Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

Positive experience: While searching through things to do in Vegas, we came upon the Shark Reef Aquarium. We booked, and it was awesome. We booked the 10am tickets and reached a bit earlier. There was a small wait to get started. Once started, we went through the entire thing in about 30 minutes, which, to me, was short. It felt that way only because the layout and displays were really great that I really wanted more. For us, 30$ tickets were great, and then the VR experience was also really good and informative after the aquarium. My one thing is I do believe the gift shop items were a bit too overpriced. Bit all in all a great experience.

Fantastic experience: Alot smaller than we expected and parking is 20$ on top of super expensive tickets. But very amazing what they are doing for these animals which you get to read all about, so worth the money and the trip.

Fantastic experience: A must-see while in vegas.. Watch the fish, sharks, and turtles swim around you. Learn about marine life

Negative experience: The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay offers an incredible underwater adventure with over 2,000 marine animals, including sharks, rays, and sea turtles. The immersive exhibits and tunnels provide a close-up view of marine life in a stunning setting. Perfect for families and ocean enthusiasts alike, an exciting and educational experience you won’t forget!

Fantastic experience: Very neat aquarium. Entertaining and informative. I did not purchase ahead of time and did not have to wait. I had a little trouble finding it, but I'm glad I did.

Positive experience: It was a lot smaller than I expected for a Vegas venue. Still, some great sea animals to view, especially the sharks, but a bit overpriced for what it is. It took me about 15 minutes to walk around the whole place, and I stopped at everything to have a good look.

Fantastic experience: We went for the 25th anniversary. Purchased tickets online and walked right in. Loved the exhibits, especially the shipwreck. We were able to get a behind the scenes look before leaving, that was awesome. Great for experience for everyone.

Fantastic experience: This was a great place to visit, its alot bigger than expected, amd very well done. The staff are very helpful, friendly and love answering questions. We had a quick behind the scenes tour which was great.

Fantastic experience: Fun place for kids and adults. Had an array of different aquatic animals. Had a great time seeing the sharks and the ambience was great. The staff spent time explaining to visitors the habits of stingrays, jelly fishes and other aquatic animals. The VR activity was a pleasant experience that was added to the aquarium visit. We had do the parking on the Mandalay Bay parking which was on higher side due to other ongoing events that day.

Fantastic experience: I was not expecting much but this was great for families with smaller kids! It is little over priced but they do special deals sometimes. Very beautifully made and our kids ages between 5-10 had fun. Gift shop is very expensive. Staff was very friendly other than cash register lady.

Positive experience: Very lovely experience with cool exhibits. However, lighting is a downfall. It is very hard to see at certain angles and in certain areas. Also, depending on whatever convention is going on, it can get crowded. We are not guests at Mandalay Bay. So we had to do self parking, be prepared for parking fees.

Fantastic experience: Second time at Shark Reef, and I loved it! Nice place to cool down from the heat and enjoy the aquarium and virtual experience afterward! We had a great time and would go again! Great for families, too!

Fantastic experience: A great break from hot weather in Vegas. Really cool to see sharks. My stepdad wasn't very interested with it being short, but I got some great shots as being my first time seeing them.

Fantastic experience: My daughter loved it here! It's not overly big or overcrowded. The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable about the animals and displays.

Negative experience: The exhibits were cool and there were some good enclosure designs but the entire experience lasted for about 20 minutes and you couldn’t see into half of the exhibits because the lighting was so bright on your side of them.

Fantastic experience: Gorgeous tanks. Everything is so clean and well kept. We had bogo tickets, so glad we took advantage of them. Was a real nice walk threw. They had a sting ray petting tank as well. There were workers telling you different facts about the sea life they had.

Fantastic experience: We had a great time visiting the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas! I was able to capture some amazing up-close videos of the fish and sharks — they have such a great variety. Walking through the tunnel was definitely a highlight; it was so cool to see the sharks and rays swimming both above and below us. My fiancé and I really enjoyed the experience, and it’s something I’d definitely recommend for families too — kids would love it! It’s a fun and peaceful break from the busy Vegas Strip, and a great way to explore a different side of the city.

