OdySea Aquarium Reviews

OdySea Aquarium is such a fun and fascinating escape in the middle of the desert! The exhibits are vibrant and well-designed — we especially loved the penguins and the giant rotating shark tunnel. Everything was spotless, and the staff was knowledgeable and kind. It’s only about a 5-minute drive south of Scottsdale Dental Arts, where I work, so I often recommend it to patients visiting from out of town. It’s great for families, couples, or anyone needing a relaxing afternoon surrounded by marine life.

My husband and I visited this aquarium. Yes, I did feel that the cost was a little high. (Btw, you can only get Senior Citizen pricing if you stand in line on property—Not available online!) But I do have to admit that they had extensive exhibits and lots of options. We only bought the main ticket but spent almost 4 hours wandering around. All in all, a good experience.

We found it very pricey and would not go back. Maybe better for kids. Some very pretty displays and you can pet the rays if you so desire.

Great aquarium very interactive displays and never felt claustrophobic. Lots of neat stuff in the gift shop, and we didn't feel like price-gouged tourists when we finished. Highly recommend.

awesome ocean selections, it is in a strip mall so lunch afterwards is no problem. the viewing areas are great for kids

Beautiful facility but extremely expensive!
We took our time at exhibits and were there less Han 3 hours.
Cost over $100 for 2 senior citizens and a student.
Could have spent a whole day at the zoo for about the same price.

As soon as you enter the aquarium, head straight to the first level bathroom. Sooo cool! The 3D movie was great, and the penguins and otters were adorable! The kids loved the sting rays also. Mighty Mike, the 14 foot alligator, was HUGE!! Our favorite attraction was the Open Ocean Carousel! It’s like the Disney Carousel of Progress, but with sea creatures ... it moves you from aquarium to aquarium while you are seated! The sharks were cool, but the Sea Lions stole the show. I’m glad we purchased an annual pass on our first visit. The kids want to go back again next week.

Such an AMAZING aquarium! I live in So California but still have renewed my Odysea membership for 6 years now🪼🐟🐬❤️!!! Super knowledgeable staff & friendly!! LOVE it here!!

Our visit included 3 generations of family--ages 6 to 76. Outdoors offered food for sale and some activities for kids. It was enjoyed by all.

Me and my family went here one random afternoon, and it was time well spent! There is so many attractions and exhibits for children of all ages. The organization and overall flow is well thought out. The have package deals that can absolutely enhance your visit! This aquarium is part of an overall park that houses many other common attractions, i.e.. Ripley's Believe It or Not. You can definitely send an entire afternoon here. Just a little word of advice, make sure you use the bathroom before you go (you'll thank me later).

A large, well presented aquarium.
We enjoyed our visit but at around $110 for two it's not cheap.
Allow a couple of hours for your trip. Maybe on your way to Skyharbor Airport like us.

Interesting aquarium. Went after 4:30 to get discounted tickets, but still had plenty of time to see all exhibits. The feeling tanks were cool. I loved the sharks and jellyfish tanks. The photos they take in the beginning are cute but pricey.

We took our kids and grandkids and everyone had a great time. Exhibits were good, and interactive ones were great for the kids.

This aquarium is not bad. It has all the traditional animals most aquariums have. It has an option for you to put on scuba gear and go underwater with the staff and interact with the workers and boat rides.

I was pleasantly surprised by this aquarium. It has some features which are really eye-catching. Some of their tanks are very creatively and attractively designed. The globe aquariums hanging from the ceiling of the lobby are striking. They have a beautiful enclosed underwater escalator. I enjoyed seeing the strange-looking paddlefish and the adorable Asian small-clawed otters. I was surprised to see a sloth in an aquarium. A highlight of this aquarium is the Voyager. This is a relaxing rotating theater which visits 4 aquatic habitats. Although OdySea‘s admission is a bit pricey, this is a memorable place to view fascinating marine life while escaping the Arizona heat.

It’s the largest aquarium in the southwest. 200,000 sq.ft. of space, 2 million gallons of water, 60 sharks, 70 exhibits, 6,000 animals, It can Accommodate over 10,000 people a day. Average length of a visit is 2.5 - 3 hrs. Lighthouse Cafe for food is inside. Other food and ice cream is outside. Other things to do like the Butterfly Wonderland & Titanic Exhibit, if you want to spend more time and money. Acres of free parking. Easy to get to right off the 101 highway. The best kept secret is going at exactly 4:30 pm for a greatly reduced rate of $25.00 per person. They close at 7 pm, but that still gives you 2.5 hrs. to see the place, at a time when there are less people. Groupon always has a deal for this attraction on line, otherwise it could get pricey, but still worth it.

A lot of cool fish and exhibits, very friendly staff. Most kids would enjoy this aquarium because there is a lot to see and many things to do in the surrounding boardwalk area

Overall, I agree with others that the admission price is high and I would look for discounts. Just note if you buy early through groupon, etc. you will still need to stand in line for redemption (another miss by the OdySea team). Overall, the animals are diverse, good to see the facility taking care of animals that can't make it in the wild. We had 9.5 year olds, 12 and 16 and they all were happy when we left.

Such a great activity!!! We had so much fun at this aquarium! Its beautiful and big and so many animals there! My favorite part was that you can touch the sting rays and they even had a cool ride. It was hours of pure joy and fun. One of my favorite places we went to in Arizona.

There aren’t many Things to do in Phoenix in the summer so we looked around a little bit nearby.
This aquarium is very modern and well equipped to be as communicative and engaging as possible for all ages. Very nice then the final ride that takes you on 5 mega Aquariums with different fish very well explained. The cost is not very low, but worth it.

We went last night after a really long day of traveling. We went after 4:30 to get the discounted tickets. As the family of 7 we did spend a pretty penny to get in the door, but the place was empty and it was awesome. The staff was all friendly and helpful. It took us about 2 hours to get through the place so timing worked perfectly. Only negative is by the time we got out at 6:30 all surrounding property was closed so we couldn’t use any of the coupons that they gave us at the door (they are only good for that day). Also I thought the pictures they took of you, were cute but way overpriced. They are obviously already printed- based on the expensive entry they should just give you the picture as a souvenir, aka free advertisement!

This is a great way to spend most of a day. The aquarium and the other attractions in the complex look deceptively compact but, are actually quite large. This aquarium has everything. Not just fish and reptiles but, mammals and birds, as well. It is super informative about the local areas as well as water systems throughout the world. Do not miss the sit down, "undersea sub" tour. It was great fun (also informative) and well worth the 20 minutes that it takes. Compared to aquariums in CA, this one is on par, price wise (actually, a little cheaper than some of those) and is better. The folks that work there are also very friendly and personable. What I intended to be a stop for a couple of hours turned into most of the day and was a lot of unexpected fun.

Was neat to see some of the different sea life they have compared to other aquariums. Was clean but very busy. Lots of upgrades going on

Fabulous and educational!
What an amazing aquarium.
The carousel ride thru the tanks was super awesome!
The touching tanks of the sturgeon, rays, urchins, and Starfish was fabulous!

We had so much fun!
Don’t forget they have the #1 more amazing bathrooms in the USA!
Highly recommended! A must see for every age.

Our group of four adults recently visited the OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale for the first time. Although the admission prices are high, we enjoyed our visit. The exhibits are very attractive and easy to view the various fish, penguins, birds, caimans, turtles, sharks, a sloth, jellyfish, rays, and more. We also enjoyed the hands-on exhibits where we were able to feel the rays and other creatures. The rotating exhibit was good, too, although there were no sea lions to be seen during our visit. Everything is indoors so this is a good activity on a cold day or an extremely hot day. There was plenty of free parking and there are a variety of other activities and restaurants available in the same complex.

This is a very well executed aquarium. High quality overall. Loved the interactivity opportunities - touching sting rays, sea anemone, spiny sea urchin, etc - and even my picky hard-to-please teens liked it. Be sure to look at your aquarium map so you don’t miss any areas - we ran into multiple people who missed two major areas because they didn’t go quite far enough back into two areas. One thing I wish places would do, though, is when the facility takes pictures (they’ll get your picture at the beginning at this one) - just include it in the price - don’t try to upsell it at the end - just feels tacky. If it were just made as an added value to the experience - especially in today’s world with social media - the advertising value of everyone getting free pics and posting them on their news feeds would drive far more awareness and visitors, outweighing the small percentage of people who buy the pics.

We all really enjoyed this aquarium. The flow is well set up to go from one exhibit to another. Then you end the aquarium with a “ride” where you sit in stadium style seating and it rotates to see 4 different aquariums scenes with narrations. It was a pleasant surprise. We all really enjoyed it! It is on the pricier side but it was worth it!

Young and old found lots to look at and learn. Very educational and some hands on experiences including those for a 4 year old. Nice layout and flow to see all the tanks etc.

You are immersed in this experience the moment you walk in the door. There are fish bowl light fixtures overhead and the first stop is the restroom where one wall is a fish tank. You start on the second floor and check out all the displays and a moving exhibit that you sit in and the room moves while you see different tanks containing fish, seals, sharks, and turtles. From there you go down an escalator through an aquarium tube with fish swimming on either side of you. There are otters, a parrot and a couple toucans, and a sloth. Senior rate was $30.40 each. There is s butterfly place next door and you can buy a combo ticket, but we didn’t. When you come out of the aquarium there are restaurants, bumper boats and a Titanic exhibit too all for extra charges.

If youre going to charge $40 per ticket you need to add some attractions. This was one of the biggest let down of our trip to Scottsdale. We had a rainy day expected during our trip so we thought it might be fun to go to an aquarium. I was wrong and after one hour and $186 later we had finished walking through the aquarium. The best part was the rotating theatre experience at the end.

I would not recommend this unless you have small children.

This place is terrible. We flew 6 people in to specifically do the penguin encounter. We tried to book the encounter over 2 months ago but were told they’d hold the date we requested for us and would call us to book it within a couple weeks of the date we requested. It was finally the week of our event and no one called. They gave the encounter away and don’t seem to care. Skip the headache of being stuck with last minute planning since apparently they aren’t capable of actually doing their jobs. I would give this place negative stars since this isn’t even the first time we’ve had issues with them. We will not be returning and will make sure to spread the word

Amazing experience!

My husband and I visited for the day! Appreciate the place being well organized, clean and the staff friendly to help!
We decide to do the penguin experience where you actually get to meet the penguins! We booked this in advance.
Well done! Organize and the staff were so friendly and great at explaining everything.

A bucket list item checked off!

I love this place and what it has to offer not only for kids for adults too!

Looking forward to coming back!

Two people at the military rate was $82.00. I've been to a lot of aquariums and this was just ok. We expected to spend a few hours there but after an hour we had seen everything. Nothing really special, except the rotating theatre that viewed four different tank stations. There are nicer aquariums for half the price. In the greater Phoenix area is the Wildlife World Zoo near the 303 and Northern Ave. For about the same price you get the entire zoo and three indoor acquariums as well as outdoor exhibits.

I went on the Sip and Sea evening where children were excluded and loved the adult concept. I was able to interact with the staff and various sea animals. Loved the sloth and baby sea lions.

Even as an adult I think a day at the aquarium can be very relaxing as long as your timing is right. They have some great benches to just sit and watch the fish be fish and clear your head. Loved the sloth! The tanks seem well thought out and easy to learn about what type of ecosystem you’re looking at (if that’s the correct word). I have a jellyfish obsession that started at birth so loved those too. If you or your child get overwhelmed by sound I suggest bringing headphones so you can enjoy what matters a little more the echo in there is very loud.

Went on a rainy and cold day in Phoenix. We went after 4pm so it was $25 per person and not too busy. I thought the prices were a bit steep given what it was. The staff was nice, exhibits were well done. Overall a good experience. We saw the otters being fed dinner, definitely the best part!

Neat find and different views (sometimes under) sea life. We received tickets to OdySea for Christmas and enjoyed it as well as the mirror maze and dinosaur exhibit as well. First time touching a sting ray. Lots for the grand kids to see and do. Laser maze was fun too.

Decided on something unusual for our Great-granddaughter's first birthday - go pet a stingray! Odysea is definitely aimed at the younger members of the family, but that can mean anybody in their first half-century, especially if you've not snorkeled or had a SCUBA experience. The on-line ticket purchases are nicely discounted, and there is plenty to see among the well-spaced, well described, well-maintained exhibits so additional fees are not necessary; on the other hand, if you want to get close and personal with penguins, go SeaTREK helmet diving, or experience virtual reality there are additional fees. You can exit and re-enter Odysea multiple times, so food concessions and non-aquatic attractions can keep everyone occupied all day.

A great place to have family time, very educational and lots to learn. Beautiful displays, and will visit again

It has been a few years since I have been to this FABULOUS Aquarium… but I rejoined again🐟🐠💦🙏🏻! I have friends & family in Arizona… so I like meeting up with them here. ❤️.I also renewed the pass to include the butterfly museum.

The aquarium itself is a good pace and lots of decent tanks. Have been to quite a few different aquariums and this one is not particularly memorable. Easily walked through and experienced with two kids (11&2) in about an hour and a half. Biggest drawback is the price. $40 per adult and $20 for kids, even as young as two. Aquarium is nice, but not worth the cost for a family of four.

A disappointment for the money. The attendance on a Tuesday was small which says a lot about the value of the experience. Perhaps the poor attendance was due to the mask requirement. I almost didn't go once I saw the mask requirement but due to it being my grandchildren's first visit to Phoenix, I decided to go anyway. SRPMIC-you got my last visit here.

Being an avid ocean diver and fan of the amazing ocean wildlife, it’s been a pleasure having Odysea sprout up in the Desert. The entire family enjoys cruising through the aquarium, and seeing the unique fresh and salt water tanks filled with a variety of species.

The changing exhibits, rotating large species carousal and interactive elements make this a one of kind location. Hours can be spent enjoying the entire location.

