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Location
Visitor tip
Don't lift the curtains on the new octopus tank - the animal is acclimating, and interrupting this process can stress it. Observe from the designated viewing area instead.
Visitor tip
Attend Touchpool Talks on Saturdays at 11 a.m. for guided interactions with touch tank creatures like sea cucumbers, urchins, and sea stars. Friendly volunteers are available to answer questions and enhance the educational experience.
Visitor tip
The touch tanks and hands-on stations are excellent for all ages, from little kids through teens. Even older children enjoy the interactive wave makers, marine skeleton displays, and hands-on learning stations.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Science Center
- Highlights
- Touch tanks, marine skeleton collection, interactive vessel simulator, tidepool exploration
- Admission
- $5 per person (ages 5+)
- Hours
- Thursday-Monday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (regular season)
What visitors say
Small history and hands on science center, a few aquarium tanks (some missing their fish). Hands on Tsunami workstations, good gift shop, restrooms. $5 in February of '26, good rest stop along pacific coast highway along the…
Great price! Lots of cool stuff to do for little kids. Very educational
Such a fun little place to visit! Our kids are teens now but we figured we would stop in anyway to check it out. There are lots of little kids but it was still a lot of fun for all of us! We really enjoyed the wave makers, touch tanks,…
From 719 Google reviews
Did You Know?
- Features an OctoCam exhibit with a new octopus tank that requires visitor restraint to avoid interrupting the acclimation process, indicating active marine animal care and research operations
- Houses a comprehensive Marine Mammal Skeleton Collection including specimens from California Sea Lion, Gray Whale Calf, Harbor Porpoise, Northern Elephant Seal, Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, and Sperm Whale Calf
- Offers hands-on educational programs including Squid Dissection, Rocky Intertidal Ecology, Estuary Investigations, Plankton Lab, and ROV Design Challenge, indicating advanced STEM curriculum integration
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