Waikiki Aquarium

There is a lot of construction happening which is great as I do hope this place expands as it should. Enclosure for the Monk Seal and Sharks were a little small, so I do hope you guys expand those as time goes. But cute for the price and great way to kill some time if you have little ones.

The aquarium is a wonderful place. It is under renovations at the moment, but was a fun time for my wife and I. Love the seahorses and the jellyfish. Lots of people there having g a great time and very friendly staff!!

Pros: Conveniently located on Waikiki Beach (down the street from the Zoo). Attentive staff, street parking reasonably priced, several fish tanks, and clean restrooms facilities. Individual cost (cheap). Cons: The oldest aquarium is the smallest aquarium we have visited. Old facility requires renovations. Not much to see!

We were looking for an escape from the heat and this was not it. There was no AC in this place. We paid $12 a person but half of this place is closed. We were in and out in under an hour. Theres maybe five rooms tops with tanks on three walls each. Many of the tanks seem very small or overcrowded for what is being stored in there. Two of the seahorses we saw looked like they were dying (discolored and falling forward on their face in the sand). The outdoor exhibits were closed. I don't know what used to be there but from what we could see it was a small monk seal exhibit. It's says they are working on refurbishments but I'm not sure what all that entails. And given the space they are working with I can't imagine it will be that much bigger. I'm all for animal and sea/ocean conservation, but I feel like more should be available to justify charging people full price. Or at least let the crowds/people know that most exhibits aren't available.

Very cute and quaint gem, very cool to visit the second oldest aquarium in the US. It was small but definitely enough cool marine life to see. The outdoor area had the seal and some coral. Inexpensive!

WELL WORTH IT! For the small entry fee, this aquarium provided plenty! The seal feeding was my favorite part; the seal is trained to do tons of tricks. The aquariums themselves could use some more variety but I was pleased with the amount of marine life available to view.

Lovely aquarium, attentive staff, and a great variety of coral. It is under construction so not everything is open but it was a welcome break from the heat. Great short excursion and great value for price.

It was ok at best. The tour was pretty small and some attractions were not open. The place was clean and staff was nice. There’s not much to come back and revisit. Not that expensive, so that’s a plus.

right by the beach Aquarium admission for general adult $10 & senior (65+) $5. The Aquarium was not large but loaded w/lots unique beautiful Marine species etc. Yes, I 100% recommended people to visiting here, i think it's great for adults, kids, groups or even just solo.

This kind of reminds me of pet store areas where fish are kept. Maybe a dozen or so windows in a darkened area. My 2-year old seemed to like looking at the fish so closely, however there wasn't much excitement factor for us adults. I did like the unique looking seahorses and "Emo Nemo" had a kind of funny story to it. But the motionless sharks seemed to lay like logs in the bottom of their tank as if their life was over. I had anticipated maybe more layers to the experience and there was only the 1 thing to do there. The grounds seem un-nurtured; a has-been area that is somehow still running but is somewhat derelict now. I also want to add that there is no food or beverages available at the aquarium, very unfortunately. There was an old looking vending machine by the bathrooms, but it seemed a bit grim at the time.

This is a very small aquarium that is affiliated with the University of Hawaii. They do offer free two hour parking, which is more than enough time to throughly check out this place. The aquarium is partially indoors and partially outdoors. In the indoor exhibit you will find seahorses, blue tang fish (Dory), clown fish (Neo), jelly fish, eels, coral, archerfish, clam, unicorn fish, urchin, butterfly fish, angelfish, Hawaiian yellowfin and octopus. I really liked the upside down jelly fish. They were my favorites. I visited the aquarium during the month of October, so it had Halloween decorations and a Halloween them going on. A large tank holds the Hunter on the Reef exhibit which is home to sharks, jacks and large groupers. There is a photo backdrop that you can take a picture in front of in the aquarium. The aquarium also has a restroom, water fountain and of course a gift shop. The gift shop is small and carries toys, magnets, figurines, hats, stuffed animals, post cards, and stuffed animals. Outside is where the aquarium has the seal exhibit. Unfortunately the sea lion exhibit was closed during my visit. There is also a stage out there with a decent patch of green space. It looks like it would make a nice outdoor event venue. I took me about an hour to go through this museum and I was moving slow because I had time to kill. Admission is reasonable so,I did not care that the place was small and it did not take very long to see. I recommend checking this place out, but just do not come in with high expectations. It should probably be on you to-do list while visiting Waikiki, just probably not at the top of it.

