Tybee Island Marine Science Center

Fantastic experience: Great place to bring your family when the beach gets too hot!! Interesting, fun, and educational for my two year old AND myself. I like that its focus is on education and conservation.

Negative experience: Dont understand all the 5 star ratings. After looking for things to do and having just been at the lighthouse google tells me admission is free at Tybee Island Marine Science Center. Excited to see some marine life and learn a little, I get inside the door to $15 dollar admission. So I think, ok no biggie I can spend an hour or more out of the heat for that. No 10 minutes to see a half dozen turtles some shrimp and a gator. And everybody standing around like isn't this just amazing. No it's really not and ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH YOUR MONEY.

Fantastic experience: I think the best value for this center is by attending one of the events. We attended the Turtle Talk. Our presenter was a biologist who not only know what she was talking about, but you could tell that she also enjoyed her field. (Thank you Lindsay for an amazing presentation!) $15 might be a bit high considering that it is a small location and you have to pay for Tybee beach parking. Note - get there early or a parking spot will not be available. For $25 you can get an informative 1 hour talk or walk which includes the admission too. I wish I lived closer! I would definitely attend more events. I am happy to be able to follow their Instagram account to continue to learn and see more.

Fantastic experience: Such a cute and fun spot! It is in a great location, super easy to get to, and totally worth the stop. The exhibits were awesome, the staff was sweet, and it’s the perfect mix of educational and entertaining. But let’s talk about the real star: Ossie the sea turtle. Charming, majestic, and definitely trying to steal my boyfriend. I don’t blame him…Ossie’s got that mysterious ocean energy and zero competition in the tank. We left with smiles, fun facts, and me keeping a close eye on my man around sea turtles now. 10/10 would go back (and maybe bring a decoy boyfriend next time). Parking is shared with the North beach, so make sure you get there early.

Fantastic experience: Get there early. Before the beach goers get the spots. Had to park far away and walk. Very educational.

Positive experience: Great hands on nature center for kids and curious adults.

Negative experience: My group of 43 ppl came here today, 38 kids aged 5-12 and 5 adults. The tour guide, Liberty, was friendly and very informative. After the 2 hour tour was over, and we paid $752 we were told our group could not sit down and eat at the tables outside. The lady said we couldn't hold up the tables from other ppl who wanted to sit down. She said the tables were for ppl who had kids on the playground. There were 6 ppl at the 3 tables and one table was empty. We came here 3 years in a row for summer camp, but after this....WE WILL NOT BE BACK!!!! For the price, the heat, the long ride there and after a 2 hour tour at $752, and told we could not sit and eat it's UNACCEPTABLE!!!! VERY DISAPPOINTED!!! Needless to say, we did sit down and eat, that's only because the 6 ppl who were sitting down heard what was going on and moved for us. God bless them and thanks to you!!!

Fantastic experience: This was such an amazing experience and it was interesting getting to see all of this marine biology up close. It is a fun space for both children and adults!

Fantastic experience: It was expensive for such a small place but I understand the money goes to the animals.

Positive experience: Fun and interactive for kids, but not much here. Parking situation is terrible. Shared with very busy beach.

Positive experience: A great place to experience marine biology and support the cause of marine wildlife preservation. The children enjoyed the playground, bird watching, boat watching, and of course the animals.

Positive experience: It was fun seeing the turtles and other sea creatures...Staff were friendly. Doesn't compare to larger aquariums like Atlanta or even the turtle rescue in South Padre.

Fantastic experience: Awesome place to get a first hand look at tybee marine life.

Fantastic experience: Fun experience for all the family

Negative experience: Terrible waste of money. Had to pay $8 for parking. $15/ per person for adults. Lots of empty fish tanks or tanks with notes on them telling you the animals are shy so their hiding. Two small rooms. Very little to see or do. Fake sharks in the lower level Waste of time and money. They should be ashamed charging that kind of money for pretty much nothing.

