📍 Location and contact

Lakeside, Newby Bridge - >LA12 8AS, Ulverston
+441539530153

📷 Photos from Lakes Aquarium

ℹ️ Information

Aquarium with freshwater and marine life, featuring an underwater otter tunnel and stingrays.

The Lakes Aquarium is a delightful destination located on the banks of Lake Windermere in the picturesque Lake District. It offers a fantastic experience for visitors of all ages, especially families with young children.

  • Diverse Marine Life: The aquarium showcases a wide variety of aquatic life including freshwater fish, otters, and fascinating insects. Highlights include an underwater tunnel that provides a unique viewing experience of the aquatic creatures.
  • Learn and Explore: Informative displays educate visitors about the species on exhibit, emphasizing conservation and ecological knowledge.
  • Accessibility: Designed with ease of movement in mind, the aquarium features a one-way route that makes it accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.
  • Ideal for a Day Out: Combine your visit with a scenic ride on the steam train or a boat tour on Lake Windermere for a complete family day out.
  • Great Atmosphere: The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, enhancing your overall experience with their insights.

Don't miss this charming aquarium during your visit to the Lake District!

🕒 Opening hours

  • SUNDAY: 10H-16:30
  • MONDAY: 10H-16:30
  • TUESDAY: 10H-16:30
  • WEDNESDAY: 10H-16:30
  • THURSDAY: 10H-16:30
  • FRIDAY: 10H-16:30
  • SATURDAY: 10H-16:30

🎟️ Buy your ticket

🗣️ Lakes Aquarium: Reviews

4.2/5 (212 Reviews)
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Carolyn Pope 1 month ago

Fantastic experience: Lovely Aquarium, children loved the Otters in particular but really captivated by all the creatures. Interesting and innovative displays and tanks. Well worth a visit and not expensive.

אלה זהבי 1 month ago

Negative experience: My kid felt it's really sad that some of the fish have really small cages and there are almost no interesting animals.

Cameron Fisher 1 month ago

Positive experience: Not the best aquarium in all honesty. And on the wet day we went it was far too overcrowded. Luckily I don't suffer sensory overload. A couple unique exhibits however made it special, the harvest mice I could watch for hours. And the ants were surprisingly good.

Paul Murphy 1 month ago

Positive experience: A bit cramped considering the influx of tourists from boat/train, almost creating a one-way system that prevents you from exploring more or going back and therefore relatively short considering the price we paid, wasn't offered a discounted family ticket at the desk. Would be better if was more open and maybe if had audio tour. Kids would like it nonetheless.

Emma Brooks (Loves food) 1 month ago

Positive experience: Small but lovely day out with the family. Nice to have an aquarium in the Lakes. Keep up the great work.

Kieran Buckley 1 month ago

Positive experience: Tickets are cheaper a day in advance great aquarium for what it is - my family always loves this place.

Andrew Lord 1 month ago

Positive experience: What they have is good, especially the tunnel walkway. Can easily be round all exhibits in less than an hour.

Penny Riley 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: Went here on a combined ticket from Haverthwaite steam train. Nice aquarium, plenty to see and a small gift shop. Very busy during the holidays and has its a one way round, can be difficult with prams, wheelchairs etc. Enjoyed it, a great day out, if it's raining as it's all in doors. Works out cheaper if you get the combined ticket from Haverthwaite railway.

Carl Osborne 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: Loved our visit to the Aquarium while waiting to catch the boat. Not big but full of fish to watch

Peter James Evans 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: I had such a fantastic day here today. I haven’t been to this place since I was about seven years old so to come back and see the place still doing so well was a privilege. The staff were all so lovely and well informed about the animals on show and I particularly enjoyed the otter presentation. In addition, I had some lovely conversations with other members of staff about different animals and was also helped out when looking for my next destination. Overall, this place is a fantastic place to go, be it on your own or with family. There is a wide variety of animals to see with some fascinating facts to go with them. The staff are so lovely and helpful and couldn’t have done more to make feel welcome. It’s a five star review from me and I look forward to coming back soon

Mark Bayliss 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: Very well set out aquarium with a wide variety of sea life to see. Clean and spacious inside and lots of information on screens of whatever is in the tanks etc. Plenty of parking available and lakeside where you can also get a steam train ride , or use various boat tours on the lake.

