We made the 90 minute drive from Syracuse to check out the Via Aquarium in...Rotterdam? I didn't know this existed until the day before we went, but I'm glad we found it! Repurposing an old mall's dead space into various shops and attractions seems to be the way of the future for malls like this and Via Aquarium is built into the bones of this mall in a really cool way. Instead of just sticking it inside of an old storefront, they really went all out by painting a huge mural outside the parking area for it as well as the long entry hallway into the mall that serves as the Aquarium entrance. Pricing was about what we expected, about $70 for 2 adults, 1 child, and the extra "manta ray feeding" we purchased. The Aquarium is clean and offers a lot of interesting exhibits that range from fish, reptiles, kids play areas, feeding areas, and a gift shop. If you are moving at a moderate pace, you could complete the museum in about 45-60 minutes, so don't plan on dedicating a whole day here. The highlights for us were the tunnels you walked through and underneath fish and sharks and the feeding of the manta rays. On the day we went, they had some arts and crafts for the littles along with a princess in full costume to greet the kids doing the craft (unicorn hat). While we wouldn't make it a regular visit, we'd make the trek again if we were in the mood for some aquatic ambience. read more

We love this aquarium! Every time we drive through the area we stop by here. The girls love the stingray petting area and taking pictures. We have some of these printed on our walls in our house! read more

Nice experience, really cute place. An incredible variety of fish with little texts by it with curiosities. read more

See all

Aquarium is small for the price u pay, some tanks are way too small for the fish that are in them.

This place has made some upgrades and expansions over the years. I think we are lucky to have them local. Although it does not make for a super long visit, it is worth a visit. We now get the family pass and it pays for itself after a few trips. It actually takes the pressure of making a visit a "thing" so we can just relax and enjoy a stroll through to visit. I think if you're within a half hour, a family pass can offer a lot of opportunity to spontaneously enjoy a lowkey activity with the option to add on by going to The Local or grabbing lunch nearby. If you're an out of town person, you might not be impressed if you're used to bigger aquariums (and are an adult), but if you have kids, it's could be worth a stop. read more

My wife and I came here on Valentine's Day as part of a special romantic evening they had planned. We both love aquariums, and this seemed like it would be a fun and different thing to do. She purchased the tickets so I don't know how much they cost over the regular admission fee, but I was happy with our experience. It is in an old mall. It isn't the National Aquarium. If you go in with those two realizations in mind you will likely enjoy yourself. If you have unrealistic expectations you will be disappointed. Upon entering we were given a cup of bubbling grape juice and some fake roses. The thought was nice. They also had Valentine's Day jokes and comments scattered about on the exhibits. We then proceeded to walk through the aquarium which took us about an hour because we stopped and looked at nearly everything. Some of the fish are more exciting than others. They did have larger things like sharks, but mostly it was smaller to medium sized fish. For a mall aquarium in the middle of Schenectady, I won't complain. Some exhibits were either super dark or else closed to the public. We were there after hours, and they were short staffed, so either might have contributed to the appearance of having parts under renovation. We did talk to one person who explained that they had been open for five years already and had big plans for the future, which is nice to hear. She also offered to make us some non-alcoholic cocktails, which was another nice gesture. They had some chocolate chip starfish (PATRICK!) that I loved, and a touching tank to feel some stingrays (which felt like mushrooms... weird). The "feed the Koa" fish tank was fun as well. They also had the walkthrough tank which was a bit underwhelming but did feel like there were fish floating above you. In general, it was a fun way to spend an hour. Kids might enjoy it more... or they might be really bored. As Aquariums go I am happy that I have one in my own backyard but it will never replace the one in Boston. But it isn't trying to. Anyway, I hope to come back when their new exhibits are finished. read more