Positive experience: Small place to visit with kids..the staff were very friendly, was patience enough to answer all the questions asked by our kids

Fantastic experience: It’s small but it’s a great way to spend an hour out of the sun. My two year old loved seeing the turtles, alligator, fishies, and touching hermit crabs. The playground area is great, too!! All of the staff were so kind.

Fantastic experience: Very neat and informative place

Fantastic experience: We have always had a great time here. The staff are extremely helpful and friendly. My grandson especially loved watching the feeding of the sea turtle and holding the crabs.

Fantastic experience: Children and Adults will enjoy all the animals here!!

Fantastic experience: We really enjoyed the employees sharing their knowledge of the creatures there, cool turtles and fish & crabs etc and there is a hands on exhibit where u can pick up hermit crabs and such from a shallow tank. This is not a huge place and you can be through it in less than an hour.

Fantastic experience: Great location to visit the Museum and walk the beach!

Fantastic experience: Very quaint and the staff was very nice and lovely. Interesting to see and to bring your kids

Fantastic experience: A great little science center with two small wings. Loved getting to see Westie and Ossie the turtles. The science exhibits were really nice, and had a ton of info. It is a little hilarious to pay for parking in a gravel lot for a science center.

Fantastic experience: A great museum to learn about the marine life on Tybee Island! And we met Westie the sea turtle!!

Positive experience: Was not what we expected, we thought it would be more like an aquarium. More a research station and turtle and taripian rescue. Ask lots of questions of the very intelligent marine science people and your entry fee will be well spent.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful center to learn interesting facts! They put a lot of work into this facility and it’s a great add to the island! Will be going again!

Fantastic experience: We all enjoyed holding the hermit crabs and seeing the turtles, we also did the turtle talks which was very interesting and engaging for the adults and the kids!

Fantastic experience: Relatively small center with nice exhibits and informative staff! Well worth the fee and your time.

Fantastic experience: Great place to visit. They have a very good turtle program. There are many species to see as they grow and are released back into the ocean. Then you get to track them in the ocean.

Fantastic experience: Great educational experience and fun. If you visit Tybee Island you need to visit the Marine Science Center.

Negative experience: Very underwhelming! Very small museum and not much to look at. The price was ridiculous for what was offered.

Fantastic experience: The Tybee Island Marine Science Center is a much smaller facility than I expected—perhaps because I’m used to the Georgia Aquarium—so I was a bit surprised at first. You can go through the entire exhibit in about 15–20 minutes, but despite its size, we really enjoyed the experience. One of the highlights was that it wasn’t crowded, allowing the kids to interact more freely. They loved touching the water and engaging with the exhibits, which made the visit more hands-on and fun. The center focuses a lot on turtles, which was interesting, and the staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, making the experience even better. There’s also a small playground outside, where the kids played for a bit after the visit. The facility is well-maintained and very clean, which we appreciated. Overall, it was worth the visit! If you’re in the area and looking for an educational, kid-friendly stop, this is a great place to check out. Just keep in mind that it’s a quick visit, so it’s best paired with other activities on Tybee Island.

Fantastic experience: Super friendly staff and nice exhibits. My son loved seeing the turtles and playing in their touch tank. They're doing great work there. It's also right next to the beach access so it's a good add on for a beach visit

Fantastic experience: One of the best Marine Centers in the state! So beautiful. The exhibits are so well maintained and the staff was so friendly and knowledgeable. Lindsey was our guide and she was amazing!!!

Fantastic experience: The Tybee Island Marine Science Center is a great place to stop on your visit to Tybee Island. We booked the Beachwalk which also included admission to the marine science center. Tyler was very knowledgeable and gave us a very nice walk around the jetties and on the beach. I can definitely pick out cannonball jellyfish and know that ghost shrimp create the little holes in the beach sand I’ve always wondered about. The center itself isn’t very big but it’s worth a visit, make sure to check out Westie the loggerhead sea turtle and the diamondback terrapins.

