Fowey Aquarium

Positive experience: Lovely quirky Aquarium, took about 20 mins to see everything but very charming. Fresh water replaced often from the sea! Tanks nice and clean/clear. Worth a side quest when visiting the area x

Negative experience: The animals were too big for the small tanks - I think it was horrible to do such a thing when you can clearly see how large some of them are. Its not an ethical aquarium and theres a touch pool which is proven to frighten animals

Positive experience: I didn't go in as came across it after hours but thought this picture may be helpful for those interested in visiting

Negative experience: As far as aquariums go this must be the worst I have ever seen, £6 per adult and he let the kids in for free I now see why. If you have a medium pond in your garden you already have more of an aquarium than this place. It’s very dark and damp, and not very maintained. The guy who was on the counter was very happy and very knowledgeable but I feel like he was just trying to justify the £6 entry fee.

Fantastic experience: Small local aquarium, friendly staff. We were told some interesting facts. If you are looking for something spectacular it's not the place but it's worth the visit plus you support small local businesses. No pictures taken sorry.

Fantastic experience: A real little gem. Wonderful to learn about local sea life. The tub gurnard was beautiful, and the conga eel, very impressive. Enthusiastic yet unobtrusive proprietor was happy to help and educate. My 4yo son loved it so much we went two days in a row.

Negative experience: Intensely bleak place. Around ten dilapidated tanks with too large fish. The single staff member was slumped and silent over her phone. £24 for one adult and four children. We were out in ten minutes. Absolutely and without doubt, one of the worst value attractions I've even visited.

Positive experience: Very small. Nice fish. Pricey for 15mins.

Positive experience: saw a lad with a tiny bag and my life hasn't be the same since. ive been searching my whole life for that miniscule bag can someone please link it. he was last seen on google maps near a pub by the beach kinda thingy. fella had sunglassess and 2 bags but one of them was literally for ants but i want it so bad.

Fantastic experience: Great experience lovely chap running it for £6 a adult well worth it.

Negative experience: A complete waste of money!! We came and left within 2 minutes appalled by the tiny tanks and unhealthy, sad fish. This place should be closed!

Negative experience: This place was horrifyingly cruel and a complete waste of money! The tanks were small and dark with very unhappy and unhealthy fish. My daughter and wife didn’t last more than three minutes before they left, very upset. This place should be closed due to animal cruelty.

Negative experience: This place was awful, the fish looked, unhealthy and the tanks too small for the large fish that swam around in dirty water. It cost us £20 for 4 or us and was just one small room not worth it!

Negative experience: Absolute rip off £6 for about 30 fish, poorly lit, filthy place, don't bother you may as well throw your money in the quay, you'll have more satisfaction.

Fantastic experience: I enjoyed this small aquarium visit. Joseph, the young man on the door was both helpful and knowledgeable. It is not a big place, but if you are genuinely interested in wildlife, you will get a lot out of your visit. If you're expecting a large, pristine, "Sealife" experience you will leave disappointed. I, fortunately, was in the former group. Who can imagine a lobster measuring 1.26 metres?! That would be Leonard, Fowey's Guinness Book Of Records holder. He is no longer about and not in the aquarium. Watching starfish slowly moving about and reading about the sea squirts all made for an informative visit.

Negative experience: Tanks were extremely mucky and didn't look like they had been cleaned in months I worry for the welfare for the fish. With a little attention this would be a delightful little aquarium

Negative experience: Not worth the cost. Go to the museum around the corner, its is a real gem.

Positive experience: Good aquarium, don't expect a massive aquarium , but there were some cool marine life in there

Negative experience: The BIGGEST rip off ever! I very rarely write reviews however this one is needed. It is literally one large room with dirty, murky tanks and its costs £6 per adult and £4 for a children. It cost us £16 to go in and we were done in 15 minutes, so that’s about a £ a minute!! It’s shocking! Please do not waste your money!

Negative experience: A waste of £6. When we first showed up, the person operating the aquarium had decided to dip, so we had to come back later. Upon entering, we were charged an extortionate £6, which is wayyy too much considering the quality of the Aquarium. It was a small dark room, with poor exhibits, murky/dirty tanks, depressed/maddened looking fish and a pretty horrendous "touching pool" that contained some very injured looking starfish. The person working there tried to make an effort to talk to everyone, but that didn't stop it from being a waste of time and money. Me and my friends left feeling very depressed. Save your money and don't go here.

Negative experience: A very sad experience. Its a very small place and over priced but my main issue is for welfare of the fish. Some are clearly too large for the enclosures probably having lived their sorry lives there for so long! We left feeling depressed. This place needs some thought and a little help by looks of it.

