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Monterey Bay Aquarium

886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California

Description

Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of California's foremost aquariums with a very strong ocean conservation and educational pedigree. It was developed on the site of a closed sardine cannery on Cannery Row and was the largest public aquarium in the USA when it opened in 1984. There are over 35,000 animals from 550 species on display with a heavy focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay. The star exhibits are the 1,200m3 Kelp Forest (8.5x20m) and the Open Sea wing that includes a 4,500m3 tank and 3 galleries focused on jellyfish + plankton, pelagic and "ocean travellers".

Access & Transport

Address: 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located at the west end of historic Cannery Row. There are several parking options in the area. There is a bust stop (SF, TRLY) next to the building and another one on Wave St (1,2) 150m away.

Instructions & Recommendations

*** There is still no in-person ticket sales. They must be bought online in advance ***

Meta review

An extremely popular and well rated attraction that is generally listed on most travel guides for California. Online reviews are not as unanimous as one would expect though with crowds and price being the main gripe - best to avoid weekends and holidays. The highlights mentioned by visitors include the jellyfishes and sea otters but some sections seem to be underwhelming.

Environmental & Social

The Aquarium is involved in various research and conservation efforts and often leading the way on legislative issues relating to ocean protection in the country. It also helped revitalized the Cannery Row stretch and employs directly over 500 people

Conclusion

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is an excellent activity for family but suffers from a very aggressive pricing that isn't matched by the good but not exceptional content on offer. The non-profit aspect is only a partial excuse and we would rather see a reasonable entrance fee with a maintained focus on environmental aspects rather than an arms' race to build bigger exhibits and attract more people.

Key positive

Two very impressive tanks

Real conservation and educational effort

Key negative

Very expensive (and price keeps going up)

Can be crowded

Suitability

Suitable for all ages and accessible for visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

August 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Closed on 25 Dec.

av. transport time:0h 20m

est. visit time:2h

Regulated hours

Monday10:00 - 17:00

Tuesday10:00 - 17:00

Wednesday10:00 - 17:00

Thursday10:00 - 17:00

Friday10:00 - 17:00

Saturday10:00 - 18:00

Sunday10:00 - 18:00

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
70 - 99
US$50
Adult
18 - 69
US$65
Teen & Young
13 - 17
US$50
Child
5 - 12
US$45
Infant
0 - 4
US$0

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