UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium

Fantastic experience: Wonderful learning experience for all ages. Handicap accessible and many indoor exhibits. They have touching pools for horseshoe crabs. Beautiful gardens and waterfront trails

Fantastic experience: This aquarium is small, but very nice and educational. Love the trails as well.

Positive experience: Perfect price for the perfect place. Even on a hot summer afternoon we had a great time. Great way to spend and hour/1.5 hours including the nature walk.

Positive experience: Small but educational. Grandson enjoyed the hermit crabs best.

Fantastic experience: Very nice, well kept, and super friendly knowledgeable receptionist (I wish I could remember her name). Veteran discount available as well. Take advantage of the hiking trail and scavenger hunt!

Fantastic experience: We ended our camp week with a visit to this facility and wow what an amazing experience from beginning to end. Cindy was soooooooo super helpful, communicated effectively and returned my calls in a timely manner. On visit day, Cindy greeted me with a huge smile and an even bigger hug. The staff was super welcoming and helpful with getting the campers on track to view the site. The ground keepers were also wonderful; I can't brag on the staff enough. The trail walk was super nice, the aquarium is also nice, be sure to get the feed schedule as that was a trip highlight. A+++

Positive experience: Great bargin for a day trip with kids.

Fantastic experience: Our toddler had so much fun! And as marine scientists, we had fun, too! It was a rainy day, so we could only experience the indoor tanks.

Fantastic experience: We Enjoyed it and they had activities for the kids

Fantastic experience: Geared for young kids. It's very small but does the trick for pre-school kids and younger.

Positive experience: Don't expect the aquariums in Charleston, Chatannoga, or Baltimore, but this is a cool small aquarium & great to take the kids.

Negative experience: We came 2 years ago and it was so amazing. There were so many things to do and look at for the kids. I was really disappointed this time to find out there were no rooms open for the kids to visit. It's VERY small and VERY limited. They used to have microscopes and turtles and all kinds of things to look at and interact with, but not anymore.

Fantastic experience: I have loved this aquarium since I was a kid. Now my 6 year old loves it as much as I do. We go several times a year at minimum and love seeing all of their new tanks. My son's school went for a field trip recently, and we had such a blast!!! Great people and a great way to learn about our native ecosystem.

Positive experience: This is a very small center. That maybe 5-10 displays. However, after witnessing kids abusing animals at the touch tank (while the parents watched) and nothing was done after informing staff, I was absolutely disgusted and disappointed. The walk was beautiful, and everything was well maintained.

Fantastic experience: Great learning experience about coastal waters. Walk to the 400 year old live oak- amazing! Would be a great place for a picnic by the river!

Fantastic experience: Very nice aquarium with A LOT of local fish and crabs. Wonderful walking trails too.

Positive experience: Overall we had a great experience! My 11 year old loved the touch tanks and the staff was incredibly helpful and provide wonderful education on the species. It was small and although they advertise the amount of tanks (I think around 16), they were smaller tanks all next to each other so it doesn’t take very long to see everything. Because of that my only gripe would be the the driving distance (we stayed in Pooler and had to drive 50 minutes). So for the distance I don’t know that I would visit again.

Fantastic experience: The exhibits they have inside are very informative. I took the full walk around the trail. Came across a possum which was exciting. Saw the oldest tree and had a very nice time.

Fantastic experience: Very small but nicely done "aquarium ". We enjoyed the walk through and the displays of the local marine life in this area. The displays were nicely done with opportunity to interact with some of the displays. Great learning experience for children and everyone!

Fantastic experience: Great little stop with a lot of information and some great experiences. We enjoyed the aquarium and the weather was perfect for a nature walk. On the nature walk we found most of the scavenger hunt flora and fauna, and read a lot about Barrier Islands in the exhibit cabin.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful educational site dedicated to the restoration and preservation of our coastal habitats

Fantastic experience: Inside small aquariams with standard for small kids to view. Upper level let's you touch horseshoe. Crab. Interactive videos. Outside picnic tables and 2 walking trails thru marsh

Positive experience: Not a whole lot to see inside for $5 but it also has nice walking trails. We had a two year old with us and she had a blast!

Positive experience: Knowledgeable staff, cool fish, and a lovely trail. My one objection is that there was a man walking around with his kid who did not stop coughing, sneezing, and sniffing. Obviously EXTREMELY sick. I had to leave the building, I did not feel comfortable in there. Disappointing because I wanted to look at the rest of the tanks and finish the tour of the inside. But I could not. So shame on the aquarium for not saying something to him (Sir, we'd love to have you visit the aquarium, but we'll have to ask you to come back when you're well), and shame on the man for even going out into public knowing that he risks infecting other people.