Fantastic experience: I Touched a Star at the Fowey Aquarium! What aquariums should be, local ocean species close up and in a simple setting! This old school aquarium has an amazing range of species that grew over the 2 weeks I visited. Too many species to mention, including 2 varieties of lobster, multiple crab species, eel, fish, shrimp, sea slugs, and an amazing variety of flat fish in a natural habitat. They even had a Cuttle Fish and a relation to Sea Horses. The owner was passionate and knowledgeable! Did I say you can touch starfish, touch crabs, and see small fish and shrimp in their tidepool touch tank? The value for your children is measured in more than cost!

Positive experience: A lovely little aquarium looking at all the amazing sea life that can be found it Fowey. It’s small but it’s so charming.

Positive experience: Not worth the price

Negative experience: This is a sorry place. £6 each, for what is probably a 20 min visit - we prolonged it to 30 mins because it was pouring with rain. Effectively one small room. Sad little glass aquariums. In fairness the few fish there do look healthy, their environment, less so. It's antiquated (not in a good way) and not so clean (green on the glass). I think, if paying for a family, you would feel extremely ripped off. Again, the review is no reflection on the young man at the till, perfectly okay - but this place is not interesting, old and in need of renovation, and definitely not worth the entrance fee.

Negative experience: So bad it's almost good. Family ticket for £20 (!) - this provided about 20mins of mild entertainment and information. 2 stars for the touch tank and the enthusiastic man working there. Otherwise it's a flop, sorry.

Positive experience: Nice small collection of local wildlife, but very pricey for something we stretch out for 20mins.

Negative experience: Been today although the Internet says open it was closed, needs opening times updated

Negative experience: A depressing affair. Very small, dark tanks, with so little space for large sea creatures which, in the wild, traverse miles of sea each day. I had to leave after a couple of minutes and felt ashamed at handing over money to keep this place in business.

Negative experience: It's sad that it appears to have become a little neglected and the experience provided is not truly like some in the photos. An old fashioned aquarium that compares unfavourably with others.

Positive experience: Not a big place, but still interesting. The fish could benefit from bigger tanks though and the lighting could be improved as it was dark and grey inside. I think that would make the fish look prettier and attract more visitors. The conger eel freaked me out a little as it was huge. Free entrance, but donations are welcome.

Positive experience: Quaint aquarium but pretty small and whilst it's great to support local businesses the price is a bit much for essentially one small room.

Positive experience: Great to see local fish. Bit overpriced for what it is, we was in there for about 10 to 15min. I enjoyed it, but don't expect much.

Negative experience: £17 for family of four for a one room, run down aquarium, with a soaking wet floor. Total of 20 minutes was plenty of time so very over priced, £10 for 4 would have been more appropriate

Positive experience: Small aquarium in the centre of the village - it's a single room to walk around, so a bit limited, but it's not expensive and the kids loved the hands on tank where you could stroke starfish and hold a crab. Worth popping in for an hour on a rainy day!

Negative experience: Very small and the tanks are too small.

Positive experience: This small aquarium is worth a visit and the person in charge when we visited was full of knowledge and eager to talk about the fish and other inhabitants.

Fantastic experience: A lovely aquarium. Kids loved it and the dog was welcome also. Lovely passionate owner and very knowledgeable of local sea life

Negative experience: Terrible water quality and not much to look at.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely brilliant little independent aquarium. Great touch pool and fascinating animals, all local to the area which for me and my family made it far more interesting. The real credit however has to go to the young lad who was working in there, without hesitation he followed us around explaining all about the fish, lobsters etc and local area and made jokes with the children, absolutely brilliant at what he does! Natural! Thank you

Positive experience: Brought the kids here on Sunday they loved it, as did I.

Positive experience: Located in a lovely place , does need updating! Could be made it to something special which would generate more through the door .

Fantastic experience: Lovely little place, it is a shame they are in tanks, however very educational and my daughter loves the touch pool and the star fish, only a small place we went twice and dog friendly too.

Fantastic experience: The Storm Barometer outside on the street is an important, heritage, scientific instrument. Worth visiting just for this alone

Positive experience: This is an enjoyable way to spend 30mins at most if your children are interested in sea life. All species on display are local and include crabs, lobsters, a variety of fish and flat fish and a very large conger. Star of the show is a small touch pool where you can stroke a starfish, startle a shrimp or tickle a strangely compliant fish. The whole experience is not large, with perhaps 12 tanks and pools so the value for money depends very much on how interested you are in what is lurking in the water 50 meters away. We loved it, your mileage may vary.