This is a fun and educational place for kids of all ages to visit. It's not as large as others - no dolphins, no penguins, no seals, but you do get a manta ray pool. But you do get a clean, well-organized, and informative series of tanks with fish and other sea creatures from all over the world. They focus not only on the seafood but being responsible humans with respect to our waters too. Going at "guy speed," I got through everything in about 40 minutes, but you can spend more time checking everything out, especially if you've brought children. The fish feeding pool is crazy. Evidently fish can learn that when humans are nearby, food might be coming. I've seen piranha behave more civilized than these fish, almost amusing to watch. I'd suggest going early in the day. There is a single cashier/point of entry, it can be slow, and a line can form waiting to get in. read more

Via Aquarium - This was cool - a map of the continental US rivers structure. - Aquariums Near Me - Schenectady, New York

See all

Fantastic aquarium. We always visit Via on our way up to lake george it has become a tradition. The exhibits are super nice and clean and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, they will go out of their way to teach you something new. Its not a gigantic aquarium but it is nice for a few hours visit. I especially love the koi fish pond. They even have a nice gift shop that is not too expensive. read more

Via Aquarium - Clown fish! - Aquariums Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Very unique place for an old mall even as two adults we enjoyed our time there took over an hour to walk through highly recommend so cool, to pet the rays what a bonus! read more

Via Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Schenectady, New York

I was pleasantly surprised by this aquarium. Yes, it's smaller than the big aquariums (like Mystic, CT and Boston) but it is better than anything else in the area. The aquarium has a good variety of animals to look at. Each tank has a digit screen next to it telling you what you are looking at and where the animal is from. This was really helpful. There's a Ray touch-and-feel tank which my kids enjoyed. There is also a tank for touching horseshoe crabs and starfish. It took us an hour to walk through. We decided to walk back through to get a second look at a few tanks. We really wanted to see the octopus swimming (no such luck). Yes this is on the small side. If you understand that going in you will have a fun visit. Yes, the price felt high (go in a weekday when it's cheaper). The mall is run down and strange, but this is a good use of the empty space. Overall we had a great visit and my kids (12, 9) were really excited about the animals they saw. read more

See all

The aquarium was a wonderful experience! The kids and adults loved visiting! The staff is wonderful and engages people in touching and learning about the animals. The babies were so excited to touch a starfish and look underneath the horse shoe crab! The stingrays were so entertaining and love the interaction as much as the people do. There are so many types of fish and so many interactive displays for the kids. The jellyfish may have been my favorite with the pretty changing colors. read more

See all

There may be something fishy going on here, but that's to everyone's benefit. After an initial snafu of the entrance gate bar scanner not allowing our senior tickets purchased on site to open the gate, the only other negative I can identify was the lack of identification of the fish in the first couple of tanks we passed. They were apparently local fish as one tank had a sign above it saying Adirondacks and the other tank's sign mentioned the Hudson River. But that's a bunch of small fish, or water under the bridge. Everything after that was very nice. Tanks were not only labeled and designed for the habitat region of their contents, they also offered additional signage providing more detail about the families of fish in each tank. There were staff available to answer questions as you streamed through the displays and there were even areas where you could touch, pet and hold some species. Visitors should expect to allow a minimum of one hour to tour the aquarium. Additional time might be spent in the gift shop. In all fairness, I've only been in one other aquarium in the last fifty years or so and it was located in a much larger metropolitan area adjacent to an ocean. Some visitors might find VIA disappointing by comparison. But the cost of entrance to a big city aquarium is likely to be about 70% more on average. VIA is a great attraction for a family with children, not just us seniors. read more

See all

What a lovely aquarium! We came here last weekend and I absolutely ADORE this place. It's so difficult to find museums and aquariums close by especially during COVID. I have helped build some extensive tanks for museums and interactive ponds- and I was impressed by this place! I loved their variety of fish, eels, seahorses, koi, and my favorite Arowanas! I loved their replication of the Finding Nemo fish tank which I definitely want to make for my future dentist office! As a lover of fish and biology, I loved the paintings, and interactive educational features next to each tank. Children are able to see and learn everything about marine life. They did such a lovely job on the detailed larger tanks too! A few of their best features are the koi pond, horseshoe crab and stingrays tanks. I love how beautiful and large the stingrays are and how they swim right up to you. All the children were having fun and I'm so glad that this exhibit was open. My favorite part of being here was seeing the underwater tunnel- sharks and our adorable friend the puffer fish! He is so precious and kept swimming right next to us as we walked. We love him/her and made our trip worth while. They have both the fresh water and salt water tanks in the tunnel - which brings you back to SeaWorld. You feel completely immersed with the fish- That type of experience was so incredible and unique during these difficult times. I'm so glad that many families support the aquarium and that they have remained in business! Educating children about marine life and protecting our planet is so important. If you have the chance to stop by this lovely place, you will not regret it! read more

