Lake District Coast Aquarium

Fantastic experience: Amazing place to go! We have just got home from here 4 adults 2 children and for the price there is so much do for the kids! The fish are well looked after and the feeding and talk was really interesting and informative and funny at times stories about the fish were really nice to hear! The splash area was a favourite for both kids they had a blast and there is also a park and golf! You can't ask for more from this place also the gift shop is fairly priced and lots to pick from staff were so friendly and helpful would 1000% recommend

Fantastic experience: Took my Great nephew and niece here and was absolutely blown away by this whole experience. The aquarium staff were so knowledgeable and helpful. Once we had finished inside we played crazy golf which was brilliant, the laughter because I was rubbish seemed contagious The enclosed park next to the aquarium definitely put the cherry on my cake.Just wonderful equipment/a separate water park and picnic area. Thank you Maryport (Keswick could learn so much from you when it comes to looking after the people that live in your town)

Fantastic experience: Currently they are charging £14.50 entry, including a free game of crazy golf and you can return to the aquarium as many times as you like on the day of purchase. Great offer for a family, but as I travel solo I would have preferred to pay less and not have the crazy golf option. Having said that I did enjoy the aquarium, which is small but well thought out and was able to get a second visit, as my camera needed a new battery put in, which I enjoyed. The staff were very friendly as others have said and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend.

Fantastic experience: Great day out good value for money with a game of crazy golf well worth a visit

Positive experience: Nice little aquarium. Quite small though so if there's people behind you it can feel like a little tight squeeze. Not bad for £30 but we only spent around 1 hour walking around but you do get unlimited access with your ticket. Cafe nice and reasonably pieced!

Fantastic experience: Fantastic aquarium, well worth a visit. Cafe is also very good!

Fantastic experience: Great few hours, interesting aquarium and the game of putting was really good.

Fantastic experience: Ok for a quick visit. The weekend we visited there was a local farmer type market with some lovely stalls selling soaps, doggy things, pictures, and crystals. There was a newly build playpark with plenty of play equipment swings, climbing frames, roundabouts and zip wire.

Fantastic experience: Great place to visit. Went with teenagers, spent 1.5 hours in aquarium followed by the mini golf, included in the entry price. A great time with some really unusual fish.

Fantastic experience: Great aquarium we really enjoyed it would recommend for a few hours out

Fantastic experience: This is a great day out for all the family. Plenty of things to see and everything is in really good condition with regards to the animals.

Positive experience: It is expensive for a family, but to see the smiles and excitement at seeing the fish swinging is priceless

Fantastic experience: My friends and I had a wonderful day out here back in May but forgot to leave a review! All the staff were wonderful, especially Joe who put up with our constant questions about all the fish. Thank you so much!

Fantastic experience: Brilliant for young children. There's plenty to see and do. We've had a fabulous couple of hours learning and exploring.

Fantastic experience: A treasure of an aquarium- definitely worth a visit. The staff are very knowledgeable and the talks were really interesting. Loved the sea lab with the newly hatched lobsters. Entry ticket includes a round of mini golf too! It was too wet to play on the day we visited but we were able to go back a couple of days later which was great. A great cafe with excellent food too.

Fantastic experience: We've been before and found it just as fascinating as last time. It's not a huge place, but has far more information about the sea around us and has examples of the fish in aquariums. The fascinating area has a lobster rearing area so you can see how tiny they are when first hatched. The talks are interesting and teaches you the little things you didn't know.

Fantastic experience: I had a great day here with my partner and her daughter. It’s probably the best aquarium i’ve visited in the UK, with plenty of variety of fish, crustaceans, sharks, rays and more. The staff are all lovely, especially the man who was taking a group of school children on a tour. We didn’t catch his name but he had a beard. He gave us a talk about lobsters which was fascinating

Positive experience: Not a huge place but has done interesting things to see, and the feedings and talks are very cool

Fantastic experience: Great location, food, facilities and staff

Fantastic experience: Stopped off at the cafe today for lunch. Just like to say it was yummy and the staff are fantastic.

Positive experience: Great little aquarium. All the fish and other aquatic creatures appear well cared for and there are plenty of informative signs. It can be a squeeze as the building is small, but the crazy golf at the end was fun. Staff were lovely.

