National Marine Aquarium

Positive experience: Its a nice little aquarium, however we did think the price was a lot. Understand its for upkeep costs. We stayed and watched the shark feeding, it was explained very differently to how it actually was. Couldn't really see them being fed, it was more to get them closer to glass if anything.

Negative experience: As many others have said BIG money for a tiny aquarium. Over £60 for two adults and one child and we walked round the whole thing in 30 minutes. We drove for two and a half hours to get there...! The website says strictly no refunds - makes sense now why they write that, overheard others moaning too. Don't do it!! Fortunately the sun was out so we tried to make the best of our day around the harbour. Our child was very upset and disappointed.

Negative experience: I rarely leave reviews, but after visiting the National Marine Aquarium, I feel compelled to warn others. To put it bluntly: this was an overpriced, underwhelming, and honestly boring experience. We paid a small fortune for what felt like a glorified fish tank exhibit. The place is shockingly small for the price of admission. You walk in expecting something grand or immersive, and within 30–45 minutes, you’ve seen everything — and that’s if you’re stretching it. Half the tanks were either empty or so dimly lit you couldn’t even see what was inside. A few decent-sized tanks, sure, but nothing that justifies the steep cost. The layout felt confusing and uninspired, with zero sense of flow or excitement. No real interaction, no engaging displays for kids (or adults, frankly), and just an overwhelming sense of “is that it?” by the time you reach the so-called “end.” The staff were polite, but looked just as bored as the visitors. It honestly felt more like a cash grab than an educational or entertaining day out. I’ve seen better aquariums at garden centres — no joke. Save your money and your time. This place is not worth it. If you've been to any major aquarium before, prepare for a massive letdown.

Negative experience: Came to Plymouth especially for this. Closing at 12:30pm for a ‘team building activity’. Absolutely nothing on the website or in the building until you’re about to pay. A wasted trip.

Positive experience: A little disappointing for being the National Aquarium. The exhibits and educational information are all good but wanted to see more fish. Especially for the price. Surrounded by families, kids and strollers can push you through faster than you want. Saw a lot of staff standing around talking to each other.

Negative experience: Worst aquarium I've been too. Value for money is shocking. £26 for an adult ( under 3's go free thank god ) we were probably in and out within 30 mins.

Fantastic experience: Been multiple times, would recommend booking tickets as sometimes it can get busy. Once you pay you can come and go as you please and get an annual pass so it's free for an entire year, £25 for a year of aquarium visits seem like a good deal to me. I love spending time watching the shark tank and also just relaxing and enjoying watching the fish. Would definitely recommend and will be going back again and again

Positive experience: We spent the weekend in Plymouth, so on a rain day we visited the aquarium. We were a little disappointed it’s meant to be the uk’s largest Aquarium but it seemed small, not a lot to see or variety. I’ve visited the Bournemouth Aquarium and at a cost of £14pp compared to £26pp and the Bournemouth Aquarium had lots of variety, more stuff to see and more enjoyable experience not to mention the price difference!

Fantastic experience: An amazing aquarium with plenty of aquatic animals and fascinating information about the oceans.

Positive experience: It is a good aquarium when it's not full of screaming kids and when the transformer isn't working there.

Fantastic experience: I took park in the Zebra Shark Experience where we were able to feed Zeus the shark. We were greeted by Tom who took us on a brief tour of the three main tanks, giving us detailed insights into some of the sea life which was very interesting. Tom then took us into biologist area above the tank where he gave us more information and taught us how to feed the shark. It was extremely informative, hands on, and a really good time all round. I absolutely recommend

Positive experience: 3 levels of underwater adventure, loads of species of fish to see. I enjoyed looking at the fish but i did not see much information about them. Just the name and a picture. Also it was so busy it was a bit unenjoyable. Loads of screaming children and people with very poor spacial awareness. It was good to see they had sold out of tickets on the door as it was too busy inside. Defiantly book in advance . Your tickets last all year too.

Positive experience: Amazing fishies, they are really beautiful and staff could answer any questions I had about fish, it like walking into an another world in my opinion.

Negative experience: Good aquarium but having seen videos on TikTok and reviews I was expecting big things. It’s actually a pretty small space inside- biggest rooms are the cafe and gift shop which says a lot. All tanks are pretty small and even the big windows are smaller in person than they appear on the photos. Took under an hour to get around the whole thing. Probably great for younger kids. Cafe food was terrible so bring your own! All tank windows were pretty dirty too

Fantastic experience: Shout out to staff member Milly Jay who went above and beyond today to help out my wife and children.

Fantastic experience: I love this aquarium! I could sit and stare at the ocean tank all day! Today we did the turtle feeding experience: it was amazing! Chris was fascinating and full of interesting information, as well as very friendly and funny. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone, and I will be looking at what other experieces are offered. (Although I would happily feed the turtle again if we had a different guest, it was that magical and interesting!)

