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    Topsail Aquarium

    4.8 (22 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Topsail Aquarium Photos

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    Kendall T.

    We come here every year on vacation. This place is amazing. Since our last visit from last year they have put in new tanks and animals. When we went this year everything was great besides that we didn't get to see the shark and horseshoe crabs. We did get to see Sunny the stingray.

    We took five nieces and nephews all under the age of 6 here and had a blast! Every staff member we spoke to was super knowledgeable about all the animals. There are a lot of interactive exhibits and plenty of things to touch. It's just enough to keep the kids entertained without being overwhelming! We loved visiting the Topsail Aquarium and cannot wait to return!

    Yes.
    Melissa G.

    Such a cool place to take kids! It's easy to miss so be looking for it. They have a few touch tanks that our 2 year old granddaughter could have stood at all day! They have reptiles that they will bring out so you can interact with them, tanks of fish, crabs, snails, and a huge sandbox to play with. Upstairs is a small kids play area. It is a fun place and very educational. The people who work there are very interactive with guests, or they'll leave you alone if you wish. What a gem in the middle of the island!

    Erin P.

    We were honestly surprised at how much they had to see and touch! The staff were very friendly and informative. There was a wide variety of animals and the play area upstairs for kids was a lot of fun for our kids to play with! It was a nice outing when we needed a break from the beach.

    Chameleon
    Claire C.

    Really cute touch tank and aquarium place to go to! They have two floors and multiple touch tank areas. Really great place to take younger kids. Staff was super friendly and brought out animals to touch. They had awesome facts about each animal. It quickly filled up with younger kids, so we suggest going early in the day when it opens. There is limited parking.

    Sweet little turtle
    Colleen O.

    I will say that this place is geared towards younger kids, my son that is 8 still enjoyed it, but we were only there about 20 minutes- two years ago I would have had to drag him out likely. The staff however is phenomenal and so kind and sweet and made even our short visit memorable.

    Annie M.

    Love this place! It's a perfect place to take your kids when you need a break from the beach or during the off season! We haven't tried the camps yet but looking to do that in the future too!

    reptiles

    Very fun time here with the family. There was a lot to see and touch. Very informative as well, the staff was knowledgable. Highly recommend if you're in the area!

    Lindsey F.

    This touch tank is amazing! Be patient with their limited hours due to rebuilding staff during a pandemic. Check Facebook for hours day of. We did not have high hopes, I was a bit hesitant to leave a sunny beach for this excursion. I'm SO glad we did. Mollie was our guide and she was delightful! She is studying to be in the marine biology field, and her passion shows! She was so amazing with our toddler, spoke to him with relatable knowledge, did not speak down to him, had the utmost patience, and genuinely wanted his experience to be as wonderful as mom and dad did. We LOVE Mollie. Our son was able to touch, see, and learn about a turtle, crab, snake, snail, shark teeth, skates, and more! They have a very cool interactive sand room, and a playroom upstairs that's thoughtful and held our sons attention for a while! Great for all ages. We wore masks by our choice, not required. Bring cash to tip these college girls who are amazing. Plan to get lunch at Shaka Taco behind the lot afterwards. Can't wait to go back!

    Jessica S.

    This place blew our expectations out of the water (no pun intended). We loved Mollie! She was so patient and helpful in guiding us through the center and showing us the different creatures. There is also a nice playroom upstairs; my toddler would have stayed here for hours if they weren't closing for the night. This is a great, inexpensive excursion if you want a break from the beach!

    Michelle is this turtles name

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    3 years ago

    Absolutely an amazing experience!!! Will recommend for all ages. The employees are the nicest in the world. And the animals are amazing

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    Ask the Community - Topsail Aquarium

    Review Highlights - Topsail Aquarium

    Went to the touch tank for the first time today with my 11/2 year old & some family.