Fantastic experience: We had a wonderful time at the Science Center! It's a fantastic place for visitors of all ages. The staff was friendly, and Frank, in particular, was incredibly knowledgeable about the sea life. It’s a charming spot to explore a variety of sea creatures and learn something new. Highly recommend stopping by!

Fantastic experience: The Tybee Island Marine Science Center was an incredible experience! The facility itself was beautiful, and we learned so much during our visit. The variety of marine life exhibits was impressive, offering a close-up look at the fascinating creatures of the region. We also opted for the add-on beach walk, and it was absolutely worth it. Our guide, Alex, was amazing, knowledgeable, engaging, and so passionate about the environment. Alex made the walk both educational and fun, answering all our questions and helping us appreciate the natural beauty of the beach. We left with a deeper understanding and appreciation of marine life and conservation. Highly recommend this spot for families, nature lovers, or anyone looking to enjoy and learn more about the coast!

Fantastic experience: Interactive marine science museum. Small but worth the visit.

Fantastic experience: We saw turtles, crabs, and fish. It's a small center, but the kids enjoyed it.

Negative experience: The new facility is nice, but was built without those with physical disabilities in mind. If you use a mobility aid to get around, I don't recommend. The outdoor bathroom situation is a hazard and difficult to get to. The elevator, you end up locked inside the facility. The parking situation is also an issue. Lack of pavement makes using said mobility aids difficult.

Fantastic experience: Lovely experience visiting the Marine Science Center! We saw Ossie getting fed, and got to pet some of the other animals. Lovely, friendly staff who were all helpful and excited to show us the animals. :-)

Fantastic experience: This was such a highlight in our Savannah trip. It's a smaller establishment, but that didn't take away from our experience at all. We got to see lots of aquatic animals like fish, sea turtles, jelly fish, starfish, and other types of turtles, too. There's even a space to look through a telescope and see out far into the ocean. We went during Whale Week and learned so many cool facts about whales. It's also family friendly and very affordable, only $12/adult. The staff is SO NICE. We would've missed the sea turtle feeding if it weren't for one of the staff members coming upstairs and notifying everyone. She answered everyone's questions with ease and a smile. I wish I would've gotten his name, but there was an older gentlemen who sat in the corner of the fossil room and he was SO enlightening. My boyfriend and I hung off of every word he said and he was so passionate about marine life. His voice was very soothing and we could've stayed there all day talking to him. 10000/10 recommend this place!

Fantastic experience: Me and my partner had an amazing time at the MSC. We thought Frank was the star of the show. He was very wholesome and knowledgeable, especially regarding horse shoe crabs, and right whales.

Fantastic experience: My friends and I ended up here by chance while aimlessly exploring. We had a great time exploring the exhibits and learning from the staff. They were all incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Learned a lot of interesting info. Worth the $12 admission.

Positive experience: We had a great visit at this place. We're not scientists or marine biologists, just a couple of tourists. This place is well put together and well managed. So interesting to see the marine life there. Well worth it and we're so glad we went.

Fantastic experience: Soooooo much fun! If you're going to Tybee Island, this is a must. All the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. My son loved it! We will be back next year.

Fantastic experience: Best experience ever! Best staff ever, so informative, sweet, funny! Just loved them all! Gemma loved seeing all the fish, turtles, and having hans on with the little crabs.

Fantastic experience: The Tybee Island Science Center is a small but wonderful spot, especially for families with young kids. Children under four get in for free, and tickets for everyone else are $12, which is well worth it. One of the highlights is the touch tank, where kids can interact with shells, snails, and hermit crabs—definitely a big hit! The sea turtles are another must-see. We had the chance to view them up close and see Westin be fed, which was an unforgettable experience. Outside, there’s a playground that kept the little ones entertained. Overall, a fun and educational visit!

Fantastic experience: Absolutely cannot recommend the marsh tour with Hannah more! One of the best vacation experiences our family has enjoyed and we go all over the country! My kids learned so much. Hannah was extremely patient with all their questions and showed us so much cool stuff! Tips: definitely bring boots if you can. We did it in tennis shoes because we are from out of town but boots would have been so much better.