Estelle Townsend 2 months ago

Positive experience: The whole place looked like it was in need of a general refresh. I felt that at ÂŁ9.99 for an adult ticket, it was a bit expensive. We had finished the whole aquarium within 45 mins. The fish looked well cared for. the turtles and otters were extremely cute.

Shaun 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: Went the aquarium last weekend and it was better than expected. Plenty to see and do. No queue. Many more animals than a standard aquarium and the bridge over the water as well as the tunnel under it were my favourite part. Very reasonably priced too.

Kieran Fox 2 months ago

Positive experience: £10 for adult, quite a lot given the size of the attraction. Only lasted 25 minutes really. Wouldn’t go again unfortunately

Graeme Loxley 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: Well worth a visit before a trip on the lake

Stephanie Corbett 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: A lovely little Aquarium that was enjoyed by the whole family.

Alex Ketteringham 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: Lovely little aquarium with a good variety of fish

Matt Collins 2 months ago

Positive experience: Nice little aquarium just up the road from Newby Bridge. The aquarium is small, but there is a good variety of animals here. The diving ducks were great to see and the under water viewing spot was great. The aquarium is fairly cheap at under ÂŁ10 per adult and tickets can be combined with the lake boat or the steam train. You do have to pay for parking separately, and is not included in the price of your tickets

Carol Callaghan 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: On 21st June 2025 we went on the steam train from Haverthwaite station to lakeside where we boarded the Swan to windermere. Really nice trip. Well organised. Refreshments available on board (tea coffee alcoholic drinks etc) some information provided about the lake and surrounds by speakers on board. All in all a lovely way to spend time in a beautiful part of the country

Dan Gwynne 3 months ago

Fantastic experience: Visited as a family, honestly for ÂŁ10 pp I didn't expect much, we recently went to the national marine aquarium in Plymouth, and we're disappointed for ÂŁ25 pp. This is absolute great value for money!! Lots to see, well laid out! Walk through tunnel was very cool! Although it's made me think twice about swimming in the lakes again!!

Julia BeguerĂ­a 3 months ago

Negative experience: The aquarium is well looked after. However the animals have little space for their size, particularly some, which I found extremely saddening. Some are alone as well, don’t even have a companion. Not good conditions for animal welfare.

Sean Hogg 3 months ago

Positive experience: It’s an aquarium so you know what you are expecting. Very well laid out and was probably a bit pricey considering it wasn’t a very big place. Nevertheless it was pleasant enough and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable if we asked a question.

Ifthicar Choudhary 3 months ago

Fantastic experience: Absolutely glorious place to visit and thoroughly enjoying for my grandchildren. Well worth the expense and experience. Gift shop is dear so beware of children and carry extra funds. Parking is reasonably priced ed.

Andrea Rullo 3 months ago

Fantastic experience: I found the experience to be very enjoyable (the underwater tunnel is great). It wasn't limited to fish (we saw piranhas for the first time!), but also showcased insects and snakes from various continents.

Pui Ho 3 months ago

Negative experience: Small aquarium. Spend less than an hour. Few spices. But good for taking a rest during a rainy day. Tickets are expensive

Gary Croft 3 months ago

Positive experience: Small but just good, I nice little addition to a day out at the lakes. Would love to see a catfish back in the freshwater tunnel

Sally Purseglove 3 months ago

Positive experience: The aquarium is great for kids and we enjoyed our visit. Our only concern was the space the fish and animals have, some of the larger fish were crammed into the tanks, some of the reptiles didn’t have much space either. Some of the tanks could do with a really good clean also

Daniel Clarke 3 months ago

Negative experience: Over crowded and nothing unique about it. The underwater tunnel is nice but I don't think it's worth going out of your way to see it.

Rachel Evans 4 months ago

Fantastic experience: Amazing! Would highly recommend watching the otters feeding at 11:30... So cute! Staff are very welcoming too

Ashley Doak 4 months ago

Fantastic experience: My partner and I had an incredible time here what a small little wonder it is with a beautiful range of animals and fish to look at!! Keep up the great work

RS 4 months ago

Positive experience: The Lakes Aquarium is quite small, but it's a nice little trip out—especially for younger children. There’s a decent variety of fish and animals, and the layout is easy to walk through without being overwhelming. It doesn’t take long to get around, so it's ideal for a short visit or as part of a day out in the area. Probably not as exciting for older kids or adults, but it’s educational and fun for little ones. Staff were friendly and everything was clean and well-maintained.