Positive experience: We loved this center and visited while we were checking out other things nearby. My 10 year old who loves animals had a great time—we all had a great time! Though the center itself is quite small, there was a lot to learn about, and the property is beautiful…the views of the water were amazing.

Fantastic experience: Spent 10 bucks (kid + military ticket) to entertain my kid for several hours. The aquarium is small but nice. The nature walk is short but nice. I was able to bring a stroller with mild difficulty on the trail.

Positive experience: The price was OK. The only thing I did not like was. There was only a limited aquariums and they were small with mostly local fish in them. I was expecting a lot. Do you generand we went there for my wife's birthday present. Thinking that it was gonna be a little bit better than what it was to drive 2 and a 1/2 hours to go to it.It Was. Was not what I was expecting.

Fantastic experience: Always a fun time! Super friendly. They do change the animals out and rearrange. Very nice touch tank for the children. It is small but all local animals.

Fantastic experience: Nice aquarium. Small, but very informative. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Great place for kids.

Positive experience: I enjoyed coming here with my siblings! The grounds are beautiful and the aquarium, while small, is interactive and rewarding. The drive to the destination took longer than I would’ve thought, but was still a great experience.

Fantastic experience: Small aquarium exhibit, but very nicely done. Touch tanks with crabs and whelks. The Nature Trail is a highlight and perfect stroll through nature with an abundance of wildlife of all types and sizes.

Fantastic experience: We loved it here they were so friendly and my boys had a amazing time!!!

Fantastic experience: Very small, but nice aquarium with a beautiful walking trail. The trail is the highlight of the center.

Fantastic experience: Small lovely aquarium! Also enjoyed the trail.

Fantastic experience: Really cool little aquarium, nice trails to hike. An inexpensive and fun way to get out of the heat. They have a fun touch pool, and wonderful employees. I had a blast talking with them about the tanks and their residents.

Positive experience: Nice small aquarium and nature trails if a bit out of the way. Good for local people but way too small of a long trip to visit unless seeing other area sights

Fantastic experience: We visited from out of state - woman up front was very informative and kind. Gave us a map and explained everything to us, and answered all our questions. It's definitely a great place to visit!

Positive experience: Bicycling not allowed on in-park nature trail, however it is allowed in the spot just before the entrance on the right side road pull off.

Fantastic experience: Small aquarium but we'll worth the stop. Perfect time of the year for us (April) as it wasn't the summer stifling hotness.

Positive experience: Aquarium has only a few tanks. I hate to give this place 3 stars because it truly wasn't bad. The walking trail wasn't very well maintained. Staff was pleasant though. Just not what I expected from the site. It led me to think it was much bigger of an attraction than it was.

Positive experience: Pricing model feels weird. People can park and walk the beautiful grounds for free. But the very small, single room aquarium (unchanged for 30+ years) costs $7? Wormsloe moved their ticketing to the front, ensuring anyone who wanted photos under the live oaks paid cover. I think it would be worth UGA doing similar here. For the location and with investment, this facility could be world class. Or just keep as is and make entry a suggested donation.

Positive experience: Day we went it was raining hard, so we didn't get to enjoy the rest of the park and docks to walk on. Nice aquarium with local species on display. Was able to show my wife the species of fish I'm trying to catch while on our trip to the Savannah region.

Fantastic experience: This is a small but nice aquarium. I think on a regular day they have different programs and things to do, so I'd check the website first. It is very close to the marsh and the marsh is accessible too, if you like exploring. We were there for an event with the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit, and my teenager had an amazing time!

Fantastic experience: It's a small facility but the outdoor trail hike was good and the entry price is very affordable. The staff was pleasant. We visited during December so there weren't many people around especially because it was rainy the day we went. Definitely a nice place to visit on the island on a rainy day.

Fantastic experience: The sea critters were fascinating and highly visible in their clean tanks, but the big hit for the little ones was the touch table. We spent more time there than any other place. The 10 and 7 year-olds were fascinated with the hermit crabs but a bit intimidated by the horseshoes. I picked up the horseshoes to let them touch gently and then they were hooked. Afterwards we walked the trail and went out on the boardwalk in a misting rain. None of us cared. The trail was so warm and inviting through the trees and culminated at the ancient live oak. The kids were very concerned that the rods put in place long ago to keep the branches from splitting, were harming the tree. I explained that the tree didn't need the help and had managed to continue to grow in spite of "the help". It was a gorgeous time well spent at a fabulous facility with fascinating creatures displayed in intriguing ways. It's a "must see"!

