We went at 10 AM on a weekday in August. We'd hoped to beat the crowd but we sure didn't. We got there about five after 10 and there were already 30 or 40 cars in the lot. It was a foggy morning and I think all the families decided to make the best of it and visit the aquarium. That meant lots of people at all the exhibits. We had been to the aquarium before, and the leadership had made continuous changes so it was refreshed. We enjoyed our time there, but truthfully, it's geared more towards families. read more

Oregon Coast Aquarium - School of anchovy - Aquariums Near Me - Newport, Oregon

We've sort of avoided the aquarium for years, mainly because of the drive from Portland, but we finally decided to make the journey. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised. It's definitely not the biggest aquarium by volume, but it can still be a fun time. The standout area is the outdoor section including the seals, sea lions, and otters. Love how they designed the rocky outposts in between exhibits. Definitely would recommend planning your day around the various feeding times. If not, you could theoretically run through all the exhibits relatively quickly, since it's not that large. Plus the shows are pretty well done, my personal favorite were the sea lions, who knew way more commands/tricks than i expected. read more

Cute aquarium. We came on a nice summer day, so it was good weather to walk around outside, since it had indoor and outdoor exhibits. Not difficult to navigate, and lots of cool animals to look at. And places to relax with a view of part of the ocean or lake, or whatever body of whatever it is. I had a good time. read more

See all

It's an average aquarium. I've been to a few different aquariums in the US. This one is on the smaller side. They do a cute little pelican show. They have the Shark Tank that you walk under. My favorite was the penguins. Puffins are my favorite. The otters are the true center of attention in this facility. They do a feeding show a couple times a day. I did get a breakfast burrito at the little café. It was only five dollars and it was OK. It's a good way to spend a couple of hours if you're in Newport. read more

See all

My first time coming to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. This is a beautiful, super-clean aquarium! The people here are friendly, and we can touch the starfish and other creatures in this special tank. This place has outdoor and indoor areas to walk around in. The place isn't that gigantic and it is doable to see everything in a few hours' time. I really enjoyed the sculptures made out of ocean trash that has been dumped into the water. It really reminds us to be kind and maybe just do our part by picking up trash that we see on the sandy beaches. So it won't go into the waters where life is living! read more

See all

It's a cute little aquarium and easy to see everything within a couple hours. Wonderful place to take your little kids! I'm sure they'd be fascinated by everything. It was pouring rain the day we went which made it not so fun to see the outdoor exhibits, but it was still a nice little pit stop in our trip to Newport! read more

See all

Love this place. Have gone here multiple times over the years and have enjoyed it every time. I love the interactive tide pool and open sea tunnels. Great family activity read more

See all

Super cute aquarium and they have a lot to offer! Pretty affordable and great for all ages! read more

Oregon Coast Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Newport, Oregon

We have made this a must with everyone of our children, it seems smaller than it did 15 years ago but still a wonderful place and experience with our youngest now 4. The feeding and interaction schedule is great love that they are so informative! read more

My husband and I spent 3 hours here! Just us, no kids. Much longer than we expected, lol. This place is so neat, thoughtfully designed and well laid out with both indoor and outdoor exhibits. It has a great flow. We visited early on a weekday so there weren't too many kids around and it wasn't busy or crowded. We were mostly amongst other adults and seniors, which I greatly appreciated because it allowed us time to fully explore and experience each exhibit for as long as we wanted, without feeling pressured to move on or get out of the way. It was also a beautiful weather day, so being outside was enjoyable. There were so many things that I loved about this aquarium but I most appreciated the Washed Ashore exhibit, which showcases artwork made out of plastic items found in the ocean. It reminded me how much stuff we accumulate and discard and that we all need to be better. read more

See all

The aquarium was highly recommended by multiple people and so glad we went! If we lived closer we would have a membership. The exhibits were well lit and displayed, easy to maneuver, and easy to keep an eye on the kids. Atmosphere is laid back and clean, plenty of help from staff, who were incredibly knowledgeable. The touch tank was huge, the kids loved it. It was raining when we went, but even with that we saw everything no problem and the animal shows were happening. The cafe was great, food was very good, we had the calamari and the kids split a burger. Beer was on draft and there is a separate coffee cafe. We highly recommend to anyone local or visiting. read more