Negative experience: Not worth the £10 I paid for two adults. Very small and will take 10mins at a push. The aquarium looked tired and run down, the tanks looked like the hadn’t been cleaned since the day the fish moved in. Yes you can handle a starfish but that really is it! I’m not normally one to leave negative feedback but I would of been happier if it had been £2.50 an adult!

Fantastic experience: 5 Starfish! Fintastic! Crabulous! Eely good! Efishient use of space. James is as cool as a sea cucumber It was off the scales great with lots of hidden gemanenomes. We cod not believe our eyes and sponged up the information. Thank you

Fantastic experience: In a world of globalisation and mass corporations, the Fowey aquarium has none of this pretence, it takes you back to simpler times of proper Cornish holidays! It may be small, but it truly is 'Unmissable'.

Positive experience: Three stars only because all fishes are locally catched. Very old fish aquarium with dirty and scratched window. Plus side is the open aquarium which allows you to actually touch some starfish and crabs.

Fantastic experience: What a fantastic little place. All native marine species that can be found just of the coast. The touch pool is good fun and its nice yo see crabs up close. Very small but well worth the £5 entry and chap inside was really helpful and very knowledgeable. Would definitely visit again.

Fantastic experience: If you are into aquariums or under sea life, it is an amazing 30-60mins. My 3 year old daughter loved the touch pool. Starfish, hermit crabs, spined lobsters, common lobsters, eel and various local fish are all beautiful. And most of all, thank you lovely smiling and helping gentlemen.

Positive experience: Great little place to spend 45 minutes, toddler loved it, especially the touch pool where you can touch the starfish.very friendly guy on the door.

Fantastic experience: Really friendly gentleman as we arrived and although it is very small, there are lots of things to see and it's all local and caught right in Fowey. It is worth popping in!

Positive experience: Great little aquarium for little people. Our 6 year old loved the touch pool. We spent about 30 mins here. The giant lobster is worth a look

Positive experience: Very small and pretty cheap but you would do well to squeeze an hour out of it. Giant conger eel is huge and touch pool is pretty good.

Positive experience: A bit small for the price, but a nice way to spend 20 mins

Fantastic experience: Nice aquarium, great for kids and adults alike, educational and fun too.

Fantastic experience: Really good for the youngsters. My granddaughter absolutely loved it and especially the touch pool. Full circle now as her dad and uncle loved it 25 or so years ago!

Fantastic experience: Great experience, the staff are very friendly and informative. They have a small tank with starfish crabs and other fish you can touch and hold, only small but a good half hour to spend especially with the kids

Fantastic experience: Absolutely lovely owner ,happy to answer any questions and tell us lots of information about all the fish. We were even allowed to feed the eel,Absolutely worth visiting, lovely place

Positive experience: Nice little place with all animals caught locally

Fantastic experience: Small but very sweet..Great for little kids as you can touch the starfish and crabs

Positive experience: OK for kids getting in with a wheelchair was different the quy who owns it was very nice not very big but passed half hour

Fantastic experience: A very friendly place with an amazing variety of well displayed sea life, all caught locally. Really enjoyed our visit.

Fantastic experience: Its got lots of fish from their Ocean and they have a touch pool with hermit crabs

Fantastic experience: Very quaint little exhibit, great for the kids, especially with the little touch pool. As an angler it also gives you an insight into what monsters are out in the bay!

Fantastic experience: For a small town aquarium this was really fun. The aquarium takes up ~2 rooms, but man those two rooms are great. There's a phenomenal touch pool for kiddos as well - highly recommended for families with kids 6 and under.

Fantastic experience: Small and intimate aquarium but worth checking out. Owner is knowledgeable and friendly.

Fantastic experience: So cool to see many of the local fish in the water around us that we most likely wouldn't see so close up otherwise. This was fun and educational, really interesting selection. Yes it's not aqua world or whatever, it's better. Very quirky

Positive experience: The wife and I love anything to do with animals and conservation. £4.50pp is excessive for the variety on show but I guess it helps the local business.

Fantastic experience: Small but is one of the most detailed and interesting places I’ve been. Great information on all types of local fish.

Fantastic experience: Very small but well worth the visit. The kids got to hold a starfish and enjoyed every second they were there and the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: A really nice, interesting place to go if you're in Fowey. Definitely worth the visit!

Positive experience: The aquarium is tiny, 20 minutes and you're done. But, it tells you before going in what it's about, and the information about the exhibits is precise and spot on. Local fish and creatures, with local knowledge.

Positive experience: Great little place and for its price it is worth it

Negative experience: Very small, maybe 20 tanks with a few fish and crabs. Spent 10 mins there.

