My kids and I headed to the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific yesterday. It was crowded–real crowded. We had to waive through the tight, dark corridors lined with big tanks of every kind of sea life.
Summertime weighs heavy on these heavy hitter attractions, I knew that before I got there, so I was prepared for the inevitable crunch of kids, parents, and exhausted grandparents.
I was a little stressed being there with the kids by myself. It was a struggle to keep my eyes on them in the dim light and among all the people pressing their way to the glass. But, there were little moments of wonder that made it all well worth it!
These jellyfish, which I know now are Pacific Sea Nettles, were our favorite part. We stayed in this part of the aquarium for a long time, just watching them spin and dance around. So beautiful.
Ben, my five-year-old, who just minutes before declared he would only be a fish if he could be a shark, now included jelly fish as an option for fishness. “It’s good to have choices,” I agreed with him.
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A friend of mine told me about this online ticket purchase discount.
Also, 10% discount with AAA, which is probably true for most things we do, I just always forget to ask.
Parking is $7, but make sure to have cash ready because you pay before you park.
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We love jellyfish, too. Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas has a beautiful aquarium filled with them. They’re so mesmerizing. Haven’t been to the Long Beach Aquarium yet. Thanks for the discount ticket tips.
Let me know how you like it when you go.
Thanks for sharing such incredible photos Suzanne! I love jellyfish, there is something so magical about them.
They just aren’t as cute as they look in Finding Nemo or Sponge Bob. I wouldn’t want to meet one in the deep blue.
I know. I think that’s what makes the Aquarium so great. You can get a close look at them without any danger of getting hurt.
Dang! I keep looking at this pic and keep seeing more detail and colors. Looks great when enlarged. Great pic!
We live pretty close to the Aquarium and have bought family passes every year since we moved here. The Aquarium staff and volunteers are ALWAYS so nice and helpful. They have always stopped and just talked with my kids about whatever exhibit we were at spending 20- 30 min happily answering questions. If you go after 2 you tend to miss most of the school/camp groups
As an adult I love that the aquarium is indoors and well airconditioned. We spend more time there in the summer than at Disneyland.
It’s been so long since we have been, I’m excited to go again. It was an amazing place. I might wait until after school starts and call it a field trip. Do you remember Marineland? My weekend dad would take us there occasionally, I barely remember it.
Ben’s desire to be a shark or a jelly fish if he lived in the sea prompted a vote in our family. Should Ursula, the Sea Witch from Little Mermaid, cast a spell on us, we would prefer she turn us into dolphins (2 votes) or sea turtles (1 vote).