Oregon Coast Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Newport, Oregon

See all

We made a stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium on our coastal road trip. I was surprised at how big it was and the amount of indoor and outdoor things to see. There are indoor exhibits as well as some outdoor exhibits. You feel like you are seeing much more due to the laid out nature of each exhibit. There are great restrooms, a food court, and outdoor playground for the kids to enjoy. The touch tide pools were fun with sea anemones and sea stars. I wish they allowed you to pick up the sea urchins because I remember doing that as a kid and the weird feeling of them moving on my hand. I like to collect the smashed penny souvenirs and when I saw it I was excited. They take credit cards which charge you $4 for all 4 coins or you can use dollars. A bit more expensive than the $0.50 and a penny. One note I saw on another review was that the shark tank was murky. I also noticed that and wish you could see the sharks in the tank better. This aquarium was good for the hour that we spent there. The kids probably would have spent more time just playing on the playground but we were on our way to lunch and only spent an hour here. read more

See all

Spent around 3 hours here and it was great. The staff are all super helpful and knowledgeable, always spouting facts and jokes. The touchponds were so cool and it wasn't super busy when we went either so it made a great date. The octopus was active and alive and we even got to see the otter feedings. I remember coming here as a kid and being scared of the spider crabs so I was a bit disappointed when I didn't see them here but it was fun regardless. The jellyfish were beautiful and the eels were crazy! Super worth it read more

See all

This is a nice aquarium with inside and outside attractions. We both loved the Passages of the deep. It was an awesome experience to walk thru the aquarium with fish surrounding you on all sides. They even have an area where you can touch different starfish. It makes for a really nice day walking around exploring all the different sea creatures. It's really hard to name a favorite with so much amazement and colorful species of the sea. read more

See all

This place is a true jewel. So thoughtfully curated and cared for. We visited in January during stormy, rain and hail. Everywhere we went we were greeted by smiling volunteers and staff; eager to share their knowledge, enthusiasm and umbrella. The octopus encounter with Udon was AMAZING. read more

See all

We decided to visit the aquarium yesterday. The place had a lot to see and interact with. I loved the found art pieces that were all around, they were beautiful and expressive. The animals and sea life we got to see were neat and fun. My daughters love the sea birds, sea lions, and sea otter setups. It was so neat to see them being feed and then just chilling. We spent about 3 hours in total walking around and seeing everything. I really liked the shark section too. It is always cool to see sharks swimming over and under you. If you have a chance to visit you definitely should. All the volunteers were very friendly, helpful and full of information to share. The cost also was not too bad which made our family of four visit affordable. We would definitely come back. read more

See all

I have been to bigger aquariums but this one was a cute stop along the coast. I LOVED the otters exhibit. There were a couple outside exhibits like the otters and sea lions and seals but the rest was inside. The tunnel feature was really cool and had multiple sections. They also had touch tanks for starfish. I thought there would be a few more exhibits but it was still a really fun stop read more

See all

This is overdue from our trip. We liked this Aquarium, & some things seemed undersized for what we hoped for. I did learn the life and habits of Octopus. 5 years, and few make it that far. For me , a life change. I have decided that it will be no more grilled Octopus for me. Life is too short. read more

We stopped here to get a little break from our Oregon roadtrip. Nice little aquarium with both indoor and outdoor space. A little pricey for what you get, but we enjoyed the break and meeting the nice people that work and volunteer here. read more

See all

Very educational for adults and children. Fun experiences. Sea lions were fun to watch. So many different fish to view​ read more

Oregon Coast Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Newport, Oregon

So glad we have an aquarium in the Oregon coast, this place is great strongly recommend. Plenty to do, not the biggest just had enough. The shark aquarium needs some lighting looks a little dark might be the murky water, I think they must've just fed them. There was chum everywhere, so missed the feeding frenzy! You can still see the Sharks & Montereys, and other sea species. They have a nice petting aquarium, you can touch enmities & sea stars sea cucumbers you can touch. Leopard sea lion live feeding it's pretty cool! The restaurant is activity really good, their fries are best, if you ever have checkers, you don't know what I'm talking about! The chicken cordon bleu is righteous and the calamari you can't go wrong! Nice play ground for the kiddos, only foul part is one of those kids must of pooped himself had to walk through the aquarium pretty quick, parents need to be on the look out. read more