We spent the day at the Odysea as a group of 6 of us. We were unsure of what to expect at first, I mean how can there be a good quality aquarium in the middle of the desert? This place was amazing! There was so much to see, do and learn! There was a little bit of everything there. Some of my favorites were the 3-D movie about the whales and the Odysea Tour, they were both very well done. Loved the Sea Lions, the Penguins, the Turtles and the Sharks exhibits. Love that they are able to rescue some of these creatures and keep them safe. The bathrooms were spectacular! The mirror is actually a view into the aquarium! Well worth the price of admission!

This is a very nice aquarium. Good atmosphere. Clean. Spacious. Lots of great photo opportunities. Highly recommend.

We took our 13 & 8 year old and were so impressed. Odysea is a whole complex of fun things to do; an aquarium (amazing) in the desert, several good restaurants, ice cream parlor, shopping, mirror maze. The aquarium was really interactive and gave great, entertaining information while seeing great exhibits. There is even a penguin parade ADORABLE! There is also a fun 3D movie and ride at the end worth paying for but came with admission. Would definitely recommend

Really fun expiernece, would fo it again. Go and have fun. Would recommend for famillies of 3 or more

Its a great idea but they charge too much for what they have if they had dolphins and whales I wouldn't mind paying what they charge but for what they have they should charge at least $10 less it would be okay maybe they can have more games for the kids too but oh well I already went they do have a cool restroom lol

honestly would give this place a 0 if I could. My wife and her mother scheduled the helmet dive over a month ago and flew from out of state only to be told that they had made a mistake and a private party was there and wouldn’t accept any outside the party. My wife not only flew from out of state for this and then drove several hours but her mother doesn’t even live in the US. Shame on them for not doing what was right and adding 2 extra people when they could have easily accommodated it. My wife has been talking about this for weeks and the rudeness of the staff and the fact they couldn’t even be bothered to call or let us know it was booked is unbelievable. Save your money and go elsewhere

Very average in my view. Might have been all the hype and advertising I saw before coming. With that said , I think they are doing a wonderful thing saving animals that cannot survive in the wild. I do wish they would allow fewer people in. The wait for the theatre that rotates had people packed in the tunnel far too long. Felt very unsafe with what is going on. They also need to kick people out that violate the mask rules. One young adult never covered his nose with his mask, and many times had it pulled down exposing his mouth. His partner also had his mask under his nose. The worst was waiting in line. A man promoting and who maybe owns the Dinosaur restaurant kept getting in peoples face yelling how great their family restaurant was. He had a mask but had it down exposing his nose and mouth. Was going to eat there until this happened.

The exhibit are nice , the little kids had a blast .
I would give a better review but the restrooms and the lighthouse cafe were disgusting . All the tables were filthy, the floors were very dirty, full of trash and the garbage bins were full.
For the price that they charge per ticket I would definitely expect a cleaner facility

I had thought about visiting OdySea many times, but the ticket price was enough to deter me going on my own. This time there was family in from out of state with a one-year-old and we were joined by other family with a one-month- and a six-year-old. It is still too pricey for me to go on my own, but it was a nice place to spend a hot afternoon with the children. The exhibits are interesting and well-planned and there are many beautiful animals with information posted about the various species. We were there for just about two hours and both the elders and the children were beginning to get tired; I think the moms were as well. If you go, be sure to experience the OdySea Voyager. To me, that was the best part.

This aquarium is a perfect way to spend a few hours. Not to big and it has lots of really unique exhibits. Start with the bathroom that has an amazing aquarium behind the sinks. The shows are enjoyable and not too long. We were in AZ for a football game and my buddies and I were looking for something different to do outside of the over 100 degree temps. A friend mentioned that they had gone to the aquarium with their family so we decided to give it a try. We really enjoyed it, it was not crowed so very easy to see everything but it is very pricey and I would have really had a hard time justifying the cost if I was paying for my family, but paying for myself it was well worth it.

Not the best aquarium I've been to but fun. There was a good variety and signage up about the various fish. I wish had more penguins, my favorite! It was a little pricy but better if you got tickets online the day before which we did not know. The mirror maze was fun but not something I would again.

Great way to spend a hot afternoon in the Phoenix area. They have numerous displays, tanks, etc, and a lot of hands on attractions as well.

Since this appears to be a for profit venture I was a bit nervous but since it is accredited we decided to go . I felt overall it was nicely done with a strong conservation theme. Though obviously not on the scale of a top aquarium it still made for a pleasant 2-3 hour visit. I think the price is high but other than that was satisfied with our visit. It is Surrounded by several attractions geared to take your money( ripleys believe it or not etc)

On a whim my 23 year old granddaughter and I decided one mid afternoon to go to the OdySea Aquarium....we are veterans of ocean-side aquariums such as Scripps in Monterey, CA, Boston, Baltimore, New York, even one on the Island of Crete. Aside from the sticker shock of a senior and adult costing $79 to enter, we were fairly disappointed in the aquarium. All the negatives for other reviewers were the same for us: immediate bad fish smell upon entering, dark interior, dull exhibits, dull fish (there was one or two tropical fish tanks). The big difference, and a plus, in comparison to the ocean side aquariums is that the focus of OdySea are the rivers. The fish are primarily river inhabitants. Aside from the one sad two-toed sloth and the one colorful tropical bird (which really didn't fit into the whole idea). I didn't read much about the exhibits which were difficult to read due to the poor lighting, but I think there was some education about the environment of rivers and how to save the fish of such habitats, but I just might be wishing it educates this way.
Aside from the sticker entry price shock, not every experience inside was included. Some were an additional $49 per person. No thank you. I did not rate as low as a 1 as some others have because I do believe that younger folk would be excited because it is new or they can touch/feed the rays, ride a revolving educational tour (this we greatly enjoyed and it was free) and wear 3-D glasses to view a film that didn't look very 3-D to me and was mostly tones of blue....certainly couldn't hold a candle to the IMAX experiences of the bigger aquariums. BUT, if you are a retired grandparent who has lots of extra cash and want to take your visiting grandkids to all the various options in the area to entertain them, well, its not a totally bad place to go. I just know I won't recommend it to anyone over say 10. Be warned that you will immediately be accosted by a photographer asking you to do poses before a green screen and there is one exit out by which you will see expensive photo packages with you holding up penguins in your palms or looking shocked at some big creature. Expensive, but optional, and no hard sell. Also, if you have the luxury of visiting late afternoon after school classes are out and NOT on a weekend, you will be happier for sure. Oh, and if nothing else, you will come away wondering if you could put an aquarium into your wall behind the sink in your bathroom. I could have stood there all day watching the sharks!

Odysea was a fun and educational experience. Signage and displays were well done. I found the staff to be a bit unfriendly at times and entrance prices are a bit elevated given the size of the aquarium but overall worth a visit.

I've heard nothing but rave reviews about this aquarium. Also, surrounding the aquarium is a plethora of other things to do with the kids. When you first walk into the aquarium and you look at the ceiling they have numerous hanging round aquariums, which apparently are over 1,000 lbs. and first of their kind. We hit the bathrooms and there were signs stating "rated best bathroom". This certainly caught my eye and made me wonder what makes the best bathroom - sharks of course! The aquarium was nicely done and have plenty to see. The best thing was the Voyager. You sit and the aquarium comes to you. It shows their largest exhibits which were amazing. I love aquariums and this was a really great one. Their gift shop had tons of options as well. Definitely recommend a visit.

Very interesting aquarium. The ticket taker on the first floor strongly suggested going to the bathroom as you arrive. It was a great suggestion and a total surprise. You could take your time and it was cool inside. Very interesting displays.

The aquarium is beautiful and the penguin encounter was incredible. Hutch and Dylan let us pet penguins and touch their wings. The penguins loved both of them and were very affectionate, playful, and curious. We spent an hour with the penguins and have a lot of great photos with them. What a great experience and I had no idea they were so soft!

This aquarium was such a pleasant surprise. The variety of exhibits was wonderful and extremely impressive. Odysea has everything from otters and giant river fish to big sharks and goliath groupers. You can pet sturgeons, rays and intertidal species. The tank designs were some of the most interesting I've ever seen, offering original layouts with great lighting and perspectives. The little extra displays they put in such as life size representations of giant (super giant) fish and the incredible rotating theater make the trip totally worth it. I know it seems counter intuitive to go the desert to visit an aquarium but I think its an experience that shouldn't be missed if aquariums are even remotely your thing.
Its a little expensive when you start pricing it out for a family but once you see the facility you know where your money is going. Also, you can get discounts by buying online or bundling with other experiences.
The layout is a little confusing, make sure to grab a map at the front desk.

Discounted rate after certain time - which was a great deal for our group of 4 to get out of the AZ heat. Great aquarium, we enjoyed the aquarium and hands on encounters.

The OdySea aquarium has 2 levels full of exhibits. There are a huge variety of fish. There is even a tank where you can pet some fish. Add penguins, octipus, sea otters and crocodiles are among the speices that you can view. They have times when you can view feedings. The simulated submarine ride is really great. They also have a snack bar inside. The only thing that we found confusing was the map. While we never got lost we had to ask directions many times, While this is not cheap it is well worth the money.

Four of us visited the aquarium and spent at least two hours there. We enjoyed the aquarium although it cost us approximately $100 plus for two.

Visited July 2017, July 2019 & August 2021

Really, really good aquarium. But then, I love every aquarium LMAOO. My favorite part is the rotating theater and the giant tank. Remember to visit the bathroom to see the shark window in there!

Very nice aquarium with lots of hands on exhibits. Lots of variety and space. Easy parking and other museums on site. There are also many different places to eat with a really nice “mall like” central eating and shopping place.

Overall it's a nice place. Especially since it's in the middle of a desert. It was mostly clean and we'll kept. The staff (for the most part) was helpful and outgoing. There were a few that seemed like they were having a bad day. No problem per se, they just looked unhappy to be there that day. The alligator exhibit was well planned and thought out. Mike looked rather comfy. Being a Florida native, seeing a bit of home was very nice and I'm thankful for that.

Felt like a child going through it. This place is for everyone, from displays to hands on activities. Finishing up with a submarine experience ride.

The aquarium was nice enough, however it was very costly for a family with children. There were a lot of petting areas, which the children liked. The moving theater was okay, not as spectacular as I had heard it would be. I would explore other areas of the Arizona when visiting instead.

The aquarium was definitely wonderful. My teens did the SEATREK which they loved. It would have been nice, though, to have been able to see the other attractions without spending Another $2-300.

We both the combo pass for OdySEA and the Butterfly Gardena and although it was a tad pricey, overall it was worth it. Our child loved seeing everything close up. The butterfly garden was amazing! There were probably over 100 butterflies floating around in the air and it kept us all busy admiring their beauty. Good for a 3-4 hour activity with kids.

I was in AZ along for my husband's annual business trip. I had a free day alone and because it was 105 degrees out, I decided the aquarium was a perfect place to spend time exploring indoors. I was so glad I did. It was magical and because it was midweek it wasn't extremely busy. I arrived right after opening which was nice. I really enjoyed it all and being able to take my time to read everything and learn all about the different species and important conservation issues affecting them. This place is for all ages. Try the rotating "Odysea Voyager" experience where you can take a break and be seated while you are rotated past various viewing windows which is also narrated. The California Sea Lions were so interesting and mesmerizing to watch. Be sure upon arriving to visit the restroom for the viewing window above the sinks. Its so calming and cool to view! The only drawback is the cost. The Florida Aquarium in Tampa and the Baltimore Aquarium seemed much bigger but their costs were more reasonable if you take a family of 4 or more. Save up for this place because its a must see while in Scottsdale.

We went to kill time before we could check into our hotel. Wasn’t sure what to expect but just walking in and the kids were Ohhhh and Ahh’ing in the lobby. You have to check out the bathrooms in the lobby! The aquarium had so many cool things to see. The only part that was a snooze was the end. You had to sit through a rotating platform to get to the exit. Every 5 min was a presentation and it would switch to a different part of the aquarium. The sitting part was very boring for our 3 & 8 yr old. Other than that, we would highly recommend the experience of this place.

You'll probably get one (maybe two hours if you really take your time) out of this place and you'll get charged ultra-premium prices. We bought the full package that included the butterfly museum, the bodies, and the laser maze. The aquarium was the best of the bunch, but there just isn't much to see.

I wasn’t sure what to expect for an aquarium in the middle of the desert but there was a lot to keep two adults and a 5-month-old baby occupied for nearly 4 hours!! I loved the different sting ray bays where you can pet them. And there is a sloth!!! The rotating exhibit was really great as well. It was nice to get off our feet for a little bit. The shopping district had a lot to offer but they seemed to have closed a little earlier than the aquarium itself. We only did the aquarium and hope that the next time we visit, we can check out the butterfly wonderland!

The OdySea Aquarium was an unplanned visit for my wife and I while we were visiting Chandler AZ for another unrelated event. And we're glad we took the time to spend a few hours here. Even if it was a bit pricey, as we spent around $100 for the Aquarium and a new unrelated attraction.

OdySea's most interesting attraction is going to be the restroom at the main entrance. Which is mostly because there are sharks. Yep. There's a big glass window above the sinks with sharks (and fish). You'll see this exhibit again on other sides as you move through the aquarium. But it's quite impressive. But good luck washing your hands if there is a crowd gathered around. I guess somebody didn't think that part through all that well.

In either case, the rest of the aquarium has all of the usual sea creatures you'd expect. Plus some show-stealing otters. Lots of useful information if you'd like to take the time to do some reading. The exhibits are well maintained, they look clean, animals are happy, etc. At least they've been trained to look happy.

The next impressive attraction is the downstairs escalator that goes through a glass tube with an aquarium. So you see fish as you take the ride down. That's quite impressive. I need one of those...