Fantastic experience: Staying in Silloth and it was a very wet day so decided on the Aquarium, lovely place, bit pricey but kept us dry and entertained for a few hours.

Fantastic experience: For it's size, it fits a lot into it. Nice displays, helpful and friendly staff. Definatly good for a rainy day but good for sunny days to as ticket includes a game of Crazy Golf.

Negative experience: All the tanks are really dirty, I personally didn't enjoy the experience

Fantastic experience: It's a really interesting place to visit, my grandchildren loved it there, the aquariums are really good, we have been there about 3 times and we always enjoy it there, there is a crazy golf next door and I think that if you go into the aquarium the golf is free, I live in Hull and I have visited the deep there with my grandkids but I would rather go to the maryport aquarium, it's more interesting I think. Better for little children.

Fantastic experience: A fun little aquarium that is doing great work in terms of supporting at-risk species.

Fantastic experience: Went today with my partner and we had a fantastic time! One gentleman took the time to show and explain a lot as it was rather quiet. Definitely worth going. Super friendly staff.

Fantastic experience: Cool activity to do with the kids, they loved it. Not the cheapest but stil 5 stars because it was worth it.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely loved this place as a child and have taken my family to see it specifically, both times we have visited the UK from New Zealand and never been disappointed. The skate pool, the wave tanks, the new (to me) learning center area, SO GOOD. The guy giving the talk was great. Best gift shop. 10/10 will go again if I'm ever back in the UK.

Fantastic experience: A great spot to meet the locals — fishy, crabby, and occasionally camera-shy. A lobster playing hide-and-seek under the rocks. Classic. Small but full of character (and characters). Definitely worth a splash!

Fantastic experience: We were blessed with superb weather and enjoyed walking round the area, lots to see and do.

Fantastic experience: We visited today with our 18 month old son. I was a bit apprehensive at first because we were travelling on a budget and £14 seemed a lot for what looks like such a small place. On entry, the staff member was friendly and explained how we could come and go all day, plus we could play mini golf for free (which we declined because it was so cold and we hadn't thought to bring jackets!) There is so much care and attention to detail in the exhibits, we enjoyed every minute of being there. I could've spent all day watching the jellyfish and the education provided was fascinating. It looks small on the outside but there is so much to look at and experience.

Fantastic experience: I really enjoyed this place. Lots of cool animals and a nice compact walkthrough.

Positive experience: Plenty to see, not the biggest aquarium. Free parking on the side and lovely little cafe attached and 1 free golf with ticket.

Fantastic experience: Lovely independant aquarium, very friendly staff and a good selection of fish. Well worth the entry fee, especially considering you get crazy golf and free parking!

Fantastic experience: Had fantastic day staff were so helpful loved the talks and feeding in skate tank spent whole day not once did kids say I'm bored which for a 9 and 8 Yr old was something

Fantastic experience: Bought an rod as an beginner an purple fish on rod it was meant to be £60 but the worker with a rat tail took it down to £30

Fantastic experience: One of the best aquarium I've been to ,it wasn't the size it was the quality of the exhibits a must to visit.

Fantastic experience: Lots to see and informative

Fantastic experience: Opens 10-5 has a nice cafe with great views lots of parking

Fantastic experience: Very friendly place, very helpful staff. Excellent aquarium, bigger than the last time I visited a good few years ago. Had a lovely chicken pie and chips in the cafe. Well recommended.

Fantastic experience: Nice knowledgeable staff, friendly. This aquarium is very underrated. Some of the bigger places could learn from it, especially places like Blackpool and the deep.

Fantastic experience: Aquarium closed but the cafe is well worth a visit.

Fantastic experience: Great little port the aquarium is great too with free candy golf when you visit the aquarium

Fantastic experience: Had a wonderful visit today, wish we knew the name of the member of staff we spoke to - he was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and clearly loved his job and the various creatures on display. We've been a few times and will certainly be back. All other staff where lovely too Inc cafe staff (food lovely and reasonably priced)

Fantastic experience: I visited today with my autistic son, we had a lovely time wandering round. It was super clean, and everyone was really friendly. Especially the lady on reception, she was really helpful and I had no issue paying and getting a free carer ticket, she made it super easy. We’ve been coming here since my son was a baby and he’s 19 now. It hasn’t changed much over the years but also isn’t run down, everything is well looked after.