Fantastic experience: Great experience seeing all the sharks and other wildlife. Ticket little expensive

Positive experience: Great little adventure for the family. We're in Vegas for a month and trying to fill time with adventure and this was a great option. I love the aquarium but the ticket pricing is absolutely absurd for how small the aquarium is (yes I know its vegas its what to expect) my kids enjoyed it and that all that matters. My favorite part is the sea turtles and the amazing photo packages they have.

Fantastic experience: The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay was a fantastic experience — especially if you’re traveling with kids or just want a relaxing break from the noise and lights of Las Vegas. The exhibits are beautifully designed, and the variety of marine life is impressive — sharks, rays, sea turtles, jellyfish, piranhas, and even a komodo dragon! Walking through the underwater tunnel surrounded by sharks and giant fish was a highlight — it really feels like you’re deep under the sea. Tips for future visitors: • Buy tickets online ahead of time — it’s usually cheaper and helps avoid lines. • Go earlier in the day or on weekdays to avoid crowds and get better photo opportunities. • It’s indoors and air-conditioned, so it’s a great option during hot Vegas afternoons. • Plan for about 45 minutes to 1 hour to see everything at a comfortable pace — longer if you’re visiting with children who like to explore. • Don’t skip the touch pool, where you can gently touch stingrays and horseshoe crabs — kids love it! This aquarium is smaller than some major city aquariums but still very well done and worth the visit. Peaceful, informative, and visually stunning — a great stop for all ages in Vegas!

Positive experience: My only real complaint about the Shark Reef is that it's so small. You have to really try and take your time to spend an hour on the property. It's a walk through that you could easily do in 15 minutes but I believe most people take around 30-45 minutes to complete.

Fantastic experience: An amazing experience watching aquatic animals in the middle of the desert! The VR underwater activity was also impressive and helped me connect more deeply with the efforts being made to conserve aquatic life.

Positive experience: It was an interesting experience, I would encourage all to participate in the interactive aquarium. Very enjoyable.

Fantastic experience: We had a great time! We were the only ones to show up for the sting ray feedings with a private tour, so it literally was a private tour before the aquarium opened. Great staff, highly knowledgeable and passionate.

Fantastic experience: My family and I had a wonderful time! There were so many amazing animals for us to love, observe, and appreciate! My young daughter had the time of her life and was asking so many questions for the employees. I highly recommend the virtual reality diving simulator as well!

Positive experience: This aquarium is small but mighty. Lots of variety of sharks, including the Shark Ray/Guitarfish which were haven't seen anywhere else, and one of my sons is an aquarium connoisseur! Our only complaint is the price for the size, but get, it's Vegas, everything is $$$. This aquarium was worth the visit while we were in town.

Fantastic experience: Great aquarium! If you're looking for a kid-friendly place towards the end of the strip, this is it. Buy timed entry tickets in order to save some money.

Positive experience: A lot of cash for a small exhibit. Over in 30 minutes but what there is is good.

Fantastic experience: We had an excellent experience today at the Mandalay Bay Aquarium. A place that can be described as relaxing, where you can see several interesting species of sea creatures. You can also enjoy a six-minute 3D video show that makes you feel like you're diving underwater with sharks. Very interesting experience. I have to say that the entrance fee is a bit pricey considering how small the place is inside. The experience seems a bit short compared to what's on offer. The price makes you think it's bigger and has more to see. But the underwater show is magical and makes it all worthwhile. I recommend it at least once. The place is very unique. Probably better during weed days. Today an event was going on and the traffic was a little bit difficult.

Positive experience: I enjoyed the visit immensely. I would only recommend that they allow visitors to drink water while in the aquarium. Especially when visiting a hot, dry desert in the summer. Otherwise the exhibits were neat looking and the staff very knowledgeable.

Positive experience: Such a fun outing for my family. My grandson loved it. They also offer a military discount. They take photos before you enter that are available before you exit. They have a nice gift shop and there is a food court next door

Fantastic experience: There is a surprise around every corner. Walking through the glass tunnel, watching sharks and various fish is very relaxing! Would definitely go again!

Fantastic experience: Excellent experience om a Thursday. It is not crowded so you can take your time.