Not too many negatives. Although there was supposed to be a 3D movie to watch. They said it would start in a few minutes and appeared to be delayed due to technical issues. But instead of a 3D movie, we just got an advert for saving the planet, turtles, or something. No communication from the staff.

And the other 3rd party attractions you can pay for at the park are a waste of time. Perhaps if you need something else for the kids to kill time. I think the aquarium is the best and only thing worth checking.

While it wasn't perfect, I'd still go again. Although we'd also suggest passing on the poor local restaurants.

We are from California where we have been to SF and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. For such a small venue, it really packs in a lot of fishes!

We took our family 3years old and up an we all enjoyed the experience. It is very clean and well kept.

When we planned out our weeklong trip to the PHX area, we scheduled a day for OdySea. We booked the SeaTrek helmet dive for 3:30pm and arrived there at 10am. The aquarium is not large and is not an all-day one like Atlanta or Chicago. You could arrive when it opens and leave at lunch, or arrive after lunch and be done before it closes. There are nice exhibits and lots of animals to see. The rotating Discovery was cool, its about 20 minutes long. We ended up eating at a restaurant in that complex (there are a number of them) and came back to explore more and wait for our SeaTrek dive, which was the highlight of our visit. Had we known, we would have booked an earlier dive and then had more of our day open for something else. In the same complex there's a butterfly place and a dinosaur place, and a mirror maze. If you want to make a day of it at that location, plan on doing one of those other things.

Such a good mix of education and entertainment. Clever incorporation of aquariums into the bathrooms and escalators. Definitely plan on spending a few hours here.

The Odysea Aquarium is WONDERFUL!! I’m a Member of Sea World San Diego & visiting in Arizona. Such a BEAUTIFUL Aquarium that his HUGE & the Largest Aquarium in the South West. I became a Member here.... & I live far in Southern California!! Just Terrific!!

This aquarium was amazing! The touch pools were closed due to Covid but we were able to touch the sting rays! Wearing a mask was no problem because of air conditioning! The aquarium was very clean, we were there for a couple of hours! A definite highlight of our trip! Worth the money!

This place was so fun to visit. we took so many pictures and seen so much, and though our family wasn't able to wait in line for the end ( which was a pretty long line )and had to just go out threw the exit that leads to the gift shop we still had lots of fun. i still highly recommend this vary clean and friendly atmosphere attraction and as a guy in a earlier comment wrote... the bathroom is a MUST SEE !

I feel bad because a friend of mine really brought my expectations up when visiting this place. I learned from that friend that they changed/removed a lot of things since he went before covid. It's still a good aquarium with a lot to see, though it didn't feel worth the price of admission. I personally prefered the Sea Life in Mall of America in Minnesota, though I'm unsure how the Sea Life in Arizona compares.

Also shout out to the guy that I noticed quickly photoshopping all of the photos of families coming in. That's a lot of work for not being sure if the visitors are going to purchase the photos. Ours looked good

What a fantastic place to visit and view aquatic animals. You can actually touch some of the species. Also have associates giving seminars about the some of the animals habits.

Overrated..at least they ended their inhumane dolphin exhibit. The place is nice but way pricy.. $160 for a family of five, plus $78 for lunch... Won't be back...

Great aquarium. Penguin parade. Underwater walk. Petting areas. Many things to see. Also America’s Beat Bathroom can not be missed.

Great family entertainment escaping the heat! Such a well done and fun place! Love the rotating room at the end of the trip. We all loved it and learned a lot! Definitely a great thing to do when its 98 degrees in April!

Went there with great expectations and got a little disappointed. There are some sharks, seals and a fat alligator. But the hole experience was a little corny, maybe designed for children. The aquariums were way smaller then I imagined.

We ended up here on a rainy day. I found the admission cost high, plus an extra $1.99 per adult ticket to pay by credit card. After getting your tickets scanned, BEFORE going up the escalator, hit the bathroom. Trust me, it is worth it. If you don't have to go just them, go in anyhow. During our visit, only one touch pool was open. Not sure why most of them were closed. Our visit was 2 hrs at a fairly slow pace.

The Odysea Aquarium is very educational for all ages! See aquatic life from around the world: sharks, sea turtles, penguins, sea lions, and more! There are ample opportunities to touch the fish and stingrays.

The Titanic Exhibit is like a step back in time! Upon entering the clerk will give you a data card so that you can read about passengers on board. Check out the Survivor Boards to see if your person survived. See actual ship artifacts. Learn about the sailing conditions that April.

The one negative is the price. Should be options for cheaper tickets when you are only going to be there for a little over an hour. Was a relaxing beautiful experience and a great way to escape the heat!!

Really enjoyed the aquarium but I thought the price was a little high, with all the taxes it came to $111 for two people. probably would not go again, but it certainly was a worthwhile visit.

I paid $107 for myself and 2 kids ages 7 & 8, and I was shocked that there were 4 exhibits we couldn't see or ride. We arrived at 11:15 AM, and the Otters were already put away and wouldn't return until 4 PM. The "pet" animals were on breaks already and by the time we got to the kids cove the kids were finally able to pet the fish and sting rays, finally something to do! Then when we got to the end of the Kids Cove the cost to do anything was so expensive and on top of the $100 + we already spent they were asking for more than $179.85 just to feed the fish for the 3 of us, and that wasn't the only thing to pay extra for, almost everything is a pay extra for. The kids got bored very quickly and I was with my best friend and their 2 kids, so we had 3 adults and 4 kids with us. I will not be going back, the Sea Life Aquarium at AZ Mills is way better and doesn't cost as much. By the end of the day we got to the one thing that doesn't cost more and that was the sub that lets you see the fish up close; however it had “technical difficulties” after standing in line for 30 minutes with 2 minutes left to board it was closed! We get up to the gift shop, purchase a few items and leave to take the kids to ride the bumper boats, and guess what, yes it was "on a break" give me a break, they are machines and they need a break? Never going back and I have already told many friends to not waste their hard earned money on this place!!! lhernandez5571@gmail.com

Most popular attraction at Scottsdale Boardwalk mall. It is open from 10 am till 7 pm. All other attractions close at 5 pm except a few restaurants. Fish from around Arizona, the country and the world's rivers. There is only. one breed of penguins which were totally inactive. The sloth is sleeping. really mopst of the fish were not spectacular to look at. There is a revolving fish tank at the end which they will take group photos at. Most of the theme park type rides were not running. Most of the touching exhibits were not running. Does have children's activities like coloring. One restaurant but i don't thing they had much of a selection. There is a tube tunnel where one is surrounded by the fish tank, however it is the escalator so it's inaccessible to the handicap. I tried it hanging onto my wheelchair only to be focused on the wheelchair I saw nothing of the ocean. Even the sea turtles didn't move but hid.

A very well thought out, engaging aquarium. One of my many favorites was the rotating theatre that allows the audience to see four different tanks up close and personal... complete with corny narration. And who doesn’t love watching little otters!! Don’t miss the rivers wall.
The dosants were helpful and knowledgeable. There were plenty of kid hands-on activities to keep the entire family interested for hours.

Had a wonderful time and the best in the west. Loved this place. Look to be active. Watching What up.

OdySea Aquarium is well done, very family-friendly, and an enjoyable space. The admission price seems very high, relative to other "natural" attractions and would inhibit access to many families and children. I trust they will find a decent business balance between cost and accessability.

Very expensive for a family. Within the aquarium there are multiple upgrades you can purchase but they are costly. The aquarium was clean and very interesting. Lots of educational signage. Just wish it was more affordable for families.

I feel like with all the hype and work that went in to this, there could have been a lot more done with the outside amenities. I've been but I have no kids and I'm 30 years old lol

There are some genuinely good aquarium displays here, but the experience
is ruined by their presentation. The place is dark, LOUD, and has a very
convoluted layout that keeps one permanently lost. Plus, the quality of
information seems aimed at about the 10 year old level.

We went around mid November on a Sunday. The facilities are very nice and clean all together.

Upon arrival, we made our way over to the ticket counter and purchased 5 adult tickets. We were surprised to see that they were charging $39.95 per person. A bit too pricey in my opinion.

Oddly enough, the women at the counter suggested that we stop at the bathroom as this was their “first exhibit”. I won’t go into to great detail, but if you do get a chance, do go into the bathroom. You certainly will not be disappointed.

After seeing the many species of animals they have at this facility, I have to say that this aquarium is very over priced.

It took us about an hour and a half to complete the whole thing.

The good news is that it seems like they are doing their part in trying to keep the facility as clean as possible due to COVID. Masks are required at all times. There are social distancing markers throughout, and the employees are regularly cleaning high touch areas. They even have multiple hand sanitizer stations throughout.

Overall, it was an okay experience. It was our first time visiting and probably will be our last. You can’t justify the price for what you get. I’m sure that other folks will say other wise, but it really depends on you opinion.

Went as a teacher and brought many students! This place was worst than Disneyland! There were so many people here that our huge group left after only being there for 1 hour. Although it's beautiful and lots to see, not a good place to take a school field trip. Wish they had a reserved day for schools only.

The aquarium has two floors of activity and is generally well done… many species of fish and other aquatic species… I did not take the audio tour… spent about 1 hr and 15 minutes in the aquarium… I would recommend you visit, though the value for the price is not quite there…

Your visit will probably take you 3-5 hours. We visited after 4:30pm when the tickets are discounted. Buying the tickets there took a while, but then we had to wait in line again to enter. Part of the hold up is them making everyone pose in front of a green screen so they can sell you some overpriced photos at the end. After that there was only 1 person checking tickets to let people in. It's annoying they don't just let you right in after you pay for the tickets. Besides the entry, the Voyager, and the stingray areas, there were no staff to be found.
The exhibits were pretty neat. We especially liked the sloth. I thought it was just ok, but my family who had been to the Denver Aquarium said that the Odysea was actually better.
They talk up the Voyager exhibit, but it was maybe the worst part because you're stuck going at it's pace.
It was an ok time, but I'm glad we didn't pay full price.

Went on a date to enjoy the OdySea Aquarium with my husband. We were quite surprised with the size of the aquarium and the vast variety of creatures to be seen.

I thought a $30 per person entry fee was a bit high but there are some good exhibits with many chances for young kids to have a "hands on" experience. The sharks, jellyfish and manta rays were my favorite. If the sun had been shining, we would have had a better idea.

The aquarium was beautiful and educational. The layout flowed wonderfully. We felt like there was a nice combination of experiences for all age groups. HUGE fan of the voyager tour towards the end.

This is a great experience for people of all ages. Easy to get around with escalates to geat you to second floor.

We enjoyed all the unique fish tanks and exhibits in this aquarium. The women’s bathroom has views into the shark exhibit and is awesome to see! The rotating deep sea experience is fun and a neat experience. We spent 2 hours here and thoroughly enjoyed it!

We spent about 3 hours exploring this aquarium. The virtual reality ride was a lot of fun. The rotating aquarium was like Carousel of Progress in Disney World. The seats rotate around to various tanks with a narrated description of animals in each tank (sharks, turtles, rays, sea lions, etc.) Because it was Christmastime, we caught Santa's underwater visit as well. One neat highlight is the glimpse into a tank in place of a mirror in "America's best restroom."

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We saw a lot of kids/families enjoying it, too. The aquarium is very well organized by regions of the world, has a fun “ride” on which you can see exhibits not visible otherwise, and there are three touching pools. Even old me had a blast petting the rays.

I have been to multiple aquarium over the years in a never seen anything like this! Ss you enter please use the restrooms; they will amaze you and give you view a hint of what is ahead. Dedicated to conservation and the education this is really a must see attraction. Great place for children of any age!

I went at 4:30 like other reviewers mentioned to get the discounted rate of $25, otherwise I definitely think regular admission is way overpriced having been to other aquariums in other states. You also get a $10 voucher that you can use towards the restaurants next to the aquarium. This was a nice surprise and handy since we stayed until closing at 7 pm and had dinner right after. Parking is free and was not a problem at 4 pm. Other discounts offered are for seniors or military, bummed they didn’t offer discounts for my teenager using her student id.

It was still pretty crowded at 4:30 but probably because it was Saturday. The first part are the fresh water aquariums. Loved the otters. Then you reach the salt water tanks, I liked the jelly fish and watching the penguins best. There is a cool 3D movie and the voyager theater experience where the theater moves showing 4 different tanks. The 3D movie and voyager theater were included with admission, all the other encounters were an extra charge and sold out so plan ahead if you want to experience other encounters (ex penguin or sea turtle encounter). Bottom line it’s a nice way to beat the heat, still entertaining and the discounted rate with dinner vouchers made this worthwhile.

Yeah it's expensive but it's an aquarium in the middle of the desert which is pretty cool in itself. They told us upon going in to make sure to check out the bathroom. We forgot.

Lots of great exhibits and very informative. They have an area where you can touch a stingray. No thanks. Fun to watch others do it though lol We didn't have kids with us, but there was a school group there at the same time and the kids were loving the place.

At the end they have a rotating attraction where you get to sit down and it moves you through four different large exhibits with recorded information and fish puns that I got a kick out of. Gift shop not spectacular but had some fun items like "penguin poop" cookie dough bites.

Plenty of room, nice variety. More Kid oriented than adults and more kid than most aquariums. The price for the separate penquins was high. Penguins not doing much. Lots of education. Be sure to do the 360 theater event.

If you enjoy aquariums and the sea world, you must visit Odysea aquarium. From a full wall shark tank restroom to beautiful aquariums of all types of salt and fresh water exhibits, you will be continuisly in awe. I'm very happy that I went!

I really loved this aquarium. It had somethings that you normally don't see at an aquarium. They had what is kinda like a carousel where you in the seats & it moved to 4 different aquariums with prerecorded information about each aquarium. Another cool thing is when you walk into the bathroom the first thing you see is a shark tank. Also in the main entrance the ceiling lights are aquariums too. It was so cool.