Linda Harrild 4 months ago

Positive experience: Lovely little stop for lunch with a beautiful view of the lake

Irani Borthakur 4 months ago

Positive experience: Went today on good Friday. It was good and our daughter enjoyed it. Finished within an hour, though. Not very much variety, but whatever is there are welll taken care of. Can't expect the same as other aquariums but not bad.

Monty Reeve 4 months ago

Positive experience: Nice aquarium, some cool exhibits, otters were very cute and the ant display was great!

09faze 4 months ago

Positive experience: It is a nice place for visit with the family, children or friends . The restaurant next to is not the best but with the nice view to the lake. Cappuccino with scone with Cream and jam was ÂŁ9.70. Burger with the chips for 12.95 could be warmer.

wayne hurst 4 months ago

Fantastic experience: Absolutely a brilliant day out for the kids, took my granddaughter, she loved it. Take a picnic, as it's a bit pricey on food and drinks, but a great drive out and a great day had

Grant Brookes 5 months ago

Fantastic experience: During our trip to the Lake District, we decided to visit the Lakes Aquarium, somewhere where we’ve seen but not been in. The aquarium is such a great place to visit and so much to see for the family. The underwater tunnel was a particular highlight and we loved the otters, piranhas and the tiny clownfish. Highly I recommended - 5 stars!

jianjing zhu 5 months ago

Fantastic experience: Good value for the price of my whole family of 2 adults and 3 children, have seen better aquarium but can't complain at this price

Sam M 5 months ago

Negative experience: I didn't think it was worth the money , children seemed disappointed and not able to see much ...parking expensive xxx approx time spent less than an hour ! Seen it all and pretty much the same kind of fish

Katy-Louise Pritchett 5 months ago

Positive experience: We had a nice time with the children, perfect size for young ones. Worth seeing otter feeding time as childrens favourite part of the visit! The hunt was an excellent addition to the trip and the kids were happy with the sticker reward. The disappointing part was it felt a little "run down", not every animal looked entirely healthy which was a bit upsetting. There was no public toilet in the building which is worth noting so go before or after on the other side of the train platform.

Ramindu Thivanka Jayasuriya 5 months ago

Positive experience: Had a good time. It's not that big place. But it's decorative and creative. They have tried hard to give the atmosphere of the sea using underground sea wreck design as interior designs and inside of a ship. Apart from sea life, there're some insects and reptiles too. I'd suggest buying a combined ticket with the steam train. It's worthy

S K 5 months ago

Fantastic experience: Small but perfectly formed. Found by accident and really enjoyed the visit. Good variety of displays.

Dave Hurn 5 months ago

Fantastic experience: Brilliant day out with plenty to see, great variety of animals in great condition, your ticket lasts all day so you can go round as many times as you like. Cheaper to book online in advance

Russell Bannerman 5 months ago

Fantastic experience: Great trip for the family, not huge but really enjoyable.

Garin Davies 5 months ago

Fantastic experience: Visited mid week. Outside of school holidays we were probably 2 of 6 in the whole building. Fantastic aquarium especially for the very reasonable price. Ignore the 1 out of 5 ratings as the tanks were all clean and if you’re visiting on a weekend/ school holiday what do you expect? It’s going to be busy.

Laura Willgoose 5 months ago

Fantastic experience: Really great place to visit, we did the combined aquarium and boat trip ticket which was a lovely day out and great value for money

Mark Brown 6 months ago

Fantastic experience: Small aquarium but you get what you pay for. Good amount of animals and fish go spend an hour here at least with the kids

Monica Rosie Sagu 6 months ago

Positive experience: My husband and I visited on a Satuday late morning. A good way to spend an hour. Good for all ages too. Have animals such as ants and snakes as well as fish. Lots of snippets of information as you walk round. Has a gift shop at the end. Saw people with pushchairs so wheel friendly. Parking had to be paid for and was for either 2 hours or 10 hours....nothing in-between?!

Ian Ellis 6 months ago

Fantastic experience: A great little aquarium with a vast array of exhibits including an underwater tunnel. There is plenty for young children to do with lots of information on the exhibits. Well worth a visit.you can get a combination ticket including a boat trip or boat trip and the motor museum.

Andy G 6 months ago

Positive experience: I'm not the biggest fan of animals in captivity but this is quite a nice little aquarium. Showing its age in some respects but an interesting hour spent wandering around and not too expensive to get in. Probably best for younger kids but my two teenagers didn't complain.

