Long Island Aquarium Reviews

It was ok but very over priced for a little place I get if you got kids I say go and see there eyes light up but when it come to you just as a little date I say save your money bc you will be in and out with in 25 mins for a price of $107 for two adults ticket is pretty high of a price for a little place

Honestly, I was not really impressed with this one. It is kind of pricey, even for children under 5 years old. There is no parking that is close to the facility unless you find street parking. If you utilize the lot which is about 2 blocks away, you have to pay to have your vehicle valeted. The lay out is nice and simple to navigate. Food options are better than the NY aquarium, but the location is small and can be walked through in less than 30 minutes. It does have a few attractions that are fun, such as the feeding and petting of sting rays and the cage dive with sharks (extra cost), the walk through pond where you see spider crabs and horseshoe crabs. It has a large slide for children and a boat ride, but the two times i Have been here, the boat rides were not available, and the slides were closed. Most of its exhibits are small, small tanks and the options are small compared to other places like NY Aquarium or Mystic Aquarium. Personally, I won't return here after this. But it doesnt mean that you shouldn't. Go for yourself and develop your own opinion.

Overall we love taking the grandchildren to the Aquarium. Our granddaughters (5) wanted to enjoy the mermaids. The price is very high $39. Plus admission. We knew that the children under 7 needed to be accompanied. Be aware this means you must go in the water and you must pay half price to do it. This is very unclear and you don’t get the rules and regs until you enter the ticket in your cart. In getting the rules before entering the water, the kids were told that there are sharks in the water. Although they were told that the sharks are nocturnal and harmless, one of the kids was too afraid to participate. The mermaids were excellent, posing with the kids.The individual photo op before you enter is not included. $10. You must pass it to enter. Overall a nice experience,but very pricey.

Nothing to do...take a ride to the Long Island Aquarium. A fun place for everyone. Fish, butterflies, bird! Many indoor activities and outdoor activities as well.

It's just big enough. The exhibits change and grow. Feed the birds, best butterfly habitat I've ever been to. Coal reef, sea lion show, shark area, feed the stingrays. There are exhibits outside, monkeys, otters, a few rides, and they have a great boat ride that's educational and fun (that's extra $).
If you go more than 3x a year I highly recommend being a member. My little ones go in the winter when there's not much else to do and they never get tired of it. They do catering... weddings, bar mitzvahs and birthday parties and years ago I stayed over night with girl scouts (I think they still offer that for groups).

Went diving with the sharks today. So totally worth it. Jim is an awesome dive instructor. He was pointing me in the right direction for for best pictures.

Above and Beyond what I expected. We were amazed at everything there was to see and do. Had a wonderful experience

The aquarium is beautiful. Amazing fish and tanks. Beautifully decorated. Nice outdoor area with animals such as penguins. Terrible food. Very pricy. But a nice afternoon.

This was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I went yesterday to celebrate my birthday, and they made it such a great experience. Our instructor Jim worked with us to make sure we felt safe, which I did the entire time. I cant thank them enough for an amazing birthday.

This is worth a trip, it is not the largest aquarium we have been to but it is really nice, well organized and well run.

For being my first aquarium visit as an adult I was very impressed. Happy to find out there was more than just fish tanks. LOVED the butterfly room and that there was an animal rescue center.

Perfect afternoon outing for our little guys ages 3.5 and 1.5 years old. We visited during the winter thus did not venture to the outdoor exhibits. It was still plenty for us. The entry process could be a little smoother if 1) the parking wasn't so far away and 2)the ticket purchasing was not so a la carte. We were only interested in the regular admission. Watching people discuss special ticket items at the counter was like watching a timeshare presentation.
Once inside, the kids loved the sting ray touch tank. These friendly creatures would come right out of the water to be pet. All the aquarium tanks were well designed for viewing. Nice spacious and clean layout. We enjoyed the shark feeding. It was just the right size for our guys.
The butterfly and bird areas were also a highlight. We purchased bird feed and ended up with some great pics of our boys feeding them out of their hands.
Overall a fun few hours for our boys. I would visit again during the warmer seasons.

This aquarium does not seem big from the outside, but it really was.....and my kids and their cousin (who are 5&6) had a blast. You can pet stingrays, they have a great sea lion show as well. They had a shark tank, penguins and some really beautiful coral and colorful fish tanks. My personal favorite was the butterfly room. It was an indoor garden with butterflies everywhere. They also had an aviary where the birds can land on you and you can feed them. My daughter was extra excited when two birds landed on her arm. It was a great interactive experience.

Smaller but chock full of wonderful things! Love the butterflies too! The sea lion show is entertaining. My son loves to pet the rays. Always clean, and the staff is helpful and knowledgeable! They also have volunteers to answer questions as well!

Very surprising. Wonderful. Crowded, but a very great deal to see and learn, for children of all ages as well as adults. Not just fish and acquatic creatures: insects, birds, butterflies. Really wonderful. Very highly recommend

It was an expensive day but we got the season passes because we are out here often. It makes sense if you think you may go again. Even one more time pays for itself and you can do all the extras.

The sting ray's are the the best. For $3 you get fish to feed them. They are like vacuums. They fish exhibits are great. They have a wonderful butterfly exhibit with butterflies from all over. Also there are monkeys, bats, reptiles. Something for everyone. Definitely worth checking out. You can buy half price tickets from your library.

We we're here for a wedding reception. Very well done. Food was fantastic. Service was great and perfect atmosphere.

Enjoyed a morning there with our two kids aged 6 and 3 years. They enjoyed the sea lion show and looking at the fish in the tanks especially the colourful ones Andy the sharks!

The exhibits outside were limited. The food in the cafe is overpriced. $13 for two small plates of fries!

Still overall, good experience for little kids for about 1.5 to 2 hours.

we had the most amazing experience with Jim he made us feel very comfortable and safe he was very knowledgeable about diving, contributing to our great experience

Jim our scuba instructor is amazing! We traveled from the bronx just to swim with these beautiful animals and it is the best experience ever!! There was a total of 9 ages 17-38! And we toured the aquarium while waiting our turn! It is defended a MUST DO!

The aquarium has a wide selection of tanks and fish. I would recommend a visit when the outdoor attractions are open during warmer months. It’s a worthwhile visit for a couple of hours.

Fantastic place, very knowledgeable staff, very friendly people
beautiful displays and exhibits not to mention a multitude of different types of marine life, they also have other animals on display as well worth the trip.

Local, small aquarium.

Exhibits are child friendly and entire aquarium is easy to walk w young children.

Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable.

Its a great day activity for families w young children.

Street parking is easily available.

Took the grandchildren ages 3, 5, 11 and 12 they had a wonderful time ! Loved the Boat ride also very educational ! They learned many new things! Great day!

The aquarium is home to thousands of fish, amphibians, mammals and more. There are several touch tanks, where you can touch stingrays, starfish, and other creatures. My favorite exhibit was the butterfly exhibit where live butterflies from all over the world fly around in their own sanctuary. My family also really enjoyed the sea lion show. It was short and simple but was also educational and entertaining.

Full disclosure - My family was invited to visit as part of a media tour.

I've been coming here since I was young and this has always been a wonderful place to visit. Even as an adult now, I learn a lot by coming here and seeing all of the attractions they offer. This week, my bf and I decided to make a trip and decided to try the Behind the Scenes tour- which we highly recommend! We had a great day, however, my only complaint this time was the very rude older woman we had to deal with when paying for our admissions. Clearly does not like her job and had a dismissive attitude, as if we were bothering her. Unfortunately, I did not catch her name, just says EmpID#1275 on my receipt. My advice to the managers..hire people who are welcoming!!

After paying $31 and showing proof of service dog license I was stopped four times and questioned I was not welcomed at all when I asked for refund after being told I could not visit certain areas they would not refund anything they offered giving me tickets for a later date at which point I made them aware I'm disabled and need to be with the dog they treated us with disrespect greediness and to top it off the aquarium is awful you can go through the whole thing in 20 minutes they also wouldn't let us on the new tour boat if you have a handicap and a service dog run quick take your money and have a good meal this place not only belittled me and my girlfriend but left me feeling horrible about who I am and my handicap

This place can not justify the price of admission. It's small, dirty and tired. They also charge you for additional exhibits. -- Like the spirit airlines of aquariums. I really wish I'd read and heeded the bad reviews before driving there and paying their outrageous admission price. Those reviews are spot on.

We had our 2 and a half year old granddaughter to the Aquarium today as we have several times this year. It never grows old. We and she are always entertained by the fish and the penguins. There is a snack shop and a souvenir shop all reasonably priced. Membership is available which gives you 10% off whatever you buy. The membership includes free admission for an entire year.

It has all the animals you want to see and is small enough that you can get that up close and personal look at them all. The seals are amazingly trained and put on a great show. There are a couple interactive, touch exhibits that are cool to see as well.

Perfect activity for the summer day especially for the grandkids.

Everyone loved the sea lion show, and the sharks were a little scary per our 5 year old. A good local aquarium and the kids 5, 7, 10 loved the day

It's not a very big aquarium, but everything is well designed around the Atlantis theme and maintained.There were a lot of people, but still every display was easily viewable, accessible during our summer midweek visit. The sea lion show was full, the animals are amazingly trained. Almost every animal was rescued or born in captivity they have. Every show and talk highlights the importance of environmental preservation, recycling while providing plenty of information about the animals and still fun for the kids. Out favorite feeding demo and talk was the otter one. The kids loved to pet and feed the rays, feed the birds and walk among the butterflies. The salt marsh was a huge hit and cooled them down a bit.

One of the best aquariums I have ever visited. Many exhibits and not just fish. Very informative displays. Well laid out so social distancing was never a problem. Many specialized activities to do as well as walking through. Outdoor exhibits as well as indoor. Beautiful location on the water. So much to see and do. Don't be in a hurry!

We returned here after 10 years with our daughters who our now 14 and 16 to rekindle their memories and retake the seal kiss photos we have from when they are little. I still love this place! Their marine exhibits are amazing, but they have so much more to do that you can easily spend the entire day and not get bored. It's best to arrive right when they open for several reasons. First, if you want to do any of the special animal encounters, they have very limited openings and sell out quickly. They have also opened a new butterfly and bird exhibit since we went there last. We were the first ones in the exhibit and we had it to ourselves. When we went in to feed the birds, they were ravenous and descended upon us in large flocks. I think I had 8 on me at once. They knew how to take the lids off the bird seed themselves. One was fascinated with my shirt sleeve. My 14 year old who walked in with me first found this rather adamant attention overwhelming and retreated behind the screen as I became one with the birds. We went back later in the day and the birds were not interested in any of the visitor's food and people were calling them "picky" eaters, but they were just full. Bring a swimsuit if you want to snorkel with the fish or dive with the sharks or wade in the tidal area, all super fun activities. Check the shoe requirements if you want to climb the rock wall. I know you can't do it in flip flops.

Let me get the downsides done with first. Parking is a couple blocks away in a lot owned by the Aquarium, has a fee, but there is a free shuttle. Signs across from the place that point to the lot look cheesy but are real. If you are very early and have a handicapped parking permit you can try the municipal lot across the street from the aquarium; not the spots lined up against the funeral home. As to food, it is edible, VERY expensive, with special emphasis on the bottled tap water at $3.50. You can't see the full menu or prices until you get up to the register. You can get a plastic souvenir cup at about $8 that is refillable. There is ice pellet ice cream outside, Edy's also in its own building. There appears to be a single set of water fountains, well hidden near the gift shop, for the whole place, and 2 sets of rest rooms, which may or may not be clean when you get there (I know, guests trash them).

With all that out of the way, you may want to pay for extras like the wrist band that gets you some things, and the behind the scenes tour. PLEASE do not bring very young children on that tour - it will be hard on you, awful on everyone else. But it is a nice little tour that shows a lot of how an aquarium works. The sea lion show is fun, the alligator 'show' and petting are tiny but cute, the butterflies are very nice, the bird area is a a boring empty area with some colorful birds. The sharks - well, they are the sharks! They and other tanked specimens are generally nice to see, some very hard to photograph. In many areas flash is a bad idea, and in some prohibited.

We were probably there nearly 6 hours, so there is plenty to see. At times the cafeteria will be jammed, and so will the rest rooms nearby. Do plan your day so you can do the scheduled shows.

The aquarium is clean, and well run. The exhibits are clean and full of amazing animals. The shark tank is really cool and has a few BIG sharks. The aviary is awesome, you are able to get up close and actually feed the birds. The butterfly area is straight out of a fairytale.
Great place.
Parking is offsite which is annoying, but there is plenty of parking unlike NYC aquarium.
The food in the cafeteria isn’t the best quality.

Quite an impressive display of marine animal. The grand kids really enjoyed their visit. We were there on a cold day so didn't spend much time outside but there was plenty to see in the inside displays . The restaurant was pretty decent as well. We covered all the displays in a little over 2 hours.
Good choice for kids.
Free parking is a block away, valet parking is available

We spent a rainy day here with the kids (2.5, 4.5). The place is really nice, well designed with many fun and some awe inspiring exhibitions. The kids (and their parents) were mesmerized by the shark tank and the "touch tank" and butterfly garden were exciting as well. Probably better on a sunny (or at least not rainy) day, but we had a great time. Food options are OK (not a huge selection), parking is slightly off-site (5 minute walk up a side street).

