Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

I headed out thinking I was going to the same little museum at Cabrillo Beach that I went to as a kid on a field trip. Wrong! The building is still there but it's an office. What is now there in another building is the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and I actually enjoyed it and would recommend it not just for something to do but for the kids.

The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is hardly as big or as pretty as the Long Beach Aquarium but to me it was a more personal experience and not as crowded. You could literally put your nose to the glass and enjoy the different fish and sea life as if they were in a huge aquarium in your house. The plus to visiting this museum is the beach is right there to enjoy so you can really just make a day of it. Another plus is it is there is only a $5.00 donation and parking for the few hours I was there was only about $3.00. For me, someone who enjoys taking pictures, I didn't have to fight or wait to see anything then I got to go outside and take pictures of the beach and birds.




There may not be as many fish as the Long Beach Aquarium but they definitely have a few things the Long Beach Aquarium doesn't have like these beautifully colored sea slugs. Again, the kids there were having a ball and I've never seen so many star fish in my life of all varied colors and sizes.

At scheduled times they open up a section of the aquarium where you and/or the kids can pet the many star fish and anemone. From what I saw, the kids love it. There is also an exploration center.

Long Beach Aquarium

I actually enjoyed the Long Beach Aquarium but wasn't that thrilled that of all the places I've ventured to this was probably the most expensive at about $21.00 for an adult to get in and I believe it was $7.00 for parking. Still, one must consider that these aren't just paintings on a wall or cars on display. These are living animals that need to be cared for, fed and cleaned up after. Let's face it that takes money so what they charge is pretty reasonable.

Fair warning: though adults will enjoy this visit to the Aquarium, each time I've been there it has been riddled with kids. Though I love kids they do have a tendency to push and shove their way into little nooks and crannies to get a view so if your patience is a little thin, don't go until you've nerves are in tact because the adults aren't always much better than the kids. Sometimes you have to wait to get close to the window to get a good view especially if you're taking pictures. For as bad as I'm making this sound, don't mind me. It's actually a great outing and you'll enjoy it.

If you're going with the kids in mind, they will love it and there is a certain joy in watching children get excited as they look, learn and try to pet a live sting ray as it swims in the open tank. Maybe they'll have fun trying to find the rock fish that look more like the other rocks in the tank than an actual fish.


My personal favorites were the jelly fish and the aviary that contained the Lorikeets. For $2 you can buy some nectar and enter the aviary where the beautifully colored little birds will come eat the nectar from the tiny cup you hold. It is a heavily misted aviary so ladies, beware of your curls.