Positive experience: Absolutely brilliant little trip with the kids. Loved it and seeing the awe in their faces was worth every penny.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic place for kids and adults. Coffee shop excellent. Prices are reasonable, but always big portions. I live in Cockermouth, so it is a regular stop off for us. There is a huge brand new play park for the kiddies, also crazy golf. So close for a walk around the marina and to a quiet beach, and Maryport town

Fantastic experience: Ideal way to pass a few hours indoors to avoid the rain. Interesting aquarium and exceeded expectations. Preferred it to several “world class” aquariums I have previously visited.

Fantastic experience: What a great place this is. Lots to keep little ones (& big ones too) interested. We had a really good visit here today (New Years Day). Lunch was good too in the little cafe &the outdoor play area is excellent! Well done to everyone...it is somewhere we will return to soon.

Negative experience: Dogs are allowed in the cafe and the gift shop. Only guide dogs are allowed in the Aquarium. What a shame as we came here on holiday and had our small dog with us and was hoping to explore the Aquarium on a rainy day.

Negative experience: The website says that the aquarium and cafe are open until 5pm. We turned up at the cafe at 3.55pm to discover it closed at 4pm. Please update the website as we had a wasted journey.

Fantastic experience: Best aquarium I’ve been to, surprising considering it is in a small town. They grow baby aquatic animals in a nursery, as well as having adult ones. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Fantastic experience: Excellent, my son loves it here, the cafes nice and the staff and friendly

Fantastic experience: Fantastic aquarium with hundreds of different species of aquatic life. Enjoyed the feeding talks and the ray tank. Real bonus that the Mini golf is included in the price. Staff were very welcoming and friendly. Great cafe, fishing tackle shop and gift shop. A real gem in Maryport - I would definitely recommend a visit.

Positive experience: Great place to see lots of sea life native to UK and EU, and further afield. The Aquarium has plenty to see and has kept us entertained for at least a few hours Just take down mental note of feeding times to watch and listen about the display exhibit for the day. The place is wide enough for a motorised wheelchair, beware the floor seems to be wet so if you have walking difficulties or on crutches to avoid slipping, the atmosphere can be abit dark in certain places too, there are disabled accessible toilets and a cafe and gift shop inside. There is disabled parking adjacent to the entrance fees applies.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic Aquarium with friendly staff. You can spend several hours here with a slow walk around the tanks, watching fun informative feeding sessions and finishing with a snack in the cafe. The 14 hole crazy golf course is fun too and very challenging I must say, a couple of holes quite difficult!

Fantastic experience: Lots of lovely, interesting creatures to see here. My five year old loved it! The staff are friendly, welcoming and helpful The cafe has great food, there's lots to choose from, good selection of food for people with dietary requirements, it's clean and bright, and they have thoughtfully provided colouring and toys etc. for children to do. The gift shop is fab, you could probably find anything you wanted there! Crazy golf was included in the price and we left happy

Fantastic experience: An excellent aquarium with lots of educational content on display and a wide range of sea creatures. There is crazy golf included in the price which was fun. We've been to a few aquariums and I'd say this was my favourite so far.

Fantastic experience: Deserves full stars just because we arrived soaking wet in motorcycle clothes which then dripped all over the place and they never made a fuss. Soz! Plus - the food was ace, the drinks were hot. Thank you.

Fantastic experience: Had a lovely day here with my 2 young girls. They really enjoyed the activity sheet that was given to them. Lots to see - we went round twice

Fantastic experience: Many years since I had membership for this place (when my child was young). I can't speak for recently, but when we used to love it- family friendly, something for all, interesting and they made it as interactive as is possible. There was a great little cafe that certainly used to host children's parties (fun), and the cafe was great with lovely views of the sea and harbour. I remember it with much fondness.