Richard Rogers 6 months ago

Fantastic experience: My babies first visit to an aquarium and he loved it !! The aquarium was quiet so we had plenty of time to see each display and to read about the animals. The small underwater tunnel is very cool and the highlight of the trip

Clarabella Boo 6 months ago

Positive experience: Much smaller Aquarium than the bigger competitors (such as SeaLife) but you are not paying the same price tag. Was well maintained, tanks clean and all wildlife seemed well and healthy. Enjoyed it but like I said before - small establishment so doesn't take that long to see everything.

Beverly Scott 6 months ago

Fantastic experience: Great family experience but the family ticket for 25 pound even have your photos taken we loved it ❤️

Samantha Britton 6 months ago

Positive experience: Small and dated. Spent 30 minutes there whilst weather was torrential. Kids will probably love it. Got some nice photos

David Stewart 7 months ago

Fantastic experience: Excellent place to take young kids . Buy a combined ticket with either train or motor museum makes it brilliant value for money.

Wadsworth Landscaping 7 months ago

Positive experience: Second visit to the aquarium in recent years. Unfortunately this time was several empty cases and the ants display was also empty which I was looking forward to showing my daughter. Quite a small aquarium in comparison to some of the well known brands but still some interesting fish and insects. Wife was very sad to see the seahorses had also gone. Price wasn't too bad for a family ticket but didn't take long at all to get round as was quite busy and we felt rushed at most of the displays as there wasn't much viewing room for people to see so always had people waiting for you to move on.

Susanna Gowlett 7 months ago

Positive experience: A nice place but far far too busy. They really need to stagger entrance times as it was absolute carnage and at many points you couldn't move at all because of the amount of people in there at one time. It felt very claustrophobic and everyone was pushing and shoving. It's a real shame because there was plenty to see but I felt there was a clear health and safety risk with the number of people piling in at the same time. We wouldn't visit again.

Grace Feeney 7 months ago

Negative experience: Visited in December 2024. We visited on a rainy day so this place was a welcome retreat. However it was disappointingly small with mainly just fish. I'd say the highlight was the otters because we got to watch them being fed. You have to pay to park outside and there's no discount for aquarium visitors We will probably not visit again.

Chantelle Johnson 7 months ago

Negative experience: The whole of this experience was beyond disappointing,many tanks were empty without reason there was far too many people pushing and barging past as well as this the tanks were disgustingly dirty and nothing like advertised at all. Was not worth the money or time,toilets were absolutely disgraceful as well.

Dalia Digriene 7 months ago

Fantastic experience: After very cold weather, it was a nice place to get in :) Aquarium never gets boring, interesting to see all types of fish, stars.

Ashley Woosey 7 months ago

Positive experience: We came here with our little boy as it was a very rainy day. Our little boy is one so he was in for free and we paid £20 altogether. We were welcomed with a friendly welcome however she did feel rushed. The aquarium is only small but worth the money. We have been here before but we didn’t get to see the otters last time. There is lots to see throughout with a viewing tunnel at the end of the experience. It was a lovely atmosphere with friendly staff. Some Maintenance still being done throughout the aquarium at the time. Easy to work through with a pram but I can see this being difficult if the aquarium was busy. Toilets and baby change within and Cafe located next to the aquarium.

Angela Farrington-Payne (Angie) 7 months ago

Fantastic experience: Lovely place to visit our first time visited with my son his wife and Grandson amazing fish