See all

We've been to this aquarium twice now from Syracuse. It's the perfect size to do in a day trip, though I wish they had an aquarium in Syracuse! We happened to go on Reptile Day and it was nice to see the many different kinds throughout the aquarium without paying any more in admission. My kids are 9 and 7 and their favorite part is the sting ray touch area. I love that the aquarium has a tunnel-like area that you can walk under to feel emersed. We'll back again I'm sure as it's not far and a great activity for the family! read more

Cute little aquarium located in a mall (lol, so random). We went around 5PM on a Friday and there were only a few other people there. This aquarium has lots of different tanks, an area to pet starfish, sting rays and other various sea creatures. There are certainly lots of photo ops here too! After the aquarium there is a large gift. Though we did enjoy our time here- I'm not sure it's worth $40+ for two adults. But I'm sure this would be a great place to bring kids! read more

Via Aquarium - Sting ray petting area! - Aquariums Near Me - Schenectady, New York

See all

Too crowded for Covid but overall a nice experience for adults with children and adult children. read more

See all

This is a great little aquarium with a number of wonderful exhibits. I have to say my favorite part was the coy and stingray pools. Alot of the interactive exhibits were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however you still have the ability to pet the coy fish and stingrays. Well worth a visit. read more

See all

Not terrible, but not great either. My husband and I took our 17 month old twins over the weekend and were a bit underwhelmed. My husband actually referred to the displays as "oversized fishtanks" as in the ones you would buy and display in your own home. The fish were mostly small, although colorful and pretty to look at. You could easily breeze through in 20-30 minutes. As I mentioned, we brought 17 month olds, so their attention span was not there after the first sight of fish. They were more interested in running around the exhibit (away from us) than actually admiring the displays. They did love the water table though, so that was nice feature that kept them occupied for a bit. I think they might appreciate the experience more when they are between ages 2-3 with a bit more of an ability to focus on one thing at a time, so we probably will not return until that point. Staff was friendly, and the displays were clean and well kept. The gift shop seemed to have a lot of nice options, although super overpriced. The price of admission was also pretty steep ($19 per adult, although we got a whopping $2 discount due to my husband being a firefighter). Kids under a certain age were free, so that lessened the blow for sure. I don't necessarily think the experience was worth almost $40, but when you have winter cabin fever, options for family outings are few and far between. read more

See all

We had ViaPort Aquarium bring their touch tanks to our Holiday On The Ave event. "It went great, drew a lot of people. Shannon had great interaction with both kids and adults. Drew a lot of people in, very popular. Several families came back at the end of the day, because they had so much fun. Great problem solving skills when the tank broke and the doors were left open. read more

See all

The aquarium was a lot more pleasant than I was expecting. There are a lot of kids. We went on a Tuesday and it was pretty busy around 2 in the afternoon. We spent a solid 2 hours because we had two little ones with us and I enjoyed the tanks and seeing turtles. The location is part of a strip mall in Rotterdam. It was $14 for AAA members and Military personal. It is free for children under 3. The staff at the aquarium don't seem too knowledgeable perhaps some extra training wouldn't hurt. I loved how clean it was, and the bathrooms were conveniently located Mid-Aquarium. Definitely a place to visit and it is worth the money. During the week is probably the best time to come in the summer. read more