Fun place to spend a day. Lots of fish, marine animals. Other animals, such as monkeys and birds. Also, there is a great butterfly garden displays beautiful butterflies, and many fanny looking insects. I would like to visit the aquarium again.

Just celebrated my wedding here and it was amazing- not only was it ridiculously fun to have a wedding in an aquarium, but the staff was incredible and really couldn't have made the event any better, it was perfect. From the options for animal pictures (we did butterflies, penguin and sea lion pics) to the incredible team you work with from day one, everything was perfect. They transform that place so quickly once the aquarium closes to the public that I don't even know how they did it, but it was exactly as I had expected it to be. Cocktail hour outside with some personal touches, table decorations perfectly executed (we did everything ourselves so it meant a lot to us to have it all prepared like it was) and dancing near fish all night, it was perfect.
We've been there during normal hours too and it's a really great aquarium to visit- lots of fish, the sharks are amazing and there's a touch tank for sting rays.
Really amazing place, if you haven't gone I highly recommend checking it out!

Great place to visit especially with children. A bit pricey so take advantage of any discounts they may offer ie AAA, AARP, Senior Thursday etc. Sea lion, penguin, and otter shows. Colorful and well maintained tanks from small fish to sharks. Great Butterfly house and bird aviary. Worthwhile entertainment. Parking is plentiful but does require walking a few blocks to reach parking lots.

We went there for dinner after hours with a bus group. It was great! The food and service were wonderful. We ate by the tanks and enjoyed the scenery. The staff was most helpful and friendly. The food was excellent. We had time to see most everything in the aquarium after eating. Thank you!

... comparing the price.

Although they do advertising for "winter entry prices" they charged us the full price because of school holidays?! 70 USD for one toddler, one adult and one senior during wintertime where almost everything outside was closed... The location was not really tidy (except the toilets) and dusty all over. They should take more care about their location. Especially if they charge so much...

In my opinion not worth a visit if you pay the full price!

The price of admission is not justified. The aquarium is small and many of the exhibits were closed or out of order. The place looks dirty and dated. To spend $200 for a family of 5 for admission is insane. You will be in and out in one hour. The best exhibits were the sharks and butterflies. Don’t waste your time or money.

Looks small from the exterior, but there is so much to see. Wonderful and caring staff are excited to share their knowledge. Come see one of the best coral reefs in the world! Yes, it is world famous! Don't miss the butterfly exhibit either.

The entrance opens to a huge child friendly feeding tank and an easy to miss turtle feeding habitat with a charming bridge over a fun exhibit and a waterfall. Other reviewers consider this aquarium small. I have been to many large aquariums such as the one in baltimore and the long island aquarium does an excellent job of keeping your attention span on each uniquely designed exhibit. The other reviewers did not appreciate the diversity of the exhibits including mammals and reptiles. The butterfly exhibit is spectacular but the insect exhibits are even more unusual. Instead of wanting bigger, I settle for better and take my time. We watched the stick bugs for 10 minutes. Don't rush and enjoy all the outdoor and indoor habitats. enjoy feeding the birds in their exhibit. take your shoes off and wade into the horseshoe crab waters. explore the cute underground cave and mine for gems. the seals steal the show, if you don't go too fast and accidentally pass the entrance to see them underground. the penguins are fun and of course the shark tank is fantastically dark and mysterious. I would have given 5 stars if the employees weren't terrible. There is too much flirting and talking going on amongst themselves. My son had to ask a question 3 times to a blonde girl at the touch tank exhibit next to the seals. She was so busy flirting with her fellow employee. I finally had to ask her (twice!) before she acknowledged me. The employees need a lot of customer service training. The one female and one male employee at the wade with the horseshoe crab exhibit just stared at us blankly again, never acknowledging us or speaking about the exhibit. Their stone faced demeanor actually scared my son and he didn't want to go in. The people who designed this aquarium were passionate about their work but the kids pretending to work here, do not share in that passion.

This was a pleasant little surprise – when I heard about it, I thought to myself, “Long Island has an aquarium?” My friends had their wedding here, which was just a splendid venue. They place did a wonderful job intermingling the event tables with their exhibits. Was so pleased with it, we came back to visit the next day. They have an impressive shark tank and lots of interactive things for kids, such as feeding and touching rays. The outside area is gorgeous, with little boardwalks leading towards the actual river.

Our favorite part of visiting the aquarium on March 29th 2021 was the Shark encounter. It was a birthday present for my 12 year daughter.
It was great to see the sharks and all the other fish up close with just the cage between us.
Jim and Jane did everything they could to make us feel safe and comfortable. It was a birthday that she will never forget!

My significant other and I went to the Long Island Aquarium for my 22nd birthday and had an incredible time. There was plenty of stuff to do. We got there around 10:30am and didn't leave until almost 2pm. We fed the stingrays, walked through the butterfly garden, spent alot of time looking through the different exhibits, and saw the sharks. We pet the sea star in the touch tank. We saw the sea lion show (Jenna and neila were both great). Afterwards we went through the outdoor exhibits and saw the penguins, river otters, reptile house, and Japanese snow monkeys. It was an awesome day and I 10/10 recommend.

Maybe I've gotten spoiled with places like SeaWorld but the staff needs to smile more and act like they're having fun. The aquarium was a good place to visit on a rainy day as it was that day. Not as much there as I thought there would be but it was ok.

Ria made our trip! She was the sweetest & really taught all of us so much about the turtles 🐢. She had the best energy & a contagious will to do what is right 🐢❤️

What fun and animals The seals welcome you to the building
The surroundings are boater friendly The exhibits were well laid out for a spur of the moment let's check this out

This was our first time visiting the Long Island Aquarium but certainly won't be the last. Allow at least a half day minimum to get the most out of your visit. This is especially helpful if you plan on attending any of the various programs or touring specific exhibits such as the butterfly room -- these are popular and they only allow so many in at a time. And if you plan on doing the boat excursion, allow for that, too. Be sure to pack sunblock, hat and sunglasses for the outdoor exhibits, small bills for fish food, a camera or phone camera, comfortable walking shoes, a small backpack in place of a purse. We didn't eat on-site but there are several small restaurants and delis within walking distance. Riverhead is a great, small town with lots of charm. There are also hotels nearby, with one on-site and another being built across the street. There are plenty of other attractions, farm stands, wineries, and historic sites to see, plus lots of shopping to make this a multi day stay or a nice weekend trip.

this place was so much fun! worth the price. the staff is very knowledgable. we saw so many butterflies. I saw a children covered in birds haha. it was so much fun. There was also a nice selection of bugs and sea creatures.

Really cool Aquarium with a great flow and exhibits that are perfect for children and adults. There are a ton of extra experiences to do through out most days.

I have been to a lot of aquariums and never really heard too much about this one. But it is unique and worth visiting. The inside has a very cool theme to it. The shark tank is large and nice to see. The reef display is very nice also. Now the parking experience is something to write about... first the lot is about 2 blocks away, it’s an unfinished dirt lot that cost $10 to park in...if you’re gonna charge for parking atleast make it nice, the carpets in my car all needed to be vacuumed because of the amount of dirt!

I love the aquatic life! its so exotic (and even mysterious if you go deep enough!) So finding out that there was an aquarium in Riverhead made me excited, and going there made me even more excited! it's a very nice place with a lot of types of aquatic life, I will surely come again with friends!

The main attraction is touching and feeding distinguish at the entrance. For touching them you don't even have to pay anything. If you want to feed him you have to pay $3 per tray of fish. To do all of that you Don't have to pay the entrance fee. The aquarium itself is not too big and to really use The visit to its full you need to attend all the feedings during the designated hours. food court is super pricey so think twice before you buy anything there, you probably should bring food with you and eat it at the picnic area. All in all and nice visit for about 2 hours.

For a family of five we paid $125. There wasn't really much to see there. My son enjoyed seeing the penguins, sharks and butterflies. We didn't go to the sea lion show because it was 25 degrees and I didn't want my son who is three outside that long. I read reviews saying that the aquarium was small but decided to give it a chance. It was nice to go once but I don't think I'd go again. I did like that they had people on hand at the shark tank and where the penguins were to give you information about them and take any question that you might have.

Also if you're going on a cold day be forewarned that the aquarium parking lot is about two blocks away from the aquarium. I honestly don't think the walk is bad on a nice day but on a cold day with lots of wind it might seem like a pain.

Ok..so make sure all attractuons are open!!!, they will charge you the same crazy price even if half the attractions are closed so note...july 1st is usually the time when everything inside and outside is open... Also...if you join for the year and get 10percent off all food and ice cream etc... It doesnt include the outside stands!!! Crazy i know...overall the place is great..pay the extra for the boat ride..its cool to do at least once.

I took my four grandchildren to the aquarium yesterday. We went early and parked on the street. Admission would have been $161 but we used library discount tickets for $125. Check with your library. The exhibits were very good and only one wasn’t working. We were there until 3 pm and went through the butterfly exhibit twice. Fish food (4 small fish) was $3 which seemed very expensive. There were also many activities not included in the admission which were quite expensive. We ate lunch there—one small food item such as a hamburger and a small drink (refillable all day), for $108. I suggest you leave (re-entry is allowed) and go elsewhere to eat. One bathroom needed cleaning. My grandchildren enjoyed the visit very much.

I want to start by saying my children love the aquarium. We’ve been going for years. However there is one exhibit I have never enjoyed, and other visitors have shared the same sentiment. The snow monkey exhibit transparently shows the slow suffering of a monkey or two. I try to avoid this exhibit as it depresses me. My children luckily show little interest in this spot as well but they love playing in the tunnels in that area. On a recent visit there were small children banging on the glass which was triggering the monkey to lunge aggressively at the glass and then self harm by biting him/herself. It was incredibly difficult to see. I reminded the children of the barely visible sign that reads, “Do not bang on glass.” The sign suggests it happens often enough, but it does little to prevent the extreme emotional stress of the animals who are hurting themselves repeatedly to cope. This exhibit is leaves me questioning your welfare standards. I urge you to please, please consider decommissioning this exhibit. If you insist on keeping this awful exhibit, at least put up a proper barricade to reduce some of the suffering.

Great place to take little ones. I took my 7 year old grandson. We saw a live seal show, and much more. The shark tank is incredible. Lots to see. It's half price after 4 although I don't think the regular price is too much. Better to go when nice weather although you can still tour. Great staff!

Went to aquarium as part of a wedding package! The bride & groom were able to take pictures with “Kevin” the most photographed Penguin! Very cute photo op

While the aquarium was very worthwhile, the same cannot be said about their administration. My wife and I visited the aquarium with our 9-year-old granddaughter on July 25th. We followed the sign to the parking lot and paid our $12 to park. There we two young men, one collecting the fee, the other reading a magazine. We took the shuttle to the aquarium. A few hours later we left and saw the shuttle sitting, empty, near the exit. After about 15 minutes I inquired about the shuttle & was told that the driver was out for lunch & would be back in 30 minutes. We had a choice - wait in the heat or walk to the parking lot - we are seniors (80 & 78) with heart conditions. By the time we walked to the lot, I was sweating profusely, dizzy and out of breath. At the parking lot were the 2 young men, one still reading a magazine. How about driving the shuttle! On July 27th I called and left a voice mail for Bryan DeLuca, Executive Director. It is now August 2nd and still have not been contacted!!!

I've been to a lot of Aquariums and really enjoyed my visit here. It isn't HUGE like the one in Atlanta or the most exotic, but it was well laid out and had diverse exhibits, like a large butterfly room which seemed to please child and adult alike! The store had some nice books on historical attractions around Long Island. The restaurant food was decent for this type of attraction. The Staff at the Sea Lion show was enthusiastic. Couple of negatives. Pricey...like $26 per adult, but they did give $2 off for a AAA discount. Big negative....had to park several blocks away in gravel parking lots that were almost full. On the way in, there was a shuttle bus waiting to drive us over to the Aquarium. However, on the way out around 4 pm, the shuttle was no where to be found. The walk is too far for elderly, people with medical issues, etc.

Nice aquarium as most are, little expensive if you don't get a group rate as school trips do and you're bringing a few children. Long Island's version of the NY Aquarium so enjoy!

I'm a big aquarium fan. This aquarium is nicely done. Educational and fun, it offers something for all. I enjoyed petting the Rays.

The Acquarium is wonderful but the added bonuses are the butterfly conservatory and the parrot house.
Butterflies abound and fly all over you in a beautiful setting,but the parrot house where the birds perch all over you is super fabulous definitely pay a visit if you are near Riverhead

My kids are still talking about this place months after visiting.
Feeding the rays at the entrance was a very special experience.
The sharks are fantastic with many species to see.
The otters outside were so sweet and trained well.
We didn't stay very long outside as it was incredibly hot but we did have time to grab an ice cream which was nice.
We will visit again definitely

Very impressive for a small aquarium. It was alot of fun. Try to eat before you go. Food pretty bad and expensive. Nice seal show. Really nice. enjoyed the day

Although a little small this is a very nice place to visit. It is good for about 2 hours a visit. There are some live shows with otters or penguins or sea lions. My family had a year pass which is properly the way to go.

