We are huge fans of the sea and all things about it. I spent a few years living on an island and there will always be a special place in my heart for the ocean. Monster and Lovebug are huge fans of marine life and they can’t get enough when it comes to learning about life under the sea.
It’s been a very long time since I’ve been to the Mystic Aquarium and the kiddos have never been. I was ecstatic when we were given the chance to come down for the day and see all the amazing things that Mystic has to offer. The kids were so excited it was really hard to keep them contained!
When you first enter the aquarium we got to walk through a mock whale skeleton made of recycled materials. Mystic has a fantastic exhibit on conservation and sustainability! I love that they support sustainable practices and conservation throughout the aquarium. It’s a great message for everyone and it can be seen throughout the exhibits! We lucked out and arrived just as they were feeding the Beluga whales! This was Monster’s favorite exhibit. He loves Beluga whales and couldn’t wait to see them up close. The whales were amazing and they swam right up to the glass. It was perfect.
Every exhibit has an “interpreter” that shares fantastic facts about the animals and answers any questions you have. They’re commitment to educating the public is amazing. You can’t go there and not learn about the animals you’re interacting with. I love all the hands on experiences we had while there. I enjoyed touching the sting rays and small sharks. In Exploration Wild, Monster got to touch a baby alligator and he’s still talking about it. He happened to wear an alligator shirt that day so it was perfect.
Mystic really has something for everyone. We spent a long time watching penguins, seals and sea lions. I loved learning the difference between the seal species as well as fun facts about them. We got to see penguins above and below the water which was amazing. The Sea Lion show was a lot of fun! We loved watching them with their trainers. You can find the different feeding and show times on their website and at the information booth.
We spent the most time in the Main Exhibit area. I loved Shark Lagoon. They have four species of sharks swimming around. I loved watching them. When are you ever this close these amazing animals? There is a shark feeding on the weekends (see their site for times). There are so many wonderful exhibits in they Main Exhibit area. Discovery Cove offers little ones a chance to touch local marine life. Lovebug was obsessed with the clown fish exhibit. She spent a crazy amount of time watching all the clown fish and looking for “Nemo” (we also found Dori a few tanks away). I loved seeing her so excited.
Nemo!
Our trip was amazing and I highly recommend visiting Mystic Aquarium this year!
Tips for Your Visit
- A lot of the Aquarium is outside so plan your visit accordingly.
- Go early! Mystic opens at 9am. It didn’t get crowded until after lunch time. We enjoyed having a better view and more personal experiences with the animals.
- You can bring in food but there is a great cafe serving hot and cold food options.
- Plan to spend a full day at the aquarium! It’s well worth it.
I really love aquariums! They make learning about sea creatures fun 🙂 We’re going to have to visit Mystic someday.
This looks like so much fun! We will have to go check it out – my daughter loves sea creatures!
Looks like a fun and educational place to visit with kids. The closest place that we have here is a couple of hours away so we only go once a year.
This sounds like an awesome place to learn about sea life. I loved taking my kids to places like this!
We love to visit aquariums the kids love to see the different exhibits. It can be a fun to spend the day at an aquarium.
I’m so glad you got to visit with the kids at the Aquarium.
If I get to go anywhere with the kids, I’d love to visit one too. They are just amazing!
That looks so fun! We love visiting aquariums. My kids are so fascinated with the sea creatures.
We have an aquarium here and love going to it as often as I can. New exhibits usually once a year.
Mystic Aquarium looks like a fabulous way to spend the day with or without kids. This does look like a really fun way for children to learn about sea life.
I love aquariums and they always have such fond childhood memories for me! What a great place for a family to spend quality time and there is nothing better than seeing the faces of children who have seen underwater animals for the first time!
My kids are so into sea creatures…unfortunately we don’t have an acquarium close by! I can’t wait to take them!
That looks so much fun! I remember going to an aquarium place in Australia when I was a kid, I loved it!
I love aquariums! I grew up at the coast so underwater is so fascinating to me! This looks like a great one!
Mystic Aquarium sounds like an amazing family activity to go to for a day. I know my little niece and nephews would be so excited to see everything there. It is a great place to take them for learning too. Thanks for sharing.
My kids always loved the hands on activities at the aquarium. It’s such a fun way for kids to learn and experience things.
Omg looks like y’all Had a fantastic time! I went to Mystic aquarium when I was a kiddo. Loved it!
This looks like such fun! Its been quite some time since I’ve been to an aquarium!
it looks like you had a lot of fun the last time i was at a aquarium was when i was a kid need to take time to go again
This looks so cool! I’ve always wanted to go to an aquarium.