$8 per adult and $1 per tiny dish of cut up fish for the seals. I spent $4 on food for the seals because they were pretty awesome, but if it weren't for them and the large octopus that was very active while I watched him (they're nocturnal so it was unexpected)... It would have been borderline not worth the $8. The place is pretty small. I took my time looking at every little thing and I went through the aquarium in right about an hour. It looks like a lot of people are worried the seal enclosure was too small but I noticed an entrance at the back end to another area that it seems allows them more space. Overall, I'd say it's worth the money if you're the type to really look things over at museums/places like this... and youre a critter lover. Spend several dollars on seal food - it makes it worth it! read more

5 stars all around. So much fun feeding the seals who all try to get your attention if you have fish to feed them!!! 2 nice touch tanks and lots of sea creatures in tanks to see. Great place which is a must if in Seaside! read more

Seaside Aquarium - Can I come in?? - Aquariums Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

We loved this place! It has the best harbor seals! The aquarium part isn't as big and it seems very dark inside, the fish weren't that interesting and seem old? It's neat to see the octopus, they have a few and one isn't enclosed. But the big attraction is the seals!!! They are cute and adorable how they would bark and want fish. I loved it because it was $2 for a tray compared to Sea World (what we are used to). I love how close you can get to them. I love that kids 5 and under are free, the price is a bit high. It's $8.50 for adults but we were probably in there for 15 min? It's very small and the fish aren't that exciting but we loved the seals and was the main reason we went, so that we could feed them. We would definitely go back, but understand it's not for everyone. read more

The Seaside Aquarium is great. It's a fun place for kids, and a fun place for an adult too. Though it may be small, the animals are happy living there. They leave the octopus cage open at the top, and the octopus could escape at anytime ( but never has). You can feed the seals, and see them play, ( just know that the seal food is dead fish). There is a touch pool, where are you can touch starfish, sea snails and loads of other creatures. All the aquariums employees are very nice. There was one guy working at the touch pool, when I went to visit, and we talked, for about half an hour about ocean life. He was very nice and seemed to know a lot about ocean life. I would recommend aquarium to everyone. read more

I cannot believe that a place like this exists in Oregon. The number of seals they keep in that tiny tank is ridiculous. I stayed in a hotel next to the aquarium and and could hear them all night. The seals can only see outside through fenced barrier of their tank and their view of the ocean is completely blocked by the sand dunes. Their is nothing educational for the people throwing fish at them. I can't come up with anything positive that the seals are getting out of this situation. read more

This place is small and local and unique. Friendly staff and 2 interactive tide pools that our kids loved!!! We were able to feed the seal lions Fresh chopped fish. They allowed us to pay once and visit multiple times throughout the day. It is small and dark, but we enjoyed our time greatly!! We will return! read more

It's not Seaworld or the Oregon Coast Aquarium, but the Seaside Aquarium is fun if you love animals. This aquarium has friendly tide pools for the kiddies, which is great if you missed seeing the ones at Canon Beach by Haystack Rock. The thing I like the best about the Seaside Aquarium is that they help a lot of the local wild marine animals. Once there was a sea lion pup missing its mommy and a concern sea lion parent looking for its baby. For some reason the two could not find each other (weird), and there were a group of teens harassing the adult sea lion. I told the kids that sea lions are fast and may attack if provoked, but they did not care. I phoned the non-emergency police phone number for Seaside and they said that the animal control office was closed for the day. The Seaside PD told me to call OSP; no answer. I finally called the Seaside Aquarium and they took concern into the matter. Kudos! read more

it's a really really small aquarium. i guess for $9 you can't expect much. But its cute for kids, if you had any. The highlight of my aquarium experience is being able to feed the seals. for $1 you get a small plate of cut of fish. Those seals are so smart, i tried to trick them by throwing nothing into the water and the guy splashed water at me. Others smack their bellies, swim in circles, whatever it takes to get your attention to feed them. read more

