Heal the Bay Aquarium

Fantastic experience: A small aquarium that does a great job educating on local wildlife. The people care and that's what makes it.

Fantastic experience: Awesome aquarium. It definitely is small, but my almost three year old had a blast. The volunteers were amazing (had a great discussion with a volunteer named Daze who was incredibly knowledgeable about starfish!) and it was so cool to be able to touch and interact with everything. Our toddler loved the back room where she got to color and look at the big fish tank and move around with the fish, looking at them close-up! We spent about an hour there and then went for a carousel ride and ice cream right above the aquarium! We left caring more about the fish in the ocean!

Negative experience: Do not come here just for the aquarium. It doesn’t exist anymore. It’s just a bathroom now.

Fantastic experience: This place was the highlight of my Santa Monica visit! Highly interactive, amazing staff and awesome purpose.

Positive experience: What it lacks in size, it gains in charm. My daughter loved looking at the sealife and learning more about them. Staff was extremely friendly and loved interacting and educating everyone on marine life.

Fantastic experience: I stopped by again after initially visiting several years ago. It was cleaned up very well. Well staffed and nice lcean exhibits with clean tanks. The staff was ready to answer questions and it was a very pleasant experience.

Fantastic experience: I preferred this aquarium over the Aquarium of the Pacific. Childrens can use microscope to see small fish. They have lobsters, eels, small sharks, jellyfish.

Fantastic experience: Grate place to stop by while visiting Santa Monica, awesome variations of species. My personal was the octopus followed by the sharks. Might not be the biggest aquarium but has it's unique touch to it.

Positive experience: Really had fun in the Aquarium with our kids! Thank you very much!

Negative experience: Kids had fun for like 5 minutes. Definitely is not worth the price. Maybe $2 a person would be reasonable

Fantastic experience: I took advantage of the aquarium's free beach wheelchair rental program on a busy Saturday. I called ahead and the staff was incredibly helpful from the start. When I arrived, the staff was completely accommodating and kind on every level possible. I can't say enough good things about the way we were treated and serviced for something that was totally generous and completely free. It's great that they rent free beach wheelchairs so those that normally couldn't get out on the beach are able to. Would highly recommend this place and want to thank the incredible staff publicly.

Fantastic experience: Simple aquarium with touch exhibits, kid drawing area with lots of activities, and love the conservation efforts and outreach they do, education about wildlife is the best way to get other behind being a good steward to the Earth. Thank you Heal the Bay for a great experience

Positive experience: Heal the bay! It's cheap, it's fun. A small place, you can spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour here. Pet the fish!

Negative experience: Felt run down and outdated. My two year old enjoyed the sharks, but we stayed about 5 minutes— nothing too exciting that we couldn’t see at a pet store. Was hoping to see more animals given the prime location. If they still charged $5 versus $12 it would make more sense.

Fantastic experience: Awesome place to visit with kids or anyone who is interested in aquatic life and local marine conservation efforts. My three year old daughter loved being able to touch starfish and sharks in the touch tanks. The moon jellyfish were also mesmerizing to watch float by. The gift shop was great with a curated selection of well priced items to choose from. Appreciated the kids area with crayons and colouring sheets, it was a nice place to chill while our daughter coloured with a view of the large main aquarium in the back. Would return again when in the area!

Negative experience: I went a few years ago pre covid. I hope this old guy isn’t there anymore as he made me feel very uncomfortable and referred to me as Beauty and him the Beast.

Negative experience: $12 a head to see 3 tanks of fish. Not so much an aquarium as it is someone's small hobby. Took our group less than 5 minutes to see everything and left feeling ripped off.

Fantastic experience: Came yesterday the security guard let a white family in I was right behind them it was 3:50 they close at 4 she yelled at me she was very racist and I visit often I don't want to involve a lawyer but i will

Fantastic experience: Heal the Bay may be a bit small, but they provide a lot of information in limited space. If you want to see more species, this is probably not the place. However, they have starfish, turtle shells, dolphins, and anti-cigarette displays too. You can actually touch some of them. I personally think it is more ideal for younger kids. When I went yesterday, there was a special college group outside offering a free display of shark fin and jaws.