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    The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue And Rehabilitation Center

    The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue And Rehabilitation Center

    4.3
    (61 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    I was so excited to go here because I love sea turtles and the conservation efforts this place…read moredoes! The work and love that goes into what every staff member does is impressive. You have to make reservations because they sell out fast but there's plenty of time slots to choose from. Honestly even tho there are back to back tour groups going I never felt rushed. I came by myself and stayed toward the back of the group. Our tour guide was Margo and she was very sweet and answered all questions the adults and kids had! She took time to explain things and was very informative. I learned so much I didn't know . Then we moved into the room with the turtles. They are so well taken care of. We came when they were feeding some of turtles and that was pretty cool! There are signs on tanks that tell you names of the turtles. You can adopt a turtle and donate to the care and upkeep it takes to house and give them the medical care they need. Then as the tour ends you exit thru the gift shop! I had to pick a few little things so I got stickers and a magnet! I had a great time and I highly recommend going ... I'll definitely be back!!!

    Here is a fascinating tour of the efforts to keep safe the local sea turtle nesting population. You…read moretour through their facility with knowledgeable guides, learn about the local population, and how human volunteers walk/run(!) the Topsail beach every day to notice and protect nests. And then see some actual turtles being cared for. I'm impressed the new(ish) facility is designed as much for the turtles and staff, as it is to show visitors what they might donate for!

    Photos
    BIG TURTLE they take care of in rehab pools!
    BIG TURTLE they take care of in rehab pools!
    The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue And Rehabilitation Center
    The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue And Rehabilitation Center

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    North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

    North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

    4.6
    (203 reviews)
    44.9 mi

    We visited the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores (PKS) on July 4, 2025. Having visited…read morethe New York Aquarium (in Brooklyn, NY) a week earlier, it was an opportunity to compare the two. Parking is free (unlikely to change in the last 12 months). At the entrance of the Aquarium PKS was a man-made pond. There wasn't a wait line at the ticket counter. Purchasing of ticket was quick and easy. Judging by the price - half of New York Aquarium's - I expected a modest-sized aquarium. In the Entrance Lobby, the sign next to the animal sculpture stated that it was an alligator. The sculpture itself had the color of a crocodile. The Orientation Lobby was past the Information desk. Up ahead in the Orientation Lobby was an entrance with the overhead sign "Mountains" for the Mountain Gallery. Upon entering this gallery, we were greeted by a man-made waterfall. A doorway to the left led to the gallery's collection, mostly fishes. The Trout Pool was one of several open tanks. Next to it was a "Do Not Touch" symbol like the one shown on the Aquarium map. It meant no putting of one's hand(s) into the tank. Adjoining the Mountain Gallery was the Piedmont Gallery. With a similar collection but different species of fishes, the Piedmont Gallery also had some non-fishes and non-amphibians. I saw salamanders, frogs, owls and otters. The otters were adorable, as evident by the crowd. On the right past the Piedmont Gallery was the Coastal Plain Gallery. This gallery consisted of reptiles alongside additional species of fishes, most notably pond turtles, crocodiles, corn snakes and longnose gars. After that, we walked back towards the Piedmont Gallery. There was an exit past that gallery that led outside to the Outdoor Marsh Boardwalk. At the boardwalk to our right was Eagle Landing, a habitat area for two female bald eagles. Eagle Landing wasn't enclosed - no nets or walls - because both girls couldn't fly due to wing injuries. So no worries about them coming at us with beaks and talons. Don't ask me which one was Uwohali and which one was Shagoie Watha. Both looked the same to me. Across from Eagle Landing were marshes with two overlooks to view from. I took a photo from Bogue Sound Overlook. Further down the Outdoor Marsh Boardwalk was a shelter called Snakes of the Maritime Forest showcasing more slithering friends (or fears, to those that were ophiophobic), both venomous and non-venomous types. I recalled visiting the San Diego Zoo back in the early 2000s. Its collection of snake was at least five times more. After Snakes of the Maritime Forest was Tree-mendous Nature Play, a play area for kids and the young at heart. Wife observed that the surrounding woods reminded her of childhood times growing up in a similar surrounding. We continued onto Alice Hoffman Nature Trail for a short distance and then headed back to the building. After the Coastal Plain Gallery was another area. Judging by the extra-large model of a hermit crab and the two turtle seat sculptures for visitors to chill, we were in a foyer of a separate section... for saltwater species. This section was divided into two galleries of species exhibits. Tidal Waters Gallery was the first. Its collection included stingrays, seahorses and turtles, as well as fishes swimming in tanks with undersea decors. One such decor was a replica of Blackbeard's ship Queen Anne's Revenge shown in the video below right. Ocean Gallery was essentially a continuation of Tidal Waters Gallery with more saltwater creatures supposedly dwelling in the further depths of the ocean. There were two large tanks, each with a replica of a shipwreck. Of the two, The Living Shipwreck was larger and more prominent for another reason: sharks. Last week at NY Aquarium, I saw them swam over my head in the underwater glass tunnel. This time, they were swimming in front of me. Continuing on, there was a lobster in a smaller tank. The display stated "Lobsters" but I saw only one. Review continues in the final attached image.

