The Florida Aquarium - Tampa, Florida

Brian T.

Great experience for our 2 year old toddler. Visually engaging the whole walk through with lots of sea water species and some land animals to see as well. We did go on a weekday (1pm) and there was plenty of space for our toddler to walk around if needed.

The aquarium parking lot seems to share with the cruise ship parking... It said the lot was full but we took a chance and drove in anyhow and found there were still a decent amount of parking spaces available.

We would definitely come back here if we are ever on the gulf side of Florida again.

Chris R.

I recently visited The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, and it was an overall great experience. The exhibits are well-designed, educational, and perfect for all ages. One of the highlights was the Wetlands Trail, where you can see otters, alligators, and even free-flying birds in a beautifully recreated Florida ecosystem. The Coral Reef exhibit was another standout, featuring a massive tank filled with colorful fish, sharks, and sea turtles.

The interactive experiences were a nice touch, especially the stingray touch tank and the Moon Bay exhibit, where you can touch jellyfish. If you’re visiting with kids, the Splash Pad outside is a great way for them to cool off and burn some energy.

The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, happy to answer questions and share fun facts about marine life. The only downside was that it can get pretty crowded, especially on weekends, but that’s to be expected at such a popular attraction.

Overall, The Florida Aquarium is a fantastic place to explore marine life and learn about conservation. Whether you’re a local or a tourist, it’s well worth a visit!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ashley C.

I love coming to this aquarium! Always take me around 2+ hours to go through but isn’t an all-day activity for me. I like to take my time and go through the exhibits. During my most recent visit, there was construction going on which I didn’t mind. Makes me excited to come back when they reopen. The cafeteria has some good options for food and the staff are very knowledgeable and friendly, especially those by the touch tanks. Just keep in mind parking can be crazy due to the cruise ships and it is pay to park. Also, buy tickets ahead of time online!

tswanmd

A Magical Experience for the Whole Family!

The Florida Aquarium is a truly incredible place—full of wonder, discovery, and excitement. My kids were absolutely in awe of everything they saw, from the fascinating exhibits to the amazing sea creatures around every corner. The dolphin cruise was a major highlight—we saw so many dolphins, and my kids were delighted! It’s an experience we’ll all remember.

The staff was fantastic—engaged, friendly, and clearly passionate about sparking curiosity and joy in young visitors. You can tell they genuinely care about creating a magical experience for families.

Highly recommend for anyone with kids—or anyone who just wants to feel a little sense of wonder again!

Wonka W.

Great family friendly place with lots of exhibits and a wide variety of animals and fishes. Several gators also on display. They did a really good simulating actual habitat for each exhibit and the staff is helpful, informative, and knowledgeable. The cafe where you can get food at the beginning is nothing really special, but is okay if you're hungry albeit a bit on the pricy side. It was cool to be able to touch jellyfish, sting rays, and anemones (which I thought all were poisonous to humans, but most actually aren't). The penguin walk was amazing to see as well, those little guys were just scurrying along and cute as heck!

Grace C.

Wonderful aquarium, it was huge and beautiful! $120 for my family of 4 to go.

It had a dolphin cruise, kids playground, restaurant, coffee, gift shop, Christmas carolers, $15 coffee for 2 cups, face painting characters portraits available and of course the magnificent fish! The tanks were fabulous. So clean and well taken care of.

The top deck was incredible not even to mention the Madagascar exhibits and the evolution exhibit!

Little personal note... Some individuals thought it would be a good idea to put stickers of Gin bottle on almost every glass pane or whatever they thought was a good place. I just want to say how disrespectful it is to leave those around trashing out a place that others care about and pay a lot to enjoy. It's too beautiful of a place to be trashed and placing those stickers everywhere is no where near amusing. Please don't do that again.

There is $20 parking garage for the aquarium

Thomas J.

The wild dolphin tour offered at The florida Aquarium was an unforgettable experience that offers an up-close and personal look at these majestic creatures in their natural habitat. The thrill of seeing dolphins in the wild—swimming, leaping, and playing—cannot be compared to watching them in captivity. The tour was with expert guides who provide valuable information about dolphin behavior, local ecosystems, and conservation efforts.

Shelbi M.

Great aquarium. Lots of touch tank experiences that my 3 yr old enjoyed. I liked the open fish tank exhibits where the birds were all just hanging out and flying around. My toddler really loved it too. The lighting is super cool in some of the exhibit areas even my 4 month old enjoyed it. The ceiling views were cool too, my baby was amazed looking up from her stroller to see the sea turtle swimming above her. It is stroller accesible but you do have to walk back from the exhibits to get to the elevator to see the stuff on the top floor so we parked our stroller and took the stairs because it was easier.