Fantastic experience: Taken my neices children lots to see entrance is for all day with a free crazy golf to boot cafe does gluten coeliac food which is a win win very knowledgeable about their exhibits

Positive experience: Very glad we visited this place. It was much better than we expected. Lots of aquariums to see and a 14 home golf crazy course is included in the price which my little one loved. Talks were excellent and the staff were very knowledgeable and friendly. The talks we attended were the feeding of some fish that shoot water at shrimp paste on the side of the aquarium and the feeding of the octopus. Kids can get an activity sheet to tick around 10 fish they have to find in the aquariums. Would definitely come again in the future

Fantastic experience: Had a really fun day at the aquarium. The staff are knowledgeable and passionate. Impressed with the variety of species to see, saw some fish I had never seen before and I have visited many aquariums Highly recommend a visit, it’s also one of those places you can keep going back to when you need to get out of your own head, very peaceful!

Fantastic experience: The weather was absolutely dreadful, so we were looking for something to do for a few hours as a part of 10. We stumbled across the aquarium from a Google search. We made the short drive from Keswick area to the aquarium and have had an absolute blast of a day! We arrived and waited for tables at the cafe for some lunch. We tried a variety of menu items both adults and kids meals and they were brilliant and so well cooked. I absolutely recommend the Cumberland sausage and cheese baguette! The chip, man the chip are proper home made beauties, slightly crisp on the outside, lovely and fluffy inside! Absolutely recommend even the cafe in its own! Next we headed into the aquarium. It was under £90 for a party of 10 and was worth every penny. The amount of exhibits was amazing, the kids absolutely adored the ray pool (as did I, was like a kid again). The talks were really good and interesting and the member of staff was so knowledgeable and engaging. We then visited the gift shop, picked up some gifts and then headed to the mini golf course (included in the entry costs). I will say it's a little bit worn, but we absolutely laughed our way around the whole thing. The playground is out of action at the moment for a full redevelopment but what was there looked impressive. The staff mentioned it will be some sort of park and splash park for next year... Can't wait to come back and see! So regardless of the weather... If you want a fun, engaging and tasty day out, then the aquarium at maryport is the place to come! Cannot recommend them enough! We will most certainly be back!

Fantastic experience: As a marine biology student, this aquarium made me very happy. There were so many native UK marine species which you don’t often see in aquariums and it was great to see them appreciated. The amount of information was incredible and there were some very unique displays I had not seen in other aquariums across the UK. Staff were super friendly and were willing to chat if you asked questions. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Its great to see an aquarium that so well looks after its exhibits. No waiting necessary, and there was plenty of things to see and interact with. Price includes a game of mini golf which we sadly missed the last few holes which where around the back of the aquarium. All in all a worthwhile place to spend a couple of hours. If you time it well you can take part in the frequent talks given, so worth trying to time your visit to coincide.

Fantastic experience: Kids loved it. And kept them intrigued with all the different types of fish so that's a winner for me and the cafe at the end of the aquarium is a fab little thing with friendly staff

Fantastic experience: We enjoyed our visit during the holidays here and listening to the talks. Not too busy, spent a good couple of hours here. There's limited free parking around the back or pay and display at the front.

Fantastic experience: Visited last weekend with our grandson who is 2.. he's just started to be scared of dark things so panicked when we got in bless him ..so we had to walk round the whole thing in about 5 mins.. what we saw of it was brilliant..we will definitely be back another time when he's older or just me and my wife on our own..the staff were lovely and refunded our money which we didn't ask for..Our grandson cheered up when we got out and onto the gift shop where he bought some lovely toys to cheer him up .

Fantastic experience: Amazing day out for children. New experiences and new discoveries for them. At the end we faced the gift shop. And bought a fishing equipment. That gentleman who helped me, was the best I ever met. Very helpful very friendly. Amazing place and highly recommended

Positive experience: Well worth a visit, the octopus and the tank of rays are real highlights. It's a bit worn and run down but enjoyable nonetheless. Kids also get an adventure playground and free mini golf. Lots of food options nearby.

Fantastic experience: We had a great day here. Great collection of species, fascinating. Fair admission price which included crazy golf. Staff were very helpful. Had lunch in the cafe which was good.

Negative experience: Went there but never went in. Extremly annoyed to see them flying the Welsh Flag upside down.

