We spent a night in Boothbay and arrived earlier than we could check in, so brought our 3 kids to the aquarium. For the size of the aquarium, we were really pleased. It is just one room plus a second room with some activities. The staff was really knowledgeable and gave a great informational talk about lobsters. The touch tank was pretty cool and there were some cool interactive exhibits our kids enjoyed. The second room was a bit sparse but had some coloring activities that we enjoyed. Being right on the water, we took extra time to have lunch at a picnic table and enjoy the view. read more

Maine State Aquarium - Boothbay Harbor - Aquariums Near Me - West Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Not an aquarium. I've seen more fish in my dentist's office This was WAY better prior to its "renovation". There are 4 tanks of fish and a "touch tank." There is a "learning lab" with some shark things and crafts. This will entertain your kids (age 6 and under) for an hour at most. Not worth it for adults or anyone who has grown up on a coast. VERY small parking lot. Very disappointed read more

I really wanted to like the new renovations however I would not consider this place as an aquarium but more of an oceanarium. It is definitely a place of education and there are two touch/pet tanks but that's about it. I was hoping it would be like the one from what use to be home (Roundhouse Aquarium in Manhattan Beach, CA) even that aquarium I would still consider it an oceanarium however it had sooooo much more to offer. Despite how crowded this place can get, you can easily do it all in under five minutes. (That's how small it is) If you really want to make the trip I would suggest going on the free days. Also, those baby moon jelly's will soon need a bigger tank! read more

Maine State Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - West Boothbay Harbor, Maine

What a rip off! It took a total of 30 seconds to walk thru Aquarium. DO NOT waste your money! This is the best you can do Maine State Aquarium? read more

Drove over an hour to get here had to order my tickets online and was literally there for 13 minutes and was finished with everything they had to offer definitely not worth the money or time unless you live close by. Worst aquarium I've ever been too even my 4 year old is disappointed read more

This place is *tiny*. Great for a quick visit to learn a bit about Maine's coastline and loved the touchtank. Lots of sea creatures to explore, very hands on and welcoming to all visitors. Toughest part was the the line can get pretty long. I'd say visits max out at an hour long. read more

I've lived in Maine most of my life and somehow missed the Aquarium entirely. I'm glad to finally tick this box off, though, as I recently came on a sunny July afternoon. I'm a single adult with no children, and I have no shame in participating in things that are maybe meant for people twenty years younger than me. I say this because the extremely patient, informative, engaging staff did an awesome job at making me feel included (and not weird at all) when I excitedly wanted to participate at the touch tanks. I got the same bits of educational info as the kids did, the same sort of attention. I got to hold a sea cucumber, have a scallop spit at me, watch clams swim away from the starfish they were placed on, be gripped by a hermit crab, and got to gently cuddle a shark. The way the aquarium involves Maine's coastal history is wonderful, and the exhibits themselves are really fascinating (especially if you geek out over all things ocean related... loved learning more about lobsters [especially the bicolored ones] and the little shrimp whose schools cause massive issues with the military!). Yes, the aquarium is essentially one room. And honestly you can do it in an hour (that's with reading every single information card on every single tank), however that's not all there is to do here: there are hourly events to participate in, for example. From a hands on lobster presentation, a talk about sharks, and an exploratory shore excursion, it could be easy to spend much more time here. Plus the view is stunning (and free!) so why not treat yourself to a little seaside picnic? read more

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Likely, when you think of an Aquarium you are thinking BIG and FULL of aquatic life... This is not the case. This is a very small, but well kept aquarium and the grounds are very well groomed and the water view is really nice. It took us less than an hour to breeze through everything as it is all located in one large room. The interactive touch tanks are pretty cool. I did like how they made everyone wash their hands upon entering the building. That is a smart idea if you ask me!! read more

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Just a heads up. There's a small lot and a one lane road. It's a small touch tank. Long line. Be aware your waiting in a long line for three touch tanks. Aquarium staff : there was some panic trying to get out. People blocking the road to park, and the traffic leaving. It's a very small exhibit. Maybe hold off coming..... long lines. read more

A highlight of our weeks vacation. So reasonable at $7 to get in and so fun, educational and a great experience. The lobster seminar was very nice and informational. We loved the touch tank and could of spent all day there if we didn't have a boat tour planned. You can pick up lobster, clams, scallops, sea cucumbers, snails, various crabs, really an awesome experience! read more

Maine State Aquarium - Holding a Maine lobster! - Aquariums Near Me - West Boothbay Harbor, Maine

I send heartfelt thanks to Maine State Aquarium Director Aimee Hayden-Rodriques who made the decision to release back to the sea, Rocky the lobster. Rocky was caught by a local lobster fisherman in the Rockland area and brought to the Aquarium for exhibition. Rocky weighed in at 27 pounds and measured nearly 40 inches long. He was likely a very old and wizened animal, probably a spirit guide to other lobsters, teaching them how to avoid the traps. Aimee decided it was the right thing to do. Aimee, speaking on behalf of crustaceans everywhere, thank you for that righteous and good deed. read more