We were taken back by our visit here in a good way. The place is very well kept, we felt safe the whole time. Where there was interaction with the animals they had people there making sure people were washing hands. I felt a great value if you like marine life. We were going to eat at Pangaea and the guy up front welcoming people decided to have a smoke and I have a child who has allergies so we didn’t eat there. He squatted down by the escalator but we could still smell it and I just don’t choose to be around it. We did get a chocolate treat from the wonderful gal at the chocolate factory and it was great. We will go back. Loved it

Disgusted to see the Penguins I had no Idea they were there. Made me very angry!
Very disappointed and disgusted in this road side aquarium!

The Dolphins next door owned by a different business group all DIED of a bacteria Infection

Very entertaining and flows nicely. The kids were engaged the whole time.
The films were good and the stingray petting was really good.

Its not organized very well so you need to ask for directions.
Lots of information on the worlds rivers. The end of your visit is capped with a sit-down rotating panorama of the the aquariums contents.

Not just another aquarium. It is a fun experience that will take you at least an hour or two to explore. The fish are cool and they have multiple experiences that you can participate in. We were happy we went and would recommend it for people of all ages.

My son who knows of this place wanted to take me there. It was exciting and got some great memories.

I've been wanting to visit the OdySea Aquarium and had the chance to go with a friend and her 18 month old daughter. Obviously going with an 18 month old is a different experience than going with older children or with only adults. It was fun but we couldn't do as much as one might want to due to having a small child with us. As for the expense, it was about the same price as going to the Seattle Aquarium, and based on my last visit to the Seattle Aquarium this aquarium was a lot more bang for the buck! I would like to go back when I have more time to see more of what they have to offer.

We went on a Saturday afternoon, got the after 4:30pm tickets for $25 with $10 each coupons for use in the mall. We were able to do the entire aquarium in an hour and a half. Not as many animals as other aquariums, but they do have quite a bit and the ones they have are well cared for and very lively not tired looking as in some other places. Staff is engaging and helpful. Virtual Reality ride is worth $5 bucks it is quite cool. You may need more time if you have children with you but they were open until 7pm so we did have a total of 2 1/2 hours if we needed it. Will go there again and would recommend for all.

What an awesome experience! We went for the Aquarium and decided we wanted to try the Sea Trek. Due to weather we couldn't do it that day so we purchased tickets to go back the following day. More weather, but while we waited for it to pass the staff took time to talk to us, engage us with other activities, and provided us with an incredible personalized experience. We loved every minute!

I flew in to Phoenix around 8am and didn't get in to Tucson until around 6pm because we spent the entire day checking this place out. There is tons to do and explore. Overall we had a great experience. This aquarium was much better than sea life that we had visited in the past. Great interactive experiences. The 360 tunnel was awesome and I appreciate their caring for turtles that otherwise wouldn't make it in the wild. Great items in the gift shop. I had only a few issues with our visit. We were trying to purchase the penguin experience tickets with our other tickets and had them in the cart ready to go and it allowed someone to buy the slot out from under us and it was booked for the day. This is incredibly disappointing as we will now have to pay for the penguin experience AS WELL AS general admission again when we have already seen the entire aquarium and only want to experience the encounter. Also they should have trained photographers doing pictures at the beginning especially for what they charge if you want a copy. Our photos weren't reviewed and I had blinked in our otherwise great picture. Pretty pricey overall but worth the experience. We will only be returning to experience the penguins.

This 4 hour afternoon in the aquarium did not disappoint. We had a wonderful time. So many unusual sea creatures, plus sharks, turtles, and stunning beautifully colored fish from all around the world---it was all so cool and fun to see. We were a 26 yo, a 65 yo, and an 82 yo who used one of the Aquarium's free wheelchairs, making the visit possible for her. ~ I was personally deeply disappointed in the octopus exhibit. It seems to have an extremely small tank and no where to move. It was hiding and not about to come out no matter what, or so it appeared. Having said THAT, I have to say we had an amazing time there and for us, it was worth every penny we paid to get in. Do the submarine show, too!! (there's no extra charge). We went during the week, mid Dec so it was not crowded and we were able to spend as much time as we wanted at each tank and not hold anyone else up or get in anyone else's way. IMO, allow 3.5 to 4 hours so you don't have to hurry along.

Captivating for kids and adults. Well laid out, and big beautiful displays. The rotating theater was breath taking. We were able to touch the Stingrays, but many other interactive displays were still off limits (likely due to handsanitizer/animal safety).

We paired with the Pangea dinosaur park (which I would recommend skipping). But the Odysea itself was perfect.

A GREAT venue! The aquarium is fantastic with lots of interesting exhibits for all ages. Hands on for the kids is a lot of fun! Excellent restaurants to choose from and close parking.

We visited the OdySea Aquarium after purchasing our tickets on line and opting for the $25 after 4 pm entry tickets. The aquarium closes at 7 pm, so we had 3 hours to check out the exhibits. We found ample parking upon arriving. We got there a little early so we could check out what other activities make up OdySea of the Desert. The aquarium allowed us to enter exactly at 4 pm. Before entering they took a couple group pictures which turned out cute, but were a little spendy. After entering they encourage you to check out the restrooms, which seems like a strange request. But upon opening the restroom door you are greeted by an aquarium wall of fish swimming by. Not something you see every day! You then move up to the second level of exhibits and work your way through the exhibits and back downstairs. Lots to see and read about. Well done exhibits. Some hands on exhibits as well. Wonderful 3D movie, as well as a rotating exhibit. We felt a little rushed at times, but overall felt the time allotted and price paid equaled a very good value. Will return to check it out again.

Was skeptical about this aquarium but was pleasantly surprised. Lots of fun things to see and do. They had a much wider array of animals / mammals than I was expecting and my kids had a blast with all of the hands on exhibits and activities. Could easily spend a few hours here.

We love aquariums. There is something comforting about watching the seemingly random and aimless swimming and activities of marine life in a huge tank. In the entrance there are suspended globe-shaped aquariums. Their bathroom has won an award. You definitely have to visit the bathroom. They have a revolving exhibit which was very cool to experience because it introduced us to three different aquatic habitats from the comfort of our seats. It’s not a massive aquarium yet there is plenty to see.

With Spring Training games cancelled I was looking for something for us to do while our husbands golfed. We booked our tickets on-line with a timed entrance. We arrived about 30 minutes early and they were able to accommodate us. The first thing they had us do was visit the restroom with the shark tank above the sinks. I have never seen anything like it! The aquarium is two floors with a variety of exhibits. My personal favorite was the 360 degree aquarium. You sit down and are rotated to visit 4 different tanks for 5 minutes each. I could ride that again and again. It is mesmerizing to watch to turtles, stingrays and fish, sea lions, and sharks swimming along. We finished in about 1.5-2 hours. It is a really great place for children and adults too, especially if you enjoy aquariums like we do! I highly recommend it and the Butterfly experience, buy a combo ticket ahead of time and get a discount.

Though admission is a bit pricey, this aquarium is absolutely gorgeous. They have done a GREAT job creating a fun, cool and relaxing atmosphere that you don't mind spending time in. In fact, they have a ton of neat activities for the kids and they do amazing evening (adult-themed) events that give you plenty of reasons to come back. It's easy to get to and close to a ton of other great stuff in Scottsdale. I'll definitely be back!

Great visit. Lots of Cool things to see. The pics at the end are high priced which is really the only bad thing. The bathroom at the beginning is best. You Need to Use it even if you dont have to go. Your kids will LOVE this place!!! Totally a 5 Star attraction!!!😃😃😃

Go after 4:30PM and the expensive entrance fee will be discounted some for adults and kids. It is still quite pricey for the experience, but the discount helps and you really don’t need a lot of time in the aquarium to see everything.

There’s so much to see. Lots of information about the various fish etc. Aquariums were super clean and filled with interesting fish/reptiles etc. we were really impressed and would definitely go again!

I can’t believe this place has any negative reviews. This is probably one of the best aquariums in the country. My four year old was entertained for 4 hours and loved feeding the stingrays, the revolving auditorium ride and all the animals.

Also loved the free parking and its proximity to the butterfly conservatory which is also worth a visit.

This is not just an aquarium but outside is more entertainment. Restaurants, bars, kids zones. The aquarium itself has more then enough to see. Only three years old is getting very well established.

Went with a friend to experience the aquarium and have the penguin encounter and it was worth every penny and it wasn't cheap. The staff were really helpful although sometimes they gave conflicting information and, once we were done, it was impossible to find the exit. We walked around for 15 minutes just trying to find it.
There is construction going on there but that's just a sign of a growing aquarium, which is great!

We took our two teenage daughters to Odysea Aquarium and took advantage of the discount that starts at 4:30 PM each day. Odysea does a wonderful job with limiting the number of guests and also with social distancing guidelines, which really helps with the experience of being able to see the fish up close and personal.

Having been to a lot of aquariums in my life, this was certainly one of the best. There were fish that I have never seen or heard of before, from all around the world. My favorite exhibit was the South African penguins. Who knew that there were penguins in Africa!

The admission price is completely fair, considering how much it must cost to feed the 6,000 animals that live at Odysea. We will be back. I only wish that we had purchased the annual plan. Oh, well. There is always next year.

Very informative with many information/interactive locations throughout. Make sure you get a list of the talks and the times they are offered or you will miss them

OdySea Aquarium exceeded all expectations! This world-class facility is absolutely massive and offers an incredible variety of marine life that you simply don't expect to find in Arizona.
Highlights:

The SeaTREK helmet diving experience was unforgettable - walking on the ocean floor surrounded by sharks and rays felt surreal
The rotating shark tunnel provides 360-degree views that are simply breathtaking
Penguin Point was a huge hit with the kids - watching the penguins swim and play was mesmerizing
The jellyfish gallery with its colorful displays and ethereal lighting was like stepping into another world
Touch tanks throughout let you interact with stingrays, sharks, and other sea creatures

What impressed us most:
The facility is immaculately clean and well-maintained. Staff members were knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely passionate about marine conservation. The educational components are fantastic - you learn while being entertained.
Practical tips:

Plan for at least 3-4 hours to see everything properly
The SeaTREK experience books up quickly, so reserve in advance
Parking is free and plentiful
Great gift shop with unique items

Bottom line: Whether you're a local or visiting Phoenix, OdySea Aquarium is a must-see attraction. It's educational, entertaining, and creates lasting memories for visitors of all ages. Worth every penny!

If you're young or old. Age doesn't matter here. Plenty for every age to enjoy. Plenty of sea life and animals. From local fish to ocean life. So many creatures to see. There's a place inside of the Odysea Aquarium called " The Voyager". A sit down experience. Plenty of experiences to enjoy and make. Bathrooms are amazing. One of a kind. A definitely must see. If you're visiting this is a definite must see Aquarium.

This aquarium (in the desert no less) had a really good variety of aquatic animals including rays, sharks, turtles, gators and a variety of odd looking fish. Fun visit and even a trip to the bathroom is enjoyable!

We were a bit skeptical when we joined our young friends and their 8 year old daughter today to visit Scottsdale's OdySea Aquarium. The price seemed a bit steep even for senior tickets but we were pleasantly surprised. They did have a family rate for one adult plus one child which was helpful. We are local residents and even though they have been here since 2016 we had yet to visit. It took the enthusiasm of our friends for us to take the time to tour the exhibits. There were a multitude of different tanks all featuring different varieties both from the ocean and different lakes and inland waters. We were quite impressed as you will see from when you see my pictures.

This is a great place to visit. Very large and also has shops and restaurants outside of aquarium. Must bigger than I had expected and the full size rotating theater in middle of several giant aquarium is amazing. I have never seen anything like it.

If you want to know what bubble butt turtles are then you have to visit. This place was incredible. One of the best aquariums I've been to. The octopus expert was very knowledgeable and passionate about her job. We loved watching the octopus display its intelligence. Another awesome part was the shark tank. This place is great for families, couples or single people interested in the fascinating life of the ocean.

Note: this was a rainy Saturday and it was very busy.
Check in for SeaTrek is all the way in the back of the second floor, and you arrive about 15 minutes early to answer some medical questions and sign the waiver.
Note that you will be waiving any liability claims against the aquarium, even if they are negligent. I was taken aback by this due to my background in insurance, but I found the event to be safely run.
We went just for the SeaTrek, but you get to see the aquarium exhibits as well, a bonus. Very expansive and the staff is all great. Sea-Trekkers get private changing rooms/showers with locks and a locker with key for clothes and belongings.. This is in a private area and they hold the keys, with the number logged to your name. Short leg wet suits and Crocs are provided. These lockers are not in a public area. You can wear a swimsuit or underwear in the wet suit.
The digital camera loan for $15 is a bargain. They suggest you take lots of movies, so you can take still shots from them. They send you a link same day via e-mail to all the pics/movies online so you can down load them at no extra charge. They will also take pics of you with your camera while fish swarm around you. There is a very docile shark and tons of rays as well as other fish. The shark swam right by my leg as he moved about, and actually jostled me at one point when he was trying to squeeze between me and the wall.
There is a leader in an air helmet and an actual scuba diver for additional safety. I was able to wear my glasses but they recommend you remove your hearing aids after the safety briefing, as you can't hear anything in the water and it is all simple hand signals down there.
I had some trepidation, as my girl friend does not swim, but she was very comfortable climbing down the ladder with the air helmet and the entire time underwater. As long as you remain upright, the air pressure in the helmet keeps the water out. If your nose is itchy, you can reach up in and scratch it.
I have big lungs, and if I took a deep breath through my nose, the water would come up to my mouth. Simply exhaling forced it back down. Nobody else I spoke to experienced this. There is little exertion moving about down there so no need to take deep breaths anyway.
I got an email within an hour with the link to the pics, but it was some other guy's pics. I left a message last night explaining the problem and expect to hear from them this morning.
There is plenty of air flooding the helmet at more than atmospheric pressure, so it is good for your sinuses to be clear when you go down.
Afterward, they have a spin-dryer to get much of the water out of your swim suit.so it won't drip or soak anything. They provide towels as well.
Scuba divers may not be impressed by the experience, but I highly recommend it for all others. The price is currently $100, but it was on sale yesterday for $60/person, which I think is a bargain.