Positive experience: Nice little aquarium. Has all the classics, can touch stingrays and the tunnel. Would recommend if you have time but maybe don’t go completely out of your way for it. We were in the area though and enjoyed it. Like many things in Vegas it is a tad pricey for what it is though.

Fantastic experience: Wait to buy tickets until at the box office if you're military or a veteran as you get a discount.

Positive experience: Really nicely designed lay out. Lots of sharks and a variety of sea life. You can even touch stingrays (although they don’t actually sting). The underwater tunnel is awesome. Kids will love it. It’s a little pricy but well worth it. My only complaint is that parking was $25! Better to just get a share ride and save the parking fees if you can.

Fantastic experience: Very well done. Walking through the tunnel surrounded by sharks and giant turtles was spectacular. If you’ve got kids they’ll LOVE this

Positive experience: Wish there was more to look at because it goes quickly but I enjoyed my visit!

Positive experience: It's great as long as you manage your expectations! This place is almost like a sampler plate version of an aquarium. Like what others say, it is very small and only takes generously ~30 minutes if you go slowly. However, the aquarium glass tunnel, or whatever those things are called, is very pretty, and at least when I went in May 2025, they had a baby hammerhead shark that was extremely cute. One small improvement I would suggest is having an info board for the different sharks for the last room. They had more info boards for the earlier exhibits, but almost nothing for the sharks. There was a worker with some props to explain things if you had questions AFTER you finished that section, but I would like to learn while seeing the live animals. The VR portion is only 6 minutes long, but they have those chairs that move with the video, which surprisingly adds a lot to the experience. It wasn't any crazy movement where you need a seatbelt or anything, but it reminded me of riding an actual boat during that part of the video. The biggest downside is that they had options for watching the whale, shark, or ray video, and you only get to choose one. All in all, if you want a break from the overstimulating and or expensive shows in Vegas, this would be a great place to just relax for a bit

Fantastic experience: This is a great little aquarium and family friendly. It is on the Mandalay Bay property and has been a long standing attraction. I really enjoyed it. I would recommend if you are on the property.

Fantastic experience: It was amazing I had a wonderful Time with friends watching the sharks n fish it was my second time there.

Positive experience: I visited here as part of a private event. It was certainly neat but I’m not sure if I would visit if I was paying the full price of admission. It does, however, seem like it would be a good stop if you happen to have children.

Fantastic experience: I was pleasantly surprised by how cool this place was. So many beautiful sea creatures Would highly recommend for all ages!

Positive experience: It was wonderful, some of the display of fish was great.

Positive experience: Small could’ve been better for the price but not bad if you bring kids. And ultimately it should’ve been longer and more space. Locals get discount but 5$

Fantastic experience: Great visuals from all angles. I think the fish were just as inquisitive of us as we were of them

Fantastic experience: Pretty good. Everyone should go there. After visiting the aquarium, there has a virtual reality show for free. Hard to find the place. After entering the hotel gate, go left. Pro tips: For free parking, opposite of the hotel, there has a McDonald's. In there there back yard, there has lots of place for parking.

Fantastic experience: We had a good time. It was nice being able to enjoy this with our children.

Positive experience: It's certainly a fun way to spend the afternoon. My favorite thing was touching the sting rays & watching the living creatures ...

Fantastic experience: I make it a point to go to the aquarium when I travel. I expected this to be the ultimate ripoff with like 3 fish in a tank lol. However, I was pleasantly surprised that it is a legitimate aquarium. The shark exhibit was my favorite. There's 2 fish tunnels, overall a solid aquarium.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely amazing, my wife and I had a wonderful time looking at all the sharks and the sea turtle was my personal favorite. SO CUTE!!

Positive experience: Was expecting it to be larger, but definitely a rather small and quick adventure. Still fun, and they do take a group photo of you before going in, which are fun to look at on your way out.

Fantastic experience: What an amazing and beautiful experience! My only complaint is having to pay $25 for parking and only being there for a brief moment as well as the amount of people cluttering together, other than that it was such a great experience for those who love our aquatic life friends.

