Belle Isle Aquarium

Positive experience: This is the best I could do. I haven’t been there in two years and unfortunately, I don’t remember them only being open Friday Saturday and Sunday so we were not able to come in and look at the remodeling but the outside garden was beautiful. Maybe next time

Fantastic experience: You must go here! Also, please make sure to leave a donation. The aquarium is beautiful with its historic architecture, and it's well kept. They also have a wide variety of very interesting, rare, and exotic fish, as well as a variety of local fish. They have seahorses, pufferfish, piranhas, catfish, freshwater stingrays, lungfish, bichir, electric eel, sturgeon, gar fish, trout, bass, and many other very colorful, smaller fish species. They also have non-fish species, like axolotl, octopus, shrimp, anemones, sea stars, hermit crabs, feather worms, turtles, and frogs. This aquarium is smaller and it can be crowded, and it can get warmer inside during the summer months, but IT IS WORTH IT!

Fantastic experience: I love coming here, such a cool little historic aquarium! I was also impressed with the cleanliness of the grounds and the abundance of food trucks in the parking lot, that was a nice surprise!

Positive experience: Beautiful and quaint, the space is small and if their are families with strollers, it can be hard to work around. Being patient and mindful is key. The staff is amazing and love the gift shop setup outside. It's free and totally worth a visit.

Fantastic experience: Such a good time visited twice in the last 10 days fun spot to relax and check on some interesting species.

Fantastic experience: Love spending time on Belle Isle. The aquarium is a great place for kids of all ages.

Fantastic experience: This place is so pretty, and the animals are so healthy. I love taking the family here.

Fantastic experience: There are tons of animals and it’s a great experience for the kids.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful restoration, lovingly cared for, brought back pleasant memories from childhood even though wasn't nearly as nice back then. A true gem in Detroit and Michigan.

Fantastic experience: Very cute, well kept, and organized. Takes about 30 minutes to see all the animals. Weekend was pretty busy, but we didn’t have a wait just a slight back up at certain animals.

Fantastic experience: Its small. Very limited in variety. But for a free day when you just want to find something to do, its a great stop. Its the oldest aquarium in the US. It has the most beautiful green tile ceiling which I'd probably give a finger to mimic in my own home. The array of aquatic life might be limited, but they have some great residents like the string ray family throughout a few tanks. Or the strange and incredibly unique lungfish. They also have the largest collection of alligator gars, as well as my absolute favorite the garden eels. I'd go just for them alone!

Fantastic experience: You would not expect this Aquarium to be worth the trip to the island, but it totally is. The railing around the wall makes it more likely you will see into the tanks, and there are more fish than I expected. Also the architecture is gorgeous and made for memorable pictures. And it's free, but worth donating to as you walk out.

Fantastic experience: Free to enter. One way traffic flow. I love that. The architecture is fantastic. The whole experience is 10/10

Fantastic experience: Really nice and free to the public

Fantastic experience: It's small, but worth the visit. It's kid friendly too. So many cool aquatic animals to see. It's also educational. I hope it continues or even expands.

Fantastic experience: Quick and easy walk through this small aquarium with a wide variety of fish and creatures

Fantastic experience: Amazing architecture. Exhibits were clean and well maintained. Animals looked very healthy and thriving

Fantastic experience: This Aquarium is a delightful little gem tucked inside a stunning piece of Detroit’s history. It’s small but full of charm, making it the perfect quick stop while exploring Belle Isle. Even better—it’s completely free to enter, which makes it accessible for everyone. (They do suggest donations if you’re able!) What really stands out is the beautiful historic architecture—from the vaulted ceilings to the tiled walls, you can feel the history in every corner. It feels like stepping back in time while surrounded by colorful fish from all over, and new exhibits that are in the works. While the aquarium isn’t huge, the exhibits are thoughtfully arranged and well-maintained. There’s a nice mix of freshwater and saltwater species, and it’s easy to navigate without feeling overwhelmed. Heads up: it can get pretty warm inside, especially on hot days, so bring a handheld fan or a cold drink to stay cool. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, it’s absolutely worth the stop for a peaceful stroll and a glimpse into Detroit’s aquatic and architectural past.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely loved visiting the aquarium today. You can tell that all the employees truly care about their job, and preserving a treasure. We took our 6 year old, and he loved it. It's not a huge aquarium that you'll spend hours in, but a really nice stop on the island. It was cool to learn about all the local fish of the great state we call home!