I renewed my Membership to this FABULOUS Aquarium🦈… & I come in from So Cal🤣. Everyone who works here are the kindest! I have been to all of the SeaWorlds in the US🇺🇸& our National Aquarium in Baltimore. I believe this is the BEST of the BEST!❤️

This was one of the better aquariums I’ve visited. Will definitely go back again. I want the bring my grandkids next time.

Great experience for people of all ages. Lots to see and do. Especially loved the penguins, the sea otters, the sea lions and the sharks. So many things to see. Allow yourself 2 1/2 hours minimum to see it all. Great gift shop and cafeteria/restaurant. We went from 4 to 7 PM so that meant other places outside such as specialty restaurants were closed when we were finished at the aquarium. I would not go at that time again. I find the price is fairly expensive even though you get a cheaper rate from 4 to 7 PM. Very pricey for people on a budget who are trying to make ends meet.

Aquarium was great and clean. Fun for the kids. Even though it was crowded the kids were able to get up close to all the animals. Staff is the gift shop were friendly and helpful. I'm taking off a star because the the pizza place next door they associate with sucks literally worse then a 2 star little Caesar's.

I was impressed with this aquarium, and I like to think of myself as fairly experienced in viewing aquariums (SLC, New England, Denver, Las Vegas, Baltimore....but not Atlanta or Monterey Bay yet!).

I loved this aquarium. I thought the large tanks were absolutely beautiful and well laid out. The fish swimming in the globes above us when we walked in were very cool, and the rotating theater was quite unique. It was like The Carousel of Progress except for fish!

There were at least three touch pools which I always get excited about, including one for sturgeon! Neat! The otters and penguins were adorable.

My only complaints would be 1) the narration during the theater was obnoxious and painfully irritating, but it was geared toward kids so maybe they like it? 2) the sloth and sea lion exhibits seemed too small to me. Maybe there was more for the sea lions than I could see (above the theater?), but the sloth definitely didn't have much room. Maybe I'm biased because we were at the Denver Zoo last year and their sloths get whole jungle aviaries to climb around in instead of a tiny little room with some ropes, no plants, and no natural light. It was sad. 3) the whole place was decked out with comic book signs like "Pow!" and "Ka-boom!" and stuff like that, along with some larger signs comparing super heroes to animals (like Ant Man to an otter I think? Which was a stretch to say the least). They played music from Avengers and maybe The Incredibles the entire time we were there, which was cool at first but got old by the end. I understand that they're trying to make it more entertaining for kids, but putting signs like "Pow!" on a glass wall that you don't want kids knocking on doesn't seem to be the smartest idea in my opinion. The whole theme was just sort of ridiculous for an aquarium.

Overall I would definitely recommend this aquarium. The price can be a little steep--I imagine that rotating theater was pretty expensive to build--but I think it was worth it (unlike some aquariums I've been to *coughdenvercough*). We went on a Sunday and were sure to be there right at opening so we gladly missed most of the crowds. We spent 2-3 hours there and could have spent much more but we were on a time constraint. We'll definitely go back next time we make our way to Phoenix!

This facility has a very large quantity of many species of fish. Lots of colorful creatures. A favorite place for young children. As an adult and only curious, it was too pricey.

Took the 3 year old for the Evening [4:30-7:00PM] experience. Took about 2 hours to make to thru all of the exhibits and touch the animals/plants. Not too crowed on a Sunday Afternoon.

This was one of the nicest Aquariums we've visited. Multi-level, it just kept going and going! we loved it. my gf loves Sloths, we've never seen one before, we happened to be there when it was feeding time for the one Sloth! Unreal. Overall, this Aquarium was done very nice. located up at the Scottsdale Boardwalk, definitely a whole Saturday afternoon spent. at the end, you get on this revolving Exhibit ride and it takes you thru several exhibitions with live interaction with the staff for questions/answers. a definite see. Will return.

We heard some chatter in this from several people. While here on a medical visit it was suggested as a place of relaxation.

It was a good visit and many exhibits. My wife was actually hoping to see a sloth. Honey, it was doing what it does best sleep. The other aquatic exhibits were pretty nice.
If you like quietness not the place for you. However, it is a great place for kids and I truly encourage as we seen many happy smiley faces.
It was ok for us but In e was enough. Not saying it was bad but we’ll take it off the list.
You could easily spend 2-4 hours if you’d like.

Absolutely amazing, from the view of the shark tank in the restroom to the exhibits! Our kids, age 5 and 8 loved the sting ray "petting" tank, the penguins and the water table. There were many unique creatures we hadn't seen at an aquarium before.

This is our second visit to OdySea Aquarium. First off, you can save some good money just by getting an online coupon. We typed in “odysea aquarium coupons” in google, and found a few of them. We used the Valpak coupon which saved us $10 per ticket for adult and children. Our tickets for two adults and two children were $99. Yes, it’s expensive even with the coupons, but I think it’s worth it.

All of the exhibits and tanks are very well kept and clean. The educational signage is easy to follow, standardized throughout the aquarium, and very informative. The signs give you the common and scientific names for each species, where they are found, their diet, size and interesting facts.

The regular entrance includes all of the aquariums exhibits. A 3D movie on marine giants is also included, followed by a short talk on sharks. During our visit there were plenty of staff talking about the marine animals in different exhibits, and to answer your questions. There are several tanks in which you are allowed to touch stingrays, starfish, anemones and other animals.

Note that other attractions are available next to the aquarium (Butterfly Wonderland, Pangaea Land of the Dinousaurs, Bodies Revealed) but are not included in the standard aquarium entrance. However, you can buy combo passes.

We loved this aquarium! It was very nice and the animal exhibits were amazing. We would definitely recommend! Fun for the whole family.

I have to say I was truly surprised by the vastness of this beautiful facility compared to to its seemingly modest exterior. Once inside it is packed with underwater amazingness even the washroom in the Aqua lobby has live sharks swimming by an open viewing wall. I loved how interactive Odysea is, there are countless hands on features, numerous life-size replicas of various monster sea life, a great water play area called Kids Cove (make sure you roll up your sleeves) and touch tanks! There are 3 cool areas where you can touch the underwater creatures like the sturgeon pool, the stingray and shark tank and the tide touch pool with bottom feeders like starfish, urchins, mollusks etc. There is also the SeaTrek where you can put on a diving apparatus and take an up close, guided, group tour to swim with the sting rays!
You name the fish, it was there, the underwater tunnel was incredible. You felt like you were strolling along the bottom of the ocean. There was also a cool exhibit called Odysea Voyager with an innovative rotating theater that was fun and educational. You rotate through a fun, guided tour of four areas of live sea life habitats that are not only entertaining and informative, it is a welcome rest after a couple of hours of walki v around. We loved it so much we went back avain a few days later and saw even .ore that we missed the first visit. I definitely recommend checking out the Odysea!
I recommend going after 4:30 pm for the $25 ticket and you even get $10 in "Odysea" dollars to spend inside. There are also 50% off membership deals, a great buy if you live in the area.

It is difficult to choose my favorite interactive feature at Odysea. The staff was gave thorough instructions and explanations. The experience in the underwater tank was thrilling. The interaction with the penguins was amazing. The staff went above and beyond to be sure you had a fantastic overall experience.

Very pricey for what it offers. My family has been a member since the beginning of this aquarium. The price kept going up year by year but the exhibit doesn’t get improved year by year. For a family of 5, annual pass is close to $500 now. And I felt mislead since the price on screen at ticket counter is $50 cheaper than what ticket counter staff asked me to pay for.

It was a great experience definitely recommend it the bathrooms where very neat with the fish tank inside of them

Well...this is the 2nd time I went to Odysea and both times I've come away feeling cheated. It's really expensive to see some fish. I know, that's what you came there for, but seriously...it's nothing special as far as I was concerned. It's got some cool aquariums, but mostly...I was pretty much disappointed. It was a quick walk through for a lot of money. We even brought the grandson and about 10 minutes in he was pretty much bored.

There weren’t any signs that directed us, but we eventually figured out that we didn’t have to stand in line with our digital or printed out combo pass. Find the employee with the scanner and you can miss the long line. Look up to see the fun and creative aquarium light fixtures. Then go directly to the restroom to catch a glimpse of the sharks. Seriously. We didn’t purchase any of the virtual experiences since they were an added cost. Definitely seek out the odyssey adventurer for a seated ride and narrative. The sharks are mesmerizing so don’t miss them. I recommend the combo pass for Butterfly Wonderland and the aquarium. You will exit the aquarium through a gift shop then proceed to Arizona Boardwalk. There are photo opportunities here and space to walk or run around outside.

the best aquarium ive been to, personally. i absolutely love the different animals and being able to look at them. the gift shop was incredible as well.

I expect more for an aquarium. I have visited many of them and this one totally missed the mark. I have never seen an aquarium with a sloth and a toucan. these two animals look miserable, and they did not belong there. There was not that much of a variety of sea life as compared to others I have seen in smaller metro areas,

I visited Odysea Aquarium midday on a weekday. Excellent time to go, not crowded at all, full views of the exhibits to enjoy as long as I wished.

Very clean facility inside and out and in the exhibits. Creatures seemed to be well-maintained and healthy. Interesting and diverse exhibits and very educational (for example, I had never heard of an upside-down jellyfish before). Penguin exhibit was not as fragrant as I've experienced in other zoos (thankfully).

As a scuba diver, the only bonus for my visit would be to have ID information available for all creatures in the exhibit. I enjoyed the lower floor/ocean life (vs. fresh water life on the top floor) a bit more.

I'm on the fence about the rotating exhibit, the Odysea Voyager. 20 minutes in length, rotates thru 4 interesting exhibits. I believe at least the last exhibit is also viewable from outside the theatre. Good for a little seated time after walking around for 90 minutes.

Perhaps because of the time of day, I felt purchasing the admission ticket in advance did not provide any additional benefit as there were no lines to get in and therefore nothing dedicated to admitting advanced-purchase tickets.

While the price may seem expensive, I feel it is worth it. The costs associated with an aquarium of this caliber must be astronomical. Note that discounted tickets as of this writing were available from the website for admission after 4:30pm. If you know you want to spend less than 90 minutes here, that could be an option.

Free and adquate parking. Easily accessible from the freeway.

4 stars is relative to my experience at the Georgia Aquarium, which I enjoyed a tiny bit more.

Would return, although not frequently.

This is a really excellent aquarium. It is easy to navigate, and it has a variety of marine life. Make sure to visit the restrooms which feature a shark tank.

My senior citizen father and I decided to do a day trip up from Tucson to visit this, and were very happy we did so. The directions are very clear and we found it with zero problems.

The lighting can be a bit dark as you walk but the tanks were well-lit. Still, watch out for those kiddy risers in front of some tanks.

I got a kick out of getting to touch a sturgeon, and the 3-D movie was a nice break.

The employees were uniformly cheerful and knowledgeable about the critters; one apologized that the otters were hiding from us.

As for food, go at an off-time for smaller crowds.

We visited Odysea late Feb as a family and had a great time. We got the discounted tickets for the 4:30 on time slot and felt it was a good value for the price we paid. We left just before close so it provides a solid 2+ hours of entertainment.

The virtual reality costs extra but was super cool, my daughter and I loved it. The rotating aquarium theatre near the end was definitely a highlight, it was awesome. Would definitely recommend this attraction for families if you’re in the Scottsdale area.

This place is great for young & older folks too. Sure there's wheel chairs, unlimited photo op's, give yourself time just like if you go to MIM. Lots of parking, plenty of food options & close to other things to see in Scottsdale too. This area has lots going on, & more upcoming too.

Great place for younger children ad well as older children. Very educational and informational. I enjoyed the aquarium as an adult!

Who would have thought of an aquraium in the desert? Someone in Scottsdale did and it is a fantastic idea. Displays of fish, birds, and animals with many explanation displays. A visual delight for all.

Not only if the OdySea Aquarium a fun place to visit but at the location there are lots of other things for the family to do without getting in the traffic. Food on site also.

Our family really enjoyed the aquarium. Lots of sea life and an interesting restroom you may want to check out! It wasn't too crowded and we also took in another attraction in the same complex. Perfect in April!

This was our first visit to Odysea Aquarium and we were blown away. The variety of fish and sea life was magnificent, and since we are primarily photographers, we were delighted with the ready access for photographing the animals. We were there on a week day and it was very busy, but not so busy as to keep us from enjoying it.

There are many smaller aquariums which provide access to very exotic fish, but the tanks were not so small as to make the fish seem cramped. The main tank is large enough to provide plenty of room for the sharks to swim in a mixed sea environment.

In addition to fish, they have tropical birds, otters, penguins, caiman, and other creatures that spend much of their lives in the water.

Our only regret was that we had only allowed 3 hours at the aquarium, but could easily have used another hour or so.

I would recommend going on a weekday since it was even busier during the weekend.

Very cool aquarium. You can use the restroom and see the sharks, which is really cool. The rotating attraction ride was pretty cool. We went in the evening when there was a price break. If we paid full price, I might have been a little disappointed.

Came here for the secobd time (the first time as adults only, this time with our 3 year old) and she really enjoyed all of the interactive features at the aquarium as much as seeing the marine life itself. This aquarium is a fun place for all ages.

The bathroom at the very beginning will blow your mind! I’m not going to write more to keep it a surprise. We came back every trip (we visit yearly) and enjoy it just as much as the first time. The kids (4 and 2) had the best time.