Grade schoolers and their families have a great time here. The seals are the obvious attraction and this seems to a reasonably humane display of them in a small space. They are as engaging and hilarious as advertised. A buck for a small dish of fish pieces to toss into the tank is a deal. The entry fee of $7.50 for an adult is reasonable. The rest of the exhibits are as good as you'll let them be. Tank after tank of the fish to be found in the nearby ocean with fairly good posted descriptions. It could use more context from an ecosystem perspective but this is best visited as an initial visit for young children to see what's cool and what's gross in the ocean. The onsite staff does a good job of being on hand for needed explanations. And then buy another dish of chum to throw to the seals! read more

This is a really cute aquarium - small, but with enough activities to keep you interested. You get to feed the gluttonous seals who slap their bellies to get your attention -- coupon books in local hotels will get you a free tray of fish. There are some interesting fish like the wolf fish, a small touch tank, and a little coloring/crayon-rubbing station to trace designs of sea life. All the kids there were having a blast. My only concern was that the tanks were small and there were a few fish (i.e. wolf fish) who looked depressed. Maybe if more people visit they can expand ;) read more

We had an awesome day at Aquarium. Not a big place but nothing more fun than feeding the Baby Seals. They are amazing. The children had lots of fun. Magical place for kids plus there are many different fish. 2 adults & 2 orders of food for baby Seals, $21.00. read more

Yup, this is an old, little aquarium, but you know what? It's a good way to kill an hour or so and see some interesting sealife you might not otherwise see. This place caters to kids (and adults who are young at heart!), so if you're interested in an interactive experience, this place is for you! Of course, everyone talks about the seals and they are super great--they are on their 5th generation of seals and they can come and go as they please, but most of them like to hang around for the fish! $1 and you can feed them! Super worth it! There are also exhibits for you to touch and interact with sealife which were a blast. A nice little place to check out if you're on the coast! read more

What a wonderful place!! Tho small it is very well maintained and feels as tho you are under the sea or in a ship. Very cool tank displays and layout. My toddler loved it and I too had a great time. Favourite part for her was the touch tank (of course) and mine was the splashing seals! hahah what a surprise! Would definitely go back and recommend to all! read more

Soooo cute! This aquarium was founded in 1937, so if you are expecting something state of the art, forget it. It is small and charming and all the creatures look like they are fed and loved. You can buy some chum to feed the seals - I swear they were performing for us - don't get too close though, they will not hesitate to splash you! And, I'll say it again, they looked like they were posing - one put his fin on another one like they were buddies! It was $25 for a party of 6 - take advantage of that deal which makes it $4ish per person, much better than the $7ish per adult regular price. Very cute and lovable place! read more

This place had a lot to live up to, as we hail from the land of the Birch Aquarium. As our family pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a sign stating that the first hour of parking was free. I thought, "Huh, that's nowhere near enough time." However, it was plenty. The aquarium itself is tiny. The octopus and the touch tanks were the main areas of interest for our three-year-old son. The seals are by far the most fun attraction. SO cute and it was awesome to be able to feed them tiny baskets of small fish. I would have probably given this place four stars if it wasn't for the complete absence of public restrooms. This is an absolute necessity for any family-friendly attraction. Especially ours, with a child experiencing "digestive issues." Probably TMI for those without kids. Oh well. read more

neat little aquarium,,,,worth a visit went there because it looked interesting from the outside, and it just happened to be right next to where we were staying. definitely worth the modest admission price, and watching and feeding the seals was a lot of fun. they are really animated when you are feeding them and put on quite a show and they definitely have the "splash range" down pat. pretty good variety of other sea life to see as well in the wall tanks. really enjoyable and doesn't take a lot of time to see. read more

We had such a fun time here last week. :) As many have mentioned, the star of this aquarium are the cute seals! We LOVED watching them and feeding them fish. Each one had their own fun personality it was joy to be around! We also got to touch some of the smaller creatures and the gal working there was very knowledgeable on them and offered fun tidbits. I would definitely come back, fun for all ages! read more

Ok for one room full of misc fish, a few sea lions. Not very interactive with the kids on the hands on tank. Good for 30 minutes worth of viewing. read more

Seaside Aquarium - Ok for a side diversion, need to work on it. No bathroom except for 2 long blocks away. Not good for kids - Aquariums Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