They have decent private parking. They have nice educational exhibits and a nice animal show. They have clean places to eat and a nice staff. The one thing that I really liked though was when I had a season membership andI lost one of my ID cards, it was hassel free. They keep excellent records and they look you up. Unfortunately if you try doing that at Splish-Splash, no way, lost card and you are out of luck.

We enjoyed a moonlight cruise at the end of August that is we believe affiliated with the aquarium. We enjoyed wine from a local vineyard, cheese and fruit as our guide described the type of birds, turtles and fish that inhabit the river. It was very informative and fun! Looking forward to returning next summer!

Went to the aquarium the afternoon of new year's eve, with my fiancée's 94 year old grandfather, and her teenage son. First we were confronted with NO ADA parking, no ADA enabled doors, and no wheelchairs. The wheelchairs were not a big deal, but parking two blocks away with a 94 year old man in 18 degree weather, in a walker, was a bit much. In the restrooms, there were no hooks in the stalls. What to do with winter coats and purses?

The bird and butterfly exhibits were the only real high point of the visit.

Compaired to Baltimore or Atlanta, the exhibits nowhere near justified the extremely high admission price. The employees while courteous, were obviously more concerned with getting out for new years eve than making it a good experience for their guests. When I bought the tickets we were told the the attraction was closing at 4pm instead of the published/posted 5pm.

If you go with a physically impaired person, bring your own wheelchair, and be prepared for some difficult-to-navigate interior surfaces and ramps. All in all, a pleasant day, but a very poor value.

I spent the day (about 5 hours) here with my toddler. The cost of admission is pricey, but we had a really nice time. There was plenty to do. We especially enjoyed the boat ride and tour (Atlantis Explorer Tour Boat), during which we saw a lot of sea life and visited a nearby beach. There was an additional per person charge for the boat ride and tour, but it was worth it. The butterfly exhibit was also very nice. There is a good mix of outdoor and indoor activities, numerous exhibits, and enough space to walk around comfortably (note: we visited on a weekday).

The onsite cafeteria was overpriced and the food was not very good, but I really did not expect much in that regard, so I was not very disappointed. The ice cream parlor, climbing wall, arcade and discovery tower ride are all enjoyable additions to the aquarium exhibits and shows.

I had a real good time at the aquarium. Admission is $29 for adults but you can get your money's worth if you stay for a few hours.
Feeding and feeling the sting rays are cool but they charge you three dollars for a small portion of minnows to feed to them. Kind of rediculous that you have to pay to do the aquarians job for them.

The sealion show was a lot of fun but short. It only lasted ten minutes and I would have liked to see a longer show like at other aquariums.

The shark tank was cool and for $165 you can dive with them. Not advised for menstruating females.

Lots of creepy crawlers like roaches, poisonous spiders, leaf cutter ants. I learned a lot about the latter. And the exhibit on the Amazon flood basin was appreciated by a Lusophile such as myself.

the piranha and the giant tarantula are not to be missed. I didn't get to see the snow monkeys but my friend said they were awesome.

Just nothing like amazing, small size, Not many thing to see
Not worthy at all for price paid
Wouldn’t recommend for kids

Went here with my kindergarten class in the Spring. They were enthralled during the entire trip: the boat ride, the sea lion show, meeting a penguin, touring the tanks. The guides were terrific with the children, answering their questions and guiding them on the boat trip. Definitely worth a trip whether you have kids or not! So much fun!

Exciting informative Diving with sharks and Roberto was a life experience I shall never forget. Learn and explore

On Saturday, August 24, 2019 my husband & I did the shark dive.
It was $175 pp + the price of aquarium admission. They provide the wet suit and
the full face mask (that allows you to breath by both nose and mouth).
We brought our own water shoes, although they may have provided them as well. The liability waiver was far more frightening then the dive itself. We met in the lobby of the aquarium and waited for the other divers - 5 groups of 2 per cage. There was a brief orientation by the dive instructor who goes down with you. A video presentation would have been more helpful. The tank was impressive at 120,000 gallons with 8 or so large sharks (nurse and sand sharks, I believe). The bottom of the tank has several glass windows where onlookers can see you (a great place for family or friends who are not diving to take your picture). You can also rent a go-pro for like $35. or bring your own.They do take a picture of you in the cage before your dive and e-mail it to you as a souvenir as well as give you a souvenir towel and shark tooth.
Once they fit your mask over your face they lower you waist deep, then chest deep then submerge the cage, but the top of the cage stays just under the water. You spend about 25 minutes submerged. The sharks do take an interest and circle the tank. It's actually quite tranquil. Keep in mind these sharks are fed and well taken care of. It's a great way to see them up close without putting yourself in real danger.
I would totally do it again.

Always a great family experience at the Riverhead Aquarium. We visited the shark tank, saw the sea lion show, saw the penguin exhibit and more. So much fun, we highly recommend taking a trip to the Riverhead Aquarium.

Went on a Monday.
Tickets were reasonably priced.
Separate fees for aquarium and exhibit hall.

Aquarium is much larger than it appears.
Fantastic displays from around the world are well done.
Several interactive experiences for adults and kids to get your hands wet if you want.
Shows were well done.

Exhibit hall (butterflies and birds at the time) was great, well worth the separate fee.

Couple notes.

Staff and volunteers were amazing. All were helpful, knowledgeable and nice. They made an great experience even better.

Food court was good, a bit pricy, but it had a decent assortment of food. As an option, there are outdoor courtyard seats that you can eat your own food at.

I saw a few posts about the admission price. You can spend an entire day here.-$30 for this experience is much better than spending -$30 on video game for the kids in my opinion.

Took grandchildren to see fish, butterflies, seals, penguins etc. lots to see & touch. Young Kids had a ball. Plenty of camp kids and families. A little pricey but a very good thing to do in a hot summer day.

Situated in the downtown area next to the Hyatt hotel, the aquarium offers a lot of interesting things beside sea life. There are hands on exhibits, viewing ports at a small child’s height, outdoor events, a cafe & the required gift shop. ( This helps support the research & rescue of the animals, mammals & sea life.
Highly recommend this for a half day of activity.

LI Aquarium is outrageously expensive just to get into the front door! The cashier does not inform the customer that one can buy a ticket for extras for $6. I would have bought it. The actual aquarium is getting tired looking. Visitors must enter and exit the aquarium and go outside through the gift shop. You know how children like to look at and buy the souvenirs. Every item in the gift shop is highly marked up and expensive. People only buy souvenirs because they love their children / grandchildren. The food court is expensive. The simulated boat ride was nice but expensive. The climbing rock wall was fun. The seals are nice. The butterfly exhibit was fun. The birds were nice. The walk through marsh exhibit was clean, very nice looking, and an excellent exhibit. The few other animal exhibits were pleasant. Once is enough and I will not return for another visit. I have told friends the LI Aquarium is too expensive for me.

We bought tickets for the Mother's Day Brunch after calling the Aquarium and understanding that it was a buffet, what it included, the seating times, and times to view the aquarium. The only confusing part was which door to enter as I had never visited the aquarium. I was totally amazed when we entered the catering hall for the brunch. Beautifully set tables, with over tablecloths of purple and pink and napkins draped over the sides of the tables with fresh tulips adorning each table. The service was excellent, and the food was fantastic. Unfortunately, we did not know to grab either donuts or desserts before we finished our meal and there were no more donuts and some desserts were finished. I highly recommend this event. The Aquarium was also a nice experience. My son had previously swum with the sharks. I loved the river otters, seals, and the training session we saw with the sea lions. I missed the penguins, because their area was closed. Have a good time if you get to do the brunch.

A nice aquarium with sharks, a sea lion show , butterflies , birds , and hip of other speeches a and fishes inside and outside.
The coolest thing is that you can dive with sharks!
For us normal it's fun enough to feed the stingrays for $3.
I found it quite unorganised and that was really enjoying.

We were visiting relatives on the island and ran into a rainy day. We chose the aquarium as our rainy day activity. It was really cool. My kids enjoyed the sea lion show and seeing the sharks. My 6 y/o really enjoyed touching the rays int he touch tank and I think if we go back, she'll definitely feed them (you can buy food right near the tank). There is a lot going on and it's not a polished as other aquariums but, it worked out great for us... also they have a good military discount.

Oh, and we'll always remember this place because my daughter lost her first tooth here (naturally...).

The LI Aquarium was much larger and better outfitted than expected. There were so many fantastic exhibits. The shark tank was very large and well done. We enjoyed all the marine life and were surprised to also find a butterfly exhibit in the middle of winter. Our kids had a fantastic time. We will be returning.

Amazing hidden gem of long Island. Starting with butterflies and baby Ray feeding to beautiful fish in a cave like setting.

Great place to visit with younger children. A bit pricey with extra charges for some other activities.

What a wonderful resource! Both children and adults will revel in the variety of exhibits. The butterflies are amazing and cooperate by landing on all. The birds will also be your friends if you buy the bird food and stand reasonably still. The rays love to be petted. The sharks are always ready to scare even the bravest swimmers. There is plenty to amuse and delight you for a two hour visit. A good lunch can be had at Jerry and the Mermaid which is a short walk away.

We arrived 1 hour before close time and they gave us 50% discount. Also my stepson got in free since it was his birthday. We were able to watch shark feeding and butterflies exhibition. We definitely would like to go back since we did not have enough time to go thru. Very nice aquarium; must visit when you are in town.

My husband gave me the penguin encounter for my birthday and it was amazing! We went on a weekday, and ended up being the only ones. It was like a private tour! The aquarium is not too big so you can see all the exhibits in a couple of hours. Really liked the shark tank. Overall a fun day!

We had a fantastic time today with Jim as our Dive Master and Mike as our Narrator! Both were great and very welcoming!! Everything was well explained by Jim for the dive process and the equipment and we learned a lot from listening to Mike. Great job to all and Thank YOU for your hospitality!!

We had a great time too my grand daughter and we all loved it. Educational, fun interactive and just a good time.

Great little aquarium with just enough to keep our 5yo entertained. Too bad it was December. They have a lot of outdoor space that was not open. There was a new room off the butterfly room with birds you could feed. That was a lot of fun. When your arm is covered in little birds makes for a great pic. Food was good. We had lunch in the cafeteria.

The first thing I have to say is "$95.00 admission for two adults???". I don't know how this place is affordable for families. If you have three children, it's $200 just for you to walk in the door, without snacks, the extra cost activities or a little something at the gift shop. Many of the exhibits were closed. The penguin feeding did not happen due to fear of avian flu. The snow monkeys were not visible, too cold? Perhaps a lower admission price in the winter would be in order? The best part of the day was the butterfly room. I am not an aquarium expert, but I think the Mystic Aquarium is much better and costs less.

Very enjoyable and a great learning experience for kids and families. Suggest taking the boat tour that was relaxing and very informatiove

This is a small aquarium but very nicely organized and has a running Atlantis theme throughout. They have a cafe that is pricey so be sure to bring snacks and water if budget minded. Tanks were clean and seemed well cared for. They have some of the biggest Tiger sharks and Tuna I've ever seen in an aquarium. They also have a butterfly garden and small aviary.

The aquarium is clean, has good descriptions of what is being viewed, has interactive exhibits that are part of the entrance fee which children of all ages can enjoy and the butterfly gallery is not to be missed. Free admission for those celebrating a birthday. The seal show is special and especially loved by children as is the crab pond.

Such a beautiful display of gorgeous and unique fish! Lovely gift shop. Two very interesting octopuses 🐙! The seahorse tank was amazing! So many wonderful things to see! Great for kids, adults and photographers!

It's a great day activity, there is a lot to see, do and touch. Very informative, I've been a few times and it's never dull.

Took advantage of the Groupon deal that included pirate snorkel as well as general admission. Purchased the penguin encounter as an extra. We had a super time! Everything was perfect highly recommend

Lots of different things to do here, both inside and out. Staff is very knowledgable and friendly, especially Katie! If you visit during the warmer months be sure to take the boat ride.

I spent my entire life mostly visiting the Brooklyn Aquarium, but had wanted to come here for quite a while. I haven't had a chance to see the Brooklyn Aquarium since it's re-opening (coincidentally the same day I came here), but compared to how it used to be, this place is a step up. Not huge at all but so much more interactive. You can feed sting rays & sharks, you can take pics with penguins & sea lions, you can snorkel in a little pool, you can cage dive with huge sharks, & you can even go on a river cruise, along with the shows & typical aquarium views. I was really impressed & really liked it. I don't think admission is too steep & the place is clean & definitely less packed then Brooklyn. If you get a chance, definitely come pay them a visit.

We visited on a very cold day during the winter. Many of the outdoor exhibits, including the penguins, were closed. It was fun but I would go in warmer weather.

We celebrated a family wedding here on July 30th, 2016. The ceremony was outside on the dock, but covered from the rain. The cocktail hour was inside the beautiful aquarium. The reception was held in the Sea Star Ballroom. Overall, it was a beautiful venue for a very happy occasion. Highly recommend for a beach-themed wedding!

My daughter and I did the shark experience and it was amazing! We felt so safe and enjoyed every minute! The dive master, Jim, was awesome! He explained everything that was going to happen step by step and was super attentive! We would totally recommend the aquarium and the dive experience!

I took my 5 yr old on a mini-vacation over winter break. The aquarium is just beautiful. Lots to see. Expect to spend about 3 hours looking at everything. Cafe a bit expensive, bring your own lunch.