Positive experience: Although small it's still worth a visit, £4.50 entry does seem a little steep for what there is to see interesting but can be seen very quickly

Positive experience: Really friendly staff, although a small location there was a good variety of fish to see. The handling pool was great for kids both big and small, with crabs and starfish to pick up and stroke. The staff have a good knowledge and are happy to help and answer your questions.

Negative experience: £9 for to adults I was expecting more.very dark roughly 8-9 tanks with the odd fish or crab inside didn’t enjoy it. Very dirty tanks floors soaked in water. Would of preferred to have gone pets at home.

Fantastic experience: Lovely little aquarium can see things really close up. Love the octopus. Thank you

Fantastic experience: A great experience looking at the sealife of the Cornish coast. A small aquarium but we spent a good while in there with our three kids.

Fantastic experience: This place may be small, but it is amazing! The different sea creatures are fabulous, especially the octopus that I could watch for hours! You can also see baby fish that are still inside of their eggs and you can touch some of the sea life! The staff are very kind and informative, they will always answer any question about their sea creatures in lots of detail! Plus, dogs are allowed which makes it easy to access even with your furry friends.

Fantastic experience: Well worth a visit, look for the crab with 3 pincers

Fantastic experience: Tiny but great little aquarium. Kids can hold starfish in little pool. Fish, octopus, crab, lobster, eels, rays, sea urchins. Dogs allowed

Positive experience: A good but very small aquarium. Do not go here expecting the sort of experience you would have at Sealife Center. This is much more intimate, locally run and locally sourced. All the exhibits have been caught by local fisherman off the Cornish coast. A variety of sea creatures to see and some you can touch in a small hands on pool. The man running the aquarium when we visited was very helpful and informative.

Positive experience: Very small. However nice to see and the lady was very knowledgeable.

Negative experience: The place is too small and not well lite.

Fantastic experience: the boys review- “it’s awesome and the man was really kind”. Says it’s all really, small but interesting and fun, the gentleman was very patient with our boys!

Fantastic experience: A small but perfectly formed aquarium. Most of the inhabitants are provided by local fisherman, so it's a really interesting introduction to local marine life and a chance to meet your friendly neighbourhood fish, crabs, eels, octopus and much else. The staff member there was really knowledgeable and friendly, introducing us to the inhabitants and giving us all sorts of fascinating facts and anecdotes. There's also a touch pool where you can hold a starfish, or give a crab a tickle (mind fingers). We had a lovely time and would thoroughly recommend it as a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. Will definitely go back next time we're in Fowey.

Fantastic experience: Great little Aquarium, friendly and imformitive staff. Great selection of local sea life, the 'hands on' tank was brilliant where we got to hold a starfish.. 3 year old loved it and came away with a bucket and spade! Many tanks, well worth a visit

Fantastic experience: This place was a great little find in the beautiful Fowey. Fishes, crabs and starfish you can touch along with lots of other creatures, all found locally. Very helpful and friendly host

Fantastic experience: Cute little place, not the cheapest to get in, but fun to see some local sea life and also the two octopuses..

Fantastic experience: Small but interesting, they han an octopus there which was cool. Worth the £4 entry certainly

Fantastic experience: Small, but very interesting. Guy who runs the place was very friendly, and practically gave us a guided tour, as we were the only visitors. He was very apologetic about the water on the floor, which was due to a leak that hadn't yet been fixed

Positive experience: Was ok could do with an update water on the floor slip Hazard

Fantastic experience: Very small but interesting didn't take long to look round wouldn't go out of my way to go there but if your in fowey worth a look . £4 adult what's that a pasty ?

Fantastic experience: Awesome venue, guy who runs it has wealth of information and is honest about what's in there. It might not be blue planet aquarium, but it's hands on, great value for money and another thing to do in Fowey you'd not do anywhere else. Go, and hassle a hermit crab.

Fantastic experience: We could have spent all morning in this small but fascinating aquarium. Filled with a huge array of sea life from the local area, most of them all fondly named, their home offers little and big kids (talking about you, parents) alike a fun break from the shops of Fowey. Home to lobster, a conga eel, starfish, hermit crabs, dog fish and the odd smaller shark, to name but a few, the aquarium has lots to discover. What’s even better is the owner is on hand, happy to answer any questions you may have. Its £4 each for adults and an absolute bargain. Actually wish we’d been able to spend longer there, but we live a 5 hour drive away. We’ll defiantly be back.

Fantastic experience: This is a great little aquarium, really friendly chap runs it and was very happy to answer all the questions we had (and there were quite a few!) :)

Fantastic experience: It's undeniably tiny, but utterly delightful despite this. A great range of fish, lobsters, crabs and the like, along with a knowledgeable owner to explain. We're really glad we went, and our 3yo was asking to go back hours later.