The Waikiki Aquarium is one of my favorite places to go when I visit Honolulu. The aquarium is small, not a large showy aquarium where you see dolphin shows. I like that the aquarium is dedicated to learning and preservation of sea life. The aquarium is associated with University of Hawaii. I take my granddaughter a couple times throughout the year. The faculty offers a free digital tour with admission. There are several rooms of large tanks with jelly fish, shark, local Hawaiian tropical fish, coral and much more. Many photo ops exist throughout the visit. There is a small gift shop and restrooms. Place about an hour visit. Food is not allowed. Strollers are welcome. Handicapped accessible. Free (limited) parking. Admission fees are not high and feed support the preservation of the fabulous sea life. You can purchase admission on line or during your visit. I always pay when I get there.

Small aquarium associated with the University of Hawaii. Don't expect a big place with all kinds of fancy exhibits, it's small but has pretty cool exhibits. It's focused on Hawaiian sea life and the shark tank is pretty cool! Unfortunately the monk seals are on loan in California- I remember feeding times with them was a a lot of fun. There also was a touch pool in the past but no longer. Oh well, The entrance prices aren't bad -$12 I think but it's discounted for seniors, military and kama'ainas. No parking- street only.

12 dollars for me , free for my little girl .. a win is a win It's a tiny place but gets to the point . They have a indoor and outdoor part -- start inside They have sharks !! And I found out today that fish can go from male to female or the opposite mind blown! The sea lion and seals weren't home sadly . The staff was amazingly informative

Beautiful exhibits with knowledgeable and friendly staff. Very affordable. Definitely worth the stop!

It's a small aquarium so not a big one where you stay for hours. Price point was just right for all three of us. There were all sorts of fishes, seahorses, sharks, and etc...to see. It was enjoyable to visit for about 30 mins. Staff were friendly gave us candies for Halloween. Not too crowded at all so you can take your time to see everything. It's a good spot to stop by for a little bit to check out the cool fishes.

Not worth the price tag. We were looking for things to do in the Waikiki area with our toddler and stumbled on the Waikiki Aquarium. Surprised to see the low $12 per person cost and our toddler being free (3 and under). Walked in and saw various sea animals from jelly fish, various fishes, sharks, shrimp, etc. It was nice to see as our toddler was very excited but the entire exhibit took about 15-20 minutes to walk through, and that was us taking our time, re-visting a few animals. The outdoor was particularly sad as one exhibit was closed and there were only a tank of fishes otherwise. VERY small so have low expectations upon coming. Didn't see any parking right onsite but there are tons of metered street parking available for very cheap.

This is a small aquarium made even more underwhelming because the monk seal exhibition, which would have been the highlight, was closed. I thought of asking for a partial refund, but my companion said no, just do a bad review instead. So here you go.

Rainy day at the Aquarium. Compared to other aquariums, this one is to the smaller side. In fact, that explains why the entrance fee is much cheaper: $12 The aquarium has 3 areas: indoors, outdoors and shop. Indoors is beautiful, with featured animal life, ranging from crabs, to fish, to sharks and Hawaiian sea life. There's also artifacts, which are displayed indoors Outdoors for us was rainy; outdoors you have fish on display as well, with a nice employee who assists and welcomes you. The shop was small, and packed as well. I didn't find a souvenir I liked, but they definitely had some nice items. I felt like the time at the Aquarium was too quick, since there wasn't much, but I loved the experience here

At the Waikiki Aquarium for a Mauka to Makai event which means mountain to the ocean in Hawaiian. Helped give children and parents information to appreciate the world we live in. The Aquarium was a good venue with many bathrooms and information about Sealife. I always like looking at the shark tank where it is possible to get close up to a shark without being in the ocean with it. Staff are friendly and helpful in giving me directions.

Small aquarium without any large fish or other animals. Small parking lot, best to get here by trolley or Uber. It's a self-guided tour that took me 20 minutes. A lot of small fish, nothing unique. Tiny gift shop.

Cool variety of fish available to see. They're healthy this time too. Unfortunately monk seal exhibit so closed though.

