It was pretty overcast in San Diego so it was hard to get the full San Diego vibe of how gorgeous San Diego always is. There were still lots of surfers out enjoying the surf. If you're planning to bring the family out to the Birch Aquarium, I'd recommend waiting till after 05/22 when we were told the construction will be completed. Can't wait to see the improvements. read more

See all

This is a beautiful place to bring the whole family its very entertaining and super educational. I have visited a couple of times and every single time i have blast with my family. read more

See all

our Sunday in San Diego was Aquarium we got tickets online, ahead of time via their website. in itself, the aquarium is not a big one, but it does have various areas with many fish and marine life to observe. the gift shop has nice things worthy to check out read more

See all

Definitely plan to come if you're in San Diego. The town of La Jolla is beautiful and we were so impressed with the aquarium. Buy tickets ahead of time. Plan to be there early so you can see the penguin feeding. read more

See all

Really nice aquarium with kind staff. I really enjoyed my visit and spent about an hour walking through the entire aquarium. There are two sides. I really enjoyed the right side more. It's very well air conditioned and the fish they have are absolutely thriving! Really enjoying and living life. They have a rescue turtle here. She is beautiful. read more

Birch Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

I love aquariums, and had to make a stop at this one while in San Diego. Didn't really interact with any staff, but I did see and hear them interacting with other customers explaining the exhibits. All of the creatures were super active which makes me think (and hope) that they're happy and well cared for. We got to see an Octopus moving around her tank which was really cool and other aquariums I've been to, they don't really move around. This is a very small aquarium. I did notice trash on the floor which isn't great. Parking is free for 3 hours. Tickets are a few dollars cheaper if you buy online in advance. read more

Birch aquarium is a quiet and smaller aquarium in La Jolla, perfect for avoiding crowds. Unlike the Aquarium of the Pacific, it will only take an hour to see everything since half of the site was currently closed for renovations. Although they did not feature walk through tunnels or noteworthy exhibits, they still featured touch tanks, penguins, and sharks which were fun to look at. I really liked that there was no crowds; sometimes the abundance of people makes it hard to enjoy exhibits but here, you will have plenty of space and time to enjoy everything at your own pace. Birch aquarium was a perfectly fine aquarium with typical marine life exhibits. It was a smaller attraction with plenty of space to relax and appreciate the unobstructed view of the La Jolla coastline. read more

See all

Birch Aquarium is part of UCSD oceanography research and education. It's on the smaller side, but perfect for school age and younger children. It's not an overwhelming experience and one can easily see all the exhibits and explore all the aquarium has to offer. We went on a Thursday and there were lots of school groups - the kids were having a fun time running around with their clip boards for a scavenger hunt of sea life facts. The free parking lot is small and one lane, so depending on the time you arrive you'll have to be patient. There was a backed up line when we arrived because someone was waiting for a car to leave and was blocking everyone else. Probably waited around 5 minutes. But if you can get a spot in that lot it's very close and convenient. I suggest buying tickets online- you'll save $5 a ticket and guarantee entry- you'll pick a 30 minute arrival window. Depending on how busy (capacity) walk ups may not be accommodated unless you're a member. A perk is February is museum month in San Diego and I was able to get 50% off after downloading a free museum month guide and locating their discount code. The aquarium has an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean and La Jolla Shores from their hilltop outside area which features tide pools. The exhibits include a living sea gallery where you can view life under the pier and a large pacific octopus ( he or she) was amazing. Sea dragons and sea horses. I have never seen a sea dragon (Australia) - very unique and cool looking. Little blue penguins in an outdoor environment where there also is an amphitheater. They walk sooo cute. Shark and ray exhibit located in a separate tank outside of the aquarium main building. There is also an oarfish exhibit-a preserved 11 ft oarfish found off the coast of Southern California in 2024. I love the ocean and its creatures, so it was a good experience while visiting San Diego. The aquarium also has a food area and gift shop. read more

See all

This is my first time visiting since my childhood, and it was still such a fun experience! The Hall of Fishes has been newly updated to Living Seas with touchscreen interactive signage. There's also a portion of the museum that is sea-life focused interactive art, including a phone booth where you can talk to a Fish! There's a tide pool area, which has an amazing view of the ocean, play area for the children, and of course the penguin habitat! So cute. They have daily feedings and a staff member there to answer questions about the animals. There's also gift shop and cafe offering small quick bites. read more