Fantastic experience: This was our first time visiting the science center at their new location and it's fantastic. Everyone there was super friendly and knowledgeable. We saw a couple of juvenile sea turtles that are scheduled to be released once they turn 3 years old and so much cool information and facts about the wildlife on and around the island. Definitely recommend.

Positive experience: Gave a 4 rating due to cost of stores items and smaller size of the center. Had outdoor trailer restrooms but clean and air conditioned. Had a couple of live exhibits and we'll informed kind employees. Highlight was going outside and down below to see the live sea turtle get fed in a ground level aquarium

Fantastic experience: I didn’t take any pictures! I was just enjoying the place so well I completely forgot! The different turtles were so precious and the fossils were very interesting. The place is small so it didn’t take long to see. I did capture the older loggerhead turtle as it was swimming around opening its mouth seeking food.

Fantastic experience: A very family friendly place, to learn all about the ocean and the area's sealife!

Fantastic experience: A wonderful learning experience for my autistic beautiful Granddaughter, she is a vision learner I highly recommend for any children, the ladies are very knowledgeable and the gift shop and the entrance lady makes you feel very welcome Thank you.

Fantastic experience: Excellent experience! Very friendly and knowledgeable personnel passionate about marine science. My children loved the petting exhibit and enjoyed learning more about marine animals.

Fantastic experience: Great educational experience for kids and adults. Lots of interactive exhibits and knowledgeable employees willing to answer any and all questions.

Fantastic experience: A great place to spend a couple of hours and learn more about the many critters who call Tybee Island home. I'd been seeing the discarded shells of horseshoe crabs on the beach and was amazed to get to see a live one moving around at the science center. Loved the touch tank and seeing the sea turtles. Staff were very informative and eager to answer questions. A nice exhibit on the Right Whale with a beautiful upstairs overlook with views to the ocean. Bonus - it's air conditioned!

Fantastic experience: Really cool experience. Highly recommend this place. We loved all the animals and the people seemed to be knowledgeable. I wish the bone cases for the whale weren’t meshed so we could take pictures. Otherwise everything was awesome.

Negative experience: not worth the cost & nancy needs a different position that doesn’t require interpersonal relations, especially with children. her extremely rude and disrespectful attitude ruined the whole experience. a center that’s so obviously in need of funding should train the gift shop/entry employees in sales & customer service tactics, but perhaps this one actually prefers when customers leave disappointedly to spend their money elsewhere? to each their own, but we certainly got the message and will not return ✌

Fantastic experience: We did the marsh experience before going to the center. Our guide was informative while letting us walk around some. We enjoyed being able to collect crabs for the turtles! Worth the money to go here!

Fantastic experience: The staff was so great with our toddler. She learned so much and had a blast. Their turtle feeding is a must see!

Fantastic experience: I remember going to this place when it was a few donated yard sale aquariums in a trailer in the 80s. I was a kid and loved it. It's amazing now and I'm sure it blows my son's mind. Lots to see and lots to learn!

Positive experience: This place is smaller than we expected but very interesting. We had a group ranging in age from 6-76 and everyone enjoyed it! I love how interactive and kind the employees were. They were very willing to answer all of our questions

Fantastic experience: We had a program guide that was awesome! She took our group on tour of the beach, hunted for shark teeth, sand sifting, tour of the center, and a private room for touch pool where we got to hold and learn more about hermit crabs. The turtles were so cute and we got to learn more about them.

Fantastic experience: This is a great stop for families. It’s pretty small but has a lot to see. I would definitely recommend getting tickets to one of their programs, which includes admission to the center. We did “Turtle Talk” with Hannah. She was really fun and informative and took us through the center to feed the resident turtles when we were through. We had a 10 and 8 year old with us and they were fully engaged the entire program.