Negative experience: Parking for large vehicles (motorhomes) not possible close to aquarium or even in Plymouth park and rides. Not the aquariums fault, maybe something they could talk to the council about improving

Fantastic experience: Great few hours visiting. Wonderful fish etc and good interactive talk about sharks. The kids see the beauty of nature and gain appreciation of how endangered these animals are. Good few hours whilst visiting Plymouth.

Positive experience: I have read the reviews before I went to this aquarium so I knew what to expect. To be honest, the staff are quite friendly and helpful, and I wish I could give it a higher point, but the fish tanks are too small, and the so-called biggest fish tank could have come with a bit more fish or more impressive fish. I think perhaps because the major visitors of this aquarium are kids and their families these days, they stick too many stickers with words and scientific facts on the wall, yet put too few fish to see. The best room is the room with the lecture, the curvy glass helps us to see the animals more clearly. The lecturer was very enthusiastic when she talked about sharks, rays, and the green turtle. I do not mind that they make the Aquarium more educational, but I hope they prioritize the fish rather than people. Whether bigger or smaller fish, they need more space to swim. For the size and the reputation of this museum, they could have done better.

Negative experience: Extremely crowded and overpriced. £26 per adult and the place is absolutely filled to the brim with screaming children. Every tank is covered in dirty fingerprints and saliva. There are 3 large tanks with dedicated seating yet people decide its a better idea to walk right up and block everyone else's view. Particularly during our visit, there were lots of entitled families who think it's acceptable to let their children push in and will literally stand in front of someone. Not really managed by the staff with entry times as it is an attraction for all ages after all. The whole place can be finished in about 30-40 minutes so I have no idea where 3 hours has come from on the website. You do get 12 months of entry with the price you pay but majority of people will be tourists from afar and won't use this feature. The tickets are also named with each guest meaning they can't really be given to friends or family to visit. Also, PAID PARKING! Absolutely ridiculous for the price you pay. Based on the estimated 3 hours to explore the aquarium, we purchased a 6 hour window of parking for £9.50 as the shorter window was 3 hours for £6. One positive is an employee who I didn't get a name of! Lovely fella wearing glasses. He is a pro about anything jellyfish related and was more than happy to answer any questions we had. We now know why those jellyfish were upside down! Cool guy! The Deep in Hull is similarly priced and far more worth it!

Positive experience: I’d agree with previous comments re the time spent there - can easily be done within 20-30 mins. Seems the place is made up of 2-3 big tanks and some little ones with not much in them. I do think it’s a little overpriced for what it is (I know you can come back within 12 months but we’re not from the area so really there should be a cheaper option). On the positive it is pram friendly which was good with a little baby and you can get some fairly reasonably priced items in the gift shop.

Fantastic experience: Enjoyed the atmosphere of the candles with the aquarium. The music was wonderful and the musicians were fantastic

Fantastic experience: A great family day here. It was wonderful to see the tanks with fish, sharks and other sea life. It was even better seeing my granddaughters reaction to seeing these up close. Magical. I'm certain we'll all visit again when they are next in the area. Highly recommend this attraction for a visit.

Negative experience: Don’t go. Waste of money unless you want to look at little fish. Nothing special. Didn’t even see a single turtle. Most exciting thing was a jellyfish. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad.

Positive experience: A great place to visit, sadly there was a lot of noise inside because of all the kids. Beautiful Fischer and nice atmosphere so if you have kids it a big yes to visit

Positive experience: So much too see. There was 2 school parties here when I went and they looked intrigued by the big tank while they were at a talk. I loved it,my daughter in law showed us the way luckily else I'd have been going in circles. Didn't see any seahorses which were there last time and the sharks were not that big but my fave were the mantas and stingrays. There were some really big starfish,a turtle and lots of strange looking fish and anemones. Got a years pass on buying entry tickets so will be returning soon.

Negative experience: Went with a toddler, easily done in an hour (not 3 as the website suggested). Tanks seemed a bit murky, no the massive variety of species we were expecting. No octopus / cephalopoda, unless they were cunningly hiding. The price unfortunately didn't justify the experience for us, not to mention the long drive.

Negative experience: We visited on a Tuesday in June and heard good things about the aquarium. However, we were extremely disappointed. £52 for 2 people who don't live locally and most likely won't return seems a very expensive price to pay. The variety of fish was nothing unique in comparison to sea life centres which usually have seals and penguins. A lot of the tanks were dimly lit which meant you couldn't see much. Extremely disappointed and wouldn't return, unfortunately. Would not recommend it.

Fantastic experience: A fantastic evening, incredible scenery and phenomenal music.

