Amazing aquarium that's great for family and kids. I go every year when my kids are on spring break. read more

Great Lakes Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

I was looking for something in my reviews and saw my old 2 star review and since we went again this week I thought I better update. And yeah, the experience has drastically changed! Now is it 5 stars when compared to the Shedd in Chicago? No. But it is definitely 5 star for a smaller aquarium in Duluth. Kids are now 16 & 13,13. We spent two hours wandering around. Loved touching the jellyfish and sturgeon. Exhibits were expanded and the addition of salt water creatures was nice. They have a Quiet Room which was a nice sensory/Autism addition but it was just an empty room with chairs so that could use some modifications but it was still nice to see it as an option. Gift shop is huge and had lots of merch. $7.99 for a magnet but it was a nice magnet! Kids play area with the tree is still chaotic but now it doesn't matter to me ;). They did add another play area with a boat and behind that there were toys and books by a big window. Much easier to contain kids there. Also a big water play area. They have done so much with the aquarium and it was a good time. read more

Great Lakes Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

It was amazing and had a blast quick walk through if you are an adult. Spectacular place for a kid to engage with water and touch orders and play with jellyfish. It was good aquarium. read more

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3.5 Stars We visited the Great Lakes Aquarium while in Duluth last summer. We went mid-week to avoid throngs of children and that strategy was mostly a success. I got to see seahorses and otters so I came away satisfied. In fact we were there for an otter demonstration on World Otter Day so that was exciting! I was however, mildly surprised by/disappointed in how many creatures on exhibit were not from the Great Lakes and/or were not even aquatic animals. The use of space in the building doesn't seem to be maximized, and some of the exhibits seem to be random filler. I get that the inhabitants of water, land, and sky do co-mingle, but I expected more water creatures. But kids probably won't care about this so maybe I'm just not the target audience? Overall it's a decent aquarium, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it if you're not in the area or are considering something else to do. In case this link doesn't work, I suggest you look up the amusing Dusty Slay bit about the Great Lakes Aquarium; there is a live show video and also the story told on Nate Bargatze's podcast: https://www.tiktok.com/@natebargatze/video/7374493534553984299 read more

Whenever visiting MN someplace different to go. This time it was a Great Lakes Aquarium. It did not disappoint! A perfect place to visit if you have an hour to two hours to spend. It has a great exhibit with helpful and friendly staff. Very educational. I learned a lot about the lakes and it was fascinating. If you're visiting Duluth, whether you're from out of state or from within, it's well worth the visit. read more

Great Lakes Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Had a poor experience at the gift shop they refused to make right. We are long time family membership holders.

I do like that they had many many interactive things for children, but the selection of animals was small, also the otters weren't out:( that was the main reason we had decided to come. read more

Really interesting and the otters were adorable. Hands on attractions for the kids and interesting exhibits for everyone.

This place has no business being the same price as the MN Zoo. For its size and what you get, it feels like a total gouge. But they do have river otters and the otters were great. So if you feel like making a relatively large donation toward housing and feeding some otters, thinking of it that way can take the sting out. Go here if you have kids and money to burn (or otters to support). Oh, also, like the MN Zoo, they will charge you an additional fee to park. No word on whether the otters get a cut of that. read more

As the world moves on from Covid it is kind of hard to know what to expect from anywhere including museums and touristy areas such as the Great Lakes Aquarium. There were several areas around exhibits where it looked like staff members would sit and be able to provide information or answer questions, which was now instead manned by a white board saying to text a number for information. Which I didn't want to bother with, I would've rather talked with a person face to face. It was also easy to see that they seemed short staffed. At one of the touch pools the gentleman taking over seemed very rushed to get there in time to make sure it was "manned". Hopefully I'll make it back some day outside of our pandemic Era. It was super cool to see the amount of sturgeon that they had, and being a big aquarist it was nice to see the variety of freshwater fish that they had from different parts of the world. The saltwater tanks were pretty neat, also. My girlfriend said that the shipwreck portion was her favorite. It was a cool thing to do for two adults to wander around for an hour or better on our day off. read more