Since this attraction is a commercial, for profit enterprise, I was prepared to be very critical. Usually I don't care for privately owned places that have wildlife. However, this attraction, although quite expensive is definitely low key, educational and perfect for people of all ages. The exhibits are plentiful and it is very easy, even for little ones to view. There is no nickle dimeing here and the price of admission pretty much includes everything you can do. Parking is also plentiful and free. The exhibits include both fresh and salt water fish, a few sea lions and fresh water otters as well as penguins. There is also a very well done pretend submarine ride. We did not try the food, but it looked like the basic fare. A family of four with two medium age kids can expect to pay close to $100 to enter. Deals are available on line if you buy ahead. The facility is very family friendly. Highly recommend it for an indoor Phoenix area activity.

The views of sea life in the aquarium were amazing. Facts of sea life were also amazing to read. Did you know..sharks loose 30,000 teeth in their life time? We hade a wonderful experience. The reaction on my kids faces were breathtaking and heart warming.

My husband and I attended a Valentines event there last night. We had been to an aquarium in Maui and thought this would be fun. We are seniors and are quite mobile but the event was oversold and there was no room to enjoy the music or programs and no place to sit. Food was served buffet style and was absolutely horrible. It was served in an area of the aquarium that had a terrible smell. We even observed people using paper plates several times and no one said a word to them. We had macaroni and cheese and soggy mini tacos which were so tough we threw them out. The line was so long for the "chef's" creation that we never we're able to get it. I was served a very tiny piece of cheesecake but they said they had no forks. The facility was ok but the smell was overwhelming. I will probably have no desire to visit an aquarium again - ever. Total waste of $70 and a very sad event overall. I guess kids might enjoy during the day.

This aquarium is not just gorgeous but, interesting with the layout, which incorporates the rivers of the world. There is also a fun, faux, "undersea" adventure that takes you behind the scenes and is included in the admission. The whole compound is a fun way to spend the day and perfect for children.

We took our grandkids here while visiting and had a fun time. The aquarium is nicely done and can be done in a couple of hours if you do t see the movie. The wait was too long for us so we skipped it. Unless you have a child with long arms they can’t participate in touching the fish as they can’t reach. But the wash stations are well done to wash before and after touching! My recommendation is to go early as it gets very busy mid-day. Also, if you can avoid eating there do. Limited choices and VERY pricey.

This aquarium was all right. They had a few good exhibits (sea lions, octopus, sloth, sea turtles) but presentation was lacking. The information signs could have been much more interesting and I would have liked a more visually appealing experience including brightly coloured fish and coral. The OdySea Voyager (rotating theatre that narrates exhibits) was the best part, but was still lean on interesting information and heavy on cheesy narration. The 3D movie theatre benches filled up with people, only to be casually told it would start “closer to 12” instead of at 11:30 as scheduled. At the touch tank we went to, there were sinks to rinse your hands but no soap or Purell in sight. OdySea cash is not valid at the snack shop. The admission price is exorbitant, especially for kids, but we were able to use our OdySea cash at Johnny Rocket’s for lunch which actually offset the cost quite a bit.

$90 for two people with at least 6 places inside to hit you for photos, extra exhibits, activities and so on. Mid-range aquarium, good for families but the price...

It was a great variety of sea creatures. Cool shark tank in bathroom. Huge alligator. Great for couples or young families. You get to touch sea creatures with no extra money!

Took a group of 14 to the aquarium. Luckily I found a coupon and saved, not a lot, but at least something off the regular price. It is a great attraction, but not worth the steep price. The local Zoo is bigger with much more to do for about $15 per person less. There is an after 4:30 pm special, but that wasn't going to work for us. Take advantage of that! Besides the cost, the aquarium has some nice exhibits. Some were closed due to COVID, which is understandable. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Very knowledgable. You can go through it as fast or slow as you like, but it has a start and end feel to it so feel like you are on a tour instead of walking to wherever like the Zoo. The glass ceiling aquarium is miss leading as well. It only really gives you that feel coming down the escalator. We were under the impression it would be a long tunnel. The aquarium is clean and well maintained. Plenty of hand-sanitizer available. Don't forget to ride the final attraction, pretty cool. Like the Zoo, you exit through the gift shop. I would probably go again with a better discount. If the price isn't an issue, it is awesome!

Fun destination if you like to see what lies beneath. If you like sea life and or a cool place to escape the heat on a hot day, check this aquarium out.

Great exhibits, lots of fish and aquatic life. Highly recommend taking a seat on some of the provided benches along the way and taking in the intricate lives of the animals on display.

It is an amazing experience,in the middle of the desert imagine!!!,excellent staff,firndly and a lot places to eat, highly recommended!!

While this is pricey, the aquarium is a lot of fun. For an extra $5, rent the audio guide. The audio guide provides you with more in depth information. This is a great place to bring kids of any age. It is well laid out, and easy to navigate. There is a food area that is well situated, (although there are also a couple of other restaurants outside of the aquarium.) The restroom on the first floor is different. Make sure you check it out. The rotating exhibit, about 20 minutes in length, is unique. Now, if you have been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, this is not quite on par with that state of the art aquarium; however, this is definitely worth visiting.

My husband, myself, and our 21 month old decided to visit the Odyssea Aquarium in Scottsdale, AZ. I have to say that it was worth every penny! We easily spent close to 4 hours viewing all of the exhibits. The fish are well cared for and the staff is very friendly. Every time we are in the Scottsdale area, we will definitely return!

We went to the Titanic artifact display (Military discount tickets for two $49) and were once again awestruck. The detail, artful displays of actual Titanic debris and artifacts, plus stories of passengers, is simply mind boggling. Recently updated due to new mapping of the wreck is a very detailed model of the bow section as it lies today. Amazing.

Decided last minute to get tickets for after 4:30- half price! SO BUSY but worth it. Tickets booked for 5-7 (close).
Lined up outside to wait for our time to be called. Were let in a few minutes before 5. Took picks on the way in. Hesitated at first, but picks were great! Paid $35 for pics on internet access/not printed.
The aquarium is very similar to our aquarium in Toronto. Ours a bit newer. One thing that was VERY special here was the rotating theater!! At first, walked in, busy and sat at the back. When it was over, we came back and sat in the front. Entry into the theatre every 5 minutes. Session is 20 minutes. The info was so interesting and funny. The sea lions decided to hide while we were sitting in the front but previously very active while we were in the back row. Really no bad seat in the house but better picks in the front area. Loved this exhibit. Great way to end the visit. Worth the half price ticket. I may have been disappointed if we paid full price! My daughter also did the virtual visit with the monkeys. If we had more time, she may have done a second virtual session for just 3 dollars more. $7 for 1, $10 for two sessions.
I’m so glad we came to the aquarium. We come to Scottsdale often. This was a nice family outing and a great way to get out of the heat!!

This is a great place to spend a couple of hours enjoying some cool air conditioning on a hot summer day. It’s cool, clean, has great exhibits and a great Starbucks coffee shop inside. Definitely worth the trip and it’s in a nice part of town. Get the annual pass if you’re a local because you’re sure to go a few times a year.

Somewhat disappointing. The highlight was supposed to be the revolving aquarium. Instead that was the worst experience. No sea lions. Half the views were empty or hidden by a screen. Really? I would be embarrassed to keep it open u Der those conditions. It's a half way decent aquarium especially for little kids but not worth even half of the admission price.

I can see why the admission is expensive as they did put lots of effort to make it a great aquarium in the middle in the middle of the desert. However, most of the designs are for younger kids. For example, the exhibition for the sloth looks like a kindergarten but far from their nature habitats.

We’ve been to a lot of aquariums, but this one has an area focused on river fish and so we saw many fish we’d never seen before. A nice surprise. The voyager carousel ride at the end was also new and different. We enjoyed it very much.

If you want to see many sea life beauties, go to OdySea. We've been there with the grandkids even last month. It's one of thee largest aquariums and if you love sharks...they are there.

Amazing place. Well worth the time to view and please don’t leave without the final attraction.coming from the east coast and Midwest it’s hard to top what might be in the southwest. Well with it. Recommend to go on Groupon to save some $.

This is a great place to visit on a weekday in August. It is cool inside and the place is pretty empty. We had a wonderful time, looked at every exhibit, enjoyed all the extra features (excalator under an aquarium, petting the rays, touching anemone's, etc. The Docents are very helpful and happy to be there.

Admission was $100 for 2 including tax (no discounts for seniors!). There was a sign saying $100 bills not accepted, however, as that was all we had they took it! There was also a credit card charge on top. The foyer is impressive with globes of live fish hanging overhead. A visit to the restrooms is a must, as there is a viewing window into the aquarium and sharks swim inches away from the glass in front of you while you wash your hands! You will not be able to return to this area as the tour is one way.
We found that the lighting for some of the exhibits was too poor to be able to read the information panels. Others exhibits had very small enclosures. On the way there is a touching pool, where you can stroke the rays as they pass. Some want more attention than others. The last section of the tour is the `Voyager´ a rotating viewing room with dialogue on what you see in each section. Unfortunately, the first section was out of sync when we went. A live commentary would have improved the experience as then individual species could have been identified as they swam past.
We went mid-week, so it was not particularly busy. On the whole we felt more could have been made of the exhibits. There were also payable extras including photos with a sloth, parrots, and submerging with rays.

I spent a few hours here on a scorching weekday afternoon. It's a beautiful place and I had a great time marveling at all the exhibits. The rotating theater was very cool, never seen anything like that before! Oh, and there's a sign outside the restrooms that says they've been voted "Best restrooms". I was laughing and thinking how silly that was... Until I walked in and realized there was a shark tank above the sinks!
The price seemed a bit steep, but hey, it's in Scottsdale and it's a tourist thing, so to be expected I guess. I don't regret it! I had a great time!

hot humid and very expensive...won't be back....although the food restaurants were delicious.....we did PIZZA....mmm so good that we've been back again just for pizza....

My husband booked the Sloth Encounter at the OdySea Aquarium for our 1 year wedding anniversary. This anniversary was bitter sweet, as it was also the same month as a year since my Dad passed. Having our wedding shadowed by this lost was hard to say the least. My husband was trying to make the celebration of our wedding special.
We live an hour away, ran into an accident on the freeway. Received a phone call from Odysea at 1:53pm (we were booked for 2pm) told her about accident and that we were 5 min away. She said it was fine and that we had a 10 minute grace period to arrive. After parking, being harassed twice to stop for touristy pics, we made it to the Sloth Experience check in desk at 2:09pm and were turned away. Apparently the 10 minute grace period did not apply to us and even when I argued that it was technically before the 10 minutes we were turned away. A refund was given but it didn’t even matter at that point. The rest of the evening plans were hours away and had nothing to do in the mean time. Plus we were grumpy, hot and sweaty from running across the parking lot.
We had to go to the main front desk to refund the aquarium tickets that you have to purchase even if just going for the Sloths. There we were met with attitude about being late and how we should have read everything when we booked that says to arrive 30-45 min early (it doesn’t say that btw)
We will not rebook, we will not go back.
This experience gave new meaning to the quote, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

I spent a day strolling thru and looking at the attractions. They were very well kept and clean. The staff seemed to genuinely care about the animals they worked with and wanted to provide and educational experience for the visitors. I loved watching the otters! The carousel-thing at the end, when you’re “in a submarine” was very neat! Again, I found it to be educational, but it was also fun to be able to watch the various sea animals swimming right in front of us.

Although a little pricey this is a very good and well laid out aquarium.
A very good thing to do on a hot day.
The lay out flows through the aquarium ensuring you don't miss a thing with good viewing areas of all the exhibits. Staff were all friendly and helpful.
Cafe was a little limited and on the expensive side.

Do not miss the shark tanks at the start in the restrooms.

Went here to spend the day with my husband and my 2 year old. I do believe it is gorgeous and the variety is beautiful. There were some very Interesting sea creatures. The voyager adventure was not all that. You essentially sit in a movie theatre like chair as they spin you through 4 different sea habitats. My two year old was very excited to touch the sturgeon. The ray tank was closed so we didn’t do much with those. Overall a pretty great trip and there’s much to do while in the area. Many attractions.

Great outing with family! Clean, air-conditioned. Be prepared to walk. Displays have great information on animals in each tank, interactive kiosks, animal touch stations and a couple activities for preschoolers too. Our tween had a huge smile

The aquarium is really small, not too much to see, we spent there about an hour. And the price is too high. I won't come back again.

Easy access . Lots of parking . Fair price. Purchase your tickets ahead of time and save time in line. When we first entered they told us to go to the bathrooms at the Entrance first ( even if we didn’t need to ) and for GOOD reason . Y’all there is a big glass viewing window in the BATHROOM ! ( so C👀L )
There is so much to see… I did not take many photos…too busy looking at everything .
Be sure to ride the “ Ocean Voyager “ it’s a narrated roundabout of some of the shark tanks, etc with lots of interesting information being shared .
There is also a STARBUCKS in the middle of all the exhibits that you can get a beverage and a snack and sit and relax for a few minutes.

My daughter and I visited with my daughter’s BFF yesterday. The girls had a wonderful time—they particularly enjoyed the stingrays and “Mighty Mike,” the visiting crocodile (which, at 14 feet long and about 55 years old, is truly impressive). I have an annual membership, which is absolutely worth it—it pays for itself in two visits, and this was my daughter’s and my fourth visit this year. We’ll be back soon!

This is a great place for young children and adults alike. There are interactive areas to keep young ones interested. I love watching the otters.

This was a very fun aquarium!! When we first bought our tickets they said check out the bathrooms before going upstairs. My husband went in the Men's bathroom & I waited outside. He came back & told me go checkout the bathroom & didn't say why. When you first open the door you see a tank with sharks swimming around. To me that's the coolest bathroom EVER! In the area where we bought our tickets & you look up at the ceiling & there are glass balls of light aquariums. Never seen light fictures that are aquriums too. They had a tube aquarium full of Moon Jellies that had lights that changed colors. Very pretty! I also discovered there are such things as river Stingrays that live in Peru,Bolivia & Argentina. I really really love this Aquarium!!!!