These four stars are definitely for the delightful seals!! They make me smile days later thinking of the fun we had feeding them. Each one had a different personality and they had various ways to catch your attention so you would throw food their way. One, in particular, was my favorite because he was clapping and putting his hand to his mouth to show me he wanted food. Adorable!! However, there's a large one in the front that will splash you so hard if he isn't getting your attention. It was SO FUN.. did I say that yet? Definitely worth the admission, though the rest of the Aquarium was pretty dismal. I DO hope those seals have more room to play in the back of the building as it did appear there was more space in the back to spread out. Otherwise, the food money should be spent on a new seal playground! One thing that surprised me is that there were practically zero seal souvenirs in the tiny gift shop. I don't even like stuffed animals, but after playing with those seals, I would have tempted to get a seal animal or seal SOMETHING. Perhaps better organization could afford this aquarium some much needed updating. However, I will return next time I'm in Seaside. It truly is a Seaside institution! read more

Spent about $27 for our family of 4 and 3 fish trays. It's a little small but those seals sure are cute! And demanding!!

Nice place for the kids. Needs to reduce price to $5 for adults though. $8.50 is a bit much.

Great team of workers always respectful and good energy around each person I was in contact with. My most favorite things are the seals. My whole family enjoys feeding them and having them to tricks for the fish. They are the best attractions for the business. read more

great stop for anyone... place aquarium is small, but cute. Offers great information and the staff was super friendly and awesome! Also, you have to feed the harbor seals... they are a blast... and for only $1 it's a steal! read more

Seaside Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

See all

Chill. Don't know how I feel about 20 seals in the front entrance a little cramped, but my kid needs to see octopods. The crayon metal dies were my favorite. One fish there looks like it has a human face?!?! Thank you seaside for learning me on fish. read more

Wow! Wasn't sure if I was going to go, but so glad I did. Lots of personal, small-scale aquarium touches, like the genuine love and sorrow expressed in the memorial to victor the lobster (who died in a botched kidnapping) and the Tsunami fish who made it to Oregon in a boat. Feeding the seals --or just watching them-- was a real highlight, but we spent a long time just being fascinated with the local sealife in the tanks-- almost everything is native to these coasts. Cool touching pool too-- some sea stars and anemones and crabs. Great history to the building too-- used to be a warm seawater pool back in the 20s. read more

The whole family enjoyed this. It's not huge, it's real old, but it's cheap, has hands on exhibits and the kids got to learn. The seal feeding was funny, they each have learned different behaviors to try and get you to feed them-and one is a thief. He will watch who you throw it to and intercept one. The kids likes the three touch tasks, and the princess really enjoyed her coloring time. I love old exhibits, thus one was awesome. read more

I really want to give this place a better rating, but... We paid $27 for our family of four - three adults, one child - and we took our time looking at the tanks. Not even thirty minutes later and we're all done, ready to feed the seals on our way out. (Granted, my teenagers weren't exactly hip on hanging at the touch-tank, so this may be better suited to younger kids.) Now the seals are the star of the show, obviously. One dollar for a couple of cut-up herring and you get a few minutes of fun. Some of these guys have special ways of getting your attention - SO CUTE! Yet...I felt bad for them. Though they look healthy, and seem happy, their enclosure is so small, and it didn't look very deep. The speeds that seals can reach in water means it is a two second swim from one side to the other - I counted - and unable to dive at all, from my observations. In my opinion, I would have paid $27 to see ONLY the seals, if the building only housed that and nothing else; and I would still pay extra to feed them, too. I don't mind animals in captivity, but these guys need some diving and swimming space. read more

Grandkids were in town and the adults, teenagers and 8 year old had a great time. The staff is knowledgeable and so friendly!

