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Aquarium of the Bay General Admission Ticket

San Francisco, United States

From $29.75

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Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
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Kid-Friendly
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  • 2 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket

Overview

Gain admission to the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco, located at Pier 39 between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Alcatraz ferry landing. A general admission ticket provides direct access to all of the aquarium’s main exhibit areas, which house more than 20,000 sea creatures. Learn what is typically found in San Francisco Bay and the nearby Pacific, including sharks, river otters, and even octopuses. The aquarium features interactive exhibits, as well as walk-through glass tunnels where schools of anchovies and fluorescent jellyfish swim overhead and around you.
  • General admission to the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco
  • Learn about the marine life of San Francisco Bay and its surrounding waters
  • See sharks, jellyfish, and an octopus as you explore 300 feet of glass tunnels
  • Admire colorful fish like orange garibaldi and green eels

What's Included

  • Admission to the Aquarium of the Bay
  • Food and drinks
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Start time

11:00 AM

What To Expect

Located at San Francisco’s ever-popular Pier 39 along the Embarcadero, the Aquarium of the Bay offers an educational look at local sea life.

A general admission ticket gives access to all of the aquarium’s main exhibit areas, all of which focus on the marine life of San Francisco Bay and nearby waters. Together, the exhibits are home to more than 20,000 sea creatures. Stay all day if you wish. The aquarium is yours to explore at your own pace.

Discover the Bay Exhibit: Ever wonder why anchovies swim in schools, or what life is like for a newly hatched skate in San Francisco Bay? Learn answers to questions like these in the Discover the Bay exhibit area, which is also where you find some of the bay’s brightest sea creatures, including green moray eels and California’s state marine fish, the orange garibaldi.

Under the Bay Exhibit: Thousands of marine animals, including octopuses, swim above and around you as you meander along a 300-foot (90-meter) tunnel system of clear glass. See moon jellies and Pacific sea nettles, giant sea bass and colorful starfish, and deepwater fish such as leopard and soupfin sharks.

Aquarium of the Bay

When you arrive at Aquarium of the Bay, located on San Francisco’s bustling Embarcadero (also home to other attractions like Fisherman’s Wharf, the Pier 39 sea lions, Boudin Bakery and the ferries to Alcatraz Island), head inside with your general admission ticket and begin your self-guided exploration of the aquarium. Your admission allows you to visit the aquarium’s main exhibit areas. With a focus on the marine life of San Francisco Bay and its surrounding bodies of water, the Aquarium of the Bay is home to 20,000-plus animals that live in 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) of carefully maintained bay water. Stay at the aquarium as long as you like to learn about sea creatures like jellyfish, octopus, and sharks. Discover the Bay exhibit: See orange garibaldi, green moray eels, colorful rockfish, and other wildlife native to the San Francisco Bay. Learn about how anchovies stick together and avoid predators, and find out how the bay acts as a breeding ground for perch and many other fish. Under the Bay exhibit: Walk through a 300-foot (90-meter) tunnel system of clear glass for a look at the fascinating fish and other sea life in the bay and nearby Pacific waters. See mesmerizing jellyfish, a giant Pacific octopus, graceful rays, sturgeon, and multiple local shark species like sevengill sharks, leopard sharks, soupfin sharks, and spiny dogfish.

Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Free admission for children ages 3 and under
  • Wheelchair and stroller accessible
  • The aquarium is open every day except Christmas Day
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

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Reviews
3.5
225 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 225 reviews
Just the trip and the...
Elissa_N, Feb 2023
Just the trip and the fish overall was amazing although I do wish there was a little more to see I still had a great time and I loved how it was near many shops
Thank you for Great...
Niket_C, Feb 2023
Thank you for Great Experience. We had a great time. I understand you don't allow drinks inside .. but next time can you please say this in nice way :). Front Door guy was little rude.
Very impressed with the...
Leslie_C, Nov 2022
Very impressed with the jellyfish displays, the walk through fish and shark tunnes,. It was more than we expected with three floorsfloors
Sea/wildlife friends
Melanie_Z, Nov 2022
Able to touch the baby sharks, stingray and starfish. Loved the underground fish/shark tank! Very informative about each animal/fish.
Great for babies and toddlers!
Melissa_S, Nov 2022
An affordable family experience. The environments provided for the animals are all close to their natural spaces.
Too expensive.
Richard_P, Nov 2022
Kinda pricey for the size of the aquarium, was expecting a bit more. We had fun anyway. Probably won't go again at that price.
Don’t forget your camera
derrinajohnson, Nov 2022
I read through a bunch of reviews before I went that said that this place was really small. Compared to what? This aquarium is a perfectly situated and exhibit so many different type of water creatures it’s amazing and it’s worth going.
Worth taking time to visit!
Smitty, Aug 2022
Really small, but delivers on verity. Accept what I have noted. Your survey should take what I have Noted as a rating and go from there.
Very satisfying but very unorganized directions inside the building.
Michael_O, Aug 2022
The aquarium it’s self was very satisfying to see. My favorite part was the underwater tunnels and the river otters but the communication between the employees and the customers because nobody knew where to go next. We heard a lot of “Where do we go next?” People wondering what the next part was.
Tunnel was fun and...
Morufu_S, Aug 2022
Tunnel was fun and wonderful experience for my family. All members enjoy their visit , sourvnair were purchased to keep our memories.
Unimpressed
AMBRIEL_B, Jul 2022
It’s is a really small aquarium. Only 2 floors and not a lot of fish or animals. For almost $30 per ticket I was excepting more than a 20 minute tour.
Monster sharks
Sursattie_S, Jul 2022
Watching the fishes, especially the big sharks. We enjoyed it a lot. It was a great experience. We will definitely come back with more friends and family.
Visit to Aquarium Bay
PrasadSubraveti, Jun 2022
Undoubtedly the glass tunnel was a great experience, with sharks moving around you. The sea otters were very active and the touch was also a great experience.
Beautiful Day though, with alot of choice's near this location 😉!
John_C, Jun 2022
Interesting,but too close within movement...also very expensive.The cost for such a walk through was a little much, plus the purchase of Two photos was roughly $90.00...
Fun and informative!
Paula_A, Jun 2022
Such a great experience! Everyone that worked there was friendly and helpful! Made our experience memorable!!!
Not as big as I thought...
Evelyn_S, Jun 2022
Not as big as I thought but still very nice. Tunnels were the highlight of our trip! Wish it had more exhibits.
Nice time
Valarie_W, May 2022
It was nice enjoyed it grandson was amazed at the underground aquarium me too he also enjoyed touching the sting ray
Trip
Manuel_A, May 2022
This is the second time taking my 4 yr old daughter who was very upset do to the fact on the building is a octopus that is know longer thier and we haven’t seen the new one do to it being so small so I believe it will be a while before retuning
The look and smile on my...
Kakada_O, May 2022
The look and smile on my sons face!! Favorite part is the tunnel’s. Wish there was really a whale to see lol
An absolute MUST SEE while in San Francisco
MollyOC_W, May 2022
Could spend hours watching the manta ray, the sharks and jelly fish through glass tunnel. Great picture taking opportunities. A little pricey but so memorable and wasn’t too crowded at 12:30. Watch for time assigned on your voucher.
...

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