Great place to go for all ages. I went there with my daughter- in-law and 4-year-old grandson. We all had a great time. Lots of hands-on activities for children but educational and enjoyable for adults.

Really great attraction! Don’t miss the rotating theater, which has no extra cost. You sit in a theater, and it moves in a circle to four different huge acquariums, each with sea life from different depths of the ocean. A narrator provides educational information about the sea lift in each acquarium. Sharks, sea turtles, paddle fish, jelly fish, and the large octopus were highlights. Neat freshwater section, too. They even had a sloth and penguins, seals, and sea lions. Check for a Groupon. Had a great meal and exceptional service at the Johnny Rockets in the same complex.

My family just went here for a family reunion (10 adults 8 kids (from 6mo to 9yrs)) and it was an enjoyable visit, but we learned a few things!

(1) this place is kind of like Ikea - it's created for you to enter and walk through to the end. We tried to stop halfway and exit to eat lunch and it was very confusing and difficult to get out of the aquarium halfway. Having said that, the aquarium really isn't that large and it's fairly straight forward - you just have to remember that the elevators are at the beginning and end of each floor.

(2) The Voyager show is meant to be part of the "tour", I kept thinking that was a dead end and didn't want to do it (it's about 20 minutes long), I finally figured out I could cut through the stroller parking for the Voyager show to move to the rest of the aquarium.

(3) There are a few attractions you can pay extra for. You buy tickets for those at the Discovery Desk on the 2nd floor. I recommend buying your tickets for those attractions early in the day - we tried to get tickets in the afternoon and they were all sold out.

(4) There is a nursing room at the aquarium! It is a nice room with a rocking chair, changing table, Boppy pillow, rug, and toys for your other children to play with while you nurse the baby. It also has a bathroom and a sink! The catch is that you have to ask at the Discovery Desk to gain access. An employee will escort you to the room. But it's totally worth it. I used it twice while I was there. Even though there are plenty of places to sit throughout the aquarium, it was nice to have a quiet place and a rocking chair. I've posted pics of the room.

(5) we also used Groupon to get tickets, and the printoff from that isn't actually a ticket, you still have to go to the ticket window to print your tickets and vouchers.

Overall we had an enjoyable time seeing some really neat creatures. The kids loved it and there was lots to look at!

Rather ordinary experience when compared to many other aquariums we have visited. Certainly was a pleasant enough experience just less than overwhelming

Not too many 3D portals to view into tanks. They do have some penguins, but hard to view them well. Very limited in tunnels or coves to view the sea life. Some reptiles, birds and a random sloth are caged.

This is a smaller aquarium than one you might see in Chicago or another large city but it is definitely worth a visit. Young people and children especially will enjoy it.

This place is AMAZING!! There are so many different kinds of fish, that you normally don't see. At the end you go on a little 15-20 minute ride that gives you some interesting information. It was expensive, but after the time we spent, well worth it. There are about 7 other things you can do there also, along with shopping and eating. We spent about 4 hours with everything we did, which was the Odysea, eating and then looking at a couple of shops and getting some ice cream.

We were so looking forward to the day at the aquarium...but.... we were disappointed. Some exhibits were empty, some tanks were so dirty you couldn't see the fish or the glass was so dirty you couldn't see through. The price for the aquarium alone was way too expensive for what you saw. On a positive note, the Voyager rotating theater was a real highlight.

Very overpriced at $50 per person. Took 90 minutes to go thru & we usually are very slow in going thru museums, zoos etc. One of the exhibits was closed.

Nothing to eat unless you like overpriced Starbucks

I had a friend visiting and she loves aquariums and so we went even when we saw the sticker shocking price of $40 to enter. I wasn't expecting much given it is an aquarium in the desert and let's face it we are far from the ocean and most rivers but it was pretty amazing. The exhibits were nicely done and clean and there was a good variety of ocean and river creatures. There is everything from crocodiles to sharks to otters to sloths there. Many of the exhibits seemed small so I hope this is only where some of the creatures stay during operating hours. There is also a cool carousel ride that takes you through 4 tanks of cool things.

The do offer discounts if you go after 4:30pm I believe. It is only $25 but they close at 6:00pm.

Perfect size for exploring with a four year old and an infant in a stroller. We spent about 2 hours in the aquarium and we really enjoyed the rotating exhibit.

We bought tickets ahead, which was way smart on our part after seeing the crowds lined up. However once inside, there were so many schools visiting we couldn't get our grandchildren to the windows to see anything, let alone read ginformation. Was told "It is spring break" thus so busy, but the amount of people in the area was dangerous and exhausting. Could not hear anything the staff was trying to say as noise level was so high. If it had been less crowded, it would of been a better experience. We went at 10AM, planning to spend most the day. Given the cost and lack of quality experience, we would not recommend this attraction during March.

We had so much fun. Lots of things to interact with and keep the kids entertained. It was not over crowded allowing us to get up close to the exhibits and spend time where we wanted. Our 6 yo really enjoyed himself! We also did the back shark tour. Very nice! The Alligator is huge!

The Sea Trek at The OdySea Acquarium in Scottsdale, AZ was one of my best life experiences. Great staff.

For four adults and a 2-year-old, I spent $180 without buying food. The trip starts with the shark display in the bathroom. I am not joking. The aquarium was decent; but should have been $40-$60 maximum.

We ordered tickets online ahead of time but would not have visited if we knew it was going to be so crowded. Tons of parking for many activity centers. Great place for families. We did not feel we received the value of the cost of the tickets. On the website it stated masks were required but only a small percentage actually wore them...not even the staff were wearing masks.

Our extended family had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day visit to OdySea Aquarium. The place is beautifully done with many interesting exhibits of fish and sea and river life. We highly recommend this place, especially if you have younger children.

This is a fun aquarium that my 10 and 13 years old boys really enjoyed. My younger son loves penguins and was not disappointed with the penguin display. They both enjoyed some of the hands on activities. We all enjoyed the unique, rotating display and 3D whale movie. Nice gift shop.

Great way to spend a morning with kids. They particularly enjoy the sharks and watching the feedings.

We came here on a Wednesday afternoon and pretty much had the whole place to ourselves.. we took our time at each exhibit and loved it. There are several spots where you can get interactive with things and touch things I’ve never been able to touch before... staff was very friendly and helpful.. make sure you check out the bathroom at the front. We spent 3 hours in there and loved every minute of it. The only issue I had was that it was pretty expensive for four of us and that was even with a group-on discount.. there butterfly exhibit next door is pretty cool and it’s in a nice entertainment complex. Would definitely recommmed it to everyone!!

The odyssey aquarium was great but the Pangaea dinosaur grill was a bad experience. They charged me $113.00 + for a meal that we cancelled on my credit card (because we waited over 35 minutes for the food and would have waited another 35+ minutes for our food for a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes) I cancelled with the girl, she said we would get a refund on my card but it never happened. I paid $113.00+ for a meal my family never received (I saw it on my credit card statement a month later) The service is terrible we only had 2 hours there do we want to wait 1 hour for food - no. The manager I spoke to pretty much accused me of being a liar when I talked to him. Have a lot of fun at the Odysea aquarium but steer clear of the Pangaea dinosaur grill, it is a horrible experience unless you like waiting for your food for hours. The service is terrible

I was underwhelmed. There are cool things about this aquarium. The rotating aquarium was so much fun for my 4 year old. The bathroom by the entrance is so cool! It was not worth the price. The stingray touch pool is not set up for littles. I’d say if your child is under 6 don’t bother. There is no where to see the sea lions above ground. You only see them in the rotating aquarium. It only took our family of 4 not even 2 hours to see everything.

My Husband and I just went here this past weekend and had a blast! We purchased tickets for after 4:30pm for a great deal! We only visited the Aquarium and spent all 2.5 hours just exploring that before they closed! We were saying we could easily spend a whole day here exploring all the exhibits and things this place has to offer! Looking forward to bringing our kids along when they're a bit older!

This aquarium is less than 3 years old and incorporates all of the contemporary museum design concepts. An extenaive collection of fish are displayed in large, well-lit tanks. There are many staff available to answer questions. There are videos and hands-on displays, such as being able to pet fish and water life. Included in your admission is a 3D-ish movie and a "submarine" adventure ride worthy of Disney. If you want to learn more about a wide variety fish, excellently presented, this is your place.

I must be a really cheap skate at 65 years old. I really give things a Bad review. I will tell you that the price for this venue is outrageous. Even with the senior discount or military discount you could still $40 a person there is an official in the world that I need to see for $80 unfortunately as clean as the place was there is not enough here to warrant $40 a ticket. Then you get inside and they charge you extra for everything two dollars here two dollars there adds up ridiculous

We took our granddaughters 10 & 7. It was great, lots to see and several places to learn things and touch things. My favorite was the room that rotates and the shark bathroom. I purchased online and did the add on of the Butterfly place, the rides (not really worth the $10 each) and aqua massage for my husband and I which we both enjoyed.

This aquarium is a bit expensive but the facilities were cool and very open. I went here on a date and had a very pleasant time. The OdySea Voyager was quite cool to experience. Otherwise, it's a nice aquarium in a location with other things to do nearby and places to eat at afterwards.

I loved this place. My friend and I spent a couple hours in the adjoining Butterfly Wonderland then walked into this aquarium. I didn't have time for all of it BUT what I did see was very peaceful and happy. The sharks and stingray were swimming around in lovely circles and one of the rays kept acting like she wanted to make friends! She really wanted food but it was still very sweet. Because of the spines, it's not a touch pool but thrilling nonetheless. You should go.

This is a good aquarium if you are only going to go maybe once or twice in a year. If you are just visiting Arizona it's certainly neat but a little overpriced as far as aquariums are good.

I have been here many times as my family had a membership for a year and we would go at least twice a week. After a few visits it becomes clear that its a very small aquarium with only a few exhibits. The layout is annoying as its disigned so you are just shuttled through instead of letting you wander.

The most annoying thing about it as far as the membership is concerned is you can't bring any guests with you which is a fairly common practice at other ones. Pretty much every other aquarium I have been to in the US is better than this one. That being said its the best one in the US.

Really an amazing aquarium for being in the middle of the desert. Well laid out, interesting selection of sea creatures and displays. Great way to spend the day with the family.

We did not allocate nearly enough time here. It is interesting, well done, and entertaining, all at once. Expensive, but very worth it. We will return next time we visit Arizona..

Great place to visit went there with a friend from out of town and spent hours there, place is huge didn't get to see everything cause of the time we were there but was great petting all the fish and stingrays, will have to go back again and this time hopefully see all the attrications. And not badly priced either

The Moment I entered, I was suptized at how great everything looked. It has been one of my favorite aquarium experiences. The staff were all knowledgable and friendly, and it was nice having the $10 off coupons for lunch afterward. The water table was really fun. I really liked how they taught about the animals and the dangers posed by humans and what they are doing to help.

I would have left a five star review exept for the last moment which left a pretty sour taste in my mouth. I have gotten used to the fact that photos can be expensive, but what bothered me most was that they printed out everyone's photos regardless of wether they were going to buy them or not. This bothered me for two reasons: first this meant that if someone bought their picture, they were paying for their own and for the ones that people diddn't buy. second, it seemed hipocritical that they were talking about protecting the environment so much, but they printed hundreds of photos that would go to waste since they printed about 5 photos for every guest before they could say no.

This was very well done and informative! Our family including a toddler really e joyed our visit. We look forward to visiting again and doing the other activities.

Enjoyed the aquarium with my young grandchildren (ages 2 and 4.) We really liked the ability to touch the animals.

It is a great effort to build an aquarium in Arizona. It's a pretty neat place. The place is pretty large and lots of different types of fish. It is not really map friendly. There were no signs posted for events. We were looking for a specific event and there was no signs for it and we had to keep asking people. It turned out we had to wait infront of a tank where there was only two benches. Prices are a bit high though I feel like. I've been to nicer and bigger aquarium for cheaper.

We visit zoos and aquariums all over the world. A lot of places have good displays, impressive tanks and so forth. This one does too. What sets this one apart is the feeling that the animals are actually happy. During the penguin encounter, the trainers demonstrate what each individual penguin enjoys, and they only let you interact with the penguins who actually enjoy that. They then teach you what their favorite toys are and how to play with them. The whole thing was very respectful of the animals, and you can tell they really love them.

We then took the Seatrek Diving tour, where you put on a wetsuit and a large, heavy breather helmet, and you walk around on the floor of one of the bigger tanks, surrounded by rays and all kinds of fish. I was apprehensive at first, worried that all the people would stress them out. But they really seemed excited, not stressed. The fish came over and rubbed against us, the rays frolicked around in the air bubbles escaping from my helmet, and I never felt like this caused any harm to the animals. They even make you shower before you get in the tank, to rinse off any oils and such which might be harmful to the animal.

Overall, I feel this place has found a good balance between interactivity and concern for the animals. If you have to choose what to do in Arizona, and you can afford the price for some of the extra activities, I definitely encourage you to go here.

I enjoyed this place so much I bought a yearly membership. As soon as you get there use the restroom.. even if you don't need to. It sets the mood for the rest of your visit. The attractions are spaced out so there is plenty of room even on a busy day. Otters and penguins are always favorites. Very child friendly. Pay for the extra $10 for the shark or turtle behind the scenes tour. Best $10 you may ever spend. Enjoy!

This aquarium had tons of animals. It was set up nice and lots of space. The regular price is a little high. But if you go after 4 it goes down to 25 dollars. The last part of the aquarium is the best part so make sure you leave time for it.

This is our second time here, the kids seeing big fish. There is a variety of sea life here. The price isnt to bad. A nice family day out. We all enjoyed it very much.