Fantastic experience: Lots of information and big fish. We took about an hour to go around, we did not read the information boards which could easily add another hour. There are a couple of places to sit and watch which is a pleasant way to spend some time. They offer a year's entry for the price of a day; £26 per adult, which is quite pricey if you only visit once. However visit again within the year and it becomes fantastic value!

Positive experience: Some lovely big tanks with plenty of happy healthy fish. I can't help but think they would be best enjoyed in a quieter atmosphere

Fantastic experience: Great Aquarium, cool massive tanks and good variety of fish to see

Fantastic experience: The evening was amazing. The staff are friendly and very helpful. The backdrop of the fish tank with the candles is such a lovely setting. What can I say about the talented string orchestra, absolutely fantastic from upbeat tracks to the slower tracks that gave me a few tears. This is our second event at the Aquarium and I'm sure there will be many more to look forward to. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Review for the candlight concert Unbelievable experience, will absolutely be going to another one! Setlist was the perfect length and the atmosphere of it in the aquarium was fantastic.

Fantastic experience: Brilliant venue, excellent facilities and listening to the musicians with the fish tank in the background was magical.

Negative experience: There is no parking on site (and the nearest one is expensive and cunningly doesn't have a 2 hour option)...there isn't a great deal to see in comparison with others and there is very little in terms of modern technology. Not good value.

Fantastic experience: An excellent aquarium that is heavily involved in conservation, whilst some people say the entry fee is rather expensive it has a large number of tanks/exhibits that follows the fresh waters journey from Dartmoor to the Sea, making this an ideal place to visit with children that can take a reasonable amount of time to get around, making this a good place to visit on days with poor weather. The aquarium offers occasional 'sleep overs' for children and 'hands on' behind the scenes feeding of the animals and many other extra activities (please see website for more information).

Positive experience: I have visited the Aquarium a couple of month ago. It is a great family programm but if you want to avoid crowds do not go in the weekends. I went on Saturday and it was fully packed with screaming babies and toddlers crawling all over around in every possible directions. As per the Aquarium I liked the educational and the science side of it, there is a lot to learn about marine and sea life. There is lots of information about conservation and environmental challenges that our seas, oceans, have to face. It is awesome to see the marine animals&plants so close. Unfortunately, many smaller tanks were empty and significant areas were closed which was a bit disappointing considered that I paid full price ticket. I found the souvenir shop way to expensive too. All in all it is an interesting place especially, if you looking for a dayout programm also you can grab something to eat&drink as it has a restaurant too.

Positive experience: Excellent day out especially when wet. Plenty of activities for kids. lifts for push chairs are small. Cafe service very slow and run out of food at lunchtime. Clearly a lack of planning for a wet half term holiday.

Positive experience: Excellent. You get to see so much. You can even go round again and again. The cafe has very limited seating, food looked good but seemed overpriced. Toilets are located throughout. Easy to get round with pushchair, lift however is very small. The view you get of the animals is amazing.

Negative experience: This NMA is a joke. If you are about to see the proper reef tanks that’s not a good place to go- ask private passionate as they have better and more. Would never ever go back. You can see everything that got in 30 minutes. Really A JOKE!!!

Fantastic experience: Great and you can go back for free if you sign up when getting your tickets so win win for the rest of the year taking the granddaughter as she loves it.

Fantastic experience: I've been to many aquarium before and this place is in deed a unique experience. Definitely on the top of my list.

Fantastic experience: This show was fantastic and I recommend it to everyone. We are so lucky to have the National Marine Aquarium and to have an event like this makes it more special.

Fantastic experience: Such a beautiful place to go on a day out with the family very educational and exciting loved it

Fantastic experience: We visited today for a home education trip, there's always so much to see and lots of interactive exhibits and interesting information. We enjoyed the idraw screen where they can colour in their own sea creatures and watch them swim around, you can even use a mobile if all the screens are in use. We also got to see lots of Friday the turtle and enjoyed a picnic in the outdoor play area.

Fantastic experience: The National Marine Aquarium is one of the best places to visit in Plymouth with family. The kids truly enjoyed the visit, and it is also suitable for adults. The tour can be completed in two hours. There is a paid parking facility nearby.

Fantastic experience: What an absolutely fantastic visit to the aquarium! From start to finish, it’s a place that sparks curiosity, wonder, and a lot of laughs along the way. The exhibits are beautifully designed, the staff are incredibly knowledgeable, and there’s something magical about watching both kids and adults become completely mesmerized by the underwater world. One of the highlights of our visit? Meeting Roger the octopus—or should I say, Ms. Roger! The story of how the staff originally thought Roger was a male, only to later discover “he” was actually a “she,” had the whole group laughing. It was genuinely one of the most charming, unexpected moments of the day—and just goes to show how full of surprises nature can be. The aquarium does an amazing job of blending education with entertainment. You come away not just smiling, but having learned something new. Whether you’re local or just passing through, it’s 100% worth a visit

Negative experience: I was really looking forward to visiting this aquarium, but unfortunately, it was a huge letdown. It was way too crowded—barely any space to move, let alone enjoy the exhibits. The cafe was another disappointment: limited menu options and nothing looked fresh. On top of that, the tables were dirty and clearly hadn’t been cleaned between guests. Overall, not worth the trip. Wouldn’t recommend.