Fantastic experience: Had to get bait for sea fishing trip they had a great selection of frozen baits ( sandeels, all different sized mackerel, peeler shrimp you bame it they seemed to have it a great place for tackle and bait , caught a few gurnard on sand eel and small flatfish on fresh lug n rag highly recommend this place

Fantastic experience: Visited yesterday, the girls on the ticket desk were lovely and really helpful, the kids loved the aquarium especially the stingrays, lovely clean cafe and again lovely staff only thing that spoilt the visit was not being able to enjoy crazy golf due to the rain but were able to call back today with our ticket and got to enjoy the crazy golf in the sun well worth a visit! Keep up the great work guys

Fantastic experience: A fantastic aquarium with so many interesting fish to see. Very affordable as well and much more affordable than others. Loads of stuff for the kids to get interested in and an adventure park outside makes it an all-round great afternoon out with the kids.

Fantastic experience: Amazing place for every age. Great value for money, you get a free game of mini golf with entry to the aquarium and You also get to to come back in for the rest of the day at no extra cost with your receipt. There is a great play park at the back. The cafe serves a good selection of food. A great day out for all.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic day out with the children loads to see and plenty of interesting information about the diverse fish, and a free game of crazy golf with the tickets

Fantastic experience: Really lovely outing for all the family. Very impressive collection of indigenous fish alongside tropical species. Really nice cafe too with very reasonable prices. The whole experience exceeded my expectations.

Fantastic experience: The best aquarium we've visited! We got to see the Conger Eel be fed and learned a ton of interesting facts about him. Their love and care for them really shows, Golf was included in the price and the play park is excellent! We travelled quite a distance to visit but will definitely be doing it again! All staff were very enthusiastic and kind, Thank you for such a memorable experience.

Fantastic experience: Brilliant. Best Aquarium I've ever been in. So much to see and very informative signs. If you are in Maryport don't miss it. Nice gift shop and cafe attached.

Fantastic experience: Brilliant little aquarium - better than much bigger and 'posher' ones. Excellent information throughout, really enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. Looks a little tired in places, but don't we all? Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: Amazing aquarium, we were both unsure what to expect,as aquariums vary so much. This did not disapoint, probably the best display of native marine and freshwater fish I have seen in a long time, or maybe ever? Also a good range of lovely tropical freshwater and marine fish. Tanks all appeared well maintained. To the visitor who complained of the damp smell, there is probably tens of thousands of litres of water in the building , what did you expect, particularly as a lot of the displays are open to the air. I keep fish myself and there is a distinct smell to them! We have recently moved to the area and will definitely visit again.

Fantastic experience: Fun afternoon out. Enjoyed watching the feeding, which took place on the hour. Had a bite to eat in the cafe. Option to play crazy golf. Playpark to the rear.

Negative experience: Paid £27 for 2 adults and sadly left after 15 minutes. The staff are friendly enough but as soon as you walk in through the double doors past reception, you’re greeted by an awful damp smell which isn’t pleasant and all the surroundings are dark and very tired looking. However, the main reason for leaving this review is because the majority of the tanks were absolutely filthy (as pictured) and I genuinely feel if you’re going to earn a living and run a business by showcasing animals and marine life, you need to do a much better job of looking after them… cleaning the tanks regularly as a bare minimum! Having been to multiple aquariums throughout the UK and Europe over recent years, I’m afraid to say this is the worst one I’ve experienced and I’m struggling to understand the 5 star reviews that prompted our visit.

Fantastic experience: All in our group enjoyed the afternoon, ages 10 and up. The care and knowledge all of the staff have for the fish and other animals definitely shows in their enthusiasm for education and conservation efforts. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: We are regular visitors to the aquarium as our grandkids absolutely love it. They (and we) much prefer visiting here than going to the bigger sea life centres such as Blackpool or Manchester. It's very nice experience and is good value for money.

Fantastic experience: Lovely day out with the family. No queuing at the time but not sure what it would be like during the Summer months. Cafe food was brilliant with gluten free food. Also crazy golf included in the aquarium tickets

Fantastic experience: Visited today with kids (ages 3 and 8) was sure what to expect but was great! So much to see and to do. Kids loved the big open tank with the bridge, we spent a good few hours walking aroundlooking at the different fish and sea life. We also got a free game of mini golf but didn't go due to how bad the weather was however we got told we could come back another day which was very nice of them. All staff were very helpful and friendly. We stayed for lunch and I have to say the meal was lovely. Good selection of food and cakes and didn't have to wait too long even though it was really busy. Would definitely recommend and will definitely be back.

