Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Fantastic experience: This little science center packed a punch in a small space. The tidepool areas are incredible and learning about how they train the octopus to prep it for release into the wild was fascinating. Volunteer staff was energetic and helpful.

Fantastic experience: If you have the least opportunity, go!

Fantastic experience: I love this place with all of my heart.

Fantastic experience: Very fun! Informative and interesting! Love the octopus!

Negative experience: Pretty neat but definitely shouldn’t be any more than $5 for adults and $3 for kids/seniors

Fantastic experience: Amazeing small little aquarium and the meseum has lots of fun experiments and crafts for littles.

Fantastic experience: Lots of birds, killer whales and other awesome things to look at. Wonderful little coffee shop

Positive experience: This is a great place to take a break from the beach and learn about fish and crab and all things living there in the Salish Sea. Touch tanks for kids. Friendly staff to answer questions. Bring your Discover Pass or pay a couple bucks to park.

Positive experience: Docents are amazing. Hopefully they expand

Fantastic experience: Fascinating to learn more about the local sea life! Kids had a great time and the staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. $7 adults, $5 kids, and 5yr and younger are free.

Negative experience: Went here about 10 years ago and it was great with touch tanks for interacting with some of the wildlife which helped me appreciate these creatures better. You can no longer interact with the animals (which is what made this place unique and special) and the $7 entry fee is a bit steep for the amount of experience you get between this place and the small children's museum. I feel like they should offer gloves to allow you to touch the animals or the staff interact with them in front of you to give an experience. I would recommend to bring small children who are interested in sea life. Otherwise, pass.

Fantastic experience: Informative and cool. The sea stars are absolutely massive, and the building is located on a dock on the water.

Fantastic experience: Although this place is open seasonally right now, it is definitely a cute and fun experience for kids and adults alike. Is definitely a good-sized attraction when you're visiting the park as a whole for the day.

Negative experience: If you are looking for a place to spend a significant amount of time, this isn't it. It is a small with with about 10 displays. Walked the whole thing in 5 mins. It is not interactive. They did have a learning center which was interesting... but not much.

Positive experience: Kids loved it I had a nice time too

Fantastic experience: It was amazing visiting a small business type aquarium. The ladies there were very informal, but also gave us space to enjoy the aquarium.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful local non profit aquarium, museum, and conservation education organization. Worth a visit. They also have a guest speaker series.

Positive experience: They were closed when I got there, so I just took photos from the dock.

Fantastic experience: Super cute and awesome octopus it cool learning about the sea life.

Positive experience: Closed but still able to walk the boardwalk and spy the sea life!

Fantastic experience: We loved it nice spot to have a picnic and play on the beach. They have cool museums and the marine aquarium to walk through. And the bathrooms were clean. It was wonderful ! Can't beleive ive lived here for 24 years and never been. Will be going again soon its only 45 min from home.

Positive experience: Lovely small attraction for your kids The octopus is a great thing and don't miss out going on the other side of the road and learn with real whale bones.

Fantastic experience: Awesome ! To protect Ocean and it's life... please collect debris in the beaches as you walk. Thank you

Positive experience: Only open on weekends. (Lighthouse tours, museum, aquarium.) The marine science center left a reply, which explains why everything is closed except weekends. I would love to visit EVERYTHING, and bring the grandkids, but there is a reason we can't do weekends. Several in my family can't do crowds, so we go during the week. Hopefully when everything comes together they will have some weekday hours.

Fantastic experience: Best place for learning about our sea life. Kids get hands on experience and questions answered. Plan on a whole day at the beach and science center.

Fantastic experience: Went here as a child on field trips... What am experience! We learned so much about the wildlife living in the puget sound. Learned a boat load about the eco system from tidal pools to the alfa predators of the ocean (the orca)

Fantastic experience: Amazing how much is there and the high quality of the exhibit area.

Positive experience: This is an informative little science center that is also associated with the aquarium on the pier across the road. Both attractions have helpful staff, and the price of admission covers both. The aquarium let's you get up close and personal with several types of marine life that they are currently studying, rehabilitating, or helping conserve. The science center has interactive exhibits, an orca skeleton, and a little gift shop.

Positive experience: Thanks to covid you can't touch anything in the tide pools. Other than that it's really cool, and there's a playful octopus there.