It's so small. I walked through it in 5 minutes then ended up outside. It looked like there used to be exhibits outside but now there is only one tank. Then you end up back at the entrance and gift shop. My little one hates the dark and all the exhibits inside are in the dark. Being an aquarium on an island I expected more sea life.

Before this recent visit, the last time I've been to Waikiki Aquarium was when I was a teenager. My experience was, "Meh." What teenager do you know who isn't too cool to visit and aquarium and have fun? Fast forward to be being a mom of three little ones, plus an auntie. We took 5 young children here and my experience was a hell of a lot better than "Meh." Parking is only available on the street surrounding the aquarium, Queen Kapiolani Park, and the Honolulu Zoo. There is nothing but a drop-off area fronting the aquarium. Go early in the morning to score the close street parking. Don't forget to ask for the Kama`ina rate if you live here and yes, you will have to show your local ID for the discount. Right at the entrance, there is a stand where they offer to take your photos. Be prepared to pay $40 if you want them. The actual aquarium is relatively small. There are really nice exhibits and even a nice large view of sharks with a small seating area in front of it. My favorite exhibits were of the clownfish and jellyfish. My kids got really excited when we passed the clownfish and saw all of the "Nemo" fishes. The jellyfishes have always been so relaxing to watch. There is a small exhibit on the outside where you can see puffer fish, and our State fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa. Restrooms are available on the outside and so is a large grassy area where we let the kids run loose. They also have a gift shop with the cutest, but of course, overpriced sea animal souvenirs. I guess the purpose of your visit really does play a part in your experience. This recent visit was without a doubt more rewarding because I got to share it with my family, which includes 5 little children. To see their faces light up with excitement and joy is priceless, to say the least.

Quite possibly the lamest zoo I've ever been to.. incredibly small. They didn't have the seal or the octopus out for viewing. It took us maybe 5 minutes to walk through the entire thing? Small selection of fish. The parking lot is minuscule. We had to do paid meter parking across the street. Not worth it. $12 for an adult is wild for this experience. Go to the zoo if you want to see animals! Don't go here.

The aquarium is super small but really cute and charming. My toddler absolutely loved it! They open at 9 am which is amazing! As most travelers know, time change can be rough for young families so the earlier the better! The staff was super friendly and the volunteers were super knowledgeable! The bathrooms were family/kid friendly and clean which is a huge plus for us given we have a potty training toddler who goes every 35-45 mins! The prices to get in were very reasonable which makes sense given the size of the aquarium. The gift store was super welcoming but the prices were cringey, so so high! But it's to be expected in Hawaii and at the aquarium. We left with just photos, but would suggest it for young families looking for a quick activity! A major plus is it's a really nice 10 minute walk to the zoo! We came at 9 AM when the aquarium opened, spent roughly an hour and walked to the zoo which opens at 10am!

I have 3 small children and taking them to the Aquarium is always a fun activity for them. They're always captivated by the different marine life. This place is definitely more for suited for kids that are younger just because it isn't a big place. After walking through the aquarium there is a big grassy area outside where you can picnic and let your kids run around to burn energy. Today on our visit the Monk Seal exhibit was closed, but my kids were fine with just the fishes, sea horses, sharks, grouper, jellyfish and etc. I would recommend going when they first open, it was nice and cool. There was also a lot of parking in the meter side, the aquarium has a few stalls and there are public free two hour parking if you can find one.

Vitamin Sea vibe is just so calming... Having a friend visiting a few years back her one of many was to visit Sea Life Park...haven't been there in years but thoroughly enjoyed our visit there and thought the same for the Waikiki Aquarium. Located right outside Waikiki just beside Kaimana Beach it's a much more convenient location for me and thought of their "Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium" membership so that I have a calming place to visit. Fast forward 10 months...finally my first visit woohoo!!! General admission is $12 ($8 for Kama'aina) and parking is included for 2 hours with a pass placed on your dashboard, no it's not a huge lot but if you arrive early enough there is a decent amount of stalls available. First of all the Hawaiian Monk Seal area is being renovated so is closed at the moment...sigh!...so that was a serious bummer and I'm not sure when it will open so follow them on Instagram @waikikiaquarium for any updates so that you're able to plan your next visit accordingly. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit regardlessly the variety of exhibit is beautiful, the size of giant grouper is impressive, sea dragon is so cute and vibrant, the jellyfish is my absolute favorite just floating and drifting around is my kind of vibe lol! Don't forget to visit their gift shop "The Shop at Waikiki Aquarium" filled with so much fun stuff and as a member you get 20% off woohoo!! Don't be jelly and get a membership to support this fabulous this fabulous aquarium at https://www.waikikiaquarium.org Thank you!