Daniel Willingham 7 months ago

Fantastic experience: This is an excellent and marvellous on the banks of Lake Windermere with a variety of Fish and other animals to see. The Aquarium is over two floors and there are a variety of zones to see including The Americas, Asia, English Lake District, At the Seashore, Africa, The Rainforest and Underwater Tunnel with an array of fish to see both domestic and tropical fish to see and also other animals to see. The fish that be can be seen are Carp, Piranhas, Clownfish, Cichlids, Perch, Blind Cave Fish, Thornback Rays and Eurasian Minnows. The animals that can be seen are Poison Dart Frogs, Harvest Mice, Asian Short Clawed Otters, Leaf Cutter Ants & Standing Day Gecko along with Tufted Ducks and Mandarin Ducks all of which are well looked after in very spacious tanks etc and you can a great glimpse of both the fish and animals and all of them appear very inquisitive and intrigued upon the sight of Human Contact. There are very informative information displays at each of the tanks detailing information about them, their plight in the wild and also the conservation efforts to save them, which is a very interesting and enlightening read. The best of the displays are The Asian Short Clawed Otters due to their lovely playful nature, The Underwater Tunnel due to the fact you can see a brilliant array of different fish which behave in a very frenzied in an aquatic setting giving you a full idea of their environment in the wild and how the fish interact and behave with each other. The size of the attraction is not vast and should take approx. Just over an hour to get around. There are talks at two times throughout the day for the Otters where you an learn more intriguing facts about the Otters and how they in their wild environment, which is very enlightening. Prices are very reasonable with just over ÂŁ9 for Adults and in the summer months visitors can enjoy some savings with a joint ticket to visit to the attraction in conjunction with visiting The Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway where the attraction is situated at the end of the line. The place is also right next to river cruises for Lake Windermere where from the attraction you can enjoy breathtaking views of the Picturesque scenery that surrounds the place. There is the 1872 Cafe which sells a nice range of food and drink at reasonable prices and also the Rockpool Gift Shop and The 1872 Gift shop sells a lovely range of souvenirs at reasonable prices. Overall this is a sensational and amazing place to visit which makes for a very pleasant and lovely day out. Well worth a visit whilst visiting Lake Windermere.

Lucy Lewis 8 months ago

Fantastic experience: We spent 2 hours here with our marine obsessed 4 year old. There's a great selection of fish, and a few mamals and otters. It was better than the reviews indicated.

milk the cow 9 months ago

Positive experience: Not very good, but for the price I'd actually still say worth a visit if in the area or arriving by the boat

Jakki S 10 months ago

Positive experience: Took my to teens here and they loved it, nice pleasant afternoon out

mick bowditch 10 months ago

Fantastic experience: Bit chilly but absolutely great ,took a trip on the boat tour of lake windermere the sun came out ,brilliant, long trip from Kent but well worth it hopefully go again

Lynne Abbott 10 months ago

Negative experience: Well this is just about the poorest, badly organised aquarium I've ever been to! Got on the steam train & booked the aquarium. 8adults & 6 children agea 3-11. What a joke, the place has no limit on how many people they can let in & we honestly couldn't get moved! Was so unsafe too as norm in places like this the children can explore themselves & look at things themselves. That was certainly not an option for the younger ones as visibility was next to zero after a few feet! Due to the sheer volume allowed in was very difficult to even look at anything & every tank, bit of glass & info board had a que of 2-3 ppl deep to see 100% not for younger kids. 100% not for anyone who suffers claustrophobia or hates having no personal space whatsoever Greedy company more concerned with making as much ÂŁÂŁÂŁ as possible. Personally I'd rather pay slightly more & be able to feel I've visited the place than have to leave because its an impossible nightmare.

Julian Adams 10 months ago

Fantastic experience: Always looking love coming here, otter talk was interesting and it seems well kept.

Alison Dobbie 11 months ago

Fantastic experience: I went with family group ages ranging from 3 to 67 and we all really enjoyed the aquarium. The displays were easily seen and imaginative in construction. Our experience was enhanced by it being mid week term time so not as busy. We were able to take our time watching and reading.

Laura Hardy 11 months ago

Fantastic experience: Really quaint. Good for young children. Relatively small but steam train and boat trips next door. No toilets on site (but very close on train platform).

Cinderella Barrows 11 months ago

Fantastic experience: Beautiful, visit Lake District Windermere and don't forget one of the beautiful sightseeing whether adults or children. We had 2 nights stay and explored

Mikki D 11 months ago

Fantastic experience: Situated at the North end of Lake Windermere at Newbry Bridge is Lakes Quarium. Tickets are reasonably priced, and there is a good variety of fish and other animals/insects to see. Also, there is a gift shop and cafe next door as well as toilets (which are very clean. You can take a tour of Lake Windermere from here, and there is a ferry that will take you across to Fells Foot. We'll worth a visit.

Scott Appleby 11 months ago

Positive experience: A great experience, especially for babies. The bright colours and movement of the fish really gets their attention. The venue is quite small and you're round the whole thing in less than 40 minutes. There are also no toilets inside the building and you'll need to use the ones on the railway platform around the corner. There is also a cafe and boat stop on the platform so plenty to see. Well worth the visit.