Fantastic experience: Great little, quick little trip in Detroit. The oldest aquarium in the states. It is tiny and you can run through in about a half hour. The nice thing about this place is you can run here and then you can run next door to the conservatory for a quick little diversion out of your day.

Fantastic experience: Wavvv for sure kids enjoy , I have seen 20+ aquarium around the world , but this is something special to see .I love salamanders fish , there are very rare almost endangered species fishes are there here .I was impressed with the maintenance and keeping the exhibit of aquarium.

Fantastic experience: The building was very nice, the tile work is awesome. The tanks are very clean, and fish were interesting to learn about. They have a surprising amout of them considering everything is done by volunteer work. Would recommend if looking for a family outing, especially given its free admission

Positive experience: Aquarium was good, free entry. Tiny space and collection of fishes but if you are in Belle Isle park then don’t miss out this section.

Fantastic experience: Excellent, wonderful relaxing enjoyable . The axolotl, fish that can breath air only found in Mexico city and one cenote .

Fantastic experience: We visited and loved it, we recommend it. A free place and only if you want can you donate from $5 but it is optional. I recommend this place!!

Fantastic experience: A truly awesome aquarium especially for being a free aquarium. A lot of native Erie fish but some other cool little items. Would definitely recommend stopping by for a few minutes if you’re on the isle.

Fantastic experience: It is so great to come back here after many years! It looks just as great as ever! It's not the biggest aquarium but it is great and has the friendliest volunteers! And you can't beat the affordability. Bring cash for the donation box at the front if you wish to donate :)

Fantastic experience: Absolutely beautiful building! I love how it's maintained the historic charm. The QR codes were a huge hit with the kids. Thank you to the volunteers, for sharing knowledge and being kind. Also.... There are some photogenic guys, gals, and other underwater pals. I swear, some were changing up poses! This was our first visit and it definitely won't be the last!!

Fantastic experience: Really nice time for the family. The electric ell doesn’t have the feeding any more and the octopus past but really nice. No restroom in the facility but really nice

Fantastic experience: Beautiful aquarium took my two year old. Just a quick circle took about 30 minutes. No huge tanks just mostly fish like gar and eels. Had to hold the baby the whole time tanks were a bit high for her. Overall a wonderful time. No ticket or entrance fee they do take donations. You also need a park pass to enter the park.

Fantastic experience: I am sad to say I have lived within 30 minutes of Belle Isle and Mother's Day was the first time I have visited. It was a little crowded, but that was to be expected. We visited the aquarium and the conservatory and can't wait to go back and explore more of it this summer. The volunteers are awesome, informed and helpful.

Fantastic experience: Nice selection of local fauna. The aquarium has some species of endangered local fishes. They also have some cool fish from other places, too.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely beautiful and so many things to do and see. Places to have a picnic lunch. So charming!

Positive experience: Very nice, but small, and busy in weekends, so not a lot of time to observe because it's one big long line . Best to go at slower times and would probably have a better experience.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful place. I really enjoyed the organization of the aquarium. It makes the crowd easy to get through. I didn’t miss a thing!

Fantastic experience: Absolutely amazing! It was very crowded but the atmosphere was calm and family friendly. No charge to get in once you pay for park access. $12 annual. Highly recommended!!

Fantastic experience: A great way to spend your afternoon. The fact that it's free makes it even better! So many varieties of native and non native fish, it's always cool to see what is new and happening at the aquarium!

Fantastic experience: Even though it’s small, they have lots of interesting fish. Great for toddlers.

Positive experience: Hours of operation are too restricted which probably creates capacity crowd. My enjoyment was limited due to crowd size.

Fantastic experience: Lovely facility and wonderful and informative volunteers

Fantastic experience: The building is absolutely stunning and beautiful and the aquarium is amazing. The best experience!

Fantastic experience: This is a gem that needs to be preserved. You won't spend hours in here, but this is a very cool space, we thoroughly enjoyed our time here. While here, bre sure to pay attention to the building itself as well as the fish.

Fantastic experience: The oldest aquarium in North America is just beautiful and so fun to visit and free. A small donation is requested but not necessary.

Fantastic experience: Perfect for toddlers! Fun exhibits including a seahorse. My son loved the garden exhibit. The conservatory is next door too.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful! It was like stepping back in time. We enjoyed the few hours we spent on the island. Would recommend visiting especially with children

Fantastic experience: It is such a great aquarium with amazing architecture (oldest in the US). Many local great lakes fish to view, and the kids loved this place. Can view everything in an hour or less without being in a rush.