I actually enjoyed my time at the aquarium. I loved observing everything in the tanks and learning about sea creatures.

Our group initially wanted to check out the zoo, but after finding out it closed at 3PM, we needed to find something very close in experience. I will say that the aquarium is not big at all and it doesn't have the type of tanks and fish you may expect to see, especially because of its location! There was not much variety of fish, tanks were quite small, and maybe I didn't see them, but audio options were not there either. Despite not having checked it out, I would maybe just skipped this and gone to the zoo for just a few bucks more!

Beautiful fish. So clean. Friendly staff. Great way to spend a few hours. We walked there after lunch and decided to give it a try. Loved it.

It's a peaceful little aquarium. It has air conditioning for hot Hawaii summer days. It's a fairly small area with windows that look into tanks with numerous fish, jellyfish and sea horses. The main event indoors is the Shark Tank, that had at least 3 sharks and a big Goliath Grouper. Our little guy loved it and had to be held back from running around with joy. Unfortunately they are working on the seal enclosure outside, so just a construction site for now. The lawn outside would be great for small/medium events. Kids like to burn off energy and run around there. Parking is the hard part as it's right next to Kaimana beach park, so get there early to get a spot or drive in circles hunting. Overall it was a fun affordable option to beat the heat and get the kids out of the house.

The animals were cool, there were tiny seahorses, sharks, and upside down jellyfishes, it was really cool and I enjoyed it. But... The park is tiny, half of it was just a field of grass that wasn't even mowed that well, the only places that were fun you could fit in a backyard. The bathroom was ok except for the toilets. The stuff in the shop was so overprice. A doll mermaid that was only as big as a 2 palms was 23 dollars! There also was stray chickens lizards and who knows what else around the place. But on the good side, the tickets were really cheap and I saw animals that I didn't know existed. Overall the animals and the tickets got it up to a 4 stars.

So sad to see the marine life in tiny tanks. Other than that, there were many exhibits that we either empty or under construction. The monk seal exhibit was emptied when we went. Seems too small for them anyways. Beautiful location, plenty parking across the street. Fun stuff in the gift shop and the people taking the pictures for the personalized photo album were great. I wouldn't recommend visiting here until whatever renovations can be done.

It's kind of small--- you can probably get around in about 30 minutes. I did an hour but thats because I spent a lot of time taking pictures and I went around twice. It doesn't compete with big city aquariums. It's a nice distraction especially if it's raining. I'm mixed on if it's a good value. The sea dragons were awesome though. Some of the prettiest and healthiest I have seen in an aquarium.

It's Waikiki, so don't count on finding nearby parking and prepare yourself for a bit of a walk. After a couple of turns, we were able to find parking at the Waikiki Shell and walked straight across in order to get to the aquarium. The person who sold us the tickets didn't bother asking if we were either Kama'āina or military, therefore almost charging us $44, but then my husband pulls out his license to show her and ended up getting the discount for $36 and skipped the picture taking upon entering. For $36 you get what you pay for (2 adults 4 children). The aquarium is on the smaller side compared to the ones in the Mainland, so don't get your hopes up too much. With that being said though, the aquarium is still a sight to be seen. The sea creatures and wild life will always be a beautiful specter to feed our imagination and curiosity.

Literally go anywhere else. 30 minutes of wasted time and money, the fish were definitely fish yet the place felt rundown, empty, overpriced, and dirty. The main attraction monk seal wasn't even here, and I think that's the kinda thing I should know before I pay to get in. A lot of stuff is just not there and not worth the hassle. If you're a tourist, don't waste a day here, go to your aquarium back home it's probably better.