Peter Erdelyi 11 months ago

Fantastic experience: The river with the boats,the bridges with the original buildings and the steam engine makes to be the English Lucerne.(Lucerne - Swiss turist town) Absolutely astonishing view,from this location you can see Fell Foot with its historic baot house,or just take a tour with the train. Whole weekend fun for the family with children and elderly.Great,unforgattable.

Andrew Kane 11 months ago

Fantastic experience: Great experience especially if combined with trip on the cruise boat. The leaf cutter ants are great.

Lee White 1 year ago

Positive experience: Was a lovely place and not expensive. Don’t walk too fast or you’ll be out of there in under a minute!

steve dutch 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Love it. So many different areas to see. The underwater tunnel is fascinating but where else can you see leaf cutter ants at work or poison dart frogs. On top of coral reefs, otters etc all in natural as possible habitats

Richard Lupton 1 year ago

Positive experience: Another great aquarium. Plenty to see here and the kids will love it. Activity sheet available for the kids to do. I had an unfortunate accident by thinking a dome was inverted when it was t and smashed my face into it. Completely my fault and nothing to do with the aquarium themselves. Staff were very attentive to my injury providing me with ice pack, tissues and wipes for my bloody nose and somewhere to rest ‍♂️ Would visit again

Neeraj Acharya 1 year ago

Positive experience: It was a great place to visit. It's very small aquarium, yet it has such a wide variety of sea life, birds and insects to see. They have an amazing ant exhibit, with leafcutter ants carrying leafs along rope. It was very crowded as it was a rainy day, so looks like most of the people had a plan to visit this indoor things. when we went. The staff at the desk were kind and helpful. There is plenty of parking available outside and the back side of the Aquarium. You can buy the parking ticket from the counter for 5ÂŁ for a full day. Parking available for for few hours, but nearly at same price. There is stream train nearby which is also must see attraction and there is also a cruise options available, you can get some discount for combined tickets. We spent a full day here including some nearby places, so plan it accordingly. There is a cafe, so you can get some lunch or snacks with a nice view of the lakeside.

Stephen Anderson 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Weather bad so very busy but queue moved steadily so no great wait. Good displays with information about each set of creatures. So impressed with the leaf cutter ants display no glass on part of it so you can get really close. Very interesting.

Mik Dixon 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: After being to other Aquariums we were expecting the same old kinda things. It was lovely to see fish we don't regularly see such as Sturgeon, a Seahorse and Piranha. My children loved seeing the otters fast asleep after their dinner as well as the ducks. It's large, airy, very well lit and has a decent sized loft for those with limited mobility. The staff were friendly and the gift shop wasn't too badly priced with a nice mixture of Aquarium related items as well as gems and fossils. My children enjoyed every moment of their afternoon here, the fact the railway station and boat rides are located within a 2min walk meant that you were truly able to stay busy for a while day without the worry of driving elsewhere. The food outlets were the only minor niggle, it felt pricy and very bland, the portions were a little on the small side too.

BogdanB 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Lakes Aquarium—a watery wonderland nestled on the southern shore of Windermere in the Lake District! ️ Let’s dive into its depths and discover the magic it holds: Underwater Marvels: Picture yourself passing through an underwater tunnel—a liquid corridor where sturgeon, carp, and diving ducks glide gracefully. It’s like stepping into a serene aquatic ballet! Local and Exotic Residents: From freshwater fish native to the UK to intriguing marine species, the Lakes Aquarium hosts a diverse array of creatures. Keep an eye out for reptiles and amphibians too—they’re the silent storytellers of the water. Lake Windermere Views: As you explore, steal glances at Lake Windermere—the grand dame of English lakes. Its blue expanse stretches out, framed by rolling hills and ancient woodlands. It’s a view that whispers tales of adventure and tranquility. ⛰️ Joey’s Café: Fancy a cuppa? Joey’s Café awaits, offering drinks and snacks. Sip your latte while gazing at the water—it’s like sipping history itself. ☕ Important Note: If you plan to visit, consider booking tickets in advance to save time and ensure a smooth journey. And who knows, maybe Nessie herself will make a cameo appearance! ✨ Now, let’s plan our visit: By Foot: Follow lakeshore tracks from Ferry Head (a scenic 4-mile stroll) or explore off-road paths from the north (look for those friendly blue signs). ‍♀️ By Bus: Regular buses from Ambleside, Hawkshead, Windermere, and Coniston stop nearby. A 20-minute stroll brings you to the aquarium. By Bicycle: Off-road cycle paths lead from Ambleside (signed Bowness via Ferry) and from the south of the castle. Wind in your hair, wheels spinning—pure magic! ‍♂️ And remember, even if you can’t physically visit, our imaginations can explore boundless realms. So, raise your virtual snorkel to the Lakes Aquarium—a place where water meets wonder! By the way, have you ever daydreamed about swimming alongside colorful fish or exploring mysterious underwater caves? Let’s weave our own aquatic tales!