Fantastic experience: Stunning aquarium. Takes about 30mins to 1hr to see everything. Very nice displays and fish seem well taken care of. Gets pretty crowded on a Sunday at open.

Fantastic experience: I didn't even know about this aquarium when I went to Belle Island, it was a delightful find once I was there. It's free to enjoy this aquarium, though you need admittance to the state park first.

Fantastic experience: I really like this place I guess they fixed it up pretty nice. I can’t remember when I went there before, but I felt like they spent millions of dollars that the whole inside would’ve been completely renovated, but I guess they only done parts and good job. the tile is awesome

Fantastic experience: One of the only places that was enjoyable about Detroit, the person to greet us was a wonderful young lady who had moved to Detroit recently and was knowledgeable and kind to talk to. Aquarium was super cool, I do wish the gift shop was bigger but all in all a great place to visit !

Positive experience: This is the most beautiful aquarium I’ve ever been into. The green tile ceiling and great aquariums immerse you as you travel through each exhibit. I love the conservation theme and how well kept the exhibits were. HOWEVER.. I cannot give this aquarium 5 stars. After traveling seamlessly through 90% of the aquarium and having great conversations with multiple employees, ONE employee completely ruined the remainder of the experience. The mega-Karen standing by the electric eel tank at first seemed quite kind like the other employees. How wrong was I. As she tries to draw a crowd around the eel exhibit, many people try to crowd in. She continues to force people together, singling me out and asking me to “actually move your feet.” As I’m already standing in front of children at this point, I mention I do not want to block others’ view. She then replies, “there’s a crowd, look to your right hon,” in the most sarcastic Karen voice you can imagine. Other aquarium goers are then sympathizing with me at this point due to this lady’s rudeness. Whoever this employee is, has no right to treat guests this way. Every single other employee was beyond kind except for her. She does not deserve to enjoy this aquarium every day. Beware, she may ruin your experience as well.

Fantastic experience: Came there 7 years ago, while my oldest one is only 8 months old. This time came with my second one, who is just 19 months. Time flies. And we are happy to come back, except a white old lady warns that do not touch the glass. I have been to al or of aquariums before, usually they do not allow you to tap the glass, instead of touch the glass. Kids are curious to the world around them. What if they just want to have a loser look for the sea creatures, that cannot allow to touch the glass!!!!! They just try to point the right fish abd show their interest and happiness for the new findings. I don’t like that old mean lady!

Fantastic experience: The building and tile work are beautiful. We love to visit and admire the local and more exotic water life.

Fantastic experience: What a fun place to go and experience, local marine life, and habitats. The docents are very informative, and will explain the history of the amazing tile ceiling and walls. When you visit in the spring, you can help place the Koi in the Koi pond for the summer.

Fantastic experience: Oldest Aquarium in America Detroit started the wonders we see in Aquariums everywhere. Beautiful building. Greatly kept. Free to come! Lots of fish and water creatures. Great place to come especially with family.

Fantastic experience: Local gem, small and neat! If you are visiting Belle Isle, don’t miss out this one!

Fantastic experience: Love the aquarium! Please donate something when you go in to keep free access! It's a great place to visit on Belle Isle.

Fantastic experience: We enjoyed it since we havnt been in a long time , we did show up 20 mins before closing they still let us walk through . Very clean space , staff was nice , enjoyed seeing all the different type of fish.

Positive experience: Definitely a super cool experience. Can’t really say anything bad given it’s free to get in. I love the ceilings,. It was pretty busy but we went on a Saturday so that’s to be expected

Fantastic experience: Beautiful aquarium!!! The exhibits and the building itself were beautiful! Super nice staff as well! Admission is free and facility is run off of donations.

Fantastic experience: So many interesting things to see & learn. Suggested donation of $5 per person is completely reasonable. Love visiting this attraction multiple times each year.

Positive experience: Love seeing all the unique aquascapes and their residents. We went mid day on a Sunday and it was busy, but not so busy that you couldn't enjoy yourself. I have been multiple times and there is always something new to see. Donations are accepted for entry.

Fantastic experience: Nice small-tank aquarium. Free to visit but they ask for a $5 donation. Expect to spend about an hour or less there. Some very visitor friendly exhibits of both local and exotic fish and friends.

Fantastic experience: They were very organized, getting everyone through. It was free to get in and quite busy, but you wouldn't know it. Loved seeing all the different aquatic animals.