Fantastic experience: Seriously, it was a great experience for every age. You are not rushed through it. All sorts of fish and a few other aquatic based reptiles and amphibians. I won't spoil the ending surprise but it is soooooo worth seeing. The price is like everything in Vegas not outrageous but worth it. There was no line to get in. Recommend.

Positive experience: My daughter (5) has a great time exploring the aquarium and learning about all the sea creatures. It took us about 30 mins to explore end to end and then checked out the documentary at the theater.

Fantastic experience: It's smaller than I expected but it's a beautiful place. Many sharks and turtles along with other species, such as jelly fish, star fish and an octopus! Kids enjoy touching the sting rays and walk through a tunnel of water.

Fantastic experience: Such a cool family day here. The exhibits show many diff sea animals. The staff is very helpful and the facility it’s self is very beautiful! Really enjoyed our day here

Fantastic experience: This was perfect and unexpected for being a great aquarium. They have lizards, a snake, sharks and other fish. The spaces are super clean but humid. Not ADA so if you have mobility problems there are a lot of steps even with the elevator. It is located all the way in the back past the beach.

Fantastic experience: Worth a stop if you are on the Strip! The jellyfish and octopus were my favorite. They have an immersive sunken ship exhibit at the end which is a total mind twister ! Awesome place.

Positive experience: First self parking is $25. If you are local show your id and get a discount for entry to the shark reef. Go early if you are going on the weekends. Like when it opens early. Walk through it my son was pretty excited about it and took pictures and videos. At the end you go through the gift shop and the narwhal plushie was about the size of a basketball and it was $74. Even the employee agreed that it was wayyyy overpriced and said ppl just ordered them from online later. We also bought a picture of is that was about $35 for one and to get all 5 its about $74. Overall my kid had a good time but the gift shop is pretty much overpriced. But I am local and it’s clearly overpriced for tourists so so don’t fall for it.

Fantastic experience: Great sea life exhibits and immersive tunnels where you can be surrounded by fish.

Positive experience: For a casino aquarium, not bad, easily walkable within 30 mins. Really cook large octopus. Sting ray petting is popular but these limited amount of sting rays aren't to friendly. Shark tank is very diverse in species. Tanks need proper cleaning, water was pretty murky. They had sea turtles too but they were difficult to see about the tunnel and wasn't moving. Is it worth the money? I think real price should be $20. Good to past time.

Fantastic experience: I love the Shark Reef Aquarium and always have. I love the exotic animals as well as the entry point to finish. I love the Team Members, the gift shop, and I love my pictures which are priceless.

Fantastic experience: A very impressive aquarium at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. The price for adults is $30. Children aged 4 and under enter for free. Seniors get a $2 discount. A very pleasant tour with unique types of fish. The place is clean and quiet. In my opinion, it’s worth a visit.

Positive experience: Small but a nice experience still if your in the area.

Fantastic experience: Hear me out, I’m obsessed with sharks, and Mandalay Bay has this beautiful aquarium that I’ve always heard of, and finally went too. Absolute beautiful experience. They have a photo spot that they take at the beginning and you can purchase at the end. The layout of the aquarium made it flow effortlessly and shockingly for a weekend it wasn’t packed at all. They had a small petting pool with small sand shark and stingray. They had such a huge variety in fish & shark.

Fantastic experience: Very cool, great view of a variety of sharks, rays, octopus, and fish. Don't pay full price though, find a coupon someplace. But online and skip the line up for tickets. It's located at the very south end of the strip in Mandalay Bay so it is a long walk

Positive experience: Good experience, but the price is a little steeper than it should be. Good way to keep the little ones busy, but maybe if it's just a group of adults, this can be skipped.

Positive experience: Extremely cool place. As a local, I venture here often with my kids, but honestly, you can go by yourself, and it's still wonderful. They take good care and are well-informed employees. I certainly enjoy it. The only downfall is the expense, but Las Vegas in general is getting out of hand with their prices.

Positive experience: Decent aquarium. A bit kitchy (it's Vegas) with some Disneyesque enclosures (fake rocks and sculptures) but nothing too bad. There's a tube you can walk through. There are several different sharks and one sea turtle (not sure of the ethics, but I wish they had more space). There's a tank where you can tough a stingray. It's small and exits through the gift shop, and there were a bit too many people, but I've been to way worse aquariums. I'll take this over most shows any day.