Maine State Aquarium - Aimee holds Rocky one last time before his release back to the Atlantic - Aquariums Near Me - West Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Small aquarium in Maine. For only $7 for adults you get a taste of what's local in the waters of Maine. Two touch tanks, about 10 regular tanks, and knowledgeable staff make it a good small stop in a tourist town. They also had a discovery building which was separate building away. It had activities and information facts on the current study. So this visit was on cephalopods (squid, octopus, cuttlefish, etc) read more

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Took my kids there today and they loved it. It was small, but the staff made it feel special. The open tank was great for the kids to feel and play with all the sea life in there. I recommend if you have the time to stop by and visit. The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable with all the sea life that have. Would love to go back before I went home read more

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Small but great for children! Very educational and hands on! The touch tanks are great for all ages! Very reasonable admission prices. Things to do inside & outside. 100% recommend! read more

Maine State Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - West Boothbay Harbor, Maine

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Perfectly sized for young kids to explore and fascinating facts for adults too. The staff was super knowledgeable and friendly. Lots of opportunities to get close up and hold and touch things. A couple big touch tanks in the first building. Be sure to go down to the dock and practice pulling up a lobster cage. They have educational programming - we didn't partake, but I would plan to if we visited again. read more

So the munchkin and I found out that the Maine State aquarium was in BoothBay Harbor where we were en route to. When we found that out, if we didnt make it, I would have been disowned as a daddy... =\ so needless to say, we did make it in time before they closed. Just be forewarned, small is the least operative word possible for this place. It was by far the smallest aquarium I have ever seen! I bet it would fit in many peoples living rooms & kitchens put together. Pro Tip: Come for feeding time. Its the best show around. If not for feeding time and petting time, we would have been very disappointed. The feeding of all the fish here was a lot of fun and beyond informative. I learned a lot more about fish here than I had known from any other sources that I can think of. I believe it is due to the limited number of folks that were there. This allowed for a little bit of 1 on 1 time as well as more open questions and a direct discussion over many things that are missed in the larger venues. In the end I found this to be one of the absolute best aquarium visits that I have ever had. read more

So it's small. Very, very small. If you're in the area it's worth a visit but don't count on seeing a lot of things you'd normally see at aquariums. This is much more a touch tank place. The 4 stars is for the fishing and fishing rods etc they let you use as part of the admissions price. That alone is worth it! read more

I was surprised at the size of the Maine State Aquarium...it is so small. I am not sure what else happens there as the facility is actually quite large. The actual aquarium is just one room with a few display tanks. The best part is the interactive tanks where the kids can touch and experience several types of sea life. They LOVED it. The staff is really friendly and patient with the kids. You know the kids love it when there is a complete meltdown when told it is time to go!! My other advise is make sure you know where you are going. It is off the beaten path somewhat. I never would have found it without the GPS. read more

What a great resource to the midcoast! I have lived in Maine for over 25 years and have never made it to the Aquarium until today - wow what I've missed! I brought my 3 adult kids today and we all enjoyed our visit as if we were kids. It was a blast. My son is a marine sciences major in college and even he learned something. The touch tank allowed us to overcome our creeps about touching scary animals like crabs, urchins and slimy snails. The sea cucumber was my very favorite! But the coolest of all, even considering the colorful starfish, shining alewives, HUGE and unusually colored lobsters, horseshoe crabs and other cool sea creatures, was the shark/skate touch tank. The animals would swim up to be petted, and "dance" at the surface. We spent an hour in rapt fascination. Bring all members of the family of all ages! we will definitely return. read more

small aquarium but because of that I learned more here than I usually do at educational attractions due to attentive and enthusiastic staff and occasional demonstrations every hour or two or something like that. The touch tanks are wonderful and i fell in love with the dogfish. Highly recommend stopping here if you want a relaxing educational experience! Probably better for 7-12 yr olds and teens and smaller groups as it may get crowded at certain times of the day. I'm a young adult and went with my adult sister and their friend and we enjoyed it, I'd love to take my 12 year old sister here. read more

Loud, crowded and not really what one thinks of as an aquarium, more like a coastal preservation. There's no flow through so kids are just wandering wherever and most of the parents aren't paying attention because it's so small they think they can't get into any trouble, however, I walk with a cane and was consistently bumped and pushed by children AND parents. It was frustrating and dangerous enough (on a wet slippery floor) that I had to go outside. I doubt I'd be back or recommend anyone waste their day here unless they've already been everywhere in Maine. read more

I loved our time at the Maine State Aquarium. When people hear aquarium, they probably think of the huge tanks and exhibits with large sea creatures surrounding them. This aquarium is different. It's more hands on. There's one long touch tank with a ton of small sea creatures that you can touch and pick up. There's another touch tank with a small shark and some other cool fish that you could touch. Once you've made it through that and through the small exhibits/tanks with the fish and creatures in them, they offer fishing off the dock. The day before we were there, someone caught a lobster off their dock and someone else caught a squid! They have bait for you and will teach you if you don't know how to fish (if you're a city slicker). Everyone at the aquarium was so nice, especially the older lady at the longer touch tank. She was the sweetest and kept giggling because I was scared to touch anything. Everyone was very knowledgeable. The aquarium and the area around the aquarium is all very well kept. This is a great place for anyone, not just children! My husband and I truly enjoyed it. read more