    Nice place to take the whole family. Plenty of parking but the parking lots get full fast and you…read moremay need to walk a bit. Staff is OK. I wouldn't say overly friendly, but not mean. I didn't pay so IDK if it was expensive or not. But there are lot of ways to get discounts. Lots of exhibits and educational sections. Hands on things for the kiddies as well as a little play area for the little ones. LARGE gift shop. One of the coolest things is this huge tank that has a 3:4 scale model of a sunken U-Boat with plenty of sharks and other fish. Nice way to spend the day. Keep in mind the only food is from a Dairy Queen concession outside. Only thing I hoped the air conditioning was cooler. Still, a great option for the family. Educational & fun

    Photos
    North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
    North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
    Tidal Waters Gallery

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    Tidal Waters Gallery
    Sea Critters Depot

    Sea Critters Depot

    5.0
    (6 reviews)
    79.7 mi

    I have to say that my wife and I set about visiting every local fish store we could find over a…read moreyear ago and wasn't impressed by any store we found at the time or owner(s) as much as we were impressed by Bruce and his store Sea Critters Depot. At the time I was thinking and wanting to get a salt water tank and even a reef tank, but thought it was just going to be impossible and really hard to do on my own as I just hadn't found a store or someone to help until I met Bruce. Bruce was so nice and patiently answered all my questions even though he knew I wasn't going to buy a thing that day and I didn't. I came back for a couple more weekends answering questions and didn't buy a thing and Bruce was kind and took the time to answer any question I came up with. Another thing that impressed me about how Bruce does business is that all those really expensive salt water fish you don't want to take home and die are put through quarantine by Bruce in his store for two weeks before he will let you buy them. Bruce doesn't have to do this and so far to date after being in this hobby for over a year Bruce is the only store that I've found that does this. Bruce is even nice enough to let you write your name on the tank for the fish you want in quarantine so you can pick the fish up after the quarantine is over. That way he doesn't sell you a sick fish and you know that as long as you do the right thing your fish will live a long time after you take the fish home. And this has been my experience. Every fish I've gotten has thrived in my tank. Another thing that impressed me that no other store I've been in does is that Bruce puts cards out on the tanks that shows a picture of the fish, the name of the fish, the price, and most important of all to someone with a reef tank is he tells you if the fish is reef safe, reef safe with caution, or not reef safe. So you know up front before you get excited to get a fish that it is safe for your reef tank or not. And for those that are safe with caution Bruce will gladly explain what you have to look out for and his experience with the fish. Bruce will tell you based on his considerable experience with the fish in reef tanks exactly how he expects they will behave and it's up to you to listen to his advice as he will let you buy it if you want the animal, but he certainly warns you first about what problems you may experience. I know I've not purchased fish based on what he's told me. And I've bought fish based on what he's told me and I watched to make sure I wouldn't have a problem since I know ahead of time that the fish might not be the best fit. You really can't go wrong buying from Bruce.

    The owner is so helpful. I just started my saltwater tank and he gave great advice. Without his…read moreadvice, I would have made major mistakes.

    Photos
    Bruce maintains the Myrtle Beach Bass Pro Shop Aquarium.

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    Bruce maintains the Myrtle Beach Bass Pro Shop Aquarium.

    Topsail Aquarium - aquariums - Updated June 2026

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