Fantastic experience: Plenty to see and plenty to do. The kids enjoyed it and we watched the shark talk which was very interesting

Fantastic experience: Fantastic place. Lots of to see and stuff is very professional and nice. The price is good so just have see this fantastic place

Positive experience: Our visit was without issues and the children really enjoyed themselves. I had read it was one of the best Aquariums in the country but I don’t think this is the case. London and Weymouth to name a few are better in my opinion. Facilities were clean, staff ultra friendly and you can select to have a free years membership in with your ticket. Would recommend if in the area and need something to do. Be careful with the nearby car park. Pay at meter doesn’t work well. Download the “PayByPhone” app and do it through there. I ready you needed 3-4 hours for the aquarium but we were done in just over 1 hour.

Negative experience: A big disappointment!! Not many tanks, few varieties of sea creatures/ fishes. Many tanks were empty. A dim light throughout the aquarium. You could cover entire aquarium in less than a hour. We visited on 11th March and on that day one of the elevator wasn’t working which is difficult if you are visiting with baby like us. We could enjoy different varieties of fish in one big massive tank and that’s the only thing I guess one can do. Staff also looks like not very enthusiastic with no interaction or knowledge sharing with visitors. And for the price £26 for a adult it was expensive and wouldn’t recommend.

Positive experience: There is a massive lack of interpretation boards at this aquarium to enable you to work out what you're looking at. The only area that actually labelled which sea creatures were in which tank was the Plymouth Sound one. The big tanks with lots of different species in them had TV screens with a rolling display of names of some of the creatures in those tanks, which made trying to work out what you were looking at almost impossible: you had to stand and watch the screen as it slowly went through lots of different species before the one you'd been looking at finally came up, by which time the creature itself would have disappeared so you wouldn't be able to cross reference between the info on the screen and the animal itself. Then in other areas there were printed signs up beside the smaller tanks, but the lighting was so dim and the signs so unclear that I just gave up trying to strain my eyes. It's such a shame, as an experience like this is fairly pointless if you have no idea what you're looking at.

Negative experience: A little underwhelming. A leisurely walk round takes less than an hour. More than a little overpriced. £65 for one adult, one student and one child.

Fantastic experience: A truly unique experience with an incredible musical performance from The Haldon Quartet in a beautifully serene setting. Thank you for the opportunity to join you all.

Fantastic experience: WOW..... my lad is shark mad and on finding NMA did a snorkel in the aquarium experience I thought that he would like that.. well I was not expecting such an experience, Chris our guide met us and took us through the aquarium to the 3 main tanks and gave us some very informative information about the specious of fish in them and their behaviours, Chris engaged with us from start to finish with my lad answering some of his questions and I was like how did you know that ? :0). Once we got our wet suites on and Chris talked us through who is likely to visit us and how they will behave around us which I must admit but me to ease as I was putting a brave face on for my son. once in I instantly felt safe being so close to the sharks is an experience I will never forget and the smile on my lads face spoke a thousand words. A Hugh Thankyou to chris and the team at NMA we will be seeing you again, keep up the fantastic work you guys do.

Negative experience: We were completely disappointed with our recent visit to the National Marine Aquarium. Despite being advertised as the UK’s largest aquarium, it had a surprisingly limited variety of marine life. The only large shark we saw was a single tiger shark, along with a few baby sharks. Compared to our previous visits to the London and Birmingham aquariums, where we saw a much wider range of sea creatures, this experience felt underwhelming. Considering we traveled a total of 8 hours for this visit, it did not feel worth the journey. However, we did enjoy the seaside experience and the coastal walk after the visit, which was the highlight of our day. Unfortunately, the aquarium itself did not meet our expectations.

Negative experience: We are members of the National marine aquarium and came today to bring our toddler and newborn for a day out. Before leaving we checked that it was open and told our very excited toddler. We got there paid for a days parking and got there to be told it was closed for a planned event. Was it posted on the website or anywhere else no it wasn’t so now we have a devastated toddler and a cold hungry new born with nowhere to go and a days parking paid for.

Fantastic experience: Dive into an Ocean of Wonders! National Marine Aquarium is the UK's largest aquarium in the heart of Plymouth and a must-visit for marine life enthusiasts and families alike. You’ll encounter many fascinating creatures, including sharks, rays, jellyfish, and even a giant turtle (Friday). The staff provides learning experiences with interactive exhibits and demonstrations.Also, there is a Cafe and Picnic area with stunning views of Plymouth. Whether you're a marine enthusiast or just looking for a fun day out,Dive into an ocean of wonders and discover the beauty of the underwater world! Note : Admission tickets come with a Free annual pass ( unlimited for 12 months).

