A Guide to Visiting the Seattle Aquarium

It’s embarrassing to say that it took me over a year of living in Seattle before I ventured to the Seattle Aquarium. Usually, zoos and aquariums are the first places I visit in a new city because, well, it’s me. Visiting the Seattle Aquarium can be a little expensive and I heard that it was relatively small, so I kept putting it off. After exploring the aquarium, I was upset that I did not visit it sooner! Here is everything you need to know about visiting the Seattle Aquarium, and why you should check it out.

Is the Seattle Aquarium Worth it?

We have to get the biggest question out of the way: is the Seattle Aquarium worth it? Despite being relatively small and a bit pricey, the aquarium is extremely well curated with beautiful exhibits and tanks, educational and informative signs and staff, and some of the most well cared for marine wildlife that I have ever seen in captivity. Quality over quantity is the way to go!

What Animals are at the Seattle Aquarium?

The aquarium is primarily focused on educating guests on the marine life within the Pacific Northwest. There are ten exhibits that showcase Pacific Northwest marine life with an eleventh that has colorful tanks with tropical Pacific fish, corals, and invertebrates. They are:

• Birds and Shores: an open-air walkway that mimics the shorelines of Washington where you can observe coastal birds in a naturalistic environment
• Life of a Drifter: a small but interesting exhibit on some of the most fascinating marine animals of the Pacific Northwest including jellyfish, a giant Pacific octopus, and a seasonal rotating table with interesting invertebrates
• Life on the Edge: three massive touch tanks with animals you can find in Washington’s tide pools such as starfish, anemones, and sea urchins
• Marine Mammals: naturalistic and large exhibits for rescued sea otters, river otters, fur seals, and harbor seals
• Puget Sound Fish: local fish you can find in the Puget Sound – which is right outside the aquarium doors!
• Salmon: an educational exhibit about Washington’s salmon, a keystone species that is quickly disappearing, and see salmon in varying stages of development depending on the season
• Tropical Pacific: a wrap-around exhibit featuring colorful tropical fish and corals from the Pacific Ocean, including a 25,000-gallon tank featuring the structure of a coral reef community
• Underwater Dome: a 360º view of a 400,000-gallon domed exhibit with hundreds of Puget Sound fish. By far the most relaxing room in the facility
• Window on Washington Waters: the first exhibit you see when entering the aquarium – a 120,000-gallon wall tank that replicates the seascape of Neah Bay in Northern Washington
• Family Activity Center: an educational room that discusses orcas and the residential pod in the Puget Sound
• A Rotating Seasonal Exhibit: An ever-changing exhibit depending on the year and season. When I visited, it was The Salmon Way that discussed how salmon have affected tribal and fishing communities for decades

The Seattle Aquarium is home to nearly 400 species and over 12,000 individual animals. While I obviously can’t list every single species in this blog post, some of my favorites included the sea otters, lionfish, rockfish, pufferfish, and the giant Pacific octopus. They do NOT have captive whales as they do not believe it is ethical. Instead, they opt for an educational exhibit on Seattle’s most famous whale: the orca.

How Long Does It Take to Visit the Seattle Aquarium?

It’s true, the aquarium in Seattle is relatively small, especially compared to the massive aquariums in cities like Gatlinburg. It took me between 2 and 3 hours to explore the entire facility, but I prefer to take my time, read every plaque, and observe the animals for varying lengths of time. It may take you between an hour or two if you aren’t as slow or ridiculously thorough as I am.

Where to Park

The Seattle Aquarium does not have its own parking lot or garage. You can get your parking ticket validated for up to 3 hours if you park in the Pike Place Market parking garage, but you have to enter from Western Avenue. If this sounds confusing, it definitely is. I ended up paying for parking at a different lot, ALSO around Pike Place Market and on Western Avenue because it was the wrong one. You can always take Seattle’s public transportation to Pike Market and take the short walk to the aquarium or opt for an Uber.

Ticket Prices & Hours

The aquarium is open from 9:30am to 6pm every day. While you can buy tickets at the door, I highly recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time. You get a small discount, and you can reserve your time slot in advance. To prevent overcrowding, only a certain number of people are allowed in every 30 minutes. Prices range from $20.95 to $30.95 for an adult ticket, depending on the day and season. To get the cheapest ticket, pre book online and visit during a weekday instead of a weekend. There are other discounts available including tickets for groups, seniors, military, disabled, and tribal members.

You can get the best deal by purchasing a Seattle City Pass if you plan on visiting multiple locations during your visit to the city. The pass costs $115 and includes a ticket to the aquarium, along with 4 other main Seattle attractions.

Conservation Efforts

As an AZA-accredited aquarium, Seattle Aquarium participates in multiple conservation efforts and community outreach programs around Washington State and the surrounding Pacific Ocean. The aquarium is also a nonprofit, so every dollar you spend on tickets, events, and other programs goes straight into maintaining the aquarium and managing its conservation efforts. It’s a good cause! You can read more about the Seattle Aquarium’s conservation programs here.

Overall, a visit to the aquarium in Seattle is definitely worth your time. It’s located within walking distance from Pike Place Market and scenic piers overlooking Puget Sound, making it easy to visit. I highly recommend it!

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