Waikiki Aquarium is a great place for a quick little detour if you need something to do during your visit to Waikiki. For the admission price of $12, I'd say it's worth it! The aquarium displays they have are diverse and beautiful. You get to see a lot of saltwater wildlife. I loved the seahorse and shark exhibits the most. I do wish that the info placards regarding the wildlife were more updated. Some didn't correspond to what we saw. The gift shop is also really cute and has great souvenirs. Definitely a great place for kids and a quick stop if you love aquariums!

Things to do in Hawaii with kids: go to the aquarium. This aquarium is small, but it's still a fun and educational place to go. They have indoor and outdoor exhibits, and my toddler loved running around their open, outdoor space. Prices: $12/adult $5/kids age 4-12 or adults age 65 and older or persons with disabilities FREE/child 3 and younger with paying adult

Once my son turned one we got the annual pass for the aquarium. We got the pass that we can bring in two adults free also so we like bringing other families so they can get in with their kids for free. The parking lot is small, only about 10 stalls and parking is free as long as you get a pass at the front when you check in. Be sure to go early because the parking fills up fast, usually close to full when they open at 9. The aquarium itself is very small compared to other aquariums in the United States but they have a ton of fish. My son loves running around in there and it's nice because it's ac. We only usually spend about 15 minutes to go through everything but we go so often so we don't look at everything carefully every time. Our favorite things to look at are the jellyfish and the large tank.

We were trying to visit this aquarium a couple years ago, but it was shut down for construction. Finally we were able to visit this time around and it is a cute little aquarium. You can purchase tickets at the door and they are $12 for non-residents and it is a self-guided aquarium so you can take as long as you want walking around. They have a bunch of different animals from jellyfish, to seahorses, and some exhibits on the outside of the aquarium where you can see the Hawaii native fish reefs and fish. If you are looking for a place just to relax and kill time, the aquarium is a great place to pick. They even have a little gift shop inside for some goodies, and areas to sit inside and chill.

I have passed by the "Waikiki Aquarium" many times. Curiosity finally got to me, and I paid a visit. The aquarium operates 9:00am to 4:30pm daily. If you visit waikikiaquarium*org, the entry fees are listed. I visited as an adult, traveling alone. I arrived at 9:30am. I took photos and videos. I enjoyed the exhibits (which are well done). But I completed my visit in about 30-40minutes. I don't know if I can recommend the aquarium as a "must see"--unless... If you have children, I suggest that you do consider this attraction. I think that the Waikiki Aquarium is really programed with kids in mind. There's enough for them to see and get excited about; but not too much, so that they will get overwhelmed. And you can explore the entire facility before the kids get tired and cranky. If you take the family in the morning, they kids might feel that they got to do something "they wanted to do", leaving the rest of the day for other possibilities. The bottom line is that I didn't see a child there that wasn't having a great time.

Very small aquarium with a grumpy lady that works in front taking pictures. She was very pushy, rude, and unpleasant. The guys were more helpful and reasonable. We wanted to buy the album for memories and asked to redo 1 of the pictures. The guy suggested that let's just redo the whole thing and choose from what you like. After the retake, the lady was acting so pushy, "Are you us even gonna buy it x2)...When the guy was barely working/editing the pictures. And we haven't even looked at the second take yet. She told my husband to go pay in the other room. Can I look at the pic first? Like what's the rush and why do you have to repeat yourself. The guy who suggested the retake of all the poses said you can keep both copies and choose what u would like to add in the book. And here comes the power trip lady saying," ugh no we are going throw it away." So the guy stepped in and said, " Well, I kind of told her she can have both copies and see which pictures she liked to add to the album." She rolled her eyes and said, "You know what? Just take it, take it , threw all the pictures inside the album, and say, "You can figure it out yaself at home" ( and handle us the album with a smirk on her face). Omg, I never encounter someone so rude like this lady. Overall, my son loved the sharks. Aquarium is doable in less than 30 minutes. The sea lion area was closed. The aquarium outside was pretty small, too. Outside looked like it's under construction.

If you like ocean life then you must visit the aquarium! It's a family friendly place with lots of beautiful fish. The gift store has amazing things, but it is expensive. Because we visited after 4pm the aquarium was hosting a luau dinner, our family was very interested in participating. When we approached the front counter they knew nothing about it and referred us to another individual who was standing outside. She was extremely rude, unfriendly and very disrespectful. She refused to give us information and handed a pamphlet that supposedly explained what the event consisted of. I was very disappointed by this individual's lack of customer service.