Fantastic experience: A magical evening. A great Valentine’s gift for my husband. The musicians interacted well with the audience. Easy access for mobility chair users. The only negative being that the £5 additional fee for a photo was far from being VFM. We received a Polaroid style photograph. .

Fantastic experience: Excellent. Visited here in August 2024 with family. Excellent experience with quite a lot to see. The main tank a range of large fish (sharks to rays) with different viewing windows. My kids loved it here and could have easily stayed all day just watching the fish. There was only 2 tanks that had nothing in them, but everything else had life. There was a good range of different tanks that had a range of different fish. Kids loved it. Price is quite high.

Fantastic experience: Our family had a fantastic time at the NMA! We visited during a school holiday and recommend arriving when it opens to avoid the crowds. My child loved observing and learning about the marine creatures, and the rangers were knowledgeable, sharing fascinating facts. The aquarium is well-maintained, and tickets include an unlimited annual pass. The café food was reasonably priced and tasted good. We spent around four hours there (10am–2pm). Overall, a great experience—I highly recommend it for families with children!

Negative experience: Avoid corporate events at all costs. Staff ask the visitors to use the ‘manned’ wardrobe pre-events for outerwear. After only 3 hours into the event my new jacket got stolen. Staff were dismissive and ignorant. Multiple face to face and email enquiries were completely unprofessionally ignored. Low-quality, overpriced catering throughout the event.

Fantastic experience: Attended a candlelit string quartet event. Perfect location. Well organised. The fish played their part beautifully

Fantastic experience: A beautifully romantic evening. Gorgeous love songs played beautifully by the quartet and the 3,500 candles in from of the fish gave it the most romantic vibe. We’ll definitely be back next Valentines.

Negative experience: Really disappointed with this it was really expensive and we only spent an hour there wasn't much there at all!! We walked around twice in 1 hour as I was in disbelief that that was all there was to see we thought we had missed some but we hadn't. Won't be returning. No wonder you get a years free annual pass because once you've been once you don't need to go again! Seen it all. Day light robbery!

Positive experience: Very enjoyable music in a great atmospheric setting. The comfort of the seating became a bit of a distraction after a while and a cloakroom to leave coats would have been appreciated. The bar was a nice touch but having nowhere to set a glass down was somewhat inconvenient. Overall a good experience but might be improved with the aforementioned points. Many thanks

Fantastic experience: Fantastically atmospheric venue. The music of Hans Zimmer was superb. Each piece was really well explained by the musicians, who were excellent. A memorable evening!

Fantastic experience: Went for my boyfriends birthday and when we went back look at the octopus we had missed earlier the wonderful Soraya and Grayham allowed us to see it before closing such a wonderful end to out day :)

Negative experience: Really bad experience today! Awful service with my service user. Refused entry because she requires 2-1 staffing and they have a new policy which started yesterday that they only accept one carer? We had pre paid so unsure why this was a problem when we arrived. Online we booked for one adult and two carers, no issues? The lady was very unreasonable when expressed that our service user has physical and mental needs requiring two people to support. This has really upset us and means that we now cannot access a day out due to ignorance. Thanks NMA.

Negative experience: Visited today with my girlfriend (came all the way from Cardiff) to see the “UK’s biggest aquarium” If this is the best we can do in the UK, then it is incredibly disappointing! We arrived at 12:15 - the line was short, lots of children as to be expected on the weekend which is fine. We proceeded to the exhibits, of which there are very few. The aquarium is basically two main tanks. The fish in them are large and the sharks/rays were impressive, however, there was additional tanks with tropical fish, and anything with real colour or vibrancy. From my experience in other aquarium, they make the most of the limited space with multiple viewing areas, across different levels, all around the tank which drags out your time there and gives you different persepctives. The one main tank has a single viewing area, which could easily be covered by 15/20 people’. We also noted that the glass slightly hazed, and the way the lights shon into the tank made it difficult to see further in. Another really disappointing factor was the lack of any information on the fish. Nothing on the walls, no speakers or voiceovers & the staff that we saw were either sat down or stood in the corner and not really interacting with people. I guess the one positive was you could see they had a focus on conservation and encoring things like sea grass etc but overall, it was incredibly disappointing. To put it into perspective, we visited the aquarium in Bristol & spent far longer in there and really enjoyed the exhibits. Also, what we noticed, on the way home, when looking at the reviews most of the 4/5 start reviews were from their events like the candle lit dinners etc so be weary of the validity of the reviews. For £52 each for two adults, I would not recommend in the slightest but I would instead donate to their conservation work.