See all

Older lady at the front desk was rude and stand-offish. I came with a small group of 7 children and she behaved as if it were a huge inconvenience. There was one other person in line besides my group. We came around 1:30 on a day of no school, the place was practically empty. Fortunately, the children had a good time. read more

Via Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Schenectady, New York

An aquarium in a strip mall...attached to an old bowling alley...am I in Heaven?! I'm not from around here, but when I visit my family up here I just go wherever they tell me to go, but typically end up enjoying myself wherever the teek may be. So, sure, its kind of small, but it's an aquarium in a strip mall, what do you expect? You should be grateful such a thing exists! Plus the workers (at least on the day I went) were not only super informative, but extremely enthusiastic about their work. Now, when I say informative, I have no idea if the things they werw saying were correct, just that a lot of information came out of their mouths. I dont even remember any of it anyway, because I was too busy trying to see how many rays (not sure if they were of the sting or non-sting variety, though I was never stung) I coukd pet. (BTW, I pet four). I also touched aome really weird looking creature with a hard shell and these legs that skuttled in a way that kind of creed me out, but not too much. Like, maybe if Pixar made up a main character that was a cockroach with a whole backstory and mission to make me stop thinking about the fact its like some giant cockroach that lives in the sea. Good photo opportunities. I'll post some in a bit, I'm just really baf with the internet. Also, really dug their gift shop. I got a keychain/mirror that looks like an irradescent clam shell, with fake pearl even attached. I've never felt so much like a mermaid...Well, yeah, that's right I've never felt like a mermaid ever before buying that. read more

See all

Pros: pretty much the only "animal/nature" attraction in the Capital Region of UpSTate New York (CRUST), which lacks a zoo, arboretum, animal park, or truly significant urban park. Cons: a pale, poor imitation of a real aquarium, with kind of thrown-together educational content. Whether you want to go or take the kids or not depends on what you expect and your tolerance for spending $19 adult admission ($10 for the kids) for less than an hour's worth of diversion. In full disclosure, we've lived quite near two of the great North American aquariums (aquaria?), in Monterey (where it sets you back $50 for a single admission, but family annual passes are basically the price of two admissions) and Boston. So we may be (OK, are) spoiled by great non-profit, multihabitat environments where preservation of the oceans, not the preservation of a dying mall, is the ultimate educational goal. These are truly destination attractions worth a full day or more. The Via is more like a petting zoo in comparison to the San Diego Zoo and Safari. They've pillaged the internet for the "educational" content, a lot of which is just projected images taken from websites. (There's one image that I know is copyrighted, and there was no acknowledgement of the author, and I've contacted the latter about it.) Most of the information on each tank is in colorful LCD displays from computerized sources, but there's some basic labeling missing (scientific names, habitat zones, etc.) and while they've taken a stab at a breadth of fish species from across the world, there's a heavy emphasis on the more visually attractive species. The exhibits/animals seem healthy enough, although the tanks are pretty generic; it's like a collection of the coolest private home aquariums you might run into, not recreations of habitats. That said, there are some cool species here so for the first time through, it's enjoyable enough to cruise and for now not terribly crowded, so you can linger at most tanks. There are a few benches to sit on in the big tank room, and here and there, but otherwise it's a short stroll through darkened tunnels; pace yourself accordingly. All this to say the aquarium may be best enjoyed by very small children who will look at the fish and move on, or as a rainy day-boredom diversion. For that, it's fine. Just be prepared to shell out $50+ for a family of four for about half a movie's worth of diversion. I might be a little cynical here, but the whole experience reminded me nothing so much like a roadside attraction on an old side highway more than a real museum or zoo. read more

