Seattle Aquarium | Tips to Help Plan Your Visit

Seattle is full of life… not just in the urban city, but also among the sea life and wildlife that calls the area home. The Seattle Aquarium provides you with a rundown on the variety of animals in, on and above the water. It provides you with a better appreciation for them and the ecosystem they call home. You’ll have opportunities to get up close and personal with life in a tidepool or laugh at the antics of the seals or otters.

COVID-19 UPDATE: The Seattle Aquarium is open. As of July 1, 2021, masks are not required for those who are fully vaccinated.

A visit to the Seattle Aquarium is great for the whole family. Here are some tips on what you can expect at the aquarium.

Getting Tickets for the Seattle Aquarium

Tickets to the aquarium are available online with Plan Ahead Pricing. You’ll notice that many organizations are moving to a timed ticket entry. You can purchase tickets directly from the Seattle Aquarium website. Simply select the date and time you want to visit, and you’ll be guided through the purchasing process.

You may notice that the admission price varies by day. The further ahead you book, the more you’ll save. Tickets are also less expensive on less-trafficked days. For example, visit the museum mid-week and you’ll save a few dollars per ticket when compared to weekends or holidays.

If you’re planning to visit other hot spots in Seattle (Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture, Woodland Park Zoo or Chihuly Gardens and Glass), you may want to consider getting the Seattle CityPASS. You can purchase your CityPASS and then use the link they sent you to redeem the appropriate tickets so you can book everything together.

RELATED INFO: Check out Visit Seattle’s “Things to do in Seattle” page

Walk up tickets are available, but with limited availability. Guests who purchase tickets on-site will be required to wait until the next available time slot for entry, which may be 15 minutes or five hours depending on how busy the day is.

The museum is open daily from 9:30-6 p.m., but the last entry time is at 5 p.m. Three hours of free parking is available at the Pike Place Market Garage to those who visit the Seattle Aquarium.

Where to Start When You Arrive

Shows and feeding time are always a great way to watch the animals move and interact. I couldn’t find any show times, but we were able to catch the trainers interacting with some harbor seals and another employee feeding what looked like meal worms to some birds.

I recommend checking in to see if they have some estimated times of when some of these “shows” or feedings would be taking place.

The harbor seal did lots of tricks – jumping out of the water to touch a ball with its nose, rolling from side to side or even waving hello. It was fun to watch and I’m really glad our timing worked out. The show isn’t quite as animated (or a theatrical production) as what you’ll find at Sea World, but the crowd was able to see some of the amazing talents of the harbor seals.

Another show we really enjoyed was watching a diver clean the 120,000 gallon aquarium in the main lobby entrance known as Window on Washington Waters. She had a scrub brush and was cleaning the rocks. During the show, people could ask questions and she would use a microphone in her suit to talk back. She also used a lot of animated arm gestures to help emphasize what she was saying. Younger kids were going up to the glass and giving her high fives. It was fun to watch, and the younger kids were definitely in awe.

Tidepools and Tanks are Full of Life

One of the most popular areas of the Seattle Aquarium is probably the touch pools. There are hand washing stations as you enter the area – so give your hands a good wash so you don’t bring street germs into the touch pools.

Kids move from pool to pool to see lots of different sea life. What does a sea cucumber feel like? Will a sea anemone shock you like it does to small fish? How pokey are sea urchins? If you or your kids have questions like these, an expert is at each touch pools. Just be sure and only touch using one finger – don’t grab anything.

Beyond the touch pools are some pretty cool fish tanks. But it’s not just fish that live in them. Sure, there are jellyfish, tiger fish and clown fish (which aren’t really funny, btw 😉). But there are also octopus, seahorses, crabs, coral and other plant life.

Since the Seattle Aquarium is right on the ocean (Pier 59 in Elliott Bay), and the sea life in the aquarium is the same sea life that lives nearby, water is pumped right into all the tanks. It’s circulated through the fish tanks and returned to the ocean. that allows the sea life to live in its natural waters. We saw some seals and even jelly fish hanging out in Elliott Bay, right next to the Seattle Aquarium.

As you wander to each of the fish tank areas, don’t rush. Some of the sea life may be hiding. Take the time to find what’s in the tank. I think the octopus is notorious for hiding.

After the tanks, head outdoors to explore the birds and other wildlife at the Seattle Aquarium.

Birds and Wildlife at the Seattle Aquarium

Along the north side of the main building are several exhibits with other types of aquatic life. It’s where you’ll find the harbor seals playing with their trainers. You can also watch some sea otters frolic in the waters as they swim on their backs or dive below the surface.

Spread out in different enclosures are various types of birds. We watched two birds in particular get tossed some meal worms and bugs from a trainer. It was interesting to watch them eat the worms. One person asked why those birds were here and how long they had been a resident at the Seattle Aquarium. Turns out, the birds wings were damaged in the wild and they were rehabilitated here. However, it was determined that with their injuries, they would not be able to survive in the wild. So they hang out here.

As you wander around this “outside” area, you’ll find an entire exhibit on salmon and the ecosystem of Puget Sound. The exhibit on sustainability explains how we as humans play a part in protecting the animals and how we all work together. It’s an important message as we continue to grow and expand as a society.

One of the fun highlights of this portion is the Underwater Dome. It provides you with a 360-degree view of the 400,000 gallon tank filled with fish from throughout the Puget Sound. I watched all different types of fish swimming around, and kids of all ages (including adults) sitting there watching the fish swim by. Enjoy the moment and the calmness of a fish lazily swimming past you.

Gift Shop and Cafes

As you make your way from the Underwater Dome and back toward the main museum, don’t miss out on the gift shop. There are some great souvenirs (t-shirts, stuffed animals, books, patches and much more).

If you need something to eat, head to the second floor to enjoy some snacks at the indoor cafe. It’s open from 9:30 to 4 p.m. If you want to dine outdoors, they have a cafe on the back deck behind the Seattle Aquarium as well (open July to September: Thursday–Sunday, 11am–4pm).

The Details

Address: 1483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59, Seattle, WA 98101-2015

Cost: Adult tickets start at $28.95 online, and youth (ages 4-12) start at $20.45. Ticket prices may increase as much as $6 for some weekends and holidays. Admission to the Seattle Aquarium is part of the Seattle CityPASS and saves you money if you plan to visit Seattle’s top attractions.

Parking: Get three hours of free parking at Pike Place Market Garage when visiting the Seattle Aquarium.

Hours: Open daily, 9:30-6 p.m. (last admission is at 5 p.m.)

How long: You should plan on about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Phone: (206) 386-4300

Website: https://www.seattleaquarium.org/

Disclosure: I received four complimentary admission tickets to the Seattle Aquarium for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

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