Fantastic experience: Was alot of fun small aquarium. If you take more than a minute to look in each tank you will see things that aren't on the informational cards like flounders, different crabs I'm not positive what they were but in the last couple of tanks there were multiple sea creatures that looked like Krill

Fantastic experience: Such a wonderful experience! We were in town for a wedding and wanted to do something fun before the ceremony. Ended up here and had a really nice time. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: This is a fantastic aquarium and nature walk. We enjoy walking the trail, going out on the dock, and sitting by the water. We most recently went for their Marine Science Day and had a blast! It was completely free (minus food, if you wanted to buy it). They had so many great organizations taking part and we learned about programs we didn't even know were here! They also had the research labs open. It was interesting to view different marine life under microscopes, learn about the ocean water, and of course the marine animals. You definitely don't have to have young children to go here for a visit. My husband and I have gone alone, and when our daughter was younger, and this most recent time, she was almost 12. Check it out!

Fantastic experience: My family had a wonderful time during our trip to this aquarium. Yes it is small, but it has a lot of charm to it in the form of various exhibits, a hands on tank, a nature trail, and more. Definitely worth a stop in. Staff was very friendly.

Fantastic experience: Such a fun place to visit for a great price ($7 for adults). Sandy was so kind!

Positive experience: A nice place to see what's in the costal waters in this area

Fantastic experience: This is not a huge fancy aquarium, however it is a nice quaint place to visit. The facilities are very well maintained. The nature walk is very well laid out and the staff is knowledgeable and pleasant. I hope to return with my camera when the wildlife is more active.

Fantastic experience: Fun for the family, do the nature trail after the aquarium, we saw crabs and a dolphin!

Fantastic experience: This was an amazing place to visit with a young family. The crab touch tank was a huge hit with our kids. The aquarium was very educational, clean and very interactive. They do accept credit card but it is advised to bring cash. The nature trail was phenomenal. The scenery and the historical buildings were a great bonus. It is also very wheelchair accessible, which is very much appreciated.

Positive experience: One of the very few places in Savannah where young children get to experience and explore the natural world in a safe and comfortable environment! My three year old great-granddaughter loved it!

Fantastic experience: Nice trip. Been years since last visit. Great for kids of all ages. Well managed and maintained. Family-friendly. Easy to read info signs. We also like the Submerged art.

Fantastic experience: Very family friendly and interesting place. Very clean and fun for the kiddos. Also very cheap admission prices. Spent a little over an hour here and had a lot of fun!

Positive experience: While small, the marine education center is well-maintained, has nice facilities, and was very enjoyable for our family. The outdoor trail is beautiful. We enjoyed our time here!

Fantastic experience: Took my son to the aquarium which isnt all that big but he absolutly loved watching the different fish swim around. They have a touch tank with horseshoe crabs which he thought we the coolest. They also have a nature trail in the back with a few old looking buildings with info about the history of the area. As well as a pier that overlooks the water and an awesome looking, old live oak that is absolutly enormous. We both had a great time

Fantastic experience: Great little marine science center! My kids loved seeing all the local see life and experiencing the touch tanks. There's a short nature trail to a pier where we saw all kinds of wildlife. A fun way to spend an hour or two.

Fantastic experience: What Wonder filled day. Fantastic hike about 1 mile. Kept 3 boys busy for a few hours. Pet the horseshoe crabs. Visit the sea creatures

Fantastic experience: Fascinating hidden gem. Small but very good aquarium, lovely nature trail and helpful, well informed staff. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: My 3 youngest kids( ages 1,5&7) really enjoyed themselves, as well as my husband & I.

Fantastic experience: We did the Behind the Scenes tour. Hour long. In the aquarium before it opened. Employees taught about the different fish and reptiles. Got to touch a king snake. Visited with a box turtle. Watched the octopus and areas horses being fed. Held conchs and seahorses. Nice to see behind the scenes but also to be able to wander around without crowds. Nice tour. About the right length for little ones. Hands- on opportunities.

Fantastic experience: Awesome Learning Center. Must visit and the trail walk is awesome. Heavenly place. The Instructors are awesome in explaining about aquatic animals.