Fantastic experience: The Heal the Bay aquarium is an amazing little gem located in Santa Monica that plays a vital role in educating both kids and adults on the importance of preserving marine life and our eco-systems. Despite its small size, this aquarium packs a punch with its informative displays and hands-on exhibits that are both engaging and interactive. We organized our son’s 7th birthday there - as they can host kids birthday parties - and one of the things that stood out was the aquarium's focus on local marine life and the importance of preserving our local eco-systems. It was refreshing to see an aquarium that was so dedicated to educating visitors on ocean pollution and the actions we can take to protect our oceans. We organized a beach clean up with our guests and they all participated with passion and dedication. Overall, I found the Heal the Bay aquarium to be extremely informative and engaging atop of being an original place to organize a birthday party. It's clear that the staff and volunteers are passionate about marine life and conservation, and their enthusiasm is contagious. I highly recommend a visit to this cozy, little aquarium for anyone interested in learning more about marine life and our role in preserving it.

Negative experience: I wouldn't call this facility an aquarium, more like a tiny tiny room with fish tanks and starfish that you can touch. The $10 adult price is steep for what is offered. The outside of the facility is painted really cute, but the inside was underwhelming. We drive an hour to get here and not worth it.

Fantastic experience: Nice, smaller aquarium with many hands-on displays where visitors can pet aquatic life such as sharks, sting rays, and sea stars. The aquarium is located under the Santa Monica pier—follow the ramp or stairs down to find it. Entrance is free for kids under 12 with an adult ticket, which makes it an entertaining and affordable family option. There is also a small lab, movie/craft room, and camp and volunteer activities offered at the museum. Everything is on one floor and easily walkable/reachable for small kids. Be sure to check the special events calendar on their website for activities such as shark feeding.

Fantastic experience: My friends and I happened upon Heal the Bay and it ended up being a major highlight of our trip! It was interesting, interactive, and SO informative! The staff was super nice and very knowledgeable!

Fantastic experience: I loved it! I learned that sharks have no bones!

Fantastic experience: Didn't really get any pics from here since we really just needed to rent a beach wheelchair. But then...BABY SHARKS The whole experience can be pretty quick-The aquarium itself is really small and there's a fee for adults. Absolutely worth it...did I mention baby sharks?? No idea they were so cute My favorite was seeing them swim INSIDE their weird little egg sacks. Seriously, so cool! They have some educational artwork and the staff were all ready to share their knowledge. And the wheelchairs are free (leave your ID) and are really easy to maneuver on the sand. It was so soooooo helpful for our daughter who was down there on crutches to take her senior grad pics. They're located in a tiny area right under the pier. Oh, and their gift shop is really cute, too. Definitely stop in for a visit when you're on the pier

Negative experience: This is more of a fish/pet shop than an aquarium. I’m super disappointed! I feel ripped off.

Positive experience: It's a quaint place. Staff are friendly. They have sharks and starfish tank area that you can touch. Make sure to ask when is the next feeding time for the star fish.

Positive experience: $10 per adult and kids free. Its not what we were expecting. Personally i was very disappointed because of limited species they had. The entire aquarium took me around 10 minutes to see however my daughter had a blast and that's what all matters.

Fantastic experience: The workers were very good at answering all my questions. I absolutely loved the experience!!!

Negative experience: My sister came to visit all the way from Atlanta and I took her here thinking it'd be fun. Well the inside was closed and they had like 3 tiny pools for you to see. I was glad my ticket money helps the fish but also it felt like the price wasn't worth it at all.

Fantastic experience: Great Exhibit, with incredible species and lots of opportunities to interact with the sea life. Very knowledgeable and kind staff - Justin G was great!

Fantastic experience: I still remember enjoying the sun on Santa Monica Beach with my friends.

Negative experience: Deeply Disappointed when I visited because I called in advance to ensure it would be open. Arrived on Wednesday afternoon to see it was closed with a sign on the door that said VISIT FRIDAY thru SUNDAY. ugh! Very bad communication with whomever answers the phone!

Fantastic experience: We went here on a Saturday afternoon. There was a room in the back where they had a person at a microscope showing kids what all is in the water. Got to see brine shrimp, baby moon jellys, and other cool sites. There are a ton of things to touch in the touch tanks and they have some cool fish on display. For the kids it was all about the microscope learning!

Positive experience: Some of the fish here seem a little bored. Some tanks were crowded, imo. But the workers were friendly. A nice way to spend an afternoon, and get out of the heat.

Positive experience: So glad I finally got to go here! The park is waaaayyyy bigger than I ever thought it was which rather took me by surprise. I will have to be more prepared to explore it next time I come .

Fantastic experience: Respect our neighbors. Don't purposely disturb our living creatures in our environment, especially in the ocean.

Fantastic experience: This place is absolutely amazing! Great place to take the kids, family, or to go on a date. The staff/volunteers were all extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I will be getting a membership soon to support them as a nonprofit because they are truly saving the sea life and educating the public.