Positive experience: Great aquarium, staff are helpful and enjoyed talking about the animals. The 2 tanks were amazing, I loved seeing the sharks and rays up close aswell as seeing all the smaller animals. The directions weren't very clear so I got lost twice but that's fine, I think the price is a bit much as we saw everything in an hour, you do get a year of free returns though which is worth it. There was lots of children running around which did throw off the calming vibe a bit as it was quite overwhelming and it echoed the noise. I will return here as I enjoy sharks and this aquarium is local to me. I am autistic so it's very good sensory wise, the lighting isn't bright which is good and the music in the shark area is very helpful to block out any overwhelming noises.

Fantastic experience: I visited it on Sunday evening to listen to a great string quartet concert. The music was extremely good backed by the giant fish tank. Sadly we were unable to walk around the aquarium after the show as it was closed. Some years ago as a member of Baltimore Aquarium, USA I attended many similar events but was permitted to walk around the Aquarium after the show. I would have thought that the Plymouth management could consider a similar arrangement after a concert. Even paying more for tickets would, I believe, be a worthwhile enhancement to an enjoyable event.

Fantastic experience: I went with my daughter yesterday, we have been so many times but we really enjoyed the extra little bits so thought a review was a must. Firstly, an older lady who was volunteering spent the time to explain to my 5 year old all about the octopus and provided some fun facts which my daughter loved. Secondly, a younger man spent some time showing my daughter some really cool objects and explaining what they were. My daughter loves this kind of interaction and it is what made her trip that extra special.

Fantastic experience: Outstanding concert by 4 super talented musicians. Great interaction with the audience explaining the story's behind the music. Highly recommended.

Positive experience: Very good, very busy and we went in the depths of winter. Would we go again...... Doubtful

Negative experience: Spent my life savings just to see some crappy fish you can see in the sea if you look hard enough. Took about 10 minutes to see the whole place ( I was withering away with screaming kids and the heat ) recommend if your loaded with dosh. Tourists, don’t waste your valuable time. Toilets were off limits and I nearly had to piss in the tank

Fantastic experience: It was an amazing experience that was well worth the long trip for us! The views of various sea life were incredible to see, with many different marine life and tanks to see them in. In addition, the walk around and Shark Talk was both fun and very educational! Staff were very friendly, approachable, and knowledgeable, making the whole experience all the better!

Fantastic experience: The aquariums are impressive, everything is well-maintained, but if you want to see a shark show or something similar on schedule, take your seats in the hall half an hour in advance, otherwise you simply won’t have any room left on a weekend to watch

Positive experience: Atmospheric setting with talented musicians playing music from one of our favourite bands, whilst watching the mesmerising sea creatures, what's not to love!

Positive experience: I was nervous about parking provisions and was advised that the nearest multi-storey was problematic, so I street-parked. Really unusual venue, with the fish constantly moving in the background. The musicians and their performance were excellent. As an 83-year-old, out with my wife, found the seats a bit hard after nearly 1.5 hours. The performance was targeted at 1830, however, did not realise entry was restricted before then and stood out in the cold for some 20 minutes, as we arrived early looking to get a coffee, relax and find our seats. Will definitely go again, but be a little more streetwise.

Positive experience: We had a lovely evening at the aquarium watching the string quartet candlelight concert. Such a beautiful experience. The musicians played beautifully and we really enjoyed listening to them. The only issue we had was seating. All being on the same level, we had trouble seeing without having to lean to either side of the people infront. Staggered seating with wider gaps between the chairs would have been a better choice.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful place to visit, OK it's not cheap, but it really is worth the price of entrance. Even going quickly through, you will spend a couple of hours here. The large tanks are mesmerising, and you can spend an easy 20 minutes just looking at each one. Has many small tanks lining all the connecting corridors all well worth stopping and looking into.

Fantastic experience: Took our son here great time. Arrived early shark talk amazing. Love the santa hats on the whale models. You can do a vip tour must try this when kid free.

Fantastic experience: THE family day-out in Devon (on my list, it is No.1 in devon and No.3 in the UK) a magnificent place. The work they do for the environment is second to none and they don’t just gather donations and pop off to do stuff, they let the public engage and be educated in the issues of the marine world. The café is a little pricey but very convenient due to the lack of small food outlets in the area and good food. All the animals are very beautiful and it creates a wordless expression whenever you actually see how beautiful it all is. The aquascaping, the animals, the educational talks. Keep up the good work and our marine environment safe! A worthy visit from anywhere in the country if you are interested in the ocean!