Positive experience: Wasn’t very much to see, the downstairs was under construction. Whenever we were at the playground they were doing yard work…at 10am, very loud and when you’re allergic to grass it’s horrible. Only good thing was the staff was very nice and answered any questions. Also like that they release everything after a period of time. Don’t plan to spend more than 30 min here.

Fantastic experience: This was not on our original itinerary, but I'm glad we stumbled on it. We were heading to the Tybee lighthouse when we found this. Lucky us there were professional ocean people here today to talk about different aquatic life . I learned more today about sea turtles and horse shoe crabs than I did my whole life . It was also awesome watching westie the sea turtle at the 10:45 feeding.. the admission was $12 per person.. well worth it.

Positive experience: Very nice marine science center with lots of turtles, fish, and other small marine creatures. $12 admission fee, not as big as expected but definitely worth a visit.

Fantastic experience: Perfect little interactive and informative museum! Staff were helpful and friendly. Plus a cute little gift shop to finish off the visit.

Fantastic experience: Cute place, worth checking out if you're near North Beach with kids! My toddler loved the turtles (and this statue).

Fantastic experience: Our program educator was amazing!!!! We found all types of living things during our sand sifting and beach walk. Then we visited marine life inside the center. Sea turtles ❤️. If you or someone you know loves marine life definetly check into the programs they offer. They even have summer camp.

Fantastic experience: Great educational place. Loved seeing Charlie the sea turtle and Winnie on the bottom floor. (guessing at the name)

Fantastic experience: What a wonderful experience! Our 4-year-old was enamored by all of the marine animals there, especially the hermit crabs and starfish that she could touch and hold. The playground was great, too. Definitely recommend for anyone— with or without kids!

Fantastic experience: This place is awesome! The staff was knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. The kids loved the touch tank full of hermit crabs. It was great to see the fish and turtles and learn about the local ecosystem. It's not big, but I bet we could have easily spent a few hours there.

Fantastic experience: My husband and I stopped here while on our Tybee Island/Savannah trip and it was one of our favorite experiences! It is clear the staff is totally dedicated to marine life and conservation, and they do a wonderful job educating people on that. It's an educational, immersive experience that made this spot a tourist gem. Great for all ages! Definitely try to go when they are having an educational event to really get a feel for the whole experience.

Fantastic experience: We spent about an hour or so with our kids younger than 4. We were lucky enough to arrive while they were feeding a sea turtle and hear them talk about sea turtles. It’s a bit on the small side but worth checking out with young kids.

Positive experience: It's cute, fun exhibits and talks, but it is very small. Definitely good for tourists. Probably great for people who want to become marine biologists to work or volunteer here. For Savannahians going to the beach, this is a One And Done place

Fantastic experience: Went on a beach walk with Taylor and had an excellent experience! She was very knowledgeable, pointed out many things we would have never noticed, and answered all of our questions. Highly recommend this experience and bonus admission to the center!

Fantastic experience: Kids loved going here. It is small, but that adds to the charm of being able to learn more about the individual animals, they enjoyed seeing the two sea turtles they have, it was a little crowded as when we went a school was there, but even then we were able to have time to ourselves to look at the exhibits.

Fantastic experience: Loved visiting the marine center! We booked a “turtle talk” which included our admission. Hannah was very knowledgeable and really has a genuine care for guests and animals both. This facility really cares about their work, research and education. Included is a photo of one of their sea turtles, Ossie. :)

Fantastic experience: Love seeing the turtles! Staff was knowledgeable

Fantastic experience: This place is great for kids and adults. We all loved the live animals and how knowledgeable the staff were. They did a great job being animal advocates! Great displays and space to sit and watch ships. Our kids loved the tank where they could pick up and touch hermit crabs and shells.

Fantastic experience: This place was amazing! My kids 2&4 had a great time. Loved all the live marine life, especially the turtles. There is an area where you can even touch hermit crabs, snails, shells in the water. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly! A fun playground to end the visit! And you can follow the path to the beach and see the lighthouse. A must see if you are visiting. You won’t be disappointed!