I go here occasionally and it never gets old! It is such a fun experience for kids. I love seeing all the different fish. My favorite part is the seal shows that is included in admission. The only thing is the prices are a bit high. Besides that I highly recommend it.

A complete and total ripoff. In excess $225 for a family of 4. Excessive food costs. Everything is extra. Most employees are high school kids who at least try hard. Many venues out of order. Poor maintenance. Save your money!!!!

To start when my wife and I checked into the hyatt, in riverhead Long Island we were right next door to the aquarium, we decided to visit there and what a wonderful suprise it was. when first entering we were greeted by some of the wonderful seal trainers excited to tell us about all of the work they are doing to preserve our ocean fish.
the seal show was about 15 minutes, and very educational about the seal environment.
A must while there is the wonderful butterfly room with a number of different spicies, While in there you gt plenty of butterflys exploring the people guests,the music is very relaxing and extremely tranquil.A great place to rest and relax,
While visiting the aquarium a must see is the shark tank where you can for a fee go into a cage with proper attire and get up close to the many spicies of sharks and other fish. An A+ for the aquarium.

I went to the Long Island Aquarium with my family and had a really nice time. You could spend anywhere from half of a day to the whole day there. There were so many great exhibits and things to see, including a butterfly garden! If you are going in the summer, be sure to bring sunscreen as there are a number of outdoor exhibits, as well.

My son has loved sharks since he was 5 and now 18. He dived with sharks and said it was the best experience ever. It was a great little aquarium. We recommend the dive

We went to the LIA to watch my grandson do the shark dive. It was great. He truly loved it, as I did when I did it years ago. We say the sea lion show, watch d the sting rays fed and took some rides. Lunch was good at the LIA. We also did the Butterfly and Bird exhibit. And we did the marsh walk with the crabs. The whole family loved it.

We enjoyed our time at the aquarium. Thursday's are senior days, much better value especially with some exhibits only open on weekends. We had a sunny day and enjoyed the show from the sea lion. Drinks and food are expensive not sure if you can bring in your own. Parking was free but a few blocks away..surprised no parking closer. All in all we enjoyed our time and would recommend going especially during the summer or on a weekend.

Doesn't worth a $30 entrances . Not much to see. At first we thought it would be a nice visit to see one of the only one aquariums in NY but it turned out disappointing. The aquarium seemed old and not really taken care of.

There is plenty to see at this aquarium. I am a big fan of the tropical fish. The sea lion show is my favorite part of the experience. Overall, this is not the best aquarium but it's perfect for Long Island.

Way overpriced for what is offered. $90 for 2 people and that's with a militarily discount! If you wanted to participate in any interactive activities it was high dollar. Aquarium isn't that big and some exhibits were closed. Staff very friendly

Nice small aquarium...very unique in its design. There is also a butterfly and other insect exhibit. The sea lion "show" was embarrassing...it was more or less one trick and constantly being asked to applaud. They would be much better off without it.

My family and I have been here a few times, but it's been several years. It's nice to see that they have really strived to improve the attractions and add more sights and things to do while there. You can easily spend the whole day here. Don't forget to see the butterfly area as well!

I find it sad that the owners of the aquarium, who also own the hotel next door and across the street are improving those areas, but then charge for parking in a dirt parking lot that's several blocks away

We just visited the Aquarium- my granddaughter loves fish and butterflies I never thought the entire family will have so much fun, they have lots of sharks adults can go inside a cage and swim with the sharks - was a lot of fun a bit expensive $$$ for the entire family but it was great!

The Shark Dive experience was excellent! Our two guides for the day, Jimmy and Mary were wonderful. Mary had great info about the sharks and other fish we would be diving with and Jimmy was so informative about the proper use of the diving equipment and safety procedures. He was actually in the cage with us during our dive which was very reassuring. I liked knowing a dive expert was with us just in case I panicked...which I didn't 😁.
The dive experience was great! We were underwater for about 25 minutes and the time flew by! Sharks, stingrays and tons of fish everywhere we looked! Would definitely recommend!

We visited on a weekday school holiday. The place started to get crowded just before 11am. We arrived just before opening. I like the aquarium. I think it would be a great rainy day activity. I thought the price of admission was expensive at $40 for an adult, $27 for a child. Parking was $12 and it was two blocks away - total cash grab.

The sea lion show was great! Very entertaining and they are well trained. The sharks were very cool as well. Butterfly exhibit was very interactive. In my opinion, I like this aquarium but still think there are better out there, ie. National Aquarium in Baltimore.

The sharks and sea lions were great, and I have never been so close to rays (such a strange animal). The aquarium also has various animals, including a nice little butterfly and bird section. Both parents and 5-year old spent a good afternoon here.

I had some time to kill in Riverhead so spent 90 minutes at the aquarium. Well worth it. Its not a large place, but there is a lot to do.
The staff is caring and the animals and fish are well taken care of.
A nice mixed of exhibits, shows and stations.
Great for children and adults alike, I would recommend it!

The aquarium is great to visit anytime but the summer months are the best because the outdoor activities add so much to the day !

The entry fee is pretty pricey at $40 per adult so we ended up paying about $87 just to enter… Although they do have quite a few interesting exhibits I’m pretty disappointed that you have to pay extra to really do anything except for walk around. Also pretty disappointed in how out of date some of the enclosures are. I swear one of the lobsters was about to grow out of the actual tank, the sharks and sea lions looked to be pretty crowded and honestly the penguins looked half dead. Not sure if it was because we visited on a Saturday but crowds of people absolutely covered every square inch of this place inside and out. All of the staff that I encountered looked to be anywhere between 12-18 years old lol, one of them complaining very loudly to other coworkers about working, a lot of them sitting outside on benches and tables, and a lot just walking around inside looking clueless. Looked for a sink to wash my hands after touching the sting rays and one of the employees informed me they didn’t have any soap at the moment :) The butterfly garden was probably the best part however they shouldn’t let so many people in at once, I saw so many dead butterflies on the ground and so many with damaged wings, most likely from being man handled by the screaming kids in there.
I wouldn’t recommend this aquarium however if you’re willing to pay $2, $3, $10, $30 etc at each exhibit, you’ll probably enjoy it.

We were able to purchase $29tickets at our local library. This will save you a lot of money in admission. DO NOT bother eating here. It cost $97 to feed our family of 5 stale nacho chips and chicken strips. Insane food prices!!!
The aquarium itself is nice. Kids really enjoyed the wading pool and sea lion show.

Was there with 5 of us. Parking is 10 dollars, about 3 blocks away, they do have a shuttle. Adults 29 dollars, children 22 dollars. The place is good , but not for the price. They have a outside sea lion show, outside seating area, cafeteria, a few outside exhibits. Inside a nice shark tank, fish too. You can do the place in a hour, they need to lower the price.

Been here several times. The staff is nice and the animals seem well treated. A medium size place. Figure on a 4 hour time to see everything. 5 hours if with a larger group and eating too. Snack bar prices are VERY high for what you get.
Neat and clean, fun for kids and adults too!

The aquarium was chosen for the happy hour for the affair we were attending. The food was bountiful and was very good (what I had of it). Great venue for a special occasion.

a nice aquarium to visit. went mid week off season so some exhibits were closed but we enjoyed the visit. the only negative was not all the tanks said what fish were in them and it was hard to read some of the plaques because it was dark. and they also penny pinched you for food to feed the fish and turtles

This is a fun place to visit for young kids. Very interactive. Staff are super friendly. They have a snack bar...food options limited. It was very busy when we went. I advise going right when they open to avoid crowds.

At $35 I found the entry fee to the LI Aquarium to be a bit steep. The aquarium has some nice animals and some of the exhibits are really well done, like the shark tank. But overall the space is small, the exhibits are starting to look tired after so many years, the sea lion show while nice is very brief 15 minutes long. The staff is friendly and we got to enjoy an animal spotlight with a hedgehog and short river otter training which was nice. My main issue in addition to the pricey admission s the aquarium up-charges you for certain exhibits. The place is just too small to justify the cost, we spent about 2 hours there total. If you have never been and have children you may enjoy it but be prepared to spend quite a bit of money.

The aquarium itself is kind of run-of-the-mill standard aquarium. A few fish, some penguins, a random monkey or two.
Biggest complaint is how useless the staff is. They have no idea where or when the special events are. I arrived at 10:45 for the 11:00 mermaid meet and greet. Staff at the ticket counter had no idea when it was. Customer info desk was just as useless. They told me to go to the other side of the aquarium to get info. Finally arrived where the mermaid was at 11:10 only to be told by that they didn't sell tickets to events after they started. If anyone up front had bothered to tell me that I would have rushed to buy my tickets sooner. There was literally no line and the "mermaid" and her handler were just goofing around and taking selfies. A manager came out and told the group of people angry about not being able to buy tickets the same story, no sales after the "event" starts. Finally she called someone else above her at our request and she told them to sell us tickets. Left a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the visit and won't be returning.
Okayish place to see some fish, just don't expect any help from the useless staff.

Always been a favorite place of mine!! Did the shark dive today, I can’t recommend it enough!!! Truly an amazing experience and I hope to do it again soon

Although we visited in their off season, the experience still worth the drive. The employees were very friendly. We even asked one of the biologists what kind of fish we had taken a picture of and she happily explained the name and that they were actually juvenile and would look totally different when grown. They also have some reptile and some mammal exhibits. The new Fisher Cat was very active and gave us quite a show. The gift shop was well stocked considering it was after their summer season and the store worker was especially pleasant. Reason for missing fifth star, we recently visited the Monterrey Aquarium in CA so hard to top that, but was also disappointed that not every display had even basic signage identifying the creatures we were seeing.

This is nice for half day at the beach or doing something else and going to the museum. There is feeding the sting rays which is a hands on thing to do. I think the place is great for kids in grade school. There is a schedule of shows and the exhibits are about half outside and half inside.

Aquarium was nice, but when we went to the sea lion show it did not want to be there and the show was not good.

We went to the aquarium to do the shark dive and had an outstanding time. It started with a personal guide taking us on a short tour of a few shark exhibits and learning about their various species. The aquarium is beautiful and full of things to do for every age. The entrance fee, tour and dive package can last about an hour or all day depending on what other shows or adventures you want to do. The actual dive guide we had was "Jim" who was a master diver with many years of experience. He was a calm, jovial soul who was super safety conscious and wanted us to have nothing but a good time. He talked about the equipment and laid out just how our time together would be spent. Whether you are an experienced diver or not , you can take part in the shark dive because Jim will make you feel confident. We took tons of pictures and splurged for a go-pro video. We left with a towel, shark tooth and great memories. Enjoy!

Came during April vacation. Weather was cold & rainy. We had a great time. Kids loved seeing sharks, penguins, octopus, sea lion show ( a must - but it’s outdoors- so be prepared for weather).
Friendly staff and volunteers.
Butterflies and birds, too! Good for all
ages.

The ages of our group ranged from 22 years old to 85, and all enjoyed their visit. There are penguins, sea lions, and butterflies that glide past you while walking through the indoor garden. We walked through in about 1 1/2 hours. The shark tank was my favorite as they passed right in front of the glass where we were standing!

Just had a nice time with the family. We did come during the colder time of year and I believe there is more to do in the summer. There was a nice sea lions feeding, and penguins acting up. My favorite was the butterfly exhibit and feeding of the birds. Overall a good day trip. And we will come back again.

Wonderful day with grandma, grandkids fun and interactive. There was things for all of us to enjoy loved it

My most recent visit with family marks my fifth return to the Long Island Aquarium. Each time I've been here there is usually something new to entertain and put a smile on my son's face. Though compact in size, clever design makes the center seem to be larger than it is. Always amazing is the huge shark tank and the sea lion show, which I wish was twice as long. Lots of hands on exhibits starting with feeding rays and an interactive bird and butterfly exhibit. Being surrounded by exoctic butterflies is almost ethereal. Two educational attractions include a boat tour and a simulated salt marsh which makes for a great way for kids to cool down as they wade in and get a chance to see the creatures that live in this type of ecosystem. There is much more and it is best to plan your day through their website.

Cons - Parking can be a bit of a hassle and the big lots three blocks away now charge to park ($8). On site dining is a bit pricey too but it makes it easy to grab a quick bite if your hungry.

All in all a good day out. Be sure to look for discount coupons on-line.

Wonderful! Must see and go! Really great for children of all ages! The tour was educational and the stall informative, we will go back there again!

I made reservations for my grandchildren and us during their Spring Break, with assurances on the Aquarium's website that they were CDC compliant and that they were limiting reservations. The museum was packed with people. There was no space to keep distance. There was not effort made by the staff to separate people, who lined up in vast crowds to wait turns to see each exhibit. It was very unsafe and I would consider it a super-spreader site.

We've been to several aquariums and this one by far is the smallest. Many of the tanks seemed too small for its inhabitants. The lobster was shamefully covered in stringy algae. We visited in late April and several exhibits were closed or severely curtailed, i.e. sharks and penguins.
All the staff we interacted with were very informative, especially the woman at the horseshoe crab tank.
Entry is not cheap, but if you visit within a week of your birthday and can prove it, admission is FREE!. Parking is free too, but 3+ blocks away.

A nice interactive aquarium. Not a giant big city place, but just a lovely excursion!
The Sharks were easily viewed, the skates fun. My kids love penguins, so enjoyed the African Penguins were a hit.