Fantastic experience: From the moment you walk in, you are mesmerized by the ceiling tile and the history of the building. This is such a quick and fun thing to do on any weekend. Love love love Belle Isle and this is just another blessing we have on the island. Very family friendly.

Fantastic experience: There are so many types of fish. I would definitely go again.

Fantastic experience: Can't give the volunteers the props they deserve on here!! They were all wonderful especially Mr. Mark who was stationed at the axolotl exhibit. He explained everything there was to explain about them and listened to my 6 year old and her stories about her own axolotl. This place rocks!

Fantastic experience: Beautiful architectural buildings, astetically pleasing to the eye, wonderful place to bring the family you get on free of charge which is unheard of anymore. Will visit again. Whole family enjoyed coming. Took a while to find a spot to park up close.

Fantastic experience: The little sand eels are worth the trip alone. They are so stinking cute. The building is very pretty, absolutely love the green tile vaulted ceilings. So happy they restored the place. This is by no means an aquarium like some other major cities have, but it is very charming.

Fantastic experience: Always love coming to the aquarium on belle isle!!

Fantastic experience: Wonderful place for people of all ages, informative calls to action for the environment are intertwined with the exhibits and offer a profound insight to all the well kept species in this aquarium.

Fantastic experience: Great place to visit.. was are 1st time there and enjoy it great display

Fantastic experience: This was so fun. Very great specimens and descriptions are very informative. This isn't a massive aquarium but it is a decent size. And it is free.

Fantastic experience: So beautifully kept. If you love aquariums and architecture this is the cutest little aquarium ever! It's free to all visitors and there are so many well kept fish here. 10/10 will come back again!

Fantastic experience: Was very busy for a snowy January day but it was a Sunday. Nice displays. Healthy animals. Great information. Pleasant and knowledgeable staff that were very friendly. No wait to get inside, but slow moving through the displays because of how many people were there. Still a great experience for my group of 3 adults.

Positive experience: The belle isle actuarial is one that emphasizes quality over quantity. It’s an intimate space, specially against modern aquariums but every inch of the architecture has clearly had thought out into it. That being said, the poor public funding shows its head. Some displays are empty, info cards are worn out with age, and the displays themselves need some updating. That being said the staff care a lot and management is clearly doing amazing things with limited resource. Highly recommend visiting, highly recommend advocating for more resources for them

Positive experience: Very small, but really beautiful! The interior was quite unique to any aquarium I've been in ( although I don't go to many aquariums). Most of the fish are local lake species and they have some tropical species as well. The axolotl and the piranha were cool! It's wheelchair accessible (although it requires using an alternate entrance and exit, you might have to call ahead). There are no public restrooms (they were not operational when we visited).

Fantastic experience: The State government took over from the city government and the results are amazing and noticeable

Fantastic experience: Wow what a great aquarium to see… if you are in the area must check out… love all the details and knowledgeable you get from there… best time ever….

Positive experience: This place was awesome for a free aquarium. It’s charming and laid out smart in a way that you enter, make your way around the perimeter and then exit in a loop so foot traffic is not frustrating. It wasn’t super busy, but we went at the end of the day. The man working was curt and unfriendly, but we gave him the benefit of the doubt since it was end of his shift. Highly suggest if you’re headed to Detroit or belle isle.

Fantastic experience: What a cool aquarium! It’s bite sized but packs a punch. The docent at the octopus tank was really knowledgeable and friendly. He engaged everyone. Loved that.

Fantastic experience: Great little aquarium in the middle of Belle Isle. The aquarium is very small so you won't need a lot of time to go though it but they have some great exibits. Additionally the architecture is amazing, it's very cool to see one of the oldest aquariums in the country and imagine that it looks very similar to how it did in the past. Although it's free I highly recommend giving a donation if you can so they can keep this awesome place running.

Fantastic experience: Oldest Aquarium in the country. Small and interesting. Check out the Conservatory next door

Fantastic experience: The Belle Isle Aquarium is a historic, beautiful aquarium. It was opened in 1904 and the building itself is an attraction. It has intricate stonework on the outside and stunning marble inside, with green tile covering its arched ceiling. The aquarium is clean and well maintained. I found the displays very interesting, and informative. There are lots of fish species and a few other types of aquatic animals. It was a smaller aquarium, but with a lot to see. There is a small gift shop outside and some food trucks nearby if you're looking for something to purchase. There is no touch tank however. Admittance to the aquarium itself is free, once you're on Belle Isle. They do accept donations, if you want to help out this cool museum!