Great Lakes Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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A day/night in Duluth and its cold outside. The aquarium wasn't far from Northern Waters Smokehaus. $5 to park. There are fresh water fish, baby alligators and my favorite otters. The otters supposedly sleep 20 hours a day but the volunteer said they would be out around 3 for feeding. These 2 came from a crayfish farm and are 9 years old. They are fun to watch swimming. Diving and eating. I liked otters so much I bought 2 stuffed animal otters. Enjoy the pictures. read more

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We had a wonderful time at the aquarium! There is so much to see and play areas our kids loved. I think our favorite thing was touching the jellyfish and the starfish. It is a great place to spend a fun day with your family. read more

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My family really enjoyed the aquarium. Lots of great information, species local to the great lake area, sprinkled with some exotic ones too. They offered 3 touch tanks, horseshoe crab/starfish, sturgeons, and jelly fish which was my family's favorite. The help with each tank were so nice and help full they make the experience great. Also if you buy passes they are good all day. So if your kiddos miss a touch tank opening you can always go back later. Parking cost $5 but they also gave us a coupon for $5 off in the gift shop. Would recommend super little kid friendly too. read more

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Cool fishies. Watery ambience. I saw divers and that was sick. Come here with your friends its fun

This was my kids' favorite activity while in Duluth. And to be honest, probably my husband's and mine as well as it equates to two hours of entertainment for my four year olds. The price is a little higher than I'd like to spend to entertain my kids, but it was well worth it. Also we didn't have to pay for parking. Lots of hands on exhibits and people to interact with your kids to teach them new things. Highlights were petting the turtles and the Great Lakes boats! Pro tip: pack snacks!! read more

A great indoor activity for the whole family. Lots of different exhibits and underwater creatures as well as a few raptors to check out we love the space between exhibits, the views of the harbor from each floor and the helpful staff always willing to give you more information either in person or over text. read more

Great Lakes Aquarium - Checking out the coral reef - Aquariums Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

It's a mostly freshwater aquarium, and just a few tanks of salt water at the end. Our teenager was completely bored by the endless tanks of freshwater (plain colored) fish. Our 8 year old enjoyed the sturgeon touch tank, kid slide and exploring the aquarium. The sturgeon tank was the only touch tank open, perhaps due to the pandemic? read more

I'm not going to lie, I came to this place with low expectations. As a kid, I remember coming to the grand opening of this place and being completely disappointed. Half the aquarium seemed to be devoted to the wonders of water (yawn) and there was not much more than lake fish. When I think of aquarium, I was thinking sharks, stingrays, and colorful reef fish. So lets get that out of the way first, this place is not your typical aquarium. It is more of a local aquarium that highlights the species and diversity in nearby Lake Superior. Yes, there is a room with sharks, rays, and colorful reef fish still but it is not the main focus of the place. And that is OK! A lot has been added since I was last here. There is a really cool petting tank but instead of sharks or rays, there are sturgeon! There is also a huge tank filled with trout, game fish, sturgeon, and other lake fish. There is also a super intelligent crow and river otters. I also liked that there seemed to be a large population of animals that were albino, have you ever seen an albino painted turtle? So cool.The other shoutout is that they display a few Nautilus here. I can't think of another aquarium that has displayed these cephalopods. Very cool. The building is also a very beautiful building with some really cool aesthetic features including a water wall, a water play place for kids (and adults, lets be honest), and an indoor playground. There is also a nice deck off the back of the building to watch the lift bridge and lakers (ships) come in and out of port. read more