I was more impressed than I thought I would be. Considering that this aquarium is in Rotterdam, NY not exactly a tourist town. We went during School Spring break. There were a lot of people waiting in line to get in. We were able to bypass the line because of my brother's membership. The tanks were clean and fun to look at. They have a good mix of local and international species. All the fish look healthy and were interesting to learn about. There are 3 touch tanks which delighted my 6 year old niece. She especially loved the manta ray area. A draw is one of those overhead tanks with some small sharks and other fish. Employees seemed well informed and friendly. I do have some minor issues with the design of the place. First of all some of the passages are way too narrow when crowded. It was difficult to pass other people in some areas. Especially with strollers in tow. They had plenty of stalls in the ladies room but only two sinks and one very weak hand dryer. I do hope they are able to make it here. I hope they change things up sometimes so locals will have a reason to return. Even major aquariums need traveling exhibits to keep people interested. It would be nice for them to add other attractions to the mall as well. I know that I would support them if they continue to expand. read more

See all

A great and fun aquarium. I loved the tunnel where fish can swim right over the visitors. Lots of fun exhibits and it's very personal. Had a great time. read more

See all

We had a great time at this little aquarium. The exhibits are very nice with a well laid out floor plan. It is a little on the pricey side for what you get, but not so outrageous as to warrant some of the poor reviews. The girls at the ray pool were very friendly and made sure that our 3 year old got to touch them. If you are looking for something to pass an hour or so with the kids, this is a fun place. read more

It's ok. Don't break your back trying to come here. Very overpriced for what you get. Not a lot of fish for an aquarium. $23 for an adult and you can walk through the entire thing in less than 30 minutes. read more

Pleasantly surprised! We are in the area for a short period of time and have two kids under two so we were looking for something family friendly. When we pulled into the parking lot, it was PACKED! Good start! I only had to purchase one adult ticket (military discount- another bonus!). That said, it was still a little spendy. The first desk gal wasn't exceptionally outgoing but nice enough. The aquarium itself was clean and spacious. It is a small aquarium. Employees were readily available and knowledgeable. My 2 year old loved the water station. Petting stingrays and koi were a great experience! We spent about 40 minutes in all. The gift shop was clean, reasonably priced and the lady working the register was sweet and personable. I scored two glass fish coin banks for $4.30 for both! It was their January deal. $1.99 for a bank or mug. All in all this was a great time out. My kids got to run off some energy and had a great time. Would recommend if you are in the area. It was worth the (almost) $20 and 30 minute drive for us. Thanks, Via Aquarium! We had a blast! We visited January 11, 2020 read more

Via Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Schenectady, New York

I went here for my birthday with a few friends and had a great time! The service was great. My favorite exhibits were the touch pools and feeding the koi fish. It had many interesting aquatic animals. Great for kids and took about an hour to go through. The only thing I would change is more interactive exhibits :) read more

See all

Granted I am an aquarium snob having been to aquariums in large cities, but this place is far from a legitimate aquarium and it costs 50.00 for two adults. Good thing the child was under 3, because he was free. First of all, upon approaching the parking lot, it's a bit on the creepy side. The aquarium is in an old mall, and they have done nothing to spruce up the exterior other than paint an aquarium mural on the building. Huge drawback was actually having to enter the depressing empty mall to get into the aquarium. Upon entering, the actual aquarium it kind of feels like it has some potential. The exhibits are cute and kids seem to enjoy them. There is really nothing interactive other than a sting Ray pool that the kids can reach into and touch a Ray. We zipped through in about 20 minutes, hence the entry fee of 50.00 seems totally unreasonable. 12.00 per adult would be acceptable, and that's about all the place is worthy of. It reminded me more of an aquarium at a resort or on a cruise ship than an actual aquarium. read more

What an amazing little place! Great tanks, really clean and well cared for. Love how the big tanks are low for kids to see into. We are adults who love aquariums and enjoyed it as much as our toddler, worth the hour trip and we will be back! read more

Via Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Schenectady, New York

See all

What a disappointment we hadn't been there in about a little over a year. We used love it and would go every week with our membership. We go in and the first display is nothing but a bunch of little fish. Nothing like it was. They had some things closed up The worse was they had a blowup turtle and other blow up items. What a joke. Lots of fish are gone. Than we get through and come into the big room. The sandbox that was so cool you guessed it. It wasn't working and was almost out of sand. Than more closed up displays. The tunnel had nothing compared to what it was. All in all if you want to waste $38 for 2 adults on the weekend that the place to go. Bottom line. Save your money. read more

