I remember the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center fondly from my childhood, and it's good to see that they've expanded on their property for a nice little afternoon outing. Admission is $20 for adults, with child and military discounting. There's a lot of outdoor walking space around the main lake/lagoon where you can see the nurse sharks and sea turtles amongst the many other fish there. The weather was really nice the day we went, so we took a stroll through the nature trails. They are mostly boardwalk trails with a few covered stops with benches. The main trail is a 1 mile loop but there is also a 1/3 mile loop that is good for kids. The main trail will take you to the Indian River Lagoon for some nice storefront views! The main building has some cool artwork made of reclaimed beach litter that makes you really think about proper waste disposal. There's also a few tanks with cool fish and such to see. The entire center has a few different spaces for bathrooms that are easy to access. I'd recommend coming here for a nice day in the fresh air and sunshine to enjoy the flora and fauna of Florida! read more

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Wonderful exhibits. Knowledgeable volunteers. Animals are very healthy. Great value.

Really nice place to understand marine life and see some. Kids would love the place. Starts off with stingray petting tank cool even if you have done it before. Then the starfish area. Each leg has something different to see and handle. Then we went inside the building and checked out the tanks and all interactive things. Walked up to 3rd for nice view of the place and back down to watch the feedings. There is talk about stingrays but no food. Next they feed the fish in the huge open air aquarium. Nurse sharks, rays, jacks, and lots more. The feeding was interesting as was the talk after about pollution and algae. Next off the green sea turtles feeding. They were having romaine lettuce. They put colored pole with a shape that each knows. They swim over bump the Pole and get fed. These had boat injuries so they would never be in the wild. Again another talk about them while they are being feed. Good for adults and great for kids. Highly recommended. read more

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - 3 rd floor on huge outdoor aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Stuart, Florida

We visit the Oceanographic Center every time we're in the area, and it never gets old. No matter how many times we come, there's always something to enjoy, and our kids absolutely love it. The new water play area is a fantastic addition. It was a huge hit with the kids, but honestly, the adults enjoyed it just as much! We could have easily spent hours there alone. The staff is always friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to share information about the exhibits and local wildlife, which makes the experience even more enjoyable. The nature trail is another favorite and offers a great opportunity to experience the area's natural beauty. One tip for future visitors: bring bug spray, as there can be quite a few mosquitoes along the trail. This is a wonderful family-friendly attraction that's both fun and educational. We look forward to returning every time we visit the area. read more

We really enjoyed the intimate nature of the Florida OceanographicCoastal Center. Our kids got to play a scavenger hunt game while we explored the facility. The turtles are great to see as well as the feeding program. read more

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What a great way to spend the afternoon! Very thorough presentations for stingrays, game, fish, and sea turtles. Our favorite part was actually the nature walk out to the river. Excellent gift shop that I spent way too much money in. Lots of learning and it's a clean and updated environment. read more

Great place to take the family and kids on a cloudy, rainy or even on a sunny day. Plenty to see and learn while getting your steps in

Enjoy going every year. Highlight is petting the stingrays. Pro tip: arrive 20 minutes earlier than the education portion because that is when you can 'pet' them. There are 3 different educational short programs that are great to attend so you can learn about the area, animals & sealife. I always learn something new. This season's special indoor exhibit is about alligators & crocodiles. Their indoor and outdoor aquariums are really great. Also there is a great walk through the mangroves to get to the intercostal. Visit their website then plan your trip. They are also featured in the local 'Enjoyment Book' with a couple of buy one, get one free coupons. read more

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Was able to bring my grandkids here on an offer from Groupon. Otherwise it's quite expensive. I had three adults paid for but brought two kids instead of the third adult. An adult ticket is double the price of a child but the only let me use it for one child and pay $9 for the other. Oh well. It had quite a few interesting experiences, game fish feeding. Sting ray touching, inside learning activities. Lots of fun and interesting activities. Great gift shop too!! read more

This is an awesome place! I visited here with my sister and her family and I was so impressed! There is a nature trail, full of beautiful plant life, a butterfly garden, there is a large lagoon that houses large rescued turtles, sharks, as well as a variety of fish, and sting rays. We also checked out an interesting exhibit that showed many different aspects of Florida marine life, and the issues it faces such as pollution, and turtles face from boat injuries. There is a touch tank full of different species, and we finished the trip with touching some string rays and feeding them. Love this place and their work! They do so much to help the area, I love to see it, worth a visit! read more