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The aquarium is something for people of all ages, and just that was noticeable as I walked through the exhibits. There were families with babies, young children, and teenagers. I saw young couples walking together exploiting the tanks. I also saw an elderly couple enjoying some of the exhibits. The aquarium is truly a place for all people. The location for this aquarium is definitely a bonus with the view of the bay and the lift bridge from many east facing windows. The variety of fish with the history involved was fascinating. I enjoyed how the Great Lakes Aquarium used their name throughout the exhibits, focusing mostly on the local fish that appear in rivers, lakes, and of course Lake Superior. The aquarium also included different areas that were outside the Great Lakes title, but were just as fascinating to learn about. I definitely thought the highlight of the aquarium was the staff lectures. Scheduled times during the week are feeding times for the fish where staff will feed from their hands or volunteers will dive into the tanks to feed the fish. During this time, staff will explain more about the fish and answer questions from guests. The divers were also very entertaining and were up for taking photos, dancing, and playing rock, paper, scissors! You must plan your visit around one of these feeding times to make the most of your time at the aquarium. The only negative is I wish the aquarium was a bit bigger, but I suppose there's not much more space for them to use. Good work Great Lakes Aquarium! read more

Great Lakes Aquarium - Staff feeding fish at one of the tanks - Aquariums Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

We have been to the Great Lakes Aquarium twice now and remain fans. Maybe we're spoiled, but we do feel it's on the small side as far as aquariums go. It is definitely not the size of the aquariums we've been to in large cities. But that said, we really do like this aquarium for its unique view on aquatic life in the Great Lakes. There are some really cool exhibits about the forming of the Great Lakes region and the history of the area. It's a great place to visit to learn something you didn't know. We always learn something new about Lake Superior, and it's a really cool place to learn about the fish of the Great Lakes. Among our highlights: -the aviary, which includes a bald eagle if you are lucky enough to find him out and about -the exhibit about the glacial activity that formed the area. -truly awesome view of the bridge. -the really awesome interactive display on the first floor that shows the Great Lakes in relation to each other -- it overlays the cities and towns, geographical points of interest on the lakes and even puts them in relation to each other in terms of size and elevation. It teaches about hydroelectric power, locks and other cool features of the Great Lakes. It's really cool and is great for kids (and kids at heart). We will say that at $16.50 for adults, it's a bit on the steep side. It takes us about an hour to get through the whole thing. But we do feel that paying the admission supports an important cause. The gift shop is a fun shop, particularly the local art. It's a fun place to visit for sure, but not an all-day excursion like some aquariums. read more

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Way too overpriced for the experience. It took us in total about 25 minutes to walk through the entire place. Touch ponds were cool, but nothing worth the admission price. The workers were great and very knowledgeable. Would probably not go again, in all honesty. Underwhelming. And, you had to pay for parking for 5 hours to be there for a small fraction of that. read more

Lots of fun for kids and adults. Very accommodating to babies, younger kids. There were sanitized strollers available at no extra cost. Parking was $5 and the entrance cost was a bit high but there was military discount offered. There wasn't much for staff around to ask questions and a lot/most the animal hands on experiences were closed due to covid. Masks were encouraged but not required. Fun experience to try at least once while in the area. read more

Had a lot of fun! Lots of interaction for kids of all ages. Loved the "shows", we watched the scuba divers feed in the large 45,000 tank! Very cool! Only down fall was you pay for parking PLUS admission which I thought was a bummer. read more

Great Lakes Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Seemed a tad pricey but considering the educational experience and what's required to keep this treasure going, it's a bargain. A lot of kid oriented activities and educational programs. Explains historical aspects of the Great Lakes and ecological challenges the lakes face. This is a new CR aquarium with a wide range of attractions for all interests. read more

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So....Great Lakes Aquarium....not really a place I'd recommend for adults. I went with a friend who was excited to see a fresh water aquarium. My favorite part, sadly, was the saltwater tank. There are a few hands-on exhibits that are definitely geared toward your younger crowd. The shipwreck exhibit was cool. We did find a few good photo opps. Unfortunately we were there shortly before a group of school children showed up and took over the entire place. So what little enjoyment I may have found here was quickly lost. Now if you have kids, on the other hand, I think this is a great place. However admission is a bit pricey so it might be worth finding cheaper entertainment in Duluth. read more