Went here on a partially rainy day and off season. It was an fun visit. Because it was off season several of the outdoor exhibits were closed and being updated which I would expect. We saw a few shows/demos (sea lion, seal and stingray) and enjoyed them very much. You can tell the staff really likes and are in to what they are doing. The exhibits are also worth seeing with pretty good size shark tank reminding me of watching some of those 3-D movies as the sharks swam right at me. The Seal Tank which is located outside of the entrance is open 24/7 to walk by ad see. Because our hotel was located attached to the aquarium we went over late at night to quietly watch them sleep and role around. If in the area this a visit worth making check out some of the photos I attached to see some of the attractions

Great color design and placement of marine creatures and other animals. Was impressed with butterflies exhibit being multiple levels. Great place.

This was a great surprise. Didn't expect to see much. Thought may be a 2 he activity but was easily 3 hours and could've stayed longer. Inside the aquarium you will see tropical fish, schools of fish, sharks, stingrays. There's a separate exhibit for birds, butterflies, and insects. The birds you have the opportunity to see up close. Outside, there is lots to see and do. Catch the seal, ottoman, and penguin shows. Also pass by the reptilians. This was a fun stop for us.

I spent a delightful afternoon recently at the Long Island Aquarium. Lots to see and experience. It includes the opportunity to interact with and feed African Penguins and a shark tank.
The sea lion show was cute, but rather short. In addition to lots of fish and sea creatures, there was a nice butterfly exhibit. It was nice with lots of beautiful butterflies. They also had some monkeys and some birds.
Overall a nice aquarium and a great way to spend an afternoon.

Great place for a rainy day with kids. Exhibits are good but limited. Some great hands on things for kids. Food available.

ATLANTIS EXPLORER Two Hour Tour - Captain Bob gave us mini lessons on geography. So the Peconic "River" is actually an estuary! Emma and Kevin are knowledgeable and respectful of history. They also generously shared facts about coastal birds, mollusks, horseshoe crabs, bunker (young bluefish!) sea stars, sea jellies and so many sacred little creatures. It's refreshing that reference to Native American history was not omitted. THANK YOU!!!

Too many things to do and see in one hour! We came after 4pm to pay half price, it is over $50 for 4 people, still a lot. Could see sharks feeding and regular tanks/fishes/ sea lions in the pool. Would be nice to get snorkeling lessons for kids (we observed kids and adults swimming in the pool, it is a separate price for that), but we would need to pay for a regular admission tickets and for that, too, to have time to snorkel. Birds and butterflies were not seen by us: we had no time for them. It is a nice fact that Aquarium has inside and a big outside part, nice to be able to get some fresh air. After that, make sure you visit Jerry & The Mermaid right next to the Aquarium, food is really good there!

Compared to other aquariums I've visited, this one is average. Several outdoor displays were still not open for the season which is not unusual on Long Island. The indoor exhibits were nice. I really liked the background music and the style of the interior. A nice butterfly room. It did seem to be over-priced for what you get, especially with so many outdoor exhibits not being open.

At first sight, well let's say, not much of a sight ( but a big smell). Surprisingly, up close it is a wonder. With a touch tank of stinger-less stingrays, colourful neon fish, sea lion shows, sharks and more, this aquarium is fascinating. Really, the parking is a problem though as parking is three blocks away which is inconvenient. Overall the experience was incredible.

We had a wonderful time at the aquarium. The grounds are somewhat small but there is a very nice assortment of fish, mammals and animals.

I took my two niece's to see the wonders of aquatic life. They both love it. I would recommend this place for all ages.

We came specifically for the Penguin Encounter. My daughter loves penguins and we have been to about 10 aquariums in the last couple of years. While this had some other animals not just fish and sharks (owls, monkeys) there wasn't really that much to see. Some of the time we felt like the aquarium was one big advertisement. Most of the exhibits are sponsored and there are so many extras you have to pay to experience that the $30 entrance fee seems pretty high. My daughter did get in free since it was a few days away from her bday, but then we paid for the Penguin Encounter which is $50 Per person. That was an experience she will remember for the rest of her life. I did love how there were purell stations all around!!!

I come to this aquarium often. It is compact but has alot. If you got the time take the boat excursion out to do some beach exploring. Awesome. Definitely dont miss petting skates and rays by the gift shop.!!

In addition to the Aquarium, they have their bird and butterfly exhibits. There is an outdoor seal performance in their 'arena' and there is also an outdoor penguin house. The shark tank is incredible and there is a simulator ride with an underwater adventure. Full food court and gift shop too!

Nice aquarium. A little small and pricey but worth a visit. The boat trips are informational and enjoyable. Ray petting/feeding tank a must for kids...and you can dive with sharks!

Attended a wedding at this unique and well maintained facility. A wonderful spot to celebrate a special event.

We have gone to the Long Island Aquarium many times over the years I think help funding a local Aquarium is important. The Pros: Close easy drive & some nice exhibits shark tank and sea lions and Butterfly. The Con's $$$$ Very over priced you will spend a good chunk of cash. Some of the exhibits were closed or under construction closed they do not tell you on the website. The grounds are from the last visit was still in disrepair. Parking lot costs , is a bit far especially when raining. Depending on time of year you go a must "Bring water and snacks " Overall I recommend as I hope this aquarium continues to improve , upgrade and

A wonderful place to visit and the only place in New York to see an octopus! Totally kid friendly and accessible.

This aquarium is quite amazing and I am not really an aquarium aficionado. I love sushi, sashimi, oysters, ....
Take a couple of hours and stroll the museum enjoying the beautiful variety of salt and fresh water sea creatures. Very well thought out design. We were really pleasantly surprised, and I went with Mr Sea Creature Expert of all times. He knew each species practically and was amazed at the design of their habitats and histories dating back to the dinosaur. Yes, plenty of sharks in the mother of all shark tanks here!. You also get to feed and pet the sting rays up close!

My daughter celebrated her sweet 16 here with a large group of friends and family.

The event planners were great - clear, professional, patient with our ever-changing count.

The event itself was great - there's a covered tent where we were served brunch and (a few hours later) cake and dessert.

The food was great - I heard not a single complaint about anything from any of the 40+ guests.

The aquarium is a lot of fun! Don't expect something huge like you'll find in Baltimore or Atlanta, but the many, many kids and their parents had a blast. It has all the basics - sharks, a few animals you can touch, lots of tropical fish, penguins, a butterfly room (I foolishly wore all black, so they had no interest in me). Including the sea lion show - really the only one after the fall season starts - this is not quite an all day event. You can cover the whole place in a few hours.

Do know that the aquarium has, in its small footprint, at least two gift shops, AND a game room, AND a VR ride, AND a snack bar, so your kids will keep asking for more money all day.

We were 5 adults and 2 kids. Ranging from 62 years of age to 2 years old. First thing we did was go in to the Butterflies and Birds center. You see the butterflies flying all over the place and if you're lucky, one may land on your head. They were beautiful. There was also a bird room with colorful birds flying around or just hanging upside down from the ceiling. Then we saw all the different exhibits. The shark exhibit was impressive, especially since there were people in there (protected by a cage). It looked like they were taking videos of the sharks and fish in that tank. The last thing we did was enjoy the sea lion show. It was a treat seeing "Bunker" dance and show us her strength. We laughed. It was fun for all of us.

Did the shark dive this past weekend. It was a gift from my wife. I was nervous about the whole thing but Jimmy my dive master made it very easy. I would advise anyone to try this. Was a great experience I will never forget.

not a big aquarium however there is lots to see and interactive activities for kids. My son had a great time with the sting ray touch tank and the highight was a snokel diving that is only open in the summer. The butterfly and bird exhibit was not as exciting as we didn't see too many butterflies and the bird exhibit was a waste of money as the birds had no interest in eating. The cafe on site had lots of meal options and good quality however a bit pricey. Of note, there is subway right down the road and a ralphs italian ice, which is a good value option. The sea lion show is fun and not too crowded. Had a wonderful time!!!

Last minute plans on a Saturday with my boyfriend and I was pleasantly surprised. It's been years since I visited the aquarium and I had low expectations. The highlight of the day was definitely the sea lion show! Even though it only lasts about 15 minutes, everyone there had a smile on their face. The fish were beautiful, but the butterfly and bird exhibits were definitely my favorite. The butterflies were beautiful and flying all around you, sometimes landing on you. and if you can, you MUST spend the $1 for the bird food and step into the bird cage. They fly right to your arm and shoulder. You can stand there with 4 or 5 birds on your arms. Nothing like it. I would definitely do it again!

would love to go there but it is costly guess that is what makes it so nice and keeps away the riff raff. They do a great job with their ever changing programs. If you are a local you can get a family membership which is cost effective way to go

So much fun and things to do for the entire family. Nice staff and good food! We enjoyed all the exhibits and watched the seal show we loved it all!

The aquarium is a must for a traveler to Long Islands east end.

Its the largest and only one out here
The best part? The shark tank is beautiful and in a cave like area where you can sit and view beautiful shark tank.

Also, the butterfly museum which is attached to the aquarium comes with full admission. You however can just pay for the butterfly museum which comes with parrots, separately by going in the aquarium for less money.

Really enjoy this aquarium, it's not as big as some others but it's really a nice place with excellent exhibits.

We visit the aquarium every time we are on Long Island and it never disappoints. This year to celebrate our anniversary we signed up for the shark dive. It was a great experience. The dive master Jim was awesome. He was knowledgeable, patient and fun. Felt very safe and relaxed going into the dive and the dive itself was awesome. Highly recommend.

Truly a hidden gem in Riverhead. Great for couples or families, so much to see! Honestly was pleasantly surprised by the entire experience! Definitely recommended.

I spent about 3 .5 hours there with my 5 and 8 year old sons. We had a good time. We had been to the coney Island aquarium many times and decided to take the 90 minute drive. The highlight of the visit was the pirate snorkle adventure. My 8 year old son loved in. He stayed in the water the whole 45 minutes petting the sting ray and trying to find the gold pieces that were throw in. He went in his bathing suit and I was glad that they provided a towel and changing area. The boys enjoyed feeding the stingrays and the marsh ,where go in knee deep water and can touch horseshoe crabs and other kinds of sea life. The sea lion show was just OK, uncomfortable concrete bleachers and many yellow jacks flying around. The movie was outdated, nothing like the 3D movies that most places have today. We heard food was pricy so we brought our own food. We did have ice cream , which was very good. I found the staff helpful. The butterfly exhibit was one of the best that I have visited. We took pamphlets for the outlets that contained coupons and stopped there before going home and got some good deals.

I enjoyed a leisurely couple of hours appreciating the marine section, as well as the bonus butterfly & bug area. The staff were extremely knowledgable, friendly and informative.

The aquarium is worth a trip and is entertaining for kids. It is well organized and full of activities. Overall, I would say that there are better aquariums elsewhere and that once is probably enough. It might’ve changed since May 2021, tho which was my most recent visit.

I recently visited with my wife, brother, and sister in law. The penguin and seal presentations we saw provided a fun educational experience. The concrete seating, and configuration, resulted I an infant falling head first down these hard steps. Concrete steps and seating seem kid unfriendly in my opinion.
The shark tank, and various fish display tanks offers lots of different types of fish, reptiles, and mammals. I thought the cost of admission is high, especially if you come with children. It costs more to feed the fish. Which you know your child will likely want to do.
Okay for a one time visit.

Maybe it's because I've been to much larger aquariums, but I was not impressed with this one. Although it was enjoyable and the kids had a lot of fun. They do have quite a bit of exhibits and the place is fairly well kept. They are also doing a lot of work so hopefully that will help. We also missed the butterfly pavilion because it got late.

Beautiful place to.visit with some of.the nicest exhibits I have seen anywhere. Only regret is not coming when the weather was nicer to enjoy the outside attractions which seem to be about 50% of the facility.

Wife and I took my daughter and granddaughter and everyone had a great time and learned alot our areas wildlife.

The LI Aquarium is less than 40 minutes from my home, but I never quite made it out there until recently. What a fun place to be on a beautiful summer day! The young and energetic staff were not only friendly and welcoming,but everyone I came across was very knowledgeable and actually seemed to enjoy their jobs!

Don't miss the enchanting butterfly exhibit or the sea otter show, which was adorable. The grounds are very well kept in spite of the hundreds of campers that seemed to be popping up at every turn on the day I visited, and the underwater shark exhibit was made all the more enjoyable watching the faces of the kids who were in awe.

It took me a while to get out there, but now that I've seen it, I will definitely go again!

Excelentt place to visit for everyone at any age, snack bar, drinks, plenty of parking,Bring your camera, Must see if you come to Long island.

beautiful, very clean facility. Loved the different exhibits. Staff was knowledgable, friendly, and excited to be teaching this information to others. Made for a fun afternoon

I could sit there for hours to watch the fish and corals. So well done! I hear you can also cater an event in front of that tank. I'll keep that in mind for some event in the future. The staff is caring and really loves the exhibits and animals in the exhibits. So much more there to see than you would expect to see. The butterfly/ insectarium is also very well done and definitely worth a visit.

A very nice place to enjoy with children, feed the Rays, walk through the butterfly house, hand feed birds from South America. It's a nice day!