Fantastic experience: The people who are there at the aquarium are so knowledgeable and helpful! We took our 5 year old granddaughter and had a blast. She was able to touch creatures in the touch tub, another experience included seeing tiny creatures through a microscope that was projected on a screen. There's also a room where kids can just have fun. We had been at the Santa Monica Pier several times, but never realized this jewel was there!

Fantastic experience: Awesome place and great for kids. They can touch everything and look at some cool things too. Very educational

Positive experience: Not the best aquarium but for the size it’s fun and cool. Lots of animals to learn about and staff is very knowledgeable and fun. Aside from the homeless people hanging around the entrance it’s a nice place. I came her in a filed trip with my sons school and the kids loved it.

Fantastic experience: Great little aquarium tucked under the pier. Hands on activities for kids. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Kids under 12 are free!

Positive experience: The place is small but it is wonderful to walk around the place. You get amazing sea food. I really loved the sea food and it was super delicious. You get to see many unique water animals in the aquariums.

Positive experience: I LOVED seeing the "baby sharks"! Such a small but friendly and overall awesome experience, little ones really enjoy their time there!

Negative experience: I came with my children and it wasn’t as good as I hoped. It was very small and not a lot to see .

Fantastic experience: Very convenient and well priced. A fun and short detour from the pier. Has some interesting and unique exhibits for such a small aquarium, such as a small octopus, the life cycle of a jellyfish, and shark fetuses. Lastly, they have lots of sea life you can touch. Great for a young family (my kids were 5 and 8).

Positive experience: A bit small, and the size of the tanks made me a bit sad. However, the aquarium is very educational and informative, and they have spearheaded some great initiatives. I recommend stopping by if you are at the pier. We went to a workshop as a school group about water pollution which was pretty interesting, so if you're thinking about scheduling a field trip here contact them to set that up.

Positive experience: It's really sad how small the tanks are for these fish. They have all this stuff to show that they care like beach clean ups, donation for fish, and things talking about all the cigarettes that get left on the beach. But I would like to see them help the fish not keep them in such a small tank.

Positive experience: Very small aquarium but good for the price (5$) ! They have a lot to see though & a place to touch some animals ! Staff are very nice and helpful! Pretty cool aquarium after all

Fantastic experience: Fun! Definitely worth the cost of admission.

Fantastic experience: The review is very informative. I hope to visit here some day to see the two spots Octopus and other Sea creatures.

Negative experience: Ok, it really isn’t bad considering California is so freaking expensive and this was only $5, but it’s two rooms total and basically 10 different fish/sea life. Don’t bring any expectations

Fantastic experience: Awesome place, you get to touch the starfish and see jelly fish and sharks (small ones ), they also have skeleton parts that always awesome to see.

Fantastic experience: This is one great aquarium for such a low price. I came with my daughter and her friend and only paid $5!!! For such a tiny place, it packed a lot of fun things to do for both kids and grown ups. We showed up on time to feed the starfish which was super cool! Also the staff here was super friendly, open to questions, and very encouraging to participate in the activities. You're in and out in one hour tops! For $5, I feel like I got more bang for my buck than spending $30 at the aquarium of the pacific in Long Beach. Don't forget to say hi to those beautiful eels in the entrance!

Positive experience: Very small aquarium, its cute though and they have 4 fish tanks you can touch sea creatures in so that was really cool. My kids loved touching sea stars and hermit crabs. This aquarium also has sea urchins, sea snails and slugs to touch, they have a shark tank but you can not touch those. All the tanks do smell though, I know they're sea creatures but its a gross smell and you can only wash your hands in the bathroom which has wet floors, slippery and gross. In other fish tanks you can look at the lobsters, eels, fish, shark eggs and more. There is also a section with books and puppets but the puppets feel dirty and scratchy, I let my kids play with them but washed their hands after that too. Its still a nice little aquarium you just have to wash your hands after and its part of Heal the Bay so I like suporting them. Lol

Fantastic experience: What an incredible, unexpectedly cool place to visit. There are interactive exhibits where guests can touch starfish and sea anemones. This petite community aquarium is connected to an awesome local nonprofit called Heal the Bay that focuses on water conservation and sustainability. Tara is a very informative, engaging interim director and I'm confident the next executive director will be just as awesome. Highly recommend coming with children!

Positive experience: Very small and it’s also quite hidden located under the pier. There’s not much to do compared to the Aquarium of the Pacific or the Aquarium in San Pedro but if you have small kids this is a great way to introduce them to a aquarium that isn’t overcrowded. The price is fair as well since it’s only 5 dollars per adult so stop by if you’re in the neighborhood.

