New York Aquarium

I haven't been to the New York Aquarium in over 20 years (damn, that made me feel realllyyy old)! I remember coming as a kid and always loved it there. It seemed like such a huge place. Back then, they had dolphins, beluga whales and it was so cool (but also pretty sad, now as an adult thinking back). Today, the aquarium is pretty underwhelming. It's definitely a lot smaller than what I remembered, and there seemed to be a lot of empty exhibits (as of May 2026). The coolest new addition was probably the shark exhibit, which is a tunnel tank, so you'll see sharks swimming above you. We got there right after it had opened at 10, so not too many people were there yet. By the time we finished the sea lion show (started at 11), it was starting to get crowded. Luckily after that, we only had one more exhibit to visit + the gift shop, so we quickly finished up and got out of there. Parking is $18 for up to 3 hours but I heard there may be street parking nearby, if you're lucky. I did get free tickets, but I would have been mad if I had to pay $32.95 per person for this. I would say to go if you can get discounted tickets somehow but if not, I don't think it's worth it, and you're better off just spending the day at the boardwalk.
Melanie Tam - a month ago

It’s a bit on the smaller side, but the exhibits are nice and well done. We must have picked a bad day because it was extremely packed, which definitely took away from the experience. The price is reasonable for what you get, but overall, it lacks that “wow” factor. In my opinion, it’s more of a one-and-done visit.
ItsaMe Mario - 3 weeks ago

Amazing aquarium!!! Loved the exhibits and diversity of animals/ fishes throughout from sharks to sea otters to sea lions to corals to sea anemones and cephalopods! 🐠🐡🎏🐟🐙 I also visited the Aquatheater show of the sea lion & the 4D theater and loved it so much!!! The sea lion and sea otters were sooooooooo cute and squishy and cuteeeeeee🥰🥰🥰😍😍 reminded me of my 9th grade biology chapter on Animal Kingdom about Cephalopods, arthropods, Cnidaria, anemones, and other species and phyla! Would absolutely visit again in the future! Staff is super friendly and helpful too!
drashti - 2 months ago

A fantastic day out! Small, well-kept, and perfectly located We had a wonderful visit to the New York Aquarium! While it’s on the smaller side, it is incredibly well-maintained and highly engaging. The absolute highlights for us were the fantastic sea lion show and watching the lively penguins. We spent about 3 hours exploring all the exhibits, which was the perfect amount of time. 🅿️ Parking Pro-Tip: While the aquarium has decent parking on-site, it can get pricey if you plan to stay all day. Since we wanted to do both the aquarium and the beach, we pre-booked a parking spot nearby online. It ended up being significantly cheaper and gave us the flexibility to enjoy the beach without watching the clock. Highly recommend combining the two for a perfect summer afternoon and evening!
Kalyan Kumar - a month ago

There were some amazing exhibits here! Several spots make you feel like you’re right in the tank with the fish, including overhead views and sections below the water level. It was much better than I anticipated. Visiting in the off-season was great because it wasn't crowded, and since most exhibits are indoors, the cold wasn't an issue. That said, I’d love to come back when the rest of Coney Island’s attractions are open!
Pierre Asselin - 6 months ago