See all

Brought the fam to the Aquarium and everyone had a blast. The place was packed with awesome creatures. Eels, the caiman, the anemones you can touch, the giant starfish, and best of all, the shark tank with bat rays and fish swimming overhead and underfoot. Don't miss the jellyfish section with was sorta hidden read more

A small aquarium for a quick to-do activity! Even though this aquarium was small, it was very clean and spacious. We were able to spend 2.5 hours listening to the tours/taking our time strolling around. It almost felt like a half aquarium and half mini outdoor zoo but, coming from CA resident, this is a really nice place with half the crowd. You can easily walk through this in 30 mins, but if you have kids, I suggest to take your time and let your kids play at the playground they have. Parking was free which was a big plus. Admission was $25, not bad, it's fairly a lot better than what you pay in CA. Also big perks for the staff who work there! They were super friendly and was approached if we needed any help during out time :) read more

See all

Took advantage of an Oregon Zoo reciprocal entry and made a visit from Portland. It's a really nicely organized, clean, informative place -- plenty of staff and volunteers around too to teach you about the fish. There were touch pools, jellies, sea horses, anchovies, sharks, rays, puffins, otters, and sea lions, starfish, anemones.... and turkey vultures. Pretty much all the usual suspects except an octopus. Took a little more than an hour to get through everything, but easily could've been double that if I'd had the chance to read the displays in peace. Note that a good portion of the exhibits are outside, so dress accordingly! There's a playground too in case the kids need to let off some steam before the drive home. Gift shop was really overpriced, but the kids were happy with their pressed pennies read more

See all

Well maintained aquarium with friendly staff and we enjoyed some of the activities like when they feed some of the animals.

The volunteers at the various exhibits do an amazing job. The volunteer at the touch tank was incredibly knowledgeable. My husband loves going to aquariums and this was his favorite by far. read more

Oregon Coast Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Newport, Oregon

Always a Great Experience @ Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, OR. !! FYI: All areas and exhibits are open to the Public for us to enjoy!! What a great visit on a rainy Friday. We had to out maneuver the field trip kiddos and be more patient this time, but many Aquarium employees were on hand to keep up with demand and maintain the high standards of this attraction. Shout out to employee Julie in the Rocky Coast Gallery for answering all of our questions and having extensive knowledge about interesting and fun facts! We were in search of the Giant Pacific Octopus that usually was in a small crevice of its own between the Pinnipeds and the Aviary. Lo and Behold, its new location is in an impressive tank right across from the touch pool. Octopus Percy surprised us by quickly waking up, stretching out, and shedding his suction cups!! What a treat. I always look forward to seeing the sea otters during the education and feeding times. This visit was just as delightful. The handlers interacted with otters Earle and Oswald with great technique while they got all the attention looking adorable and snacking. Thank you! read more

See all

Nice but Small and Pricey The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a very nice place, especially for kids. The exhibits are well-maintained and educational, and the combination of zoo and aquarium elements makes for a unique experience. My kids enjoyed the interactive displays and the variety of marine life on show. However, the aquarium is quite small, and we were able to see everything in a relatively short amount of time. While there are plenty of quick food options available, which is convenient for families, the ticket prices are quite high. Given the size and the amount of time you can spend there, it feels a bit overpriced. Overall, it's a good spot for a family outing if you're in the area, but the cost may not justify the experience for everyone. read more

See all

The Aquarium itself is pretty nice. I do think m the tickets are pretty high so be prepared to spend a good chunk of change just getting in. We loved getting to see some local fish and the touch tide pool area was super fun. One area was under construction so that was kinda lame. Unfortunately, some of the staff weren't very knowledgeable about some basic questions which was a little disheartening. The gift shop is an absolute money grab. A basic t shirt was $58 which is absolutely outrageous. A hoodie? $98 dollars for thin material. It's insane. $20 for a small thing of "bio luminescent putty"? It really was disgusting to see these prices. Either they are trying to price out and only have "the elites" shopping there, or they really just want tons of money. The line at the gift shop was rarely big and I never saw more than 2 people in line. So disappointed as I wanted to rep the aquarium and support but with the entry, I could not justify a basic t shirt for that much. The otters also weren't out which is one of the best things there so that was a bummer. I've been to the aquarium many many times. So it's still worth going but again be prepared to spend lots of money. read more