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We were able to coast through. When employees add negative or opposing comments to yours it brings down the vibe just FYI. An area that is designed for finger touch sea creatures we were told could not be touched. There was not a great deal of sea creatures or enough hands on activities for kids of any sort. I mentioned conch fritters to a sea coastal employee and she was disgusted that I mentioned a local favorite dish lol quite odd, but she showed me she wasn't a true local probably just a Florida transplant like most that travel that way now. Bets of luck expanding your business it needs it. read more

The educational center was a great experience and a must stop for kids and adults alike. Lectures and live areas to pet sting rays; see picture. Learned a lot and will be back for another learning experience. read more

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Great time and beautiful location your can pet dolphins and see a show . Gift shop for trinkets and rememberance

Amazing place...the staff is exceptional Its a joy to visit and the learning possibilites are the best. Every time I go it's different and could not ask for more from this facility Thank you for ALL that you guys/girls do for the rest of us!!! read more

I was honestly impressed with the size of this place! I wasn't expecting such a large area to explore, with a deviated staff and wonderful gift shop. We saw a number of different sea turtles, learned all about them in the sea turtle talk, and took the 1 mile coastal walk. We learned about oyster recycling measures, the mangroves, and wildlife on the walk. read more

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The stingray were awesome you could touch them. The horse crabs grabs you could touch there are shows there are sharks, fish, and big fish there are trails read more

Very well organized and amazing terrace for lunch . Great for families who enjoy nature.

A cute thing to do when you're in the area. There's a play area for little kids, a touch tank, and a butterfly garden. My little boy got to touch some stingrays and we saw big turtles being fed. There are also some walking trails with mangroves. They do have three programs (once in the morning, once in the afternoon): stingray feeding, gamefish program, and turtle program. However, we were getting close to my little one's nap time so we passed on those. There is another building to be opened up soon. read more

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I love their gift shop. My daughter loves mermaids and the gift shop is frequently well stocked. Thank you FOCC gift shop staff!

Such a wonderfully interactive and well maintained learning center. Plenty to do to keep both kids and adults engaged. Friendly staff and very clean! read more

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - Aquariums Near Me - Stuart, Florida

Pleasantly surprised by this experience! We arrived in time to feed the stingrays and view the fish feeding. The touch tank was a hit with the kids. Lots to learn and explore in the indoor and outdoor areas. Be sure to time your visit for the feedings because they happen at set times. Friendly and knowledgeable staff were patient and welcoming as we walked around. It rained while we were there, but we hardly noticed with most outdoor areas being covered. read more

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - Entrance to the museum - Aquariums Near Me - Stuart, Florida

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This experience was very educational and fun and I would rate it four stars except for the fact that the octupus was stuck in a very small tank with virtually no stimulation. For a company so focused on wildlife preservation and environmental ethics, this seems very hypocritical. free the octopus! (or give it a bigger environment) read more

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - Aquariums Near Me - Stuart, Florida

Beautiful place to visit and fun for the whole family...my boyfriend and I came and spent some time checking out rays (they have wonderful staff that oversees the touch tank and are very friendly and informative), turtles, and more in the outdoor space...headed inside and was greeted warmly and offered lots of information on the creatures in the tanks...we decided to walk the trails and saw some land crabs and also had a nice view of the water...word of advice is don't wear nice shoes as many areas get mucky and you'll get a little dirty... read more

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The sting ray section is very fun! Touching the sting rays and feeding them is truly a cool and great experience! The staff are super friendly and helpful! Just be sure to bring a hat or wear sunscreen! read more

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - View from third level of eco building - Aquariums Near Me - Stuart, Florida

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This is a nice little activity for your beach vacation. It's small, so really only need and hour or 2 to get through it. More if you want to read all the fun educational info they have to offer. Mike was amazing and went out of his way to teach our kids soooo many fun facts about the local wildlife. read more

Who knew this was around here. I sure did not and lived in Florida for 20 years. The kids loved this place. Lots of touch tanks, fish galore and very educational. I could not believe how big it was, and how nice the people are here. Would come back again when in Florida. This place is clean and allows you to bring food in. Take your family on a picnic and enjoy the fishies. read more

We are annual members. Their summer camps are awesome and we've done birthday parties too. Also they have a stunning event space on the third floor. read more