Really wished I hadn't supported this aquarium. The seals have a small tank and beg for food every day. On top of that, the aquarium has FOUR giant pacific octopus with criminally small enclosures and no place to hide from visitors if they wanted to. Left feeling very sad at the conditions of these ocean animals living so close but not in the ocean. :/ read more

This place is sad and cruel. The tanks are much too small. The room, yes one room, is dark and dank. It's filthy and I feel terrible for having supported this kind of place. If you are used to larger city's aquariums, this will be a great disappointment. The pics in their promotional materials are terribly misleading. There is nothing bright and happy here. read more

I had a wonderful experience at Seaside Aquarium thanks to an employee named Jacob. I was admiring the octopus exhibit (which is amazing and one of a kind) when Jacob came up to my husband and me to ask how we were enjoying our time at the aquarium. I love Octopuses and asked if it was possible to see the Octopus fed. Jacob made it happen! We had already asked a different employee who said that it was out of her hands and there was nothing she could do. Jacob went the extra mile to ask the handlers in the back who said yes! It was amazing to watch and a special moment I will remember for the rest of my life. Jacob was not only interested in making our experience more enjoyable but was also filled with really interesting trivia about all the marine life at the aquarium. I really learned a lot from him. He had deep insight and knowledge about marine life. I ended up buying a sweatshirt to commemorate the experience! Thank you, Jacob! read more

Standard faire for an aquarium, though it's a bit small. The main attraction is a seal tank, which you can toss fish into, and perhaps get splashed. It'll be a fairly short visit, but it costs very little, so it all works out. read more

Hidden gem!!!! If you get a travel guide it includes free food to feed seals which is amazing! The octopus tank is incredible. It's a very small aquarium but that read more

Seaside Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

P-U Went to the aquarium with my kids 25 years ago It hasn't changed one bit The price is way to high for what you get NO updates in 25 years don't waist your time read more

I am 22 and I loved this place! It's one of the oldest standing establishments in Seaside, and I hope it stays around for many years to come! It was really cheap, and we got to feed the seals which was a delight, they had so much character! Yes the place is small, but it wasn't crowded and we had a great time. There was a touch tank and a pool with an octopus! It was cool to see it so up close! They had a cute rubbing station with crayons that I thought was a nice touch. All in all it was a delightful discovery. read more

We visited this last Sunday. The main area was a dank sort of area. Lots of people in a dark, cramped space. Definitely some interesting fish in there though. And an octopus or two. The highlight and a wonderful reason to go back, the seals. They are a good time. Splashing and clapping and the whole deal. You can feed them for an additional fee and its pretty entertaining. read more

I was hopeful this would not be a glaringly depressing visit based upon a number of positive reviews (which I now find rather surprising) - sadly, however, I was very disappointed and saddened with this 'aquarium' and the conditions of the exhibits. I should first note that, having grown up on the Monterey Peninsula, I have very high standards for aquariums and also a great deal of knowledge regarding overcrowding, appropriate environments/habitats, etc. for marine life. My issue was actually not with the seals as they are captive bred and appeared well-adjusted, and well taken care of, within their area. It was the extremely cramped spaces for all the other exhibits, with little to no consideration for their needs or natural environments - moray eels and octopuses with no cubby holes or spots in which to hide themselves away, too many fish of varying species in much to small of a habitat area, things such as that. Additionally, when you have moray eels lying on their sides and fish not moving because they have no where to explore amongst barren habitats with only the occasional piece of plastic kelp, it's just heartbreaking. Don't waste your money and, if you want an actual aquarium, go farther south and visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium, it won't make you want to cry. read more

This facility and its holding pools/tanks are too small to adequately meet the needs of the sea life they are housing. It looks and feels run down. And the reception staff could use a course in how to deal with the public in respectful and courteous way. I will never step foot in this place again! read more

Seals were cool and there's a huge 25 lb mounted lobster with an interesting kidnapping story attached to it. Other than that, it's one room with different fish. Maybe I'm spoiled because the Seattle Aquariam ROCKS and I was expecting something somewhat similar. Planned to spend a few hrs to half the day here and we were legit in and out in 15 mins. It's small, dirty and uninteresting. Don't waste your money. read more

My husband and I came here about 3 months ago to enjoy the aquarium and also participated in feeding the seals. I was so excited to bring my parents to enjoy the seals but I guess they have a rule you can't feed the seals (even though you access them before entering the aquarium) with out paying. a $7 per person charge to go in. The aquarium is little variety read more