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This aquarium treats their fish horribly!! I saw two fish that were literally dying. They were huddled in the corner laying on their sides (not normal for fish) and taking big gasps for breath. When I asked a woman who worked there she told me that was normal for them. Not at all. When I asked her if they should quarantine the fish she told me it didn't matter because they would be "breaking it down". That is no excuse. Fish are still living breathing animals. They should receive proper care no matter when the aquarium is planning on closing. It's clear that this place only cares about money, not the actual health of their animals. Disgusting. read more

Maine State Aquarium - One of the fish who was dying. - Aquariums Near Me - West Boothbay Harbor, Maine

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Sure the aquarium is small, but it's the smallness that allows for the personal touch and experience! I'm 51 and my son is 27 and we had a wonderful time touching the aquatic critters and learning so, so much about marine life. I've been to the New England Aquarium and sure it has more to see, but I didn't learn nearly as much as I did from the wonderful, knowledgable staff at the Maine State Aquarium, and I certainly never got to touch a shark!! I highly recommend a visit! read more

This place brings out the 5 year old in you! Worth a trip and the $5 entry fee. Wash your hands sans soap and let the fun begin! You can see and touch almost all that sea life has to offer. Blue lobsters, dogfish, horseshoe crabs, starfish, sea urchins and more! I double dog dare you to pick up a sea cucumber and hope it doesn't squirt it's insides your way. read more

I don't have kids, I just have myself. but man I love this charming little aquarium. No shame. It's tiny. I'll be frank. It's like one room and doesnt hold a candle to say, Monterey or Baltimore aquariums, but it has a dog fish touch tank!!! And skates! And sometimes stingless anemones in the other touch pool. Basically I love this place for the touch tanks. But the exhibit tanks are fun to look at and informative. Got blue lobsters, 25lb lobsters, and calico lobsters. The lobsters are often tryin to duke it out too. Other tanks have lots of local fishies. It also is modern and clean. It's too small for me to honestly tell you to trek far to visit, but if you are in boothbay and like cute little aquariums, check it out. Only $5! read more

Visited the aquarium with a 2 year old and he LOVED it. It is small but then again it's Maine. A great way to kill an hour in A/C which much of the town is lacking. There are touch tanks and the craziest blue and white lobster. For only $5, it's a nice alternative for a really hot day or rainy afternoon. read more

The Maine State Aquarium is an annual stopover whenever we drive up to Boothbay Harbor for the day. The animals in there never really change, but it's a fun little place. The touch tank has always been the best part for me. read more

We've vacationed in Maine a few times, but this is the first time we went to the aquarium. While it is small and would clearly benefit from some funding, it was charming and fun. I particularly liked the touch tank and the lobster presentation. Definitely worth the time and affordable entry price if you are in the area. read more

Informative and lots of fun, but very small. One room, but worth the $7 admission. Pet a shark and hold a hermit crab! Maybe catch a mackerel off the dock! Kids will love it. read more

Many times I try these things and so often they are mediocre. This place was tops. Reasonable cost, friendly, beautiful location and every tank held something awesome to look at. Highly recommend this if you have kids or are curious to know of what strange and wonderful creatures inhabit the seas of the North Atlantic. I can't say how impressed I was by this place. Just the albino lobster blew my mind. read more

This place is so awesome!! Today it was quite rainy and so we where looking for something to do inside and yes this place won. It's so fabulous that you can touch baby sharks, snakes, see stars and so on there :)) read more

It is a great place to see and learn about the local things in the sea. the interpreters were knowledgeable, and seemed to be able to answer questions as they were forming in our minds. The lobster exhibits were great,as was the petting tanks where you could touch sharks, sturgeon, mackerel, starfish and other fish and shell fish. read more

If you're thinking it will be hours or a whole day's worth of fun for the kids, it won't be. This is a very small but nicely kept little aquarium. We spent maybe 2 hours here and it was more than enough. The aquarium itself is one large room and the touch tanks in particular are the highlight. It's a nice thing to go see/do if you have time to burn but I otherwise think there's a lot of other awesome things in the area to hit. If you do come here, bring a picnic lunch! They have a nice area of picnic benches along the water to watch the boats sail by while you eat. read more

Wonderful! Great job presenting the Maine sea life. I really enjoyed the tanks that allow you to touch the animals. The staff are wonderful. read more

This is wonderful for children. They absolutely will love the "touching pool". If you have children you must visit here at least one. Do not miss this! read more

Great place for the kids, small, but good exhibits and helpful/friendly staff. The touch pool had plenty of sea life and gear made available to fish off the pier. read more

We had a fun visit here. The touch tank was a favorite with the kids and the grown ups.