We visited early Saturday morning - my husband, me and 1.5 year old daughter. All of us had a great time and great value for your money. This isn't an aquarium, but a mostly outdoor center full of interactive exhibits with a goal to educate the public to help marine life. There is a very wonderful indoor exhibit and 3rd story observation deck where you can easily see everything in the large outdoor "tank". Outside you can touch/feed stingrays and other small marine life. Every program is very interesting and educational. The whole facility is very clean and the staff was very nice. There is also a nature trail through the mangrove forest and the beach. You can spend about 3 hours here without lots of walking, but with much to do. read more

This is a great experience. Took my grandmother here one afternoon. She's in wheelchair so it limits our activity options. Front desk was not particularly friendly but oh well. They have a small inside museum room with some information on the area. Then outside they have some tanks where you can touch sting rays! They have a large water area with some fish and sharks. There is a cute little garden to walk through as well. Also some fun games for kids to play. It's a nice afternoon calm activity. Great for little kids or elderly. Probably not for teens or young adults. read more

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - Aquariums Near Me - Stuart, Florida

Spent a good half a day there with two 12 year olds about four weeks ago who had a blast petting and feeding the manta rays and sitting through the turtle talk and walking the exhibits. Plenty of shaded sitting areas and a nature trail too. The gift shop is great and not overpriced so I didn't feel like I was in a tourist trap. I would recommend this facility if you are ever in the area. read more

This is an awesome place. We got there at 10am and stayed for 3 hours. We touched and fed stingrays, touched hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. We listened to talks about the stingrays, fish in the lagoon and sea turtles. We walked the nature trail and the butterfly garden. If you need a break from the rain or heat they do offer a building that has some inside displays but 95% of the center is outside with some shade. All the staff is friendly, knowledgeable and love their jobs. You can tell they are passionate about education. read more

A great place. Two touch tanks, one with stingrays, another with tide pool life. One mini estuary in the middle of the establishment, water clear as a pool. Great for kids, many animals. Across the street from the Elliott Museum, which is also a good place to spend your day. read more

Last weekend I brought my sister-in-law, brother, 9 year old nephew and 7 year old niece who were visiting from Virginia and my grandmother and mom here to explore. We had a fantastic time. Admission is $12? for adults and $10? for children. The admission is what heels this facility going. Most, if not all, of the workers are volunteers and are extremely knowledgeable! We arrived a few minutes after 10 am, it was not very busy, however there were about 7 other families with children there as well; and were able to spend a good about of time before the stingray feeding to pet and observe the tank of rays. (If you want to touch the Rays you MUST wash your hands and arms up to your elbows). They instruct you how you place your hand in the water with allows the Rays to swim right up to you and for you to gently pet/stroke the topside of the amazing stingrays. They do trim their barbs, but you should still be careful as they are beautiful wild fish. After some awesome and fun facts (the stingray shuffle!) about the stingrays, other volunteers also bring around a skeleton of their mouth/teeth and barb, we were able to feed them. The volunteers bring out portioned out pieces of fish and shrimp. I found the "ice cream cone" method is the most effective to help feed the Rays. I have also fed them in Grand Cayman and this was the most effective method then as well as they basically have vacuums for mouths. The kids really enjoyed both petting and feeding the stingrays. All they keeps says is "this is so awesome!!!" After the Rays the schedule takes us to the sea turtle gazebo. There we learned about the 3 types of sea turtles in Florida (leatherback, green, and loggerhead) and saw all the rescued turtles they have in the sanctuary. We loved them and the kids immediately recognize that the green turtles were the same as the ones in finding nemo! Squirt! Dudeeee! Totallyyyyy! Righteous!!! Unfortunately, these turtle cannot be released back into the wild for various reasons, buoyancy being one of the main reasons for. A few of them. However, they sure to have an amazing home here! Next we had the privilege of going to the fish feeding. The volunteer/scientist? Who lead this portion of our visit was fantastic! I kept saying to my mom he's the guy from the green algae news special! He was fantastic as well! The kids were disgusted by the green algae and what it was doing to the "adorable and innocent sea life" and that "we need to make stop this right now!" A 7 and 9 year old sure to get it! The feeding was awesome. He then pointed out all the types of fish and sharks and Rays in the tank as well as how to make sure you eat seafood/fish responsibly when your dine out! After I noodled down one of the nature trails for a wile which was beautiful and the butterfly garden. They have a great gift shop and we purchased a few items! Ps: I got a great pair of sterling silver sand dollar stud earrings! I encourage everyone to come visit and learn out our oceans, sea life, turtles, and estuaries so that we can better protect them and keep Florida seafood safe... and in business too! read more