Fantastic experience: Loved the hands on tank, loved watching all the fish in the tanks. Only complaints, wish there were more tanks with bigger fish and we really wish the trail was longer. But so worth going again and again. Just a note, you don't have to pay to walk the trails. You only have to pay to visit the aquarium.

Fantastic experience: We went to a special behind-the-scenes event where we were allowed to be present for the morning feeding. The workers were clearly passionate about the work they do there. The animals are treated with the utmost care. We got to handle a few animals that seemed to enjoy the attention. We can't wait to go back.

Fantastic experience: Small place to visit. I enjoy coming here with my youngest daughter. Never overcrowded and beautiful trail that walks along the river.

Fantastic experience: Really exciting place to bring young friends! Large outdoor areas perfect for picnics and large sea creatures to see and touch. My favorite there was the octopus, I didn't know they smell and taste from their suction cups. Very inexpensive interactive experience with plenty to do. Not to mention the drive out there is amazing

Fantastic experience: There are about 15 exhibits that hold different species of aquatic animals. There is a touch tank where everyone can hold horseshoe crabs, spider crabs, hermit crabs, and whelks. The staff is incredibly sweet and informative. The young receptionist was exceptional in her description and advice. In seeing I had a journal with me, she pointed out some quiet areas for me to sit and write if I wished. I also walked along the 1.5 mile nature trail. It was easy, quiet, and absolutely stunning. I was able to complete this in booties so sneakers are not a requirement for completing. Absolutely recommend for singles and families!

Fantastic experience: We are from Florida and while in the area, I saw this place as a suggested location during a Google search on what to do with children near Savannah. We arrived at 9:30AM with my 5 year old son and left at 2:30PM. He loved everything about this place and there is so much to learn. Both volunteers I spoke with at the front desk were very kind and so good with children. There are steps and handles for small children in front of the fish tanks so parents don't have to keep lifting them up to see inside which I thought was such a cool idea and I had never seen it before. There is a nice covered area outside to have an outdoor lunch if you bring one. There is a touch tank that had hermit crabs and horseshoe crabs in it and that was my son's favorite part. We will definitely visit again if we get the chance!

Fantastic experience: This place offers a wide variety of educational programs and experiences for students. They have state of the art equipment and a live aquarium.

Fantastic experience: This is a small exhibit aquarium tucked away on Skidway. Our boys are both under ten and really enjoyed it. We all enjoy animals and nature. After the exhibits there are nature trails to check out the wood and marshlands. Our family had a great time seeing all the crabs and birds. Certainly recommend doing.

Fantastic experience: My son and a friend went to camp here for a week in July as a Coastal Guardian. He enjoyed it so much! Lots of hands on experiences.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful experience and very friendly front desk reception. They have various prices for different ages and have student pricing as well. Very enjoyable aquatic life selection and a nice short nature walk. We walked to the dock, retraced a few steps, and finished the short hike.

Fantastic experience: It's small but worth the stop. My daughter loved it. The walking trail is really nice!

Fantastic experience: I haven't been inside the aquarium in years, but I remember it being really fun and filled with awesome fish. They even had a jellyfish tank. I ride my motorcycle out here every so often just because the island is so nice. The outside walking area is beautiful, and the trail is even better.

Negative experience: Quite underwhelming. Extremely small, very limited amount of species to see. Not a single shark to be seen. With the amount of sea life in the area and being a college campus we had decent expectations and it didn’t even come close meeting any of them.

Fantastic experience: Fun, educational experience for adults and kids alike. Also very inexpensive for something the whole family would enjoy. My kids loved the "touch pool" where they got to hold different types of small crabs, etc.

Fantastic experience: Trip down memory lane. Went here as a kid and enjoyed it then as much as enjoy seeing my own child enjoy it now. Small but very cool little aquarium. Was happy to see that they still had the turtles outside welcoming everyone on the way in. The walking trail has a nice stop to a boardwalk going out into the water. The short and long paths are both very manageable. The longest I believe is .8 of a mile. Good idea for throwing a little something different in on the weekend.

Fantastic experience: Previous reviews said it's small and that is true. But it's perfect for kids! There is a touch and feel tank (2 of them) and multiple tanks once you head down a few stairs (they do have an elevator) to see local fish in tanks. Very clean, lights low and space for the kids to run from tank to tank. There is a short and long trail out back that is unpaved (gravel) and takes you through the local vegetation. Recommended walking the short distance to the pier! No gift shop that I saw, which was a surprise.