Positive experience: Ok, the aquarium was going through a refit when we went, and there was no disabled parking available. The guy on the gate had no clue what to do as we have a wheelchair vehicle for my daughter, which is over 2.6 m high and cannot fit in the multi story carpark! Which was a 2m limit. And he was telling us we had to park in there. the logic there!! The only place to park was at a premier inn carpark adjacent, which was highly overpriced. This aside, I would have rated it higher to 4 stars possibly 5. If the disabled toilets were bigger, they needed to be sorted. And definitely some more sharks in the large tank. The lifts are confusing, with the lack of signage. And what signage there is its confusing and misleading. So maybe better signs in the lifts to know what floor you need to stay on your tour.. There's lots of small fish and other creatures to see and learn about here. And the staff are friendly and helpful. The restaurant is ok but they need to keep up the stocking of their fridges as when we went in for lunch, about 13:30, they we all sold out, and there was almost nothing left on post mix. The food it's self was very good quality though . Overall, after seeing this place on the bbc series, it was a bit of a letdown with the lack of big sharks in the large tank. But I'm not taking away from the amazing work and research they are doing here.

Negative experience: A Sinking Experience: A Review of Plymouth’s National Marine Aquarium for Child-Free Adults If you’re an adult couple looking for a tranquil, educational day at the aquarium, allow me to steer you away from Plymouth’s National Marine Aquarium. As someone who’s visited aquariums up and down the UK, I can confidently say: save your pennies, and your sanity. Price vs. Experience: A Titanic Mismatch Let’s start with the price. £50 for two people? We were expecting an immersive journey into the deep blue, but what we got was more of a kiddie pool-sized experience. We completed our first walk-through in 45 minutes, and that included listening to a short, painfully simplistic talk about sharks aimed squarely at a five-year-old’s attention span. A Sea of Commercialization Once you’re inside, brace yourself for constant attempts to reel you in for more spending. Want to book a wedding in the aquarium? Host a corporate meeting? Attend a VIP dinner? No thanks, I’m just here to see some fish. But clearly, monetization is the aquarium’s top priority, as these offers bombard you at every turn. All Tanks, No Substance The tanks themselves? Sure, they’re large and the sea life is beautiful, but they all started to look like a rinse-and-repeat cycle of the same. The theming was virtually nonexistent, with no sense of cohesion or educational depth. It was all very surface level (pun intended), and the signage on the tanks was so simplified that I could’ve learned more from Googling the animals later. It felt as though the aquarium catered to young children at the expense of offering any real value to adults. Crowded Waters Full of Little Minnows Speaking of children, prepare for a tidal wave of toddlers. The place was packed to the gills, and we spent more time dodging sticky-fingered children than enjoying the exhibits. Parents—if you can call them that—let their offspring run wild, so you’ll constantly be bumped, nudged, and pushed out of the way. The overwhelming smell of stale nappies didn’t help matters either. I was hoping for the scent of saltwater and sea breeze, not the nauseating odor of baby wipes and bodily functions. The Cafe: A Grim Port of Call When we sought refuge in the cafe, we were greeted by a joyless throng of parents and their weary children. The atmosphere? More ‘Lord of the Flies’ than ‘Finding Nemo.’ Adding insult to injury, by 11:45 am on a Sunday, they were already sold out of ham and cheese paninis. And let me tell you, there was nothing else on the menu to make up for that loss. The Parking Situation and Final Blow The aquarium’s entrance, located behind the main car park, felt more like sneaking into a dodgy back-alley pub than entering a renowned educational facility. It cost us £8 to park, and after exiting through the overpriced gift shop, we left feeling like we had been swindled out of our time and money. The website had warned us that midweek visits were overrun by school groups due to STEM-focused events, so we chose Sunday, hoping for a quieter experience. Little did we know, we’d still be swamped by families, loud kids, and a lackluster atmosphere. Final Verdict If you’re an adult couple without children, I couldn’t dissuade you more from visiting this aquarium. For £50, it simply wasn’t worth it. We walked out feeling angry, frustrated, and a bit lighter in the wallet. The experience did not live up to the marketing hype, and frankly, we contemplated calling the bank to dispute the charge. Unless you’re into overpriced gift shops and constant distractions, do yourself a favor: stay dry and spend your money elsewhere. How does that feel? Would you like to tweak anything before finalizing it?

Negative experience: Walked around what I thought was there back entrance / delivery ramp £50 for myself and my partner. Soft play was closed. And had walked around in around half an hour. Expected more for the price. Won’t be visiting again. Very overpriced tickets as was the gift shop too.

Fantastic experience: Just such an amazing experience. The staff are LOVELY!! and the range of animals here are really interesting. It's really good value. You buy a ticket and then get a year pass !! We visited because our son had watched the series about the aquarium on BBC iplayer. He enjoyed spotting all the animals by their names he had learnt through the show. Definitely worth the overnight stay and 5 hours in the car to get there.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely wonderful experience,very beautiful location for concert-aquarium on background, candles and musicians professionally play music.It was magical.