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Loved the Fl Oceanographic Society. We were able to purchase our tickets online and they are utilizing a lot of great practices for everyone's safety. There are two sessions, morning or afternoon. You can go to one and we arrived at 10 am when it opened and were ontime for the 10:30 Stingray feeding. We loved the friendliness of the staff right when we walked it, they were so nice. It was easy to park too. The staff showed us where to go and allowed people to enter staggered so that people didn't get on top of each other. At the stingray tank people didn't exactly practice social distancing and I think a few carefully marked tape strips on the ground would fix that, but it was a great time. We got to pet stingrays and they were excited to see us. I think they knew feeding time was coming. The lecture part was awesome and there was a show an tell to help us understand where the barb would be on the stringrays. We also got to feed them some fish and it was amazing to feel them come over and suck food out of your hand. It was epic and my kids loved it (8 and 10). We then went to the touch tank and were able to experience sea urchins, sea cucumber, and hermit crabs. Then we went to hear a lecture about the lagoon and the environment around us and what the algae is about and how there are good and bad things we can do. Then we saw the sharks and other fish in their lagoon tank get fed and that was neat. We then walked around the lagoon to meet the turtles they have there and were educated on the different turtles and why they were there. All in all I loved it and plan to go back next time we are in Florida. Super friendly and knowlegable staff. read more

If you have children aged 2+ this is a great place to teach them about aquatic wildlife and how to take care of the environment. There are several hands on displays and sections to this offer. They have over 57 acres of marine and nature adventures and even have the ability to host private events including children's birthday parties. They have some indoor displays which include several tanks of indigenous wildlife including hermit crabs, moray eels and fish. They have an open-aquarium which allows children to touch various types of shellfish (guide is there to assist). Outside they have an area where you can pet and feed some small bullnose stingrays. They also have a huge 700,000 gallon natural made reef that has exotic fish and other water life where they also do a feeding and allow patrons to watch as the fish flock to be fed. There are several interactive displays throughout the grounds and it really was fun for our child to see and touch things he's never been exposed to before in his short life. $8 for adults, $4 for children 3-12. If you're going to make 2 or more trips per year, then consider a membership which allows you unlimited visits for the year. read more

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - Aquariums Near Me - Stuart, Florida

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Great place. It's really nice to walk around. You can touch the stingrays and they have a lot of stuff for children to do. There are all kinds of animals, including turtles and sharks. There is also a museum and a nice gift store. read more

This place is a hidden gem right in Stuart! You are able to to see sharks and sea turtles. Learn about the local wildlife as well as let your kids explore. My favorite part by far was petting the sting rays. They actually came up to you as though they enjoyed you petting them which I had never experienced before. The most unique part was being able to feed them. This was like your own private tour at sea world without the large stadiums and crowds. There was personal attention by the staff and volunteers and your could genuinely tell they were happy to be there and share the information about the wild life. read more

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We had so much fun here! It's a must to come here if you're in the area. $12 is a great price for what you get to experience. You get to touch stingrays, feed them, and learn about sea turtles and game fish. There's a touch tank with crabs, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers! There's a guided tour of the nature walk. It's VERY informative, but the trails are long. One trail is 20 minutes, and the other is 45 minutes. We would definitely come again!!! read more

Underwhelming This is an attraction for kids. It would likely be boring for any but sheltered adults. Not worth the $12 admission fee. Date of experience: January 2020 read more

Pros: The daily programs happen twice a day and I HIGHLY recommend you see them. The programs are 30 minutes apart consecutively so you can see everything they have to offer! The attractions are mainly outside so make sure you go on a nice day! I would recommend this for a short day trip, there are many other attractions, restaurants and beaches in the area to visit also! Price: $12/adult was very reasonable for admission. Intensity: The center and grounds have flat, even walking paths and ramps easily accessible for wheel chairs or strollers. The attractions require minimal walking and guests are standing during the shows. There is a boardwalk through mangroves for a nature walk which can be as short as .5 miles to over 1.0 miles but is optional. Cons: Make sure you go on a nice day since activities are outside. read more