An interactive, educational aquarium located on the shores of Lake Superior My partner and I recently visited a few days before New Year's. The $5 parking was a bit of a turn-off, and it was not validated with aquarium admission as we might have hoped. The building itself is beautiful, with interesting use of space between the first and second floor. It feels very spacious inside and offers a lot of different exhibits to see. We were lucky enough to arrive right before the otter enrichment show began, which was neat to see the otters interact with some novel stimuli. As adults, we found that there was a lot of quality information regarding the ecology of the area and were especially impressed at the education regarding water conservation. Also, the views of the lake and surrounding area were beautiful and on the day we visited, the was shining offering many photo opportunities. The view from the second floor in the left corner - right after you come up the elevator is especially nice. During the summer, there is a short outside walkway 2 stories up that you can also use to take in views of the area. Our favorite part was the two-story tank divided up into several sections featuring many different types of fish. The aquarium layout allows you to see this tank from many different perspectives, each one fascinating. As a caveat, I would say that this aquarium is not as tank-heavy as some, in which there is tank-after-tank to see, but rather more of a learning-focused center with exhibits explaining many different parts of the environment and ecology relating to the importance of water management. read more

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Loved this aquarium. Fun adventure, good and enjoyable for all ages. Nice variety of animals. Easy layout and large amounts to see. Lots of facts and helpful staff too. Great gift shop with lots of variety for everyone. Would recommend to any family in the area. Reasonable price as well. read more

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Nice little aquarium lots of activities for kids Knowledgable workers went for sturgeon feeding read more

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I have been to many aquariums over the years and this is by far the worst. Children might like it if they like snakes. Not a lot of aquatic life. Expected much more for the price read more

I'm definitely an aquatic life nerd, so this was a for sure stop. Was not disappointed, the models and displays were great, the exhibits were very aesthetic and showcased some fun fish. The feedings were very captivating and interesting, and the staff seemed very knowledgeable. There's also a lot to interact with, mostly catering to children though. Definitely would recommend for animal lovers read more

We went here with our two small kids (2 and 4) and really enjoyed ourselves. They loved seeing all the animals and even with COVID we were still able to see plenty and feel safe. The most fun was the water canal station they have on the first floor. Thankfully I brought extra clothes since they got soaked, so definitely pack extras! read more

Kind of small but the price is reasonable. There's more than aquatic life inside like eagles and skunks. Good for families.

Pricey and small. Not much to do here. Not much interaction with staff members. Some of the hands on things need to be updated. My daughter had fun though! The gift shop wasn't too pricey but there wasn't much to look at. The view of he lake was beautiful and the medications background given seemed pretty accurate. Seemed like a clean facility and we had no overwhelming feeling of sadness with any of the animals at this exhibit. read more

Great Lakes Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

I agree with most of the previous reviews. However, I have to give 5 stars because of a unique customer experience. We purchased a family plus membership, partly because of future savings in parking costs for other Duluth events, including Bentleyville that very night. Well, we arrived at Bentleyville at its peak hour on a Saturday night, but took a chance and asked to be let into the parking lot after flashing our new Aquarium membership. After a couple minutes we were waived in. WELL, when we arrived back at the hotel later that night there was a personal message from an Aquarium staff apologizing for the delay in letting us into the parking lot! Now that was totally unnecessary and unexpected. But it was TOTALLY kind, professional, and appreciated! read more