The aquarium itself is to die for. In the restrooms there are sharks. My favorite part was the penguins and the encounters

This aquarium has some of the nicer looking exhibits of the many aquariums I have been too, however it is also the most expensive aquarium I have been to outside of Seaworld. I think it is barely worth the expensive price tag compared to other aquariums so make sure to buy the groupon online the day before instead of paying day of to get the most value, or go after 430pm. Their penguins were far more playful than other aquariums. They have a touch tank for rays which is fun for everyone!

I was very impressed with the facility for a number of reasons. It is larger than I expected, given its location in the Mojave desert. The variety of marine life is very impressive and the information available about the habitats and creatures housed there was really excellent. We had a 7 year old with us and she loved the various touch tanks and opportunities to watch the feeding of the sting rays. I really appreciated the staff members that were stationed around the facility at varying locations and were giving out loads of information about the various fish, otters etc and were answering questions. All in all, a great place to visit.

We really enjoyed the aquarium with all the different animals and took our time reading about them. There is interaction for kids

Very surprising! Took youngest teen one night got the $25 after 4:30 ticket. NO crowds at all and had plenty of time to see everything in the aquarium.

We went on a rainy day. It took about 1.5 hours to explore the aquarium at a good pace. Like other reviews, the price is totally out of line for what you receive. At $40 per adult ticket you notice how outdated the facility and underwhelming the experience is. We have been to many aquariums, and this experience is sub par. I would only recommend this experience if you have younger kids (ages 10 and younger), since most of the activities are geared towards younger ones.

I enjoy the aquarium very much. Bought an annual pass, if you visit twice in a year you're ahead. The kids and their families were enjoying foam day outside. The aquarium is set up well and offers much to see and learn. Staff is knowledgeable and willing to talk.

Pick up a schedule and go to the talks and presentations. The Asian otters are noisy and fun, the giant octopus is interesting, and the penguins are photogenic. The aisles are big and spread out so I feel it would be good for strollers and little kids, as there's a lot of room to move around. The Great Barrier Reef tunnel, and the Odyssey Voyager is just OK. I liked the aquariums in Boston, Monterey, and the San Francisco science museum better. I was by myself with time to kill, and I spent about three hours here. I enjoyed it all. I thought $39.95 was a bit much.

Not a huge aquarium by any means but very well done. Staff very engaging and friendly. Probably the coolest exhibit is a ride that is a circular Theater as you rotate see four different exhibits. Very well done

Fist time there visiting Arizona and it was super fun! Go into the bathroom, no bathroom like it! Used Groupon add and saved us a few $$

My wife refused to visit this Aquarium until they removed the dolphin petting pools. They have been gone some time. We have visited other Aquariums around the country. While this is not the largest it is the most unique in layout. I will not spoil the surprise in this review. Any visitor will find it is totally ADA accessible and they offer free wheelchairs and strollers. They offer some side tours for an additional cost over admission. One we took was the upclose penguin's encounter that my daughter loved. The exhibits are nicely laid out and about midway, we found a huge restaurant inside the acquarium. We loved our visit.

It's hard to resist visiting an aquarium, especially one located where you might least expect it -- in a desert. We enjoyed our visit. There were plenty of opportunities to interact with sea life, such as petting the stingrays. There were ongoing programs (we saw the ones on the sharks, sea otters, and sharks). There was a full-screen 'theater,' which covered various statistics and efforts to protect sea wildlife. The exhibits are well kept up, and the plaques describing the different sea life on display were very informative. We were in time to experience the 'submarine dive' -- a seating arrangement that moves clockwise and stops at four or five stations where the narrative helps 'riders' learn about the sea life on display in the windows. Many of the previous reviews raved about the bathrooms, and in fact, the young man at the ticket counter say, "Be sure to stop in the restrooms. You have to go even if you don't have to go." Cute. Yes, I went although I didn't have to go (ha-ha) to see that the wall above the sinks in the ladies room was a window into the aquarium, and there were plenty of fish and sharks swimming past. When we visit aquariums and zoos, it's important to us that the place is not just a tourist attraction, that the place is well cared for, and that the animals seem content and happy. OdySea met our criteria!

The events of the day were certainly pricey, and the aquarium itself was just okay. The staff ranged from awesome and enthusiastic to outright patronizing. The sharks in the bathroom were pretty cool, but the highlight of the trip (which we paid extra for and THIS was with EVERY PENNY,) was the penguin encounter.

It ended up being just me and my husband for the encounter so we got a lot of up-close and personal time with the S. African penguins. This was my birthday present to myself as I am a penguin fanatic. I got to PET AND PLAY WITH PENGUINS AND IT WAS MAGICAL! I am not exaggerating when I say I cried on the way back to the hotel of sheer joy of being so up close to my favorite animal. All the staff for the penguin encounter were amazing, sweet and informative. If you get the opportunity, this encounter is absolutely incredible!

As a tip, if you do this encounter it is $20 per printed photo or $40 for the USB drive (our drive contained 188 photos) so to me that is a no-brainer.

Horrible experience! Tickets are almost $60 each but they don’t take $100 bills and charge you surcharges to use a credit which is illegal btw in the manner in which they are charging it. So they are forcing you to pay this extra fee - pretty ridiculous and only something you would see in the Indian reservation

The price of admission is expensive but it's one of the nicest and most interesting aquariums that I've been to. The displays are very well done and there are neat extras like the 3D movie and 360 aquarium tour.

It was just ok- a little expensive for what you really get! Plus, a lot of the attractions are an additional charge!

Nice aquarium. A lot of variety. Keeps kids interested. The nursing room is very nice and has enough room and things if you need to bring older kids in with you.

Have been to several aquariums and thought I would check this one out. They are all different. This one for a regular admission was quite expensive, but with discount, I cannot complain. It was good for children and interesting for adults. Personally I think it is a good place to visit and I would definitely recommend it. One glitch, waited to see the staff work with Mighty Mike the 800 lbs beast and no one showed at the time the presentation was to start and waited 7 more minutes then left. Other staff I asked about it just made excuses for those that did not show. Oh well.

I read the other reviews and we visited at 4:30 for the reduced price. Thank goodness because there’s plenty of time to see everything and save some money. The added bonus is the coupons they give you which we used for dinner at Johnny Rockets and paid $8 for a family of four.

The exhibits were okay and we went back the next day to do the Sea Trek underwater walk. This was Awesome and worth the $60 pp charge. There was a little confusion when we arrived but the manager, Kim, took care of everything for us and threw in an extra bonus. Thanks, Kim! You made our visit memorable and earned the extra star.

We booked the Sea Trek experience as it included an opportunity to be in the water with Rays and Sharks. The experience is well organised and the care given prior to going underwater and during the dive is outstanding. Highly recommended!

We went over the Thanksgiving weekend and we had lots of fun. It was a big group of us, including adults and children. There was an employee at every station ready to inform us about whatever was in front of us. We got to touch stingrays, starfish, and it was very nice! They had mermaids there for the weekend and it was the best. My daughter loved it. They had free facepainting and hairdos, plus pictures with them. They had performances by mermaids and Santa which was very cool. This is the best I have ever been to. Definitely recommend!!!

AMAZING! Best aquarium I’ve ever visited. They have some fish there I have never seen before. Don’t skip the rotating aquarium ride. The exhibits are kind of spread out and on different levels so check your map to make sure you don’t miss anything. Be prepared to spend a couple hours if you can. I wish I’d had longer. Tanks were clean and the critters all looked healthy and well cared for.

Visited the aquarium on a hot Scottsdale day while here on vacation. Very clean, cool and comfortable. Enjoyed walking through at my own pace and taking everything in. Appreciated their dedication to conservation and educating us all in our role in protecting our sealife. Lots of great exhibits, loved the sea lions, turtles, sharks and sea horses. Not all creatures had info on where they were from but other than that info provided on the tanks was very interesting

Family and I enjoyed the day and had a great time, lots to see and do. Experience was great,prices are a bit much unfortunately.

Was pleasantly surprised to find this aquarium in the middle of the desert. Upper level has an emphasis on rivers/fresh water fish/animals. Lower level was more salt water creatures. Took the 4:30PM evening admission due to less price and the ability to see everything in the 2.5 hours until closing at 7PM

I've been to many aquariums around the country with some better and some worse. This aquarium comes in alongside the La Jolla, CA Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Staff is very friendly and helpful. The exhibits are excellent and very well maintained. If you come in after 4:30pm, the tickets drop in price to $25. When you go through the exhibits, you can see a lot of effort and investment has been put into this facility with 6000+ animals.

The aquarium is standard however the world's only revolving aquarium exhibit is something else. It is very interesting and informative. Sort of like what Jurassic park was going to be like. Even the restrooms have viewing windows into the shark habitat. The place is a bit long in the tooth as are all zoos in the US. They just don't have the funds to keep them fresh and modern.

This is a diverse aquarium with a large variety of colorful and diverse fish to view up close. There are 2 tanks where visitors are allowed to touch stingrays, anemones, and others. From sharks to otters, penguins, coral, seemingly unreal jelly fish, and a vibrantly colorful toucan, there's something of interest for everyone. There's even an escalator that descends from the 2nd to the 1st floor underneath a huge tank as fish silently swim overhead! Staff are readily available to answer questions and conduct brief informational presentations as visitors gather by displays. Definitely worth a visit!

So we go into the aquarium and go right to the bathrooms. How do you win best bathrooms - well you have a wall of glass into a shark tank is how. This is a solid 3 hours, and longer if you want to do a dive. The aquarium is lots of fun for all ages. And there are some really cool features - like the revolving submarine. This is a place to take your time - we had a very modest crowd the day we were there. We watched all the movies and tried to do everything. Yes it is pricey but well worth the money because we had the time to really enjoy the aquarium.

Super place. Very well laid out, tons of stuff to see. Highly recommend. Excellent for adults and kids

Yes, a cool place to be, especially during the beastly hot weather in summer in Phoenix. There were many small exhibits of fish in tanks with facts about each fish like size, habitats, whether endangered, oddities, etc. I am a nature nerd read every word but you could totally enjoy just looking.
Great staff, helped us quickly with lost tickets, then later describing the otters and the paranahs.
Like others have noted, there is a reduced rate in the late afternoon and we took advantage of that.

Not a fan of this business - was dirty & rundown; won't be back. Much better places to spend your $$$.

For an aquarium in the middle of the desert, it's not bad. But it's rather pricy given the limited number of displays, and there weren't really any that wowed me. However, if you've not had the opportunity to go to, say, the New England Aquarium or Aquarium de Quebec, let alone something like the Oceanário de Lisboa, you'll find this worth your while. And the kids around us all seemed to love it.

Family came from out of state and it was sooo hot outside that we decided to go to OdySea. We had a baby (11 m old) and he was enthralled with all the displays. There was quite a number of people in the facility at the time but we never felt squeezed in or delayed by others. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Only issue we had was when we waited to buy tickets. There were 5-6 windows but only 1 person / 1 window open. Many people were waiting so it would have been better to have more staff selling tickets

Impressive aquarium with many many tanks of sea life. Staff are super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
When we checked in the staff member told us our first stop should be the restroom. She said she knew this was a weird request but to trust her. We both walked over to our respective rooms and entered. So that there is no spoiler alert, I am just going to say WOW!
It was a great recommendation for sure!
We took the escalator up to all the viewing tanks. They have fresh, brackish and salt water tanks. You could touch the sturgeons with clean hands. Their skin is soft and silky. Turtles bobbed in the water. The small caymans always appeared to be smiling at you. Dangerous piranha with their razor sharp teeth swam lazily. A Green moray eel aerated while large groupers starred at you. An electric eel slithered through the water. The penguins were all up on land. I would have loved seeing them jet through the waters like little bullets. The paddlefish were very interesting as they swam with their mouths open to feed. The bat fish scooted about in the sand with the fins looking like feet.
We are certified PADI divers and recognized
Many of the tropical breeds. Small false clown fish, jellyfish, napoleon wrasse, surgeon fish, puffers, eels & turtles.
The sharks were large and menacing looking. It was nice to see them so close.
There was an electric violin player that was quite talented.
An open bar was available for the thirsty ones.
There is a nice gift shop at the end of the tour.
In addition there are a host of other separate shop fronts on the premises. Signage is clear.
Free parking outside. Highly recommend.

We took our teenagers here on a warm day looking for something fun to do indoors. We all enjoyed our visit, which is not easy to find when your kids get older! Many places make you pay extra for everything, but we were pleased to discover almost everything here is included with admission price! Highly recommend the Touch pool areas - manta rays, sea anemones and starfish, all included for free! The Odyssey guided tour at the end is educational, entertaining and well worth the 20 minutes (and Free!!) We plan to come back in the winter to enjoy the restaurants and outdoor areas too.

Well worth the entrance fee. Informative and entertaining. This is a huge place so be sure to see it all. Even look up upon entering-there are aquarium balls above you.

The boys and I (13, 11) spent approximately 2.5 hours here. We've been to many aquariums, this was one of our favorites. They had a lot of good exhibits here, and the Voyager"ride" towards the end where your seats spin around to several different aquariums with the narration was pretty neat. The bathrooms at the entrance were really cool with the aquarium inside of them. COVID guidelines were being met; the floors and everything were clearly labeled. For the most part, visitors were being good about keeping their distance, we didn't have any issues with that. The only issue that we had with our visit was that there were not very many hand sanitizers, and the ones they did have all appeared to be empty.

We went with grandkids here and they loved all of the fish as well as the chance to touch a stingray, anemone, and lots of other options. The place was very informative. The moving aquarium is not to be missed. Lots to see here!

I want to be fair with this review. I understand that the expense to stock and maintain a facility such as this must be tremendous. But $50 a shot is rather expensive. I was solo on this outing, but when I would see families of 5 I would wonder how they could afford it. The tanks were very good in terms of what they contained, although some of the glass in the tanks was quite dirty, which affected my ability to take a few photos. Actually touching a few rays was quite exciting and interesting. To put it simply, this is a good aquarium, but I've visited better. I'll do it once...but not a second time.