Positive experience: Great for kids or spending a few minutes looking at the exhibits.

Negative experience: Santa Monica pier is open all the time and is packed full of people, why you can't be open every day is beyond me.

Positive experience: A small aquarium but just big enough to keep the kids preoccupied.Affordable entrance fee. Nice place,will go again in the future

Fantastic experience: Cute little aquarium to visit for fun. The staff are very friendly and informative.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely loved it here! The ladies here are awesome with the kids. Although small, kids can easily go from here to the beach and immediately connect one with the other. That all creatures small and big matter and must be cared for.

Fantastic experience: Small but entertaining aquarium. Nice assortment of aquatic life. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

Fantastic experience: A bit small, but staff were very helpful and friendly. Very knowledgeable about the fish and creatures at the aquarium. And they have a touch tank!

Fantastic experience: Small but cute little aquarium. Nice for a short visit while around the pier area.

Fantastic experience: During the summer is a really nice to visit, but it's a bit over priced .

Fantastic experience: Great place only 5 dollars to go inn awesome place they have puppets and shark's and baby sharks arts and craft good place my kids had fun worth every penny

Negative experience: Don't do it, it's way over rated! I'm so glad we didn't have to fight a huge crowd to get out to the pier because it would have pissed me off, when I got there and sow there was nothing! The pier is small they have kiddie rides that are way way way over priced, souvenir shops and a few restaurants that's it! If it's crazy busy don't even bother checking it out!

Fantastic experience: Small aquarium that survives off of donations. It's technically free but you should give them a donation because they need and deserve it. Really good for kids, you can pet the star fish and sea cucumbers and wash them feed the fish every day. They had live shark eggs in an incubator when I was here, super neat

Fantastic experience: My number one beach I go there a lot to shop and to take in the fresh air I almost wish I lived out there

Negative experience: Personally the way they treat and how they have the animals is cruel and disgusting. It was awful and dirty.

Fantastic experience: It's worth checking out....

Negative experience: Small. On a weekend day it's crowded inside. Heal the Bay is a great organization but the aquarium needs an improved location.

Fantastic experience: It is a very small aquarium but they use their space well. The very best part for my 3 year old was the touch tank. She really enjoyed the hermit crabs.

Positive experience: small, hot and crowded in the summer but it's for the local kids so hard to hate

Fantastic experience: If you in the area you must stop here

Fantastic experience: Its the greatest pier ever. End if the famous Route 66

Positive experience: Iconic place lots of sights

Positive experience: Lots of fish. Very crowded when I went.

Fantastic experience: Cheap and small. But still very cool to see. Plus the staff were incredibly friendly and fun to talk to

Fantastic experience: Great for kids, with interactive touch pools and knowledgeable volunteer staff

Positive experience: Smaller than you think, but fun to learn about the local habitat. Heal The Bay is also there, which works tirelessly to protect our coastline.

Fantastic experience: It's the park of GTA V

Positive experience: Cute, but overpriced. I get it though, $ for research and other good things I suppose. It was a nice distraction for my kid who loves fish.

Fantastic experience: The best place in the world! I felt in love :)

Positive experience: Cute little spot to see and learn about marine life. It is convenient to stop by if you are on the beach. My son enjoyed seeing the creatures.

Fantastic experience: Best place to be specially through the summertime

Fantastic experience: Kid friendly, clean place with some touch stuff too. We enjoyed our time here! Thanks for the efforts to heal the pier.

Fantastic experience: Great little aquarium run by an awesome organization dedicated to preserving the ocean environment and the life within!

Fantastic experience: It's a great small aquarium for the kiddos (and adults). Everyone was nice and helpful in answering questions.

Positive experience: great place for the kids!

Fantastic experience: Kids friendly and good place for children to have a observation andhand on water

Positive experience: Nice place , we got info and knowledge about beautiful world . Sharks, fish.....

Fantastic experience: Great for lunch and a walk to remember

Positive experience: Great stop on the tourist route. The whole area is brimming with things to do and the aquarium is a must see

Positive experience: Kinda small to be an Aquarium. But fun non the less.

Positive experience: Make sure a go during feeding time. My 5 year old loved watching the sharks eat

Fantastic experience: For the price and the experience you receive it well worth the visit

Fantastic experience: Great aquarium. It's easy to get to and the feeding times are clearly listed. Only $5 per adult and kids 12 & under are free. All of the people that worked there were very informative and were happy to answer questions. Overall, it's a great place to visit if you're in that area.

Fantastic experience: It was a great place to catch pokemon