I love fish! Duluth isn't a large city.... I was still pretty impressed with the variety and size of the display tanks! The first section of the aquarium involves more of the history of the oceans and life in the water. It transitions in to the freshwater displays with a variety of fish from trout to your basic pan fish that you can find in your local fishing hole. They have a closed off section that holds several water birds as well, it was cool getting close to them, but watch your head for potential poop bombs! The center of aquarium houses a two story tall display tank filled with Salmon, giant catfish, and other freshwater fish. It's very impressive! I'd love to try fishing in there. lol They have two resident river otters and they will let them out on occasion to play around in their enclosures. The young lady doing the introduction of the otters was very knowledgable and was able to keep the sound children entertained. The Saltwater display tanks were nice as well. Lots of corals to look at, very colorful, but the jellyfish tank was a bit empty.... I know they are pretty difficult to keep alive though. Overall, its a nice little aquarium to keep entertained for an hour or two. read more

I wouldn't call it huge, I'd call it...tall...with a lotta-lotta empty air and open space. What exhibits they do have are decent and very kid-friendly. I like the deep tank that goes up to the second level - there are some big-effin' fish in there. Very spendy, but we went during off-hours and got 50% discount. Still expensive. read more

It was a dreadful, rainy day in Duluth so we spent it inside at the Aquarium. We found it to be educational, very interactive and relaxing. Yes, the admission was pretty expensive but we didn't have to pay for parking (maybe because it is off season? a Monday? not sure). Most of the displays are rather impressive. My favorite was the Great Lakes locks that you can move boats through... okay, it's mostly for kids but it was like a big map of water!!! It was also one of the first pieces to see in the museum. Yeah, museum... since there were also birds and large taxidermy mammals alongside some fish. Borderline aquarium. The big windows overlooking the bay and lake are really amazing. I wish that were in my house. At one point, my 6 year old step daughter asked, "Don't they have any exhibits?" She meant like a pop-up petting zoo of some sort. Seriously, after she said that there was an announcement made about an exhibit on sea turtles or something. She spotted an employee with a cart and obediently followed the employee all the way to a group of children sitting cross legged on the floor. We learned about turtles! Gift shop was just kind of okay. Really cool rocks and educational books and toys. Like most gift shops, about on the expensive side. PS. There were tiny little seahorses and tiny little jellyfishes. SOOOO CUTE. (My favorite part of the aquarium.) read more

Go to the Mall of America Sea life Aquarium before you go here. 1) it was wayy over priced for the little tanks they had there. 2) they had no northern, muskies, or walleye!!! Like the top Minnesota fish and they don't have any. read more

I visited the aquarium on July 29, 2020, with my sister, who is disabled. We went up the escalator and made our way through the (mediocre) exhibits on the second floor visitors are made to feel required to begin with, only to reach the end and find out the elevator wasn't working. There was no way my sister could make it down all the stairs to the first floor--it's a high second floor, almost like a third. We saw a woman with two little kids having to carry her stroller down and were really worried about what we were going to do. We had to get back on the road and couldn't just sit upstairs until the elevator was fixed! We wondered why no one had warned us when we came in about this issue, since my sister is obviously disabled, although since many disabilities are not visible, they should of course have simply posted a sign and let everyone know as they came in. We eventually found someone who let us use a staff elevator, but by that point my sister felt tired, demoralized, anxious, in pain, and upset. I brought up these concerns with the young women working downstairs, who could not have been ruder to us both. They threw up their hands, rolled their eyes, insisted this was not a big deal, that there was nothing they could or should have done, that elevators just break sometimes, and we needed to get over it. I was stunned. I've never seen such ableist practices, ever. Completely outrageous and unacceptable, and obviously we will never go back, but I would also encourage caution in other potential visitors, as the general lack of concern for people's well-being also does seem to translate into a lack of care for the creatures who live here, too. read more

We were not sure what to expect for a Great Lakes aquarium, but we were very surprised in a good way. The aquarium is much larger than we expected, and there is plenty to see. For little kids, there are several sensory opportunities which are very nice. We were a little bit disappointed by the otter excursion, as we thought it would be more involved, but it was interesting nonetheless. Plan on 1 to 2 hours for a visit, max. read more