Fantastic experience: Lovely little aquarium, perfect for families with kids. All exhibits are from local, so it's a great place to learn about the marine life in the area. Beach surrounds the building, much fewer people than some of the well known places, so nice to spend a quiet and peaceful afternoon here.

Fantastic experience: What a great experience. The interpretive guides at the aquarium and museum made it well worth our trip--so knowledgeable! Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: This is one of the greatest little gems, don't miss it and the view off the pier is fantastic

Positive experience: Kind of dark, damp, and small. Had some interesting creatures to see, but no touching allowed at this time due to pandemic restrictions. Might be exciting for small kids or those fascinated by starfish.

Fantastic experience: Little aquarium, but worth the price of admission, which wasn't much. Lots of local marine life, make sure to look in the smaller aquariums as well, super interesting. We were there during feeding time, around noon, got to everything super active. The Octopus is amazing! Staff super informative and engaging with the kids. Touch pools were closed due to covid, but that's OK, the animals are always overhandled and scared when they were open.

Positive experience: Cool little place. Small, but some great stuff for kids. Octopus was out and active which was surprising for the time of day. Your admission gets you into the museum as well which has one of the few complete orca skeletons in the world. Really cool experience.

Positive experience: Small, but very informative. Some species I have not seen in other aquaria.

Fantastic experience: Educational fun stuff. Nice views outside on pier. Viewing boat launch can be entertaining. On clear days the view account the sound to the mountains is worth the trip. So much to explore. Wheelchair ♿️ accessible. Good fun for all ages. Take your time to enjoy all there is here.

Positive experience: Great time learning about the local wildlife and information on it's preservation.

Positive experience: Fantastic little marine museum and aquarium. Affordable family entertainment, and we learned some things about the area as well.

Fantastic experience: It is such a beautiful place. I really didn't want to share it with others but I know it's not right. I love the place.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful little gem to find while out and about - the aquarium was fun and the staff was incredibly helpful and kind.

Fantastic experience: I felt like a child again while looking at the sea creatures. So colorful! Friendly staff.

Fantastic experience: Lovely little marine science center! The volunteers were very friendly and knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: Dorit was so knowledgeable and patient. Luckily we made reservations. They had to turn several people away. Nice staff and very clean.

Fantastic experience: Fun.place.for the kids, you can touch several.kinds of sea.critters, and learn about local whales

Positive experience: This is a great spot for picnics, crabbing, and boat launching. Sadly the boat launch and docks are neglected and unusable, and the building which houses the sea life educational exhibit needs basic maintenance. The site requires day pass or annual discover pass purchase to use. It would appear that the fees are all going to salaries. This facility will be abandoned soon with this kind of care.

Fantastic experience: Interesting right on the water, friendly staff.

Positive experience: Update- I went on a elementary field trip with my child. We spent no more than 10 minutes in the aquarium. The rest of the time was spent in a backroom learning about overfishing and foodwebs. REALLY disappointed! Would not recommend this aquarium for educational purposes. Aug 2019-This is a science center not to be missed. The staff is friendly and willing to answer questions. There is a wide variety of sea life you can touch and the set up of different ocean zones is very interesting.

Fantastic experience: What a beautiful beach. Found a few pieces of sea glass. Tide was high if you want to find the sea glass best to go when tide is low. It's a nice public area. Had port restrooms and picnic benches

Fantastic experience: For the space available and for the resources that they had, this place was amazing, with lots of hands on activities for the kids, and the staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. The price was $5 per person; which we felt was very reasonable and worth every penny.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful scenery and lots to see. Definitely enjoyed myself.

Fantastic experience: Great touch tanks. Wonderful for kids. Educational for adults.

Fantastic experience: My fiance and I found this place on a spontaneous trip! I just wish my kids were with me! But as two adults, we had a GREAT time!

Fantastic experience: Check out the adorable abalone conservation effort!

Positive experience: You do have to pay to go in. It's not a big place like an aquarium, but a small learning center more for children to learn about sea creatures and tide pools and that sort of stuff. It's a nice little place to show your kids and teach them.

Positive experience: We were expecting a donation offer for such a small location. Most of the tanks looked dirty. It's a beautiful walk around the outside of the location though. Cont: After response from owner, I will visit this location even for the entrance fee because supporting locations such as this is a very important thing to me. I just wasn't very impressed from the outside and it's not very inviting but maybe that's just me.

Fantastic experience: Make sure you take time to visit this wonderful place if you are ever in Port Townsend.