Fantastic experience: It was a small but very interesting aquarium which features local and some exotic species of fish and other animals. Hopefully it stays free (donations only). A must visit for Belle Isle!

Fantastic experience: Nice little aquarium if you happen to be on Belle island. Very small but historic place.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful aquarium and conservation center, very educational staff and displays. A lot of focus on native species and invasive species of the state. Highly recommend this place if you're ever in the area or visiting Michigan.

Fantastic experience: The Belle Isle Aquarium was a lot of fun. ( free ) The building is beautiful. They have a large variety of fish for the size of it. Being built in 1904, it's the oldest public aquarium in the  continental United. The parking for Belle Isle is $11 for the day or $40 for a year pass. I highly recommend spending the day on Belle Isle. Walking the trails, Go to the beach, picnic. The grate lakes museum was great with a lot of knowledge and information!

Fantastic experience: So much to see and learn here. The architecture alone will leave you in awe. Doc Oc puts on a great show when he's in the mood the axolotls are always fun to see too

Fantastic experience: For out of towners it is very difficult to get the information you need to visit. But this is a must see! The tile and architecture is absolutely amazing. The aquarium is located in Belle Isle State Park. Entry by car to the state park, if you are from out of state and do not have a recreation pass, is $11. The aquarium itself once you have entered the park is free. They suggest a $5 donation. This is completely optional. There is a sign with a tap to pay card option or a donation box for cash, but nobody approaches you or attempts to solicit this donation. The parking lot for the aquarium is right outside the building so it is very accessible for small children and those who cannot walk far. The aquarium itself is not very big. It is one large room with tanks lining the walls and at the center. I went on a holiday weekend. There was no wait but it was a bit packed so we did stand around waiting to move through the exhibit. I would allot about an hour to see it and spend the rest of your day enjoying the other attractions on Belle Isle. The attached conservatory is currently closed. You can view a large Koi pond from outside the gate, but that is about it. When that reopens you will need more time. The grounds looked expansive and very fun. I was very disappointed we came at the wrong time. Bathrooms are located at a nearby bus station pavilion. They are not the best. Certainly safe to use but a bit smelly and you may have to clean the seat first. When I went there were two food trucks in the parking lot for the aquarium and several food trucks in nearby parking lots within the park.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful little aquarium! The architecture of the building is amazing.

Positive experience: This beautiful yet small aquarium on Belle isle is a nice spot. With a few food truck in the parking lot it makes for a nice afternoon. It beautiful and clean.

Fantastic experience: Small aquarium and usually crowded. The set up doesn’t really allow for staying long. But it’s still a nice visit to see some aquatic animals.

Fantastic experience: Great aquarium! Its free to enter but you can (and should) donate. Staff are extremely knowledgeable. The man who was teaching at the axolotl tank was so friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable. I don't remember his name but he said he was a former teacher and he was the greatest! He also recommended we check out the nature center, which didn't disappoint.

Fantastic experience: Very nice small aquarium to visit while on Belle Isle. Does get a bit crowded when busy but that is to be expected. Nice volunteers!

Fantastic experience: Great to see this place renewed. An important part of the storied history of a city on the rise again. If you haven't visited in years, you are in for a very pleasant surprise! The city is cleaning up and rebuilding for a brighter future. I am stunned by the transformation over the last 10+ years.

Fantastic experience: Very good exhibit. Small but had a lot to see. The staff were very nice and helpful. It’s free but they do encourage donations

Fantastic experience: This is a fun, small, very well maintained aquarium. We really enjoyed the green tile and the fish displays. There was a little something here for everyone. There are volunteers here to answer questions, and there was a gift truck outside of the aquarium. The koi pond just outside the aquarium is worth visiting as well. The aquarium is only open Friday-Sunday, so plan accordingly. We really enjoyed this free aquarium ($5 donation), and we also liked the nature center as well.

Fantastic experience: This is a beautiful island that the aquarium is on. We waited for a while to cross the bridge, then paid 11 bucks for a day pass. It would be a great place to have a picnic. Very easy place to spend your day.

Positive experience: I haven't been to the Belle Isle Aquarium in about 6 years. They have definitely gotten some new additions that impressed me. Considering this is a free aquarium, not bad at all. My teenage son and I really enjoyed ourselves. It was a Saturday around 3pm and very crowded. It's also pretty hot in there. They have air, but they leave the doors open and it was a 90° day. They did have several fans posted around too.