Having being at many larger Aguariums, this was rather small in comparison. However, my grandchildren found it quite enjoyable & informative, as did I. The Sea Lion show was cute, but don't expect anything like a Dolphin & Whale show like you might see a SeaWorld or the like. The most appealing thing was its location if you live on Long Island.

Not huge but one of the nicer aquariums I've been to. We got there around opening on a Saturday and it wasn't too busy. The outside sea lion show was very entertaining. They definitely put a lot of care and thought to the setup of the place. There is a big room with butterflies flying freely that you can walk around in that is really neat. A must do. If you don't mind the price then definitely stop in for 2-3 hours.

You might have to walk a block or two for parking.

We're avid zoo and aquarium goers and I really love this aquarium because there is so much to see and do. But they really nickel and dime you on parking which is $12 and the treetop playground is $12 per person. Admission is already pretty high, so to pay the extra on little things is a little annoying. I can see doing the treetop for about $5-8 per person. But to have our whole family do the tree top adventure is almost like paying for admission again. Make sure to bring singles and quarters, you can feed the coy fish from feed from their quarter machine, feed sting rays for $4 and turtles for $3. If your feeding the coy, do it in the morning, they only feed them until the machine is empty, so later in the day there is none left. We did the penguin selfie, it lasts for all of 2 minutes, if you blink you miss it. I was a little disappointed that I asked the worker if I could have a picture of my son and then one of the 4 of us, and she said since I only paid for one package, I only get one option. Keep in mind she took 20 pictures of my son in the same pose. The sea lion show is cute and worth seeing. I wish they had more interactive areas for kids that did not cost extra, like a playground, arts and crafts, or kids area with music or fun things to play with. The butterfly area is worth a walk through, very well taken care of.

We stayed at the Hyatt east end next door. We were able to get the cheapest mid week/off season prices for the Aquarium and walked right in with no lines. Alot of interactive venues for the kids. It's not a large aquarium but there was plenty to see. The staff were great and really showed a genuine interest in their jobs. One employee was walking around with an Alligator for kids to pet and he also worked the Butterfly exhibit and was very knowledgeable. Kids can buy food and feed the Stingrays, turtles and sharks. alot of fun!!.

This was our third visit to the aquarium, and it's even better than the previous visits (which were very good).

In addition to the penguin talk, sea lion show, and sand shark talk, our new favorite exhibit was the Butterfly and Bird exhibit, which also exhibits many "unusual" insects. The butterfly part was quite warm because the butterflies require a warm temperature, but we still enjoyed being amongst these beautiful creatures. The colors and sizes of these creatures is AMAZING, but you're not allowed to touch them (understandable). After viewing the butterflies and unusual beetles/bugs behind glass, we paid $1 to feed the birds in the aviary. This is a wonderful treat for all ages because the birds light on your hands and shoulders while feeding. They didn't allow us to touch them (they flew away anytime we tried to pat them), but it's just terrific seeing them close-up while they feed.

Kudos to the Long Island Aquarium for continuing to expand their wonderful facility!

My husband and I took our kids to the Long Island Aquarium and it ran us about $90.00 for 1 child and 2 adults, our other child was free. There is not much to see at the aquarium and you can pretty much get through it all in about an hour and a half (and that is really taking your time). Considering the amount that they charge for entry the place is not well maintained and pretty run down. The bathrooms are not taken care of and the place in general just lacks all around. It was pleasant enough to do but I do not believe we will be taking our children there again. I personally do not think it was worth the cost of admission.

Let's start with the stunning, large live corals and tropicals tank - for sure one of the very best anywhere in the world. But that's not all. They have so many wonderful displays and also penguins, pinnipeds and even otters and primates. It's quite a fun place to visit and spend the day.

My boys, 2.5 and 6.5, had a great time on a rainy day here. The sea lion show was great - perfect length for the kids, and very educational without being too hokey. The animals all seemed very well cared for. Tons to do and wish we could visit in the summer to enjoy the outdoor activities. The kids really liked the Atlantis area.

Flowed nicely from one attraction to the other. We were there on a very hot day.
Wished the seal lion show had some overhead coverage but what a great show. The kids loved it.
We expected a little more from the Penguin display and the Gigantic Octopus LOL.. All in all the kid loved it, so mission accomplished.

I highly recommend everyone to visit the aquarium but most certainly book a shark dive as we did , let’s start with the fact that since I was small I was scared and terrified of sharks , I don’t swim deep in the beach and even when I’m in a pool I often get scare with the thought of there been a shark it’s funny but it’s the reality I’ve lived for many years , and with that been said since I’m scared of sharks so much I never missed a year on shark week because I’m also fascinated by them , so my partner found out about the shark dive at the aquarium and though this could be an amazing experience for me as it was the best experience I’ve had in years , let’s start with everyone that works there been very polite and very professional but I have to most definitely mention my shark instructor Jim , and my tour guy Joe , when we arrived Joe gave us some gifts that were amazing shark tooth’s can you believe I was amazed already and he took us around and explain to us the species of the fishes that are in the aquarium and answered all our questions what I loved about Joe it’s that he knows so much about everything that’s in the aquarium and about the fishes and information about how some of the sharks have gotten there and how much they do to protect them which was very good to learn and to understand that they are not there for us to see but because they are been helped , now Jim he was amazing in all the ways I can possibly mention , he was in charge of the dive he made sure we knew everything we needed to kno and he got us and in specially me ready to what was going to happen inside the tank and he educated us on the best behavior possible to have a great time , what I love about Jim it’s that he cares a lot about the sharks and making sure everything it’s safe first , he made me feel very calm and I never though I was going to be so calm with taking that step into ok let’s do this but Jim was there to make sure we was comfortable and to understand that there was nothing to fear but to enjoy this beautiful experience, he gave us the details of everything and then took us to get ready with the wet suits which was super enjoyable because I don’t kno my size on anything but Jim got me the perfect size , when we were done he got us hooked and when we were inside the cage still outside the water I got nervous not because of the sharks because Jim made sure to take any fear of my head but because of the mask hehehe but once again Jim helped me through it and I got to so it , once inside I got to see the sharks so close soooo right in front of my face oh my god it was fantastic how much you think you kno something you don’t they are beautiful creatures they are passive they were very curious and they were passing by us checking us out like for realllllllll hiiii Bertha ( one of the sharks names ) she was very interested in seen who was there hehehe, my though was that they were going to be swimming around but they really got close to us enough for us to see their skin the teeth wow the experience was beyond amazing , of course we captured everything with the go pro camera that we rented very affordable and you can see the whole dive as when we were in the cage , now will all this been said I recommend it 1000000 percent , Jim will be there making sure your dive experience it’s unique and I hope you all get Joe as the tour guy when you guys arrive because he’s just amazing I will forever remember this experience and I thank the aquarium to be able
To offer this to us my whole though if sharks have change thanks to jim and the amazing sharks , it took me a whole week to write this review because I wanted to make sure I don’t miss anything , I went to the dive last Friday and I will never forget

I hope this review can help anyone that will want to do it , I’ll say don’t think twice and book it now you will not regret

Thank you Jim blessings

It's just okay. A. It pricey $60 for two adults and we were done in an hour. Shark tank is cool. Penguins are fun but expected more out of this aquarium. One and done will not be back.

Took the kid here during the off season and really enjoyed it since there weren't huge crowds. We got an upfront view of all of the exhibits and didn't have to battle for space at the glass. They still hold the sea lion show daily outside, but since it is only 10-15 minutes long then it wasn't bad at all to get bundled up quickly. A few of the outdoor exhibits were closed for the season, but we got to see about 85-90% of what anyone would during the summer and without the heat.

The tanks were well maintained, the whole place was clean, and the staff was friendly. The stingray petting was a great feature, and the butterfly exhibit was good also. We spent 3 hours total here.

They do have free parking a couple of blocks to the North (follow the signs), and a free shuttle bus to take you to the front door. Strollers are allowed (unlike the NYC aquarium) except for in a couple of very specific spots (the owls, and butterfly exhibit).

The pricing was a little more than I expected, and more than one page of the website said for off season pricing. But, the it was a better visit for the money than the aquarium closer to the city. There are other things you can do for extra money (pan for crystals, pics with animals, etc) but we didn't try any of those, nor the small restaurant or ice cream shop on premises.

It's small but well laid out. There's two touch pool, one with lots of small stingrays. You can buy small baits to feed them for three dollars. The staffs are very friendly. There's a small sea lion show and a shark tank with some pretty big specimens. They have a beautiful butterfly and bird exhibit and the outdoor area set against the Peconic River is lovely.

A good family experience. Its very expensive but if you can prove your bday is within the week, your admission is free.

This aquarium is nice for young kids but be warned, you will be paying more than planned. The butterfly exhibit is extra, the charge you to park ($12) but only when they’re busy but they don’t let you know when that will be — the playground outside is $12 extra, but, once again, only once and awhile. I noticed tons of items in gift shops had differing prices. The same item ranged from $14 to $22.

We had a great time with the kids and family. I sure wish I knew in advance that they had snorkeling there. It looks like a blast.

Our tour guide was, Juliana! She was informative, patient and so incredible sweet! We had a full hour in the aquarium, just me and my family. We got hands on experience with some critters, saw all the exhibits alone in a safe manner and felt comfortable and safe! We will definitely be doing this again! Thank you Juliana!!!

ALOT TO SEE, GREAT ATTRACTIONS , you are even able to interact with the animals .... and if you still have energy you are close to the outlets for shopping

Fun and safe for children rain or shine. My grandchildren love to visit ange go to the aquarium. They're always learning something new. The one issue we have are the signs. The info needs to be updated. Thanks to the people that are there we're able to identify the correct see life in the tanks.

This is definitely a destination! Each member of a multi-generational family will find something interesting, educational, and entertaining here. Apart from a wonderful collection of all kinds of sea creatures, including huge sharks, penguins, otters, and sea lions, they also have a group of tiny marmoset monkeys, a large walk-in parrot enclosure, and a walk-in butterfly enclosure. This last exhibit also shows hundreds of insects, preserved under glass. The cafeteria is basic, and not up to the high standard of the aquarium. Best to go outside for a meal.

My niece choose the LI Aquarium for her wedding venue. It was different and if you appreciate fish you would enjoy it
I felt the acoustics were poor. The dance floor was separated from the main room
The food was average. The service nothing exceptional. Average but nothing special

If you are a true penguin fanatic this is for you! 45 minutes long--you get to go into the penguin habitat, then go into another room where you pet a penguin and get to take your picture sitting next to a penguin. Learn great facts about African Penguins. It's a must do for anyone penguin obsessed! The only thing that would have made this extra special was if I could have held the penguin

Very knowledgeable staff. Beautiful coral and fish. A good place to visit and bring the kids. Really enjoy the sea lions and the river otters.

Not one of the bigger aquariums but they really pack alot into a small place. The grandkids loved it!

I’ve been here many times and each time with the grandkids. I enjoyed all the different colored and type fish. Sharks were fascinating. They have a shark cage if you are daring. The kids enjoyed the butterflies. They had fun chasing them. Of course they couldn’t be caught. The birds were fun also. When the weather is warm they have outdoor activities with the seals. Lots to see and do. Well worth the visit.

Kevin was our informative, friendly tour guide in the beginning. You could tell he has a love for marine biology. Jim is the coolest dive instructor. He was funny and made me feel safe. He has a true love for what he does. He has an extensive and impressive background scuba diving. I want to take my daughter back with me.

My sons favorite part of the aquarium was the butterfly house. We kept coming back to see it. There were lots of different species of butterflies. You can also feed birds, turtles, sting rays and fish. The turtle and fish feeding are better for younger kids. The bird feeding can be a bit scary especially early in the day. They land all over you. In the cold months some of the outdoor exhibits are closed. We spent several hours here. The sea lion show is nice also. This was a unique aquarium and we had a great time visiting. Make sure you get a kiss from the sea lion one of the highlights for me!!

We brought our 8-month old and family here for the day and we had a lot of fun. Thankfully it was an unseasonably warm day in March so we were able to enjoy the outdoor sea lion show which was entertaining and informative. When we first arrived closer to noon there were a lot of school-age kids on field trips there but it never felt too crowded. By 1-2pm they had all left. That seems to be a good time to go to avoid the school crowds. Lunch in their cafe was great. Staff was very friendly. The whole aquarium was large enough to feel worth the admission but small enough that you could really take your time moving through it and see the whole thing in an afternoon. Overall it really was a great day with family.

Excellent aquarium! Fun for all ages, from kids to grandparents. Compact and fun, with a great assortment.

This proved to a very enjoyable family experience , particularly exciting for my 5 year old granddaughter. The range of exhibits is quite superb and the staff on hand were very friendly and helpful. The free flying butterflies were a popular attraction. Elsewhere the opportunities to see sharks, blue tang, turtles, sting rays, sea lions, otters and many other species were very exciting. Feeding time for the small penguins from South Africa was an informative, absorbing event. All in all a very pleasant visit.

Went on a Wednesday. Paid $60 for family (1 toddler). A lot of exhibits were either not operating or closed. What? I pay premium to avoid large crowds ? Shuttle from parking lot to aquarium is non existent.
I wouldn't complain for half the price. Rip-off.

You couldn't pick a better family outing with a grandchild than this aquarium. Butterflies flew overhead, sharks glided past, playful otters looped around their swimming hole. We were a family of 7 with a 1 year old up to grandparents and we all loved it. The seal show was an added bonus and ending with the up close and personal butterfly encounter was magic.