I'm not sure who the true star of the show was, the Penguins, or our fantastic guide Julian. Julian leads the animal talks and while they garnered a large audience for the penguin talk,(which they nailed, very knowledgeable) nobody outside of my group showed up to the pier exhibit talk. Even though it was just us, Julian was thrilled to have us there and answered even the most obscure questions I could think of. The penguin exhibit was top notch as well. We were there when they were feeding and it was very fun to watch them swarm. Meatloaf was my favorite penguin, I already miss her. I would rate 5 stars if there was a little bit more interactivity and learning opportunities, it felt like most exhibits were meant to just show an awe factor which may be ideal for thee, but not for me. read more

See all

Website is easy to maneuver. I made the error of purchasing tickets for the wrong date. I emailed guest services and they were quick to respond and were accommodating to my last minute request. Getting to the aquarium was easy and parking is free. For a Saturday afternoon, we had no issues with parking; there was plenty of open spaces. Parking lot is not far from the aquarium as well, less than a 5 minute walk. Aquarium itself is small but to the kids, it's very entertaining. We only had an infant with us, we took our time walking around and took us an hour and a half. My only request is that I hope they improve the penguin and shark/ray exhibits. We did not take pictures but I hope there are funds to expand or improve those 2 exhibits since they're outdoors Overall as our first time visiting this aquarium, it was a nice experience. read more

Birch Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

The aquarium is nice but definitely don't plan to eat there. You will be waiting 30 minutes for your food and when you bring it up to the workers they get mad about it. I came in a group with three. We all ordered separate and he only refunded half of one of our people food when we were a group of 3 and all had to wait. So two of us are leaving unhappy. Our kids are now unhappy because they're starving and having to wait outside in the heat for food for 30 mins. The restaurant service is terrible from the workers to how long you have to wait for the food. read more

We made our second stop at the BIRCH AQUARIUM, and again this place was crowded, but not too crowded!!! We had lots of disabled parking spaces to choose from, RIGHT UP FRONT!!! read more

See all

Cutest aquarium ever!! Small but stocked with many marine life and plants! Seems like all the fishies and animals were happy and healthy!

Went on Valentine's Day, very fun experience! We enjoyed every part of it. We would go again. read more

Birch Aquarium - Jellyfish - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

Visited the Birch Aquarium on a Friday afternoon for walk-up entry. Online mentions walk-ups may not be available due to sell out / crowds but it wasn't too bad on a weekday. I wish they had offered a discount with 1 of the 2 halls currently closed for construction at this time. Each adult ticket was $29.95 which is steep for being able to get through the aquarium within 15-20 minutes indoors. Thankfully there is some water/foam play for kids outside as well as an opportunity to touch certain sea creatures outdoors (starfish, sea cucumber). Private parking lot with a decent amount of spaces though it was about 75% occupied on a Friday afternoon. read more

Love coming to Birch two to three times a year. It is smaller aquarium, but still a good one for kids to visit. I'm glad they finally reopened the other half of their aquarium. I could see why others were leaving low ratings due to half the aquarium being closed for so many months. Our favorite part is visiting the Jelly Fish. They added some interactive screens and sounds on the newly renovated part of the aquarium! read more

See all

A great little aquarium. We spent about 2.5 hours, taking our time to look at everything. It was bigger than I expected. There were a lot of cool creatures there & even a small outdoor play area for the kids to play, make floating devices and test them out, plus a small touch tank are. My 11yo enjoyed it, I would go again and recommend for small kids & adults. Prices are fair & there's a decent size parking lot. There's a smal gift shop and cafe outside for snacks & coffee. It was clean & there was friendly staff around to ask questions read more

See all

We love coming here with our son! So many things to see and it's not really big and overwhelming. Parking was easy around 10am during the weekday. There's an outdoor area as well that you can look out at the view and have lunch. Kids also love that area to play. We brought our own food which they allow. Note that when looking at the penguins you have to park your strollers outside that door entrance. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

Other than the simply inhumane sea turtle tank, this was a really good aquarium. The penguins were adorable and the touch tank was cool. Their huge kelp forest tank was also great. They had one of the best seahorse exhibits I've seen. Outside you can see some larger sharks and stingrays, which are kept in a smaller tank. Overall, the aquarium was really nice with exhibits indoors and outdoors, even though some of the spaces seemed a bit cramped for the animals. read more

This aquarium is under construction and it's a bit disappointing because I was expecting huge tanks with fish. And I didn't see that here. On a positive note, there are a lot of activities for little kids and many tiny sea creatures to see. Penguins are the highlight. But it's a wonderful place to help future parents determine if they really want kids. Just spend 45 minutes with 25 toddlers screaming at a high pitch in a small space and you'll never want to have children. Ever. I couldn't wait to leave. read more

See all