Fantastic experience: So fun and informative. The docents at the museum are eager to share their knowledge and are very friendly. We had a great time!

Fantastic experience: It has Everything in a Camp Site I need to relax. I feel at home on this military historical scenery. I treasure the opportunity to have assess to yoga and other exercises to include the beach, base environment, Historical walking trails where there are more bunkers and land marks, etc. Grateful for this place!! Excellent staff, museums, etc. Great place to bring out of state guests. It's beautiful..

Fantastic experience: A must-see at Fort Worden. There's a little natural history exhibit and the touch tanks out on the pier. Be sure to visit both!

Positive experience: Beautiful park next nice brick town on the water.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful. I've been going there for 35years and now I take my son. Live it

Fantastic experience: Love seeing and touching the little sea creatures! Great spot for a Marine Science Center

Fantastic experience: Fun place to go, very educational and the staff was awesome!

Positive experience: Small place but the view is beautiful.

Fantastic experience: You have to come here and see Angela, the octopus! She's amazing! Other cool stuff to see and touch. Great for any age.

Fantastic experience: The tide pools are incredible. really neat Sea life.

Fantastic experience: So many things to see and touch, great for the kids!!

Fantastic experience: Its really nice an you can over look out to the ocean

Fantastic experience: Really cool place. Some River Otters snuck up on me when I was there.

Fantastic experience: Such a great place to learn about the Pacific Northwest marine life! It is inexpensive and a wonderful family outing.

Fantastic experience: Very enjoyable and the staff were knowledgeable

Fantastic experience: Loved the touch tanks and the workers were so kind

Fantastic experience: Interesting exhibit. Great for children and adults. Worth visiting and quite educational.

Fantastic experience: Another buietifull place for just about any thing.

Fantastic experience: Great place for marine life and to see just how cold the water really is!

Fantastic experience: We loved our visit to the Marine Science Center. It was a treat to see all of the sea life including sea anemones, star fish, and the very entertaining octopus. The volunteer docents were very informative. We've visited many marine science centers and this one ranks w6the best. Well worth a visit.

Fantastic experience: My boys got to help feed loved it!

Fantastic experience: Amazing touch tanks. Super knowledgeable people. Their museum/science display is super impressive given their tight quarters. Very informative. And it on the water, by a beach. It's a great place.

Fantastic experience: A live octopus that they fed, right on the water, and very respectful staff. One kid even knew facts about the fish and octopus there. Great family experience, especially on mothers day! (You get in free mom!)

Fantastic experience: Love this place! Neat aquarium in a beautiful place, Fort Worden. There are otters here often.

Positive experience: The marine science center is an excellent place to take your children for an educational experience.

Positive experience: Outside was nice, watched seals for awhile, only open Fri, Sat & Sun though.

Fantastic experience: Super fun to see all the sea creatures

Fantastic experience: Go see the octopus asap! Worth the trip from wherever to hang out with a amazing creature.

Positive experience: Closed open by appointment only. Too bad they were working on the aquarium also

Fantastic experience: Fun place to learn about marine life for kids and adults. Only wish the whole museum was open, aquarium part was closed for winter months.

Positive experience: That place is cool

Fantastic experience: Fun place. Take the kids, touch the sea life. You will only spend 30 min here, but the experience is good and staff knowledgable.

Positive experience: Great for kids, and adults. Not a big place...mostly in one room but worth a stop if you have the time.

Fantastic experience: Lovely town. Clean, historical, friendly. I could stay here for a month and never be bored.

Fantastic experience: Small facility that really does a great job with what they have.

Positive experience: Took my 3 year old here. Lots of awesome creatures in the touch pools.

Positive experience: Great place, beautiful location. A great place to spend the day lots to do in the area.

Fantastic experience: Great place to allow kids to have a Tide pool experience... Only a few exhibits, but the kids were intrigued and the staff was quite knowledgeable and very friendly.

Fantastic experience: Our family had a wonderful time. The staff/volunteers were amazing and really encouraged my children to explore.

Positive experience: Great spot to go with kids. We turned up half an hour before close and they kJ fly let us in for free. Lots to learn and touch pools to feel.

Fantastic experience: Great place for kids a lot of hands on activities

Positive experience: Touch tanks with local marine life, helpful volunteers, and a small Natural History center with several exhibits.

Fantastic experience: Kids love going here and the staff is fantastic!