Fantastic experience: My daughter loves it here. The staff will tell you anything you want to know about the wildlife that stay with them. We love the sea turtles who will non stop swim towards you in the tank wanting human contact.

Fantastic experience: I loved having the opportunity to visit the Tybee Island Marine Science Center during my trip to the area this past week! Everyone was so friendly and informative. And I got to see Westie eat some delicious turtle brownies! Definitely check this place out during your travels if you love learning about the ocean and all its creatures.

Fantastic experience: Neat place, took my 6 and 3 y.o. boys. Staff was extremely friendly and interactive with the kids. Nice little playground in the middle of the features for the kids to run out some steam. It is smaller, and takes roughly 30-60 minutes to walk through minus the playground time. Will visit again.

Fantastic experience: I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. I try to find an educational venue or museum anytime I go on a vacay or adventure. This was perfect. I love learning about reptiles and the shelled creatures. Not many people know turtles, tortoises, and terrapins are different creatures that are all most people know as turtles. Love it!!!

Positive experience: We took our granddaughter here and we all loved it. She's 6, and enjoyed the center's playground too. The exterior portable bathroom is disgusting, super gross, lots of urine on tbe floor each of several times we have come, and so the center loses a star. Hope they address the bathroom. We became members, so we can stop in anytime.

Negative experience: If you have seen any of my other reviews on Google, you will know that I like to leave positive feedback. This time I am giving one star for a very simple reason, money. To park at the Science Center, you have to pay for 2 hours minimum. The hourly rate to park is $4. I have never paid this much an hour to park, anywhere. Perhaps if the parking were less we would have gone in. Even without the 2 hour minimum I think we would have. I just learned that the city owns the parking lot. I hope someone from the center reads my review and passes it on to the city. Maybe the city can fix their parking meters with all the money they take in. The trip from Hilton Head was not a loss, however, as we really enjoyed seeing Ft. Pulaski and learning about it's pivotal role in helping to end slavery.

Fantastic experience: Such a cool little cutaway from the beach! My kiddos LOVED the turtles! Charlie is a HOOT!

Fantastic experience: If you go when Frank is working make sure you ask him about his knowledge of horseshoe crabs! He is full of knowledge and I learned so much! Such a great center for a great community, they even rehabilitate the animals and release them.

Fantastic experience: Great views from the light house after the 178 steps! The visitor center and historic houses are fun to see and well maintained.

Fantastic experience: Very surprised how nice the Science Center is. My 3yr old Granddaughter had a blast! We got to see Ike the Trutle his last day there. Great kid friendly experience and the Staff was so nice and didn't seem to mind educating us about the various species they have.

Fantastic experience: The staff really makes the place worth a visit. They are so friendly and willing to answer any question. There were tons of animals to see and information to read. You can get through everything in under an hour which makes an excellent break from the sun or place to take young kids. It was a great little adventure for us to see. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: A complete gem! What an amazing resource for Tybee Island. Guests learn about local marine life from the exceptional staff. They are friendly and eager to share information. Everyone in our group, ages 2 and up (way up), learned something new! The touch tank and other "hands on" experiences were so amazing. And we were fortunate to be able to witness the release of Ike the Loggerhead Sea Turtle on the morning of our visit! And the playground is pretty awesome too!

Positive experience: Staff was super friendly. I enjoyed walking around looking and learning things. The staff was very informative and knew about the animals. I loved learning the good that they do there and how they help. I do wish there was more to it but it definitely wasn't bad for what the price was. It's a great place to take kids!

Fantastic experience: The north side of Tybee has a place to rinse off, but be warned they are not the best places to change ick..

Fantastic experience: Very fun experience. Went with the school and got to buy a shirt from the small shop. I was hoping to stay longer but it cut short. We later went on the beach and that was a blast. The turtles are so cool.

Fantastic experience: Best learning center in town! Don't miss all the new and changing exhibits...We had an up close encounter with Ike! TIMS is as fascinating for adults as for children, especially the touch tanks and the fossil room. Not a bad playground, either!