The boat tour was fantastic for a midweek afternoon including a small group of adults and children. Captain Pete and talented tour guide Matthew provided a delightful, fun and educational experience. The route is beautiful and you will learn a huge amount about the estuary.

This was one of the most incredible aquariums I have ever been to. It had everything from feeding stingrays to petting penguins. The sea lion show was great and so was the picture we took afterwards. It had a rock climbing wall , arcade, swim tanks. Would definetly go back

another long island gem- the aquarium is a fun day for kids with lots of great things to see! stop in on your way to and from the Hamptons!

For the last 3 yrs we have been doing the Aquarium with the Buffet after.....We have totally enjoyed it! The Aquarium is awesome and the buffet is perfect....

If you need to kill 2 hrs and want to get out of the wind not a bad deal. Like most things on the island they do just enough to get you in the door. At best it's a great school trip for elementary school kids. If you want to know about the fish on display bring a flashlight. The info signs are not illuminated. The coy pond at the mall looks cleaner and better stocked. The parking is north of the tracks but it is free. Like most attractions on Long Island this one is just adiquite. Being from the island it meets our low expections.

This is an excellent place to take your kids for the day. Enjoy nice family time or just by yourself. I love it here.

Our family has visited the aquarium every few years since our oldest was a baby. A perennial favorite. However, I’m really disappointed in the changes that have happened the last few years. The outdoor section is now about half activities that cost extra on top of the ticket price, each a separate a la carte price. With three kids it adds up quickly. I have autistic and adhd kids. It’s really hard on them and me to keep saying “not today” to more and more paid activities and events. We left sad that the aquarium is not the same as our last visit and feels like a money-making scheme.

A very surprising gem. This aqurium also houses other animals like monkeys and more. A beautiful butterfly garden gisft shop and more!

I went with my 4 year old nephew in Feb to the aquarium because it was beautiful sunny & warm day out. The first issue I have with the aquarium is the parking facility. The parking lot really, really, really needs to be paved. It had major potholes and was difficult to walk on with a stroller as my nephew wanted to use it because the walk to the entrance was far for a little kid. In addition, I understand it was a nice day, but it literally took me "30 mins before I paid for admission". The line to get into the aquarium was super long, but once I got in this woman asked if I was seeing the butterflies. I guess I should have done my research because I didn't realize there was an extra fee for that exhibit. Anyhow, I was told to go to that line as it was short & only 2 people were in front of me to pay. I get to the line it & these 2 people were applying for membership admission. This is an issue for me because the aquarium should have a line only for applying for membership as it takes sometime. As result, of this situation another cashier came & stated she could only take cash & I only had a credit card on me. The next thing I know literally 40 guest come after me & paid admission & entered the aquarium before me. I checked my watch during this whole time, and like I said it took "30 mins" to pay for admission. If my nephew wasn't with me I would have walked out of the aquarium. This experience alone will make me think twice about returning to the aquarium. Also, on top of it the aquarium wasn't cheap. I didn't end up doing much with my nephew as he has a short attention span at that age. However, I did manage to see the sea lion show which was cute & ran 15 mins long, the penguin show, & the otter feeding. I saw some of the other exhibits outside, but never managed to see the animals indoor except the butterflies. The aquarium is nice to take little kids to enjoy the animals. However, something really needs to be done about the admission & parking lot, like ASAP!

We come here fairly often cause my son just LOVES fish. It's quite expensive (especially for it's size) but we usually don't mind the splurge, since it's so enjoyable. Today, we opted to take a "selfie" with a sea lion (an additional $17 on top of the $30 per person general admission cost). The photo came out totally cloudy and speckled and just extremely poor quality. When my husband brought this to the attention of the staff, and then a manager, he was told that it's a new printer and that the photo looked crystal clear (which couldn't be further from the truth). When my husband started pointing out all of the issues and imperfections with the print, he was then told that it was more about the EXPERIENCE of taking a photo with a sea lion. I'm not sure what "experience" they're talking about. We were propped literally 2 feet away from the sea lion, absolutely no interaction, and the photo took all of 5 seconds. That's not an experience...that's a photo op...which is fine, but when the photo quality is so poor that the "souvenir" you just paid $17 for is useless, I would've expected management to acknowledge that and offer to try reprinting it for us, or issue us a refund. Just very disappointing. Will check out the Brooklyn aquarium next time!

Start off by saying the aquarium is very nice. A lot to see and do. My 2 year old daughter enjoyed looking and interacting with what they head. Large variety of sea life. The shows they had were great lasting about 15 minutes. Price was it could be a little cheaper but not horrible. Only problem was parking. You have to park about 3 blocks away in a dirt lot were they charge $10 to park. You can park in the village for free in Sundays only. Other then that it was really good. Looking to go again.

Prefer the Coney Island aquarium but this is a decent option on the east end when you are tired of the beach. It is quite pricey and then they try to throw on add ons to feed fish or swim with sharks. Understood that they are premiums but it seems that there is an activity with an additional cost at each turn. This will kill 2 hours and that is it. Staff are friendly though.

It’s a cute small aquarium, for two adults it was $103 plus parking is $12 a few for an hour to get through the whole place was kind of a lot of money. Not worth it for a winter day excursion. Wait till spring/summer went your not getting bombarded by strollers and little kids and the outside areas are open.

We went with our son and his grandparents. He was excited upon arrival, bouncing up and down. As we meandered to see different animals, he was even more enthused. He had the chance to touch rays, feed other rays, and see penguins and other beasts.

The live lizard that he was able to touch was a highlight.

Also, the wading area where you can explore and see shore life was quite cool.

Definitely recommended, despite the price tag being a bit steep.

Nice aquarium. Very crowded on weekends so get there early. Ditto if it is raining during the summer months. But go and if you want to have an interesting tour please pay a little extra for the tour that gets you behind the scenes.

Especially like the coral reef exhibit. Kids will like as well.

For the price that you pay, I personally do not feel that this aquarium is worth it. It is rather small and very crowded. Additionally, while most of the staff members were polite, there was one particular individual who was unnecessarily rude to my younger brother who has special needs. If this were a free aquarium then maybe I would consider going again, but probably not.

My husband purchased a shark dive experience for me as a birthday present. We had the chance to have a tour of the aquarium and then the small group of us doing the dive (in groups of 2) met with Jimmy to go over safety protocols and he instantly calmed me down because I was a little freaked out once I saw the size of the sharks. I was in the first group of 2 to go down in the tank with Jimmy. He grabbed my hand and helped me into the cage so we could take a photo and then once my dive partner was in the cage with me, he placed our masks on, made sure they worked above the water and below the water as well. We slowly went down and once we were in the water, it was the most amazing experience. There were about 8-9 large sharks and other fish as well. The sharks came close to the cage and each time one was behind us and Jimmy did not want us to miss something, he would lightly tap us on the shoulder and turn us in the direction of the shark passing by. The underwater experience was about 20-25 minutes total and it was like no other. Thank you Jimmy for such a wonderful birthday present and for helping to calm my nerves!!

While visiting our daughter , we stopped and visited here on Sunday. They close at 5 pm and if you wait until 4, you can get in at half price ($16). For four adults, an hour was all we needed to go through the aquarium. There are areas you can touch and although it’s a relatively small aquarium, the shark area is impressive. Lots of sharks swimming close to the glass...what you want see.

We took our 5 and 2 year old grandchildren to the aquarium on a weekday morning. We planned our visit for a quieter day and were aware that school visits can make the aquarium crowded and overwhelming. We appreciated that the website informed us that several exhibits (i.e. penguins) were closed due to precautionary steps to prevent illness.

The few interactions with knowledgeable employees were terrific. They were pleasant, informative, and enthusiastic. Without them our visit would have been humdrum.

The exhibits were ok, it was difficult to read descriptions, and there was way too much emphasis on purchasing items or extra experiences. Parking is not great. Best to follow the website's suggestion to drop-off and then park.

The power went out for about 25 minutes and the emergency power "kicked" in. No directions were given to patrons. Plus, not all exit signs were lit and it was very dark. This was concerning for multiple reasons. Thank goodness nothing dire occurred.

Overall an expensive, bland experience for the adults. The children enjoyed it.

Great day of fun at this place the highlight was the tour boat don't miss it it's worth the extra money you get to go down the river to a little island the tour guide was exceptional very knowledgeable,

Overall was ok experience. Price to enter was close to 30 backs for an adult but most of the exibits outside was closed. Also no parking near Aquarium you need to walk a few blocks to park a car but at least it was free.

Something to do on rainy day if nothing else is available

We visited this aquarium 9 years ago and decided to do a return visit. Obviously our kids are a lot older now and even though the exhibits were interesting I didn’t think it was worth the $$ as we were done inside within 11/2 hours. I think it’s great for young kids, but if you are taking older ones book the other activities - swimming with Sharks in cage/snorkeling etc but don’t forget you wallet!

We went here on Labor Day and got there first thing in the morning. Saw the sea lion show, went to the butter flies which is very good and saw the parrots they were good to but I couldn't go in there and feed them. My granddaughter loved it. Haven't been here in many years and it has really became nice. Would recommend this place. We were done around 1pm and it was very busy at that time.

I got to spend the day in Riverhead and spent most of it in the aquarium. The exhibits and shows were wonderful and I especially loved the butterfly exhibit, that was an added bonus! It's a very well laid out, pretty (and educational) place to spend the day. I also noticed the area where they have weddings and thought that that was beautiful as well. If you are out east, check it out!

This place is a lot of fun. Clean. Do the penguin adventure where you get to go into the penguin exhibit and then into the room with several different penguins where they give you information about the Penguins as well as let you pet them and take a picture with them (we took ours with Pam!)

I'm not sure why there were so many negative reviews here, but I absolutely loved it. Now, I will say, I have done penguin encounters before and they all had a little more interaction with the penguins than this one, and a bit cheaper (even those done at other nationally recognized aquariums), but still great to see the little birds up close.

I'm not sure how people felt the admission to be overpriced. The add-on's (i.e animal encounters are optional) but the general admission price was fine. I enjoyed the visit. Free parking a few blocks away.

I spent the entire afternoon here and absolutely loved the sting-ray tank as well as the huge shark pool. Amazing to view and see up close. Just awesome. TONS of things to do and keep little ones busy, or adults entertained. Very good job.

The bird house and the butterfly exhibits are amazing as well and included in the price of admission.

I would definitely return, and maybe have a better "encounter" experience with the penguins.

This was a visit out of the City, picturesque drive with family and 2 children. It was my 1st visit to an aquarium in New York, quite interesting but more geared to a children's day out. Nevertheless, the outing was great, bit of a difference from the norm especially a close up look at sharks.

The Long Island Aquarium is a great place for families to visit! It's definitely on the smaller side, so you only need to plan being here for a couple of hours. Bring some small cash so you can be ready feed different animals for $1-3!

The aquarium is really very well maintained and has plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained for the whole day. Although we live in Brooklyn we feel that the drive out to Riverhead is well worth it. In addition there is the beautiful butterfly and bird exhibits. The design of the aquarium is very well done. Of course the coral reef aquarium is sure to captivate you as well. Certainly worth visiting.

My husband and I did the Shark Dive today and it was absolutely amazing!!! it was so incredible to see these creatures up close in such a safe environment and we learned so much from our dive instructors Jim & Jean not only about the dive itself but all these sharks and the array of fish with them. We recommend this experience 100%!!!!

Yesterday we experienced a unique time with Master Diver Jim at the Shark Dive. An amazing informative tour led by Mike. It was an experience of a life time for my daughter and myself. Thank you for such a great time and day out at the aquarium

Took the girls here and liked it. The positives are the main tanks, the feeding shows, the fact that they rescue animals.

The highlight is the butterfly exhibit. Astonishing and worth a visit on its own.

3 stars? Sadly the poor monkey kept in a small enclosure are desperately unhappy and shame the institution.

I live just north of Boston and have been to the New England Aquarium many times and I think the Long Island Aquarium is just as enjoyable! Lots of different things going on!

And if you're vacationing on Long Island, I also recommend Suffolk County Skeet, Trap & Sporting Clays and, if you have the dough, Sailacat catamaran charter.

We love going to this aquarium. Indoor and outdoor activities. Love the butterfly room the most. Great for a few hours of fun!

Great atmosphere and friendly staff make this the perfect place to entertain business associates or take the kids.

it's a magical place. views of many aquariums with fish and sharks are always changing. butterfly and bug exhibits a must see. HOWEVER stay away from the cafe-very overpriced. 2 fountain sodas and prob an 8oz bag of cheddar popcorn was $19.50. no prices on snack bags. I don't even know if price charged was more than it should have been. ask prices first. shocking

I traveled 2 hrs to get there and it was nothing special. Some really nice tanks. The sea lion show was nothing special and the exhibit was small. I did the penquin encounter which was nice and our guide was real nice and informative. However the staff elsewhere were not friendly at all. I also did the selfie with the sea lion I paid an extra $20 for in addition to $27 for admission $50 to see the penquins and we weren't allowed to use our own cameras for the selfie with the sea lion the picture we were given was bad quality with blue lines running through it. During our sea lions selfie I felt uncomfortable as if I was bothering the staff for this encounter I paid for. Overall not impressed and staff attitude was poor with a few exceptions. Not worth all that money

It can't be safe and probably isn't legal but of the glass swinging exit doors, one side was locked. If there were an emergency, this would be catastrophic.