Positive experience: Definitely worth a visit if you’re spending time on the strip. It’s very clean and family friendly. I was impressed by the variety of sharks and other sea creatures. It’s smaller than I expected, but I still really enjoyed it and would gladly visit again. The price is great as well. I purchased tickets in advance and visited on a week day. There was no wait to get in.

Positive experience: Very nice effort young kids. It only take 30 minutes or so to walk through if you take your time. Kids love the string ray touching pool! Little expensive for how quick and small it is but it is the strip so I think it is expected. Highly recommended for visitors with young kids. If you're just with adults i would probably not waste my money

Fantastic experience: Very fun experience and a great place to bring kids. The atmosphere is amazing and the underwater sunken ship was very cool. So many sharks

Positive experience: Great shark reef aquarium inside the Mandalay Bay. Beautiful tanks with lots of sea life. Just wished it was more to see especially for the price we paid ($29pp). We took our time and we finished within 35-40 min or so. But we did enjoy ourselves. @travel_lifestyle_chow

Positive experience: The Shark Reef museum was nice but it took under an hour to go through and the touch and feel sting rays were unavailable. They had a few rays that were in the middle of the tank so guests could not reach. The overall atmosphere was cool but admission was pricey. Expect to pay $29 for adult and $24 for kids. There is a cool VR experience with admission which we enjoyed at the end.

Fantastic experience: On the smaller side, as aquariums go, but really well done. Had some animals we haven't seen, like saw sharks and pup fish. Bring your own water. No drinking fountains anywhere.

Positive experience: The shark reef is a must see if you are in Vagas unfortunately they lost one star because the aquarium is short and some of the fish they advertise are not in the tanks due to weather and availability but overall it was a great experience.

Positive experience: Really expensive for what it is but I would say it’d probably be good to bring small kids to! It’s not very large and we finished the entire aquarium in well under 20 minutes even though it was extremely crowded in there. I definitely recommend finding cheaper tickets online before going if you really want to go, but honestly there’s so many better things to do while in Vegas. (There is a stingray ‘petting’ area though which was pretty cool!)

Fantastic experience: As an aquarium, it’s an aquarium. However, the ambience and the setting makes you feel like you’re walking through a Hollywood movie. It has to feel of the Legoland aquarium, where the details and touches make you feel like you’re in a magical new place not in a museum. Everyone’s favorite is the shark area. There are two tunnels as well as ways to see the sharks from above on the side and below. In addition to the aquarium, you get a VR experiences. It is 2025 and I’m sure the experience was high tech when it first came out. We thought it was OK but the fact that it comes with the ticket is fabulous. The seats moved and you had a 360 view by turning your head, which was so fun.I hope they can update the film. I can only imagine it would get better and better since they have a pretty sweet set up already.

Positive experience: There are many species of sharks in the aquarium, and the facility itself is relatively small. It also houses some other animals. It wasn’t very crowded since we visited on a weekday. We bought our tickets online in advance and reserved a specific time slot, but they still let us in an hour early. It’s a nice place for a casual stroll, but I wouldn’t recommend making a special trip just to visit. Don’t set your expectations too high—it’s just an ordinary aquarium, not as large or diverse as the one in Vancouver.

Positive experience: Great, but small. Enjoyed the break from the norm here. Komodo dragon and sharks all in one place. They do offer a military discount.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful place. Incredible experience for my little daughter and for the rest of the family too

Fantastic experience: Such a great aquarium! Not huge but they pack a lot in. The main shark tank is really impressive!

Positive experience: It was an ok aquarium but it was a fun activity to do with the family. You can park at the Mandalay convention center. 25$. and walk to the aquarium.

Fantastic experience: A really cool experience, great diversity of animals, the octopus are something to see, sharks and lots of sharks, lots of aquariums, touch tank included, great family setting and certainly something to add to a day trip

Fantastic experience: Amazing place worth every pennie it was nice to just relax and watch them swim bye you get the feeling that your the one in the cage on display and they are just swimming around watching u haha it's really cool

Negative experience: Don’t waste your money. Compared to other aquariums I have visited in other cities, this one was ridiculously short. It took 30 minutes, and that’s being generous to see everything. Not worth $29 USD. The exhibits that were there were good but not worth the $$. Do better Mandalay Bay or reduce rate to $10.