See all

Love this place, we have been several times over the years. Great for kids and adults. Only complaint is that I wish it was a little larger for the price, but still very worth the visit. read more

Very immersive experience! Anemones you could touch, an octopus, sharks, aquarium tunnels with fish above and below you all at once. Colorful, fun, indoor and outdoor! Quick to go through but lots to see. Friendly, informative, passionate staff, very welcoming of questions. 10/10 read more

Yes it's small but it's so good!! They had so much stuff to see in such a small space! The touch pools were amazing tons of starfish and anemone. They had puffins and seals and ... I loved it and everyone was so sweet. Perfect little spot to visit. read more

Oregon Coast Aquarium - They had a jellyfish room! It was gorgeous!! - Aquariums Near Me - Newport, Oregon

The best thing going for the aquarium is the glass tunnel where you can watch the fish from all sides, and the gift shop. There is too much educational reading which children can't understand and small viewing windows. The octopus display is hidden away and we only found it when an employee came outside the rock enclosure to tell us the octopus was being active. I use a walker and the gravel paths were difficult to navigate. Worth it but a little disappointing at the same time. read more

Fun for everyone . Well organized. Plenty of feeding demonstrations. A delightful day read more

See all

I found the Oregon Coast Aquarium to be just okay. My favorite part was when I got to touch some of the sea creatures! Many exhibits were closed. Of the exhibits that were open, it was nice to see the animals that were there. The facilities were clean. The cafe was okay. The food wasn't bad, but I will say that my burger had no seasoning at all. I don't think I'd return unless all exhibits were open. read more

See all

We lived our visit to the aquarium. They were upfront with the construction and limited exhibits that were open. We enjoyed several educational talks and animal viewings that went on while we were there. They have a large gift shop and a spot to eat packed food or food from their cafe. I got free admission as it was my birthday, which was awesome! read more

Oregon Coast Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Newport, Oregon

We weren't sure what to expect, but decided to check it out last weekend. We arrived at opening and had to wait in line, it went quick though. First impressions: Granted, it was right as gates opened, but everything seemed very clean. The park was WAY smaller than I assumed it would be. The volunteers scattered throughout seemed quite knowledgeable and friendly. Enjoyed the natural setting, nestled and semi-incorporated into the marsh...minus the massive fake-rock maze in the center...that most definitely took away from the natural feel. We were only there for an hour. We don't have kids to wrangle so that makes a big difference of course. But regardless, an hour allowed us to cover every exhibit. Note: we chose to wander the building with all the indoor tanks (next to the entrance) last, and by that time there were so many people inside I felt too crowded and just passed through much of it. When we left we noticed that the extra parking lots weren't full...I can't imagine how packed the place would feel if the park was at capacity, YIKES! Although it was slightly underwhelming, it was a decent way to spend an hour. But then again, I'm all for anything that supports animal care, research, and causes. read more

See all

Took a break from cowboyin' and traded the saddle for sea life--ended up face-to-face with an octopus that looked like it knew my social security number. Oregon Coast Aquarium did not disappoint. The sea otters are basically wet puppies with ADHD, the sharks glide around like they own the place, and the puffins? They strut like they just landed a modeling contract. Whoever designed the walk-through tunnel deserves a raise--felt like I was in a fishy fever dream, but in a good way. Great place to bring kids, dates, or just your inner 10-year-old. Only downside? I left wanting to adopt a jellyfish and name it Carl. 10/10 would get stared down by a sea lion again. read more

Fun and informative! Light crowd. Watches them feed the sea otters-cute! Easy walk thru the various exhibits. read more

See all

They charge $25 for the go kart for people that have mobility problems. $15 for a wheelchair.