Pleasant place, well-lit, varied tropical and other fish, and of course, sharks. Check out the website at Long Island Aquarium - they do a better job than I ever could...

Took the grandchildren to the aquarium and was a little disappointed. Some of the exhibits are a little tired and need to be upgraded. There's also lots of bunching up at the most popular exhibits, especially the shark tank, with many strollers blocking passage. This can easily be controlled with staff. The entry and food costs are also slightly higher than expected.
It's still an entertaining place for children and the seal show is good.
There are several inter-active exhibits that are great.
Exiting the aquarium through the gift shop is very tacky, especially with young children.

I have always enjoyed aquariums and this trip has really set the bar high. My boyfriend and I were excited to do the shark dive and penguin encounter that we booked. Jean met us for the shark dive and gave us a brief, but all encompassing tour of the inner aquarium. She was funny, knowledgeable, and very fun, showing us how to properly feed the rays, as well as telling us all about the history of the aquarium and it's exhibits. Then we met Jim our dive instructor who was absolutely amazing. He made both of us feel very comfortable and relaxed our nerves. The dive itself was breathtaking. You feel so much closer to these gorgeous creatures and get that added bonus of being up close and personal, yet still safe. While Jim pointed out great shots for me to grab with my go pro, Jean gave us more facts about the exhibit and it's inhabitants. They really both made the experience that much more amazing

We did the penguin encounter later in the day and that was also just awesome. We got to hang out in the penguin exhibit with them and watch them be super cute and learn all about them. After, we got to sit down and pet and meet Kevin. We learned a little more about him and got to take some photos. Also just an incredible experience.

I found the staff at this aquarium to be beyond knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. It was an absolute pleasure and we will be back soon. Highly highly recommend

This is probably my last trip to the aquarium. There is really no appeal to get me back for a return visit. Nothing has really changed here during all of my visits over the last 10 years.

i recommend visiting the National Aquarium in Baltimore or Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.

A really enjoyable day out. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The sharks were pretty impressive and the coral reef exhibition was well done. Good fun for young children. The only disappointment is the truly awful food on offer. Knowing that they market themselves to families they should be ashamed of the themselves the the heart attack inducing garbage on offer.

Place is not clean.
Several attractions closed
Prices are sky high, for what is offered.
Needs a full overhaul

Great place but very expensive for a big family. The best part was the manager, Charles, who runs the butterfly room. It was a wonderful experience.

I loved this place for its beauty, for its availability and attention to people. easy to reach, it allows you to recharge your energy. if you are in the area you cannot absolutely miss this corner of paradise

The Long Island Aquarium is a wonderful place to go and explore. My fiancé to my surprise asked to come here on his birthday - we came late afternoon and discovered the place nearly empty and discounted tickets. Where ever we turned there was another surprise. The sting rays in the reception area are so soft and friendly, reaching out to your hand. The penguins were a bit hit. We felt terribly sorry for the monkeys sitting out in the cold, they seemed incredibly sad. We would love to return again in the warmer weather. The staff was friendly, this is a place to go more than once to see everything.

I brought 4 grandchildren here over the summer. They enjoyed it! The place was clean and the employees friendly. I did feel it was a little pricey.

A nice activity for families, kids and adults will both enjoy. As are most attractions of this kind, the day of fun will cost you. Perhaps there are better parking options, but not being familiar with the area, we followed signs and parked in the aquarium parking lots. These are fenced dirt lots and cost $8 for all day parking. The aquarium is about 3 blocks away, a relatively short walk, but those with strollers or young kids should be prepared. Even with some coupons, admission for a family of four will be around $100. That is for basic admission to the aquarium and does include the birds and butterflies exhibits. There are many other activities available, all at extra cost. Also feeding various animals, also at extra cost. Those who live local and would be inclined to visit numerous times might consider a membership, as that might be the better price option. It is a rather small aquarium, but the exhibits are very nice and all in all, a good amount of animals to be seen. A few you wouldn't expect including monkeys and the butterflies and birds exhibit. There is a nice Long Island exhibit near the entrance. There is a café there, also typical rather high concession prices. We did eat something there and quality was good. To see all exhibits along with a few animal feedings and shows, a visit would take 4 or 5 hours. So, you could avoid eating a meal there. It is also possible to leave to eat elsewhere and return entry with a hand stamp. The sea lion show is short, but very enjoyable. It is outside, hard seating and in full sun, so be warned on hot days. Quite a few of the attractions are outside, so weather could be a factor. We visited on a summer weekday and it was crowded, but we had no issues seeing everything, attending shows, feedings and talks, bathrooms, etc. If you have the option of visiting during a weekday when school is in session, I'd expect it would be quite empty. Overall, a nice place to visit, although not a great value.

It's old and grungy both inside and out. Needs a refurbishing and refresh. Don't even think of having an affair there. The only thing it would be good for is a kiddie party.

Closed look with Otters or penguins or sea lions. Friendly sting ray petting, colorful and beautiful species were delightful to watch. Butterflies abound and fly all over you, walk in imaginative dreaming world. Penguins were playful.

My daughter goes from aquarium to aquarium and then races for the butterfly/bird exhibit. The rescued conures and songbirds land on us and my two year old laughs at their antics. It could stand to be a bit bigger. Butterfly exhibit is nice, penguins and otter exhibits nice also.

I was there recently with my grandchildren and they were thrilled. The exhibits were great and they never got restless or bored. They were full of questions and were asking about everything. They were so interested that they were reading everything they saw. Parking wasn't good as are most places to go in Riverhead.

I did the Shark Dive for my birthday. It was ABSOLUTELY THE BEST. Jim was a wonderful instructor and made the experience safe and memorable. There was a good 45 seconds when I got in the water that I got spooked (humans are not aquatic) but Jim calmed me down and we were submerged. It is such an experience, it is hard to put into words. You are safely in a cage but there are sharks all around you. You will never, ever regret doing this.

We were not planning to go, but at the end we went and we were very surprised that it was a big aquarium, with many attractions for children, well equipped for babies and toddlers (nice step for washing hands😉) and young kind and motivated service. I loved the rays attraction.

I come here on the off hours with the kids and we always have a good time. Its gets less enjoyable when the place is packed on the weekends. Looking at nature never gets boring.

We wanted to that the grandkids to a fun afternoon. The aquarium feels very old. Some of the fish in the exhibits were in tanks that were too small. I was very disappointed at the quality of the exhibits. I have been to aquariums all over the world and I would not return

Our family with a 2 and almost 4 year old really enjoyed our trip to the Aquarium. We arrived around 11am on a Saturday. Was busy, but not crowded. Parking is a few blocks away, but there is a free shuttle if needed. Seems like it goes back and forth very frequently.

I was surprised there was more than fish, sharks, etc. A nice butterfly room similar to the museum of natural history in manhattan (smaller scale). Birds and monkeys too. We saw the sea lion show. Was about 15 min — the perfect amount of time for young kids.

There is a cafeteria inside, with outdoor seating too.

There’s enough to see in the cooler months to make the trip worth it. Though it appears like there is a lot more going on outside when it’s warm. Trade off is that I’m sure it’s more crowded too.

I took my daughter and nephew here over the summer and they really enjoyed it. We went on a weekday so it wasn't overly crowded. I loved the butterfly and bird exhibit. Unfortunately, my daughter and nephew, who are both toddlers, were scared of the close proximity to the butterflies. I'm sure they will love it when they are a little older.

Our family (both young children and teens) enjoyed our visit to the aquarium. There was plenty to see and observe for all of us. The environment captivated our attention upon entering and we were able to get look at nearly all of the exhibits.

One highlight is the area showing the Riverhead Foundation's Rescue and Release program. (We were lucky enough to see a seal release earlier in the day, at another nearby location.)

Note that there is an area listed as "Aquarium Parking" a few blocks away, but it does cost $10 and so you could probably choose anywhere to park that was convenient for you.

A good rainy day event. Compared to other aquariums we have been to, this was average. Took family and couple of friends for a few hours.

My wife and I stopped into this awauraium when we had a few hours before a afternoon flight home. There are not a ton of attractions on Long Island, but this is a decent one. The design is rather unique, using an Atlantis theme through the facility. There are both inside and outside parts to the aquarium with tanks on the inside and exhibits for sea lions, seals, penguins, monkeys, and other small mammals and reptiles on the outside part.I felt the indised parts were done well, but not that many tanks for an aquarium. My only complaint would be odd placement of some exhibits, such as the Amazon tank next to gulf sea horses and sharks.

Outside the exhibits are done well and there is a small amphitheater for the sea lion show. The show lasts 10-15 minutes and they have one of the sea lions exhibit it's natural skills in jumping, etc. If you are around when the show goes it is worth watching. The African penguins are always fun to see, and their habitat is well made.

Overall this was a great way to spend a couple hours, I think children would really enjoy it. If i found myself in the area again I would stop back by.

I have been coming to the Aquarium eith my kids for years and now they're 8 and 12. So I'd say for 10 years. I have to say that our last visit was a bit of a disappointment. In those 10 years NOTHING has changed. I gues a few years ago there was an addition of butterfly and bird sanctuary which was a huge deal and a great move but now it gets old. The rest is the same, no other attractions, no interactive games or arts/crafts that would make you stay longer. The outdoor exhibit in off season is a dud, just penguins really. No sealion show, nothing else. Although I do realize how much it takes to keep this all going, it also takes a lot to keep one interested. We won't be back for another couple of years, I guess...

Been to a number of Aquariums and this one falls midway.

There is nothing outstanding but it is a destination. Admission is high considering it does not include many of the perks that adults and children would be drawn to.

A few attractions were not operating.

One has to exit thru a very tired souvenir store that is overpriced, along with stuffed animals etc. that have seen better days.

We did enjoy our two plus hour stay as did our five year old.

The aquarium has come along way in just several years. They now have monkeys, birds and shows.

Their exhibits are high-quality with sharks, beautiful coral, eels etc. They also have a separate butterfly garden where you can feed the butterflies and enjoy them up close. The shows are held outside and they engage the children

If you enjoy birds you can also go into the bird exhibit and feed the birds. Be careful they may nip or poop.

We had a great time. Kids enjoyed. During summer time we try to visit aquarium at least 2 times. And also we love your on boat, great experience

Interesting place for 2 hours max., needs much better signage.
Not easy to navigate around children whose parents barely watched them.
Ideal for kids in school groups.

What a great experience we had doing the shark dive. The instructor, Jim, was great and so were the guides. Easy and safe. Had a blast. Thank you guys.

I booked the swimming with the mermaid for my grand-daughter and was very disappointed in it. I found it to be very unorganized. The Mermaid did not wait for all the children to get in the pool and was off to the deep end taking pictures with 4 children. She came back once, and left again. Because their were no other employee's in the water with the children, my grand-daughter saw the shark and was out of the water. I would of though the Mermaid would of waited for all the children and then would of swam with them. Also the bathrooms by the cafeteria, they were a mess, they smelled, paper towels all over, we walked in and walked out.

We had free passes to go. It was very nice for small children. Very interactive. Thoroughly enjoyed the butterfly exhibit.

Most exhibits are inside. Colorful fish and I love the shark tank. The outside has a lot to be improved. There are a lot of areas but they aren't used a lot. It's very nice in the water. Seal show is the best part of the place. They need to improve their outdoor exhibits but my 1 year old still loves to go.

We just started coming here a few years ago, even though we have always lived on LI, and we definitely missed out by not visiting earlier. This place is great, whether young or old. It is educational in terms of an array of topics, be it the animals/mammals themselves, their history, or the LI waters and life. While it isn't a giant place, it packs a LOT into the space. There is a huge variety of fish, as well as a shark tank that you can schedule dives in(!), aviary, butterfly room, penguins, sea otters, reptiles, sting rays - you name it!

There are many opportunities to interact with, and get a closer look at the creatures, from the aforemention shark dive, to scheduled feedings and lectures, photo opportunities, feeding the birds & sting rays, etc. If that isn't your thing, you can also just meander around the grounds at your own pace and jump around if you want. Because we went late in the season, it was blissfully uncrowded, and the weather was perfect. We've been there at peak time when it is blazing hot and there are people everywhere. Not ideal, but what can we expect at that time of year?

We have yet to try any of the food areas on the grounds, but they all usually have plenty of people eating there. There is a hotel next door that works in conjunction with the aquarium for overnights, packages, and events (the aquarium also hosts weddings & other functions), and there is some kind of boat trip that they do as well. Again, for things like that you'll have to make sure to check their schedule and book ahead, because those tickets are separate from admission.

Running such a venue has to be expensive so expect to pay for the experience. We went with our grandchild and even with discount ticket paid over $60. Even at the end of June they were still not on 'summer schedule' and we were not able to see the sea-lion show even though some at the park said it would take place a 4 pm. Shop item are expensive so steer away form that if you don't want to pay $20 for a stuffed shark.

I am a local and really would like to see this venture succeed. Many sea creatures are saved by them and released back to their habitat when recovered. The animals in captivity seem to be treated well.

Add a star if you don't mind paying extra to help the rescue of hurt creatures.