Arron Watson 1 year ago

Positive experience: Great to see a UK nature aquarium educating people about invasive species and native species. A couple of the enclosures were a little small but the overall theme for going from lake to sea and following the coast and seeing things like star fish you can see at the coast was really different and good. For 10 quid or under if you book a head it was enjoyable.

Ruski Ryan 1 year ago

Positive experience: Expensive venue for a visit and to be honest it was a let down, not much to see and not very informative, you can learn more on You-tube.

Sasha Blackmore 1 year ago

Positive experience: For a small aquarium this place has plenty of different things to look at, definitely worth the boat trip across from Bowness

Karolina Grin 1 year ago

Positive experience: A bit small, takes about 20-30min to see everything. But if you buy combined ticket with a boat trip then it's worth the money.

Stephanie Lawrence 1 year ago

Positive experience: Cute aquarium, but we round in half hour and read most of the signs

Mike Kingston 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Great little aquarium, reptile exhibits too. Heritage train station next door, as well as cafe and toilets. And the ferry on the lake takes you uo too Bowness and Ambleside.

Gemma “Tilly-rose” Whittaker 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Amazing best time learning the only thing I would say is there is not enough information on each species and would be more enjoyable if a few like the blue frogs had unique names to give them there own identity and make it more enjoyable for the younger generation.. allso having a limit of customers at a time would prevent a massive of build ups..

Yorgos “Pogosticks Plays” Gaming 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Very unique aquarium were it mainly lake water animals but had reptiles, ants and otters

Paul Smith 1 year ago

Positive experience: This aquarium is OK, it's quite small and doesn't take very long to get around it. 2 x adults and 1 x child cost us ÂŁ20 and its something indoors for when it rains in the lakes. Also its pay & display parking which only accepts cash unless you go and pay at the ferry/train little red office who accept card payments, so be aware if you visit.

Russell Woodward 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Great little aquarium with a difference! Lovely to see the otters and the leaf cutter ants are amazing!

Dean Fletcher 1 year ago

Positive experience: Aquarium was good. Quite small but that's reflective in the price in all fairness. Worth a quick visit for the kids. Only takes 30mins to get round or so.

Andrew Burrows 1 year ago

Positive experience: Great little aquarium with more than just fish! Insects and aquatic mammals too. Great day out, with animal feeding sessions for kids to watch.

Zubair Ashraf 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: The Lakes Aquarium is a wonderful place to visit, especially if you have an interest in marine life. My children thoroughly enjoyed their time there. There is a wide variety of fish and other marine animals to observe. It is certainly one of the places to visit during your trip to the Lake District. You can combine your visit to the aquarium with various other activities, such as taking a cruise to and from the lakeside from either Bowness or Ambleside. Alternatively, you can add a steam train ride from Haverthwaite to Lakeside and back.

Davie Lyall 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Not a big aquarium but well worth the visit, lots of displays to see and enjoy. Very clean and tidy, wouldgo again.

Scott Crawford 1 year ago

Positive experience: Absolutely fantastic day out, also worth noting that if you live in an LA postcode you get 50% off. Mostly based on local aquatics, which makes perfect sense. We don't live in a warm water area, so show the kids the wonder of the local ecosystem. Will go back, only dropped 1 star for the menu selection in the cafe across on the train platform which is run by the aquarium.

Jack Ashen 1 year ago

Positive experience: Very small aquarium, yet it has such a wide variety of sea life, birds and insects to see, I thought it was one of the better I'd seen. They have an amazing ant exhibit, with leafcutter ants carrying leafs along rope. It was very quiet when we went, I believe we were the only people in there. The staff at the desk were kind and helpful.

Anant Mathkari 1 year ago

Positive experience: Very nice aquarium to visit with Kids. Lots of fishes along with turtle and corals.

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