Fantastic experience: The UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium was very nice. As others have mentioned it is a small facility but there is still quite a bit to see and learn about marine life. The nature trail (short trail and long trail options) is also very nice. We were able to see two White Tail Deer grazing. They were watchful of us, but we were able to get pictures and video of them. Staff is very friendly. Would highly recommend if you are in the Savannah area.

Fantastic experience: Very informative. The lady at the Aquarium was amazing and extremely knowledgeable. So sweet and patient with everyone there. She obviously loves her job and it shows. Can't wait to bring our grandchildren here!

Fantastic experience: My niece loved touching the horseshoe crabs and all the fun activities on the migratory birds walk. My niece declared that these were "fish mcmuffins"

Positive experience: Took my 6 year old niece here. Nice drive on Skidaway Island. The aquarium was small with a limited number of small tanks but the ticket prices are reasonable and fair. It was enjoyable. The best part, in my opinion, is the nature trail. It's well groomed, wheelchair accessible, and has beautiful views of the woods and waterway. I'd return just to walk the trail again.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely wonderful experience. Our school set up this field trip for the first graders. The staff are highly informative and understand how to handle groups of kids. The learning was hands on and interactive. The kids learned a lot and even conquered some fears with holding different marine animals (crab, mussels, horse shoe crab, etc). There is a beautiful picnic area outside next to the water. Pack a lunch and enjoy the shade and scenery.

Fantastic experience: I love aquariums and although small, it is interesting and cool. Do not forget to take a walk on the nature trails as they were beautiful and peaceful with interesting information along the way.

Negative experience: There was really nothing to this for the price you had to pay.

Positive experience: Super cute and out of the way stop in Savannah. Small kids (and some adults) will love the touch tank and exhibits. On days with good weather, take advantage of the nature walks by the river

Fantastic experience: Absolutely phenomenal local sea life exhibit, way better then expected show casing many of the local sea life that I as a fishermen of the area have spent many of days with. The children had a blast and for the money no better way to spend a rainy day and get a pile of enjoyment for all ages. Staff was very personable and friendly highly recommend giving them a shot.

Fantastic experience: Being on a uni campus, it's small. We had a fantastic time. After visiting with the marine life, we walked the nature trail (the longer of the two) and highly recommend it if you need to disconnect from the world for a bit.

Fantastic experience: A fun learning experience for the little ones. It features a small aquarium with about a dozen tanks containing marine animals from the area. My children loved seeing the fish and reading about each species. Beautiful nature trail along the river too. We spent about an hour exploring the center and outdoors.

Positive experience: Cute, small educational aquarium. It's set up in a loop. Nearly all the creatures in it have been caught near the river or out in the bay. It's clean, well maintained, and has two small touch tanks with horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, and other small crabs. It's $7 for adults but kids, students, and military/Veteran get discounts to get in. The outside nature walk is absolutely gorgeous. It is so well maintained and half the loop is friendly to ♿️ wheelchairs/handicapped! There's an observation deck out into the river. The hike loop is right at a mile. It was so quiet and lovely. I think this would be a great place for families with younger kids or people like me who just appreciate nature and the simplicity. There's a big picnic area, pavilion, and a 300 year old live oak.

Fantastic experience: A great place to learn about local marine life! It's not huge but still very interesting and fun, and the walking trails outside offer a nice place for a stroll. Highly recommend!

Positive experience: Great for the little kids but not stroller/wheelchair accessible to the exhibits. Nice walking trails

Fantastic experience: It's such a nice place. I love taking my daughter out there to hike the natural trail. Last time we saw a bunch of baby hermit crabs, and a little baby coral snake(which are of no threat to humans). She love animals and being in nature, so she was ecstatic.

Fantastic experience: This review is for the nature trail that was on the property since, unfortunately, the aquarium was closed when we arrived...and will remain closed until January 3rd. The trail is short, but beautiful....we even saw a bald eagle!

Fantastic experience: Excellent learning opportunities! Knowledgeable staff and UGA students to help you learn!

Positive experience: Small for what it costs for a family, BUT very nice and we all loved it. Wish there was a little more to it for the drive and the price it is, but we still liked the visit.

Positive experience: Kid & family friendly- hands on tank for daring hands. Nice variety of fish tanks. The outside trails are marked well, spots of interest displayed on plaques.