Fantastic experience: We popped here today and really enjoyed it, purchasing a family ticket. I wasn't sure what to expect but it exceeded expectations, with lots of different fish to see, lots of information to read, and our children were kept entertained for a couple of hours. There was a children's activity sheet to do, and near the end there was a little area with colouring sheets to do as well. There was a cafe which we utilised and the service was very good, as was the food we had. Our ticket included a round of crazy golf and fortunately the weather was dry so we enjoyed a round of that. There was also a play park. We were told the ticket included unlimited entries into the aquarium for that day, so overall we thought it was great value for money! On the way out I noted that the aquarium was open all year round bar Christmas day and Boxing day!

Fantastic experience: Really great value. Good aquarium, great play park and free mini golf too. Lovely cafe that opens just before the aquarium for a coffee first and a great chip shop nearby! The aquarium was having electrical issues when we visited but they offered to give us a free return visit without us even complaining or moaning, when we explained we were on holiday and going home the next day, she even said if we wanted to come back later in the day and have another go on mini golf or anything that was fine. Super friendly! Well worth a visit with toddlers!

Fantastic experience: Brilliant place to visit, very good value for money as you can come and go as you please. Interesting tanks full of local species and some exotic. Staff are very friendly and helpful, the restaurant was very busy and we couldn't get a table so we sat outside in the sun and had a visit from a Very tame crow which seemed to keep the Gulls away. The food was ok, I had a cheese burgers which wasn't very good but my wife's fish and chips looked good. Overall I'd definitely visit the aquarium again.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic day out, lots to see with very knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff, live demos and tank feedings. The free mini golf and large outdoor play area means you can make a full day of a visit. The on site cafe was surprisingly good and despite my gluten allergy I was able to have a nice lunch the side salad was beautiful not often you say that. Would definitely come here again great family day out.

Fantastic experience: Actually really worth a visit. The exhibits are very good - all the tanks were really clean and the fish and other creatures looked happy in their environments. Our visit was enhanced by the presence of knowledgeable staff. We came out with greater insights into the natural world beneath the waves.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely wonderful. The staff are extremely friendly and welcoming. I've visited 3 times and you always get a warm welcome. The entry price is very reasonable. The aquarium itself is beautiful. The sealife are clearly looked after so well. The displays are filled with interesting and wonderful sealife. There are information plaques to helpfully educate you on what each tank contains. You are guided down a one way system which feels natural. The education centre is engaging for all ages. There is a lovely display on recycling and ecology. The open top ray tank is my favourite place to spend time. It's so peaceful and relaxing. There are regular talks at alloted times. The opportunity to look at microscopic flora and fauna. You can observe sea horses and baby lobsters, which are part of a repopulation programme on the west coast of Cumbria. The cafe is clean, spacious, with great tasty and affordable food. It overlooks the marina which is a lovely view. The gift shop is gorgeous. Take some extra money with you because there's something for everyone. In addition to all this amazingness is a crazy golf course and a huge playground for the kids. Fantastic experience. Not to be missed.

Positive experience: Great for a family day out. They've thought of everything for kids from a spotting quiz to a kid's step in the toilets to smaller cutlery for the little ones. A good price with a decent play area and mini golf included too.

Positive experience: Decent morning out, if not a bit small for the price. Little disappointed that there's no part of the aquarium for kids to get hands on any more

Positive experience: Visited just before Christmas with my 2 boys, what a lovely place and very entertaining place for the kids, golf outside and a park, food was faultless, only down side 1 member of staff (will I think he was called as I over herd staff mention his name) as me and my 2 boys was in the tackle shop he told my eldest (14) to keep his hands in his pockets. My eldest goes fishing with his dad and really enjoys the sport and is fishing crazy, but to be addressed in that manner by staff is absolutely disgusting. All other staff that day was brilliant, just ruined by 1 man, will not be returning.