Fantastic experience: A little pricey for what it was but you can absolutely sit and hang out here for a long time. Lots to see and very entertaining. Lines piled up so I recommend not going during rush hour.

Positive experience: A tad on the pricey side for what it is but it was still a neat experience that included a virtual experience too. There was no time limit so we just took our time amd wandered and watched the sharks for awhile and the turtles and other sea creatures. The octopus was active and amazing to watch.

Fantastic experience: This is such a cute aquarium and its small enough to go through a few hour. We saw the king of the lizards and the sharks. It was convenient to but online since there was a long line to buy at counter.

Positive experience: More for kids but everything was nice. Animals were very active. Guide at stingray exhibit didn’t acknowledge me and my wife but acknowledged other visitors.

Positive experience: Up close and personal. Lots to see. Shorter exhibit than we thought

Fantastic experience: I went with no idea what to expect. The place is so family friendly, clean, and the animals look to be in great health. My friend loved interacting with the staff who were so kind and knowledgeable! And the gift shop was just too cute. Definitely coming back.

Fantastic experience: I was more impressed by the aquarium than I expected. That said, it's not worth the regular admission price. Thankfully there are several ways to get discount admission. Hopefully you can visit at a time like we did (7pm on a Sunday) when there were very few others so we could linger and enjoy leisurely and go back to prior exhibits if we wanted. We spent about 30 minutes and could have enjoyed another 15-20 in the larger areas without being bored.

Fantastic experience: Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay is a must-see for families, especially those with kids. This aquarium excels at keeping little ones (and even bigger ones!) engaged with its diverse collection of rare and fascinating sea creatures. Beyond the namesake sharks, you'll find mesmerizing jellyfish, the impressive Komodo dragon, and many other unique animals, making it more than just your average aquarium. The exhibits are visually stimulating, with plenty of movement and interesting sights, ensuring kids stay hooked. The shipwreck tunnel is a definite highlight, offering an immersive view of sharks and rays swimming all around you. While the kids are having fun, they're also learning, as Shark Reef does a great job of providing educational information about the animals and their habitats. The convenient location inside Mandalay Bay makes it super accessible, perfect for a break from the Vegas heat. I understand that it can get crowded, especially during peak hours, but we had no wait. Overall, Shark Reef is a fantastic experience, entertaining, educational, and offering a unique glimpse into the underwater world, making it a highly recommended addition to any Vegas itinerary.

Fantastic experience: We purchased tickets online, same day, at the opening time. Only waited about 5 minutes for them to open and we were the first ones in! Fun photo opp when you enter. So much fun & so much to see! I love the jelly fish tank, sting ray petting opportunity & of course the big tank. Is like walking underwater. A great time at a very affordable price.

Fantastic experience: 100% worth it for 2 adults and 2 teenage boys! The sharks were amazing. We used the Adoga coupon code, and it was $22 instead of $29.

Fantastic experience: What a cool ocean experience in the Mojave desert! My wife took our kids and grandkids there on a whim to visit, and spend time. What a treat. The curating and care that is afforded the animals, ND the professional layout, and clever themeing made for a wonderful time for everyone. Intended to look like a jungle temple, and then a shipwreck, it was filled with beautiful and exotic reptiles, sealife, fishes and sharks. The kids liked the sharks and piranhas, while the grandkids went crazy for petting the small stingrays. The final aquarium on the walking tour was huge, and full of various sharks. It even had several large sea turtles swimming about. Absolutely stunning. We had a wonderful time and was reasonable priced for a family afternoon's entertainment in Las Vegas. We would come again certainly.

Fantastic experience: My 1st time going I was impressed never thought I'd see real sharks I'd definitely go again they also have a virtual motion ride

Fantastic experience: One of the best parts of my most recent Vegas trip. Such a nice escape from the noise of the strip, surrounded by these beautiful creatures. Totally recommend!