A must if you're in Oahu. Great for kids and there's a lot to learn. Price is not too bad.

Honestly, it's cool if you're a kid kind of. Prices aren't worth going in my opinion, there's not much and you lowkey feel pressured into getting your picture taken and it's like $20. Still sad how the Seal attraction is still closed unsure how long but a long time ! I remember as a kid the edge of the reef section we use to be able to actually hold sea creatures now you can only look in, there's nothing really worth seeing here unless you like seeing like 3 sharks swimming around in a tank. Giant Grouper and octopus were cool to see though !

Nice, although small, aquarium, to visit. it does have many offerings, including small sharks and one gigantic grouper; too bad, there were no seals, maybe was to hot for them. Admission price for locals, especially seniors, are very reasonable; parking in the front of the entrance is free with admission. it is one interesting place to take little ones to when visiting Honolulu.

Perfect for little ones. $12 adult entry, air conditioning, helpful staff. You can be done in an hour as the seal exhibit is closed for renovations. We packed up the stroller & walked.

I was honestly so disappointed. For the aquarium that is located in a place like Waikiki, you expect way more. I used to live in Florida and the aquariums there are amazing, this one was a disaster. It is small. They do not have a lot of fish. The only reason why I gave these places 2 stars is only for the sharks. This aquarium gives you a feeling of depression. At least the tickets were cheap.

Parking is limited but you have a great walking view if you need to park by the beach. We went on Labor Day, I called before we went to check if they were going to be open and the woman who answered had such a welcoming voice and answered my questions. We went around 2pm and it was a off and on flow of visitors. Everything is the same from the 1990's, there are no seals to view no touching pod like before. There is nothing to buy for food nearby.. No outside food or drinks. Our toddler and teen's enjoyed themselves. It's always hot in Waikiki. Tip: There is a nice air conditioning breeze in front of the big shark tank. Sit on the lefts side of the bottom row you can definitely cool off in that breeze..

An hour we'll spent just a short walk from our room in east Waikiki. The kids will enjoy it thoroughly. Small parking lot but plenty of street parking if needed across from kapiolani park.

This place was ok. A little small with limited fish. There was a really big fish, and some jelly fish but really wasn't worth the time.

During my grade school years we often came here on field trips. And now on my adult years I been here a few time with my kids. Thinking back to my grade school years nothing really changed from what I remembered. I feel that this place is outdated and needs a major renovation. But this place has a sentimental value that I hold. Right outside behind the aquarium was the spot my wife and I got married. It was a small and intimate ceremony. The scenery that day was perfect. A beautiful memory I will keep and love forever.

Our kids love coming here! It's a small aquarium, but so much to do and see! Sometimes, they provide free arts and crafts held by the UofH students or volunteers - the kids made shark fins, valentine's cards, etc. They love looking for the sea creatures featured in the signs, and having a snack or lunch outside on the grass area. Wish they had otters, but that exhibit has been closed for years.

One of the smaller aquariums I've been to. We were just walking around and decided to stop in. Admission was pretty cheap ($11) compared to other aquariums that go for $35 and up. It's a pretty small aquarium with really pretty sea life. The sea dragons were the highlight for me. The gift shop feels like the main attraction. I believe an audio tour is available. It's a cool little stop to take kids to. Hawaii definitely has beautiful sea creatures.

There's definitely lots of potential for expansion on this aquarium. Half of the exhibit is a park and the other is the lobby, gift shop and the actual aquarium itself. The monk seal exhibit was closed when we went but there's enough tropical fishes and corals to see. Exhibit took less than 30 minutes to go through so don't expect much for the admission. There are a free stalls right in front of the aquarium for you to park but there's lots of parking right across so bring your quarters. Kamaaina discount rates only applies to Hawaii residents with ID and does not apply to accompanying guests. That's a bummer.

Even though I grew up here in Hawaii, I don't think I've ever been to the aquarium! It's small and you can finish it in under an hour. The seal enclosure was also closed. However what they do have is interesting and my daughter loved seeing the fish, sea dragons, and jellyfish. She especially liked the big grouper! Kamaaina rates were decent and kids under 4 are free.