Clean tanks, friendly staff, lots to see. Extremely small though. Walked through stopping and taking a lot of photos and video clips and finished within 30 mins. That's with my kids in tow. You defiantly will want more. One adult and three kids cost $50. Kind of steep for the size of the place. Hey do have sharks, eels, and a giant puffer fish that my kids fell in love with. The kids were happy so I guess it was worth it. read more

Great little aquarium! Friendly staff and plenty of sealife to view. Rays were so friendly, you could tell they were well taken care of. Cute gift shop too! read more

I went in with low expectations, but came out pleasantly surprised! This aquarium is absolutely geared towards young kids with short attention spans, so don't go in as an adult expecting to be wildly entertained or informed. My 13 month old LOVED the water table activity, and was fascinated by the glass tunnel. The various tanks of sea creatures were hit or miss, depending on how colorful they were. He wasn't interested in the touch tanks at all, but he was too little to reach anything anyway. I, on the other hand, fully enjoyed them. The staff were friendly and seemed to enjoy being there. They take your photo at the beginning, and you can buy prints at the gift shop. Cheesy and overpriced, but cute. We spent about an hour there total. At least half that time was at the water table. It's nice and warm in there, so we'll probably be back a few times this winter. Even considering getting annual passes. Oh yeah, they offer AAA and student discounts! read more

We took our daughters to this aquarium today ( Friday)after school for some family fun. The kids loved it and seemed like they had a great time looking at all the fish. I thought the place was clean and other than one fish we saw that looked like it was dying it was a good experience. I checked the website before we went and it said to figure about an hour to take a self guided tour of the aquarium. I would say that was pretty accurate for the most part but if your kids are like ours they run right through the place with excitement . They advertise when you pay you purchase a day pass . This is likley so people dont feel that they are paying to much as it is expensive for what they offer. The worst thing about the experience for me was the mall its located in is almost empty and on a Friday night was pretty much dead. I realize the mall has nothing to do with the aquarium but if you have been to this aquarium you'll understand that you will walk around the mall because the aquarium is an hour tops. We drove about 45 minutes and weren't just gonna leave after 1 hour. I dont reccomend eating at the food court either, It's pretty bad. I would say if you live within an hour or so it's worth bringing little kids to check out the fish but any further I think with admission fee and travel it's not worth it. read more

Via Aquarium - One of the exhibits from the aquarium. - Aquariums Near Me - Schenectady, New York

I had been wanting to go to this place for a while. I finally made it. It was clean lots of fish and other animals to look at. Had a couple of tanks for a hands on experience. Touch and feel the stingray and the Koa fish. Great place to take kids. My favorite part was the tunnel. You walked through and the aquarium is above your head and on all sides. Very interesting experience. If you get a chance to go here go for it you'll really enjoy it!!! Don't forget to take some picture in the jaws of the shark. read more

Via Aquarium - Katie toldher dad I got eaten by a shark. - Aquariums Near Me - Schenectady, New York

See all

Great aquarium for the area! Lots of activities for the kids. Definitely slower during the week so if you want to avoid the crowds Monday through Friday are the days to come! read more

Very nice for what it is. The tanks and fish are clean and well maintained. However, I'm an aquarium junky and have been to most. This one is small, and has young smaller versions of the bigger more established aquariums. I enjoyed it and do did my family. But it does not compare to the Boston aquarium or Mistic aquarium in Mistic CT. I love both of these, and Mistic has a lot to offer. The seaport, the aquarium a CD they have Beluga whales at the aquarium. read more

See all

This aquarium is in a sad state of affairs like mall it resides in . The aquarium is in need of a good cleaning. The exhibits are sparsely populated with fish. Many of the exhibits are covered with paper that say they are closed for renovation . The exhibit the kids can climb into smells like sweaty gym socks . The touch tanks are sparsely populated And the staff lacks knowledge of the of the creatures they supervisor . Honestly don't waste your money . Travel to real aquarium . read more