Fantastic experience: My self and my 12 year old did the Snokel experience and it was just truly amazeing. Chris our guide was sooo knowledgeable and kind we felt very looked after. As the cage your in is transparent it was truly an immersive experience. Absolutely mind-blowing. Friday arrived as as we walked in. And kept coming back to keep an eye on us ☺️ The sharks though. My goodness. To be so close to them and look them in the eye. It was soo surreal. I didn't want the experience to end. It was phenomenal.

Positive experience: I had a great time at the NMA with my family, we enjoyed seeing the different varieties of animals, especially Friday the star attraction! The only down side is the viewing can be very limited and unfortunately people don’t think about others, there were elderly disabled people in wheelchairs at the back with no view of the tank due to the crowd stood in front of the main tank, I know it’s the main attraction but maybe the NMA could have a disability viewing area or somebody to monitor this. Other than that we had a fantastic day and will be back in future.

Positive experience: I thought it was a bit too expensive for what it's worth, however, you get a free pass to visit again when you buy your ticket. The aquarium has a lot of different type of sea animals, seagrass, anemones. It has a lot of useful information displayed about the fish (however I wish they were more detailed). It does tell you their habitat and diet. I liked the big room where you can see the ray and sharks just swimming about. There are also two other rooms with huge fish tanks on one side of the wall. I would definitely recommend a visit here.

Fantastic experience: Been waiting to visit The Aquarium for some time. Finally got to go with my daughter & throughly enjoyed a couple of hours or so there. Lovely to be able to sit & watch the fish in the larger tanks as well as talking to some of the staff there.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely amazing day out with the family. Would definately reccomend heading over in the afternoon when things are a little quieter (though we did arrive after the talks and feeds!). There was still plenty to see and do in each zone (including fun little activities for all ages!). Highlights include the shark tank (ofc), colour your own sea creature, and our very own little Octopus talk from the fact filled Millie-Jay (ft. Roger the Common Octopus) who answered every question we threw their way and really made the trip that little bit more special. The free return within a year ticket is an absolute must, anytime we are in Plymouth we love to pop in!

Fantastic experience: Entry price is decent considering you get a 12 month pass to come back £25, this place is brilliant loads to look at the tanks are placed enough apart so you don't have to be pushed around, the big huge tank is beautiful with sharks, sting rays and fish, so much information on how to keep our oceans clean, I highly recommend a visit it was fantastic!

Fantastic experience: surprised my partner with a diving experience for their birthday, something neither of us had ever done, as well as our first time visit to Plymouth. It was so surreal being in the water with all the different animals, especially Friday the turtle. it’s amazing what the staff of this aquarium are doing not only for their creatures, but for the area of Plymouth and the world. We would like to thank all the staff of NMA, more noticeably Chris, our host, who made our experience 10/10. He was such a character, and knew so much about each of the different animals, especially the rays which are our personal favourites. he took many photos which added to being able to reflect on our experience, giving us both great memories. We enjoyed many laps around the aquarium seeing everything it had to offer. I would recommend this experience to anyone, was definitely worth the 5+ hour drive.

Fantastic experience: We came to see the Beatles by Candlelight and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The string quartet were very talented and entertaining, the atmosphere was wonderful. Having the Eddystone Reef tank as a backdrop was magical. I highly recommend seeing one of these performances. We can't wait to come again

Fantastic experience: A breathtaking experience and a wealth of knowledge! Myself and my other-half visited the NMA after watching the “Secrets of the Aquarium” BBC series. She is a huge fan of marine wildlife so it was a no-brainer for a belated birthday present! Upon arrival the lovely staff at the gift shop provided us with our annual pass, received after admission, and we were off for what would become 4 laps of the incredible site. With so many informative signs and descriptions of the animals we quickly came to learn a lot of interesting facts about the hundreds of species showcased throughout. Our day was capped off with the main event - the snorkelling experience. Led for another lap of the aquarium by Chris - a seemingly endless fountain of knowledge about each species and environment - we benefitted from some lesser known details and bits of trivia which made us love marine species even more! Once the guided tour was over, Chris brought us to the top of the biggest tank for our snorkelling experience. The pre-booked experience - usually 20 minutes in duration - was very generously extended by 5 minutes by Chris as we got to spend more treasured time face-to-face with the animals. Highlights of which came with meeting one of the stars of the BBC series - Friday the Turtle - as well as a personal bucket list item of mine coming face to face with a shark! I was both awestruck and terrified although the latter was unjustified due to the incredibly safe set up of the experience. Once our time was up and we re-surfaced, Chris informed us he’d taken lots of photos for us to have physical memories of the amazing time spent in the tank. All in all, our visit to the NMA was a true pleasure and we shall endeavour to visit many times more in the future - regardless of our 4-hour commute from our home! Thank you, staff at the NMA - most notably Chris - for the amazing experience and for keeping the site running for everyone to come and get closer to our seas and wildlife!