A Fun Day on the Waterfront
Written: Aug 14 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent public transportation, Great underwater views, hands-on exhibits, location, good layout
Cons: crowded on weekends, expensive
The Bottom Line: Go early or during the week and you'll have a good time. Be sure to check out other attractions nearby to complete a fun day.
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| heckonwheels's Full Review: Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific |
Last Sunday our house was a mess. Deep into a kitchen remodeling with debris clogging up the front yard and boxes packed with our belongings stacked around the house, we were depressed and needed to get out.
Thinking of what to do for just a little money, we remembered we had a "buy one, get one free" coupon for the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific sitting in the car. We had yet to see our local aquarium so we decided this was the day.
We jumped in the car and headed down to Long Beach and figured we would have breakfast when we got there.
First, here's a money saving tip for those of you going on a Sunday. The parking meters on Ocean Bl. are free on Sundays. You can catch the free Passport shuttle (B or C line - look for the red buses) at the corner of Pine and Ocean to the aquarium. It takes about 30 seconds to get there. This saves you the $6 parking fee at the aquarium itself. You can also park free at the beach lot adjacent to Shoreline Village on Sundays and catch the Passport shuttle at Shoreline Village.
Also, you don't even need to drive to Long Beach at all. You can catch the Blue Line trolley in downtown Los Angeles (at 7th & Figueroa or transfer from the Red Line subway which leaves from Union Station) and ride it to downtown Long Beach. The free Passport will meet you at the station to take you the rest of the way.
Arriving about 10 in the morning and parked at Pine Square, we could find nothing open for breakfast, so we decided we'd grab a snack at the aquarium and hopped on the Passport.
The line at that time was mercifully short. The bad news for those of you who thought $14.95 was too expensive, the adult admission is now $16.95. Yes, that is expensive and is just on the line of being worth it. The good news for us is we had that coupon. AAA members can also get a measly 10% off. For comparison, Sea World in San Diego (which is much larger and more entertaining) is $41.95 for adults and the San Diego Zoo is $19.50 so you can see the prices are in line with other similar attractions in the area.
The cafeteria is on the second floor and has some good prices for food. A hot dog only set us back $2.50 but the soda was $2.00. Luckily, you can hold on to your cup and get free refills.
Now it was on to see the aquarium. Since we were on the second floor, we stepped outside of the dining room to the seal and sea lion exhibit. These always playful animals are entertaining. We watched a very short feeding demonstration and then moved on.
There is a great sea turtle tank here and a touching pool for stingrays and other critters. Inside, we walked through the Southern California area which had some great wave tanks showing fish that live in the surf. An octopus put on quite a display in his tank and the playful sea otters were another highlight here.
Next, a South Pacific section featured many colorful fish and coral. The highlight here is an underwater tunnel where colorful tropical fish and sharks swim around you.
We head downstairs where we walk though an underwater tunnel under the seal and sea lion tank. This was probably the highlight of the day as these playful creatures dart and zoom around you. An outdoor patio here features a small play area, a picnic area, and a lorikeet habitat that is still under construction.
Back inside, we finish up at the jellyfish area which was very dark and crowded. Much bumping and shoving was going on in here mainly because you couldn't see what was in front of you.
We spent a total of about two hours here, including eating, and pretty much saw everything but didn't do too much in depth. There are stations at each exhibit where volunteers have hands-on touching tanks and many feedings and lecture-style demonstrations. Divers are present in some tanks cleaning rocks and feeding fish.
As we left, we noticed that the crowd had grown about three-fold since we got there and a very long line was outside waiting to buy tickets. The staff says that the weekday crowds are much smaller. I wouldn't want to pay that much to jostle with such a crowd.
It was a lot of fun before the crowds showed up, and thankfully we got out before it got intolerable, but I would think twice about that admission price. On a weekday or early in the morning on a weekend, go for it. Weekends from noon on, it's not worth it.
Near the aquarium there is a lot of other attractions to keep you busy. A short walk will take you to Shoreline Village, a typical New England themed shopping area on the waterfront. The Passport will take you to Pine Square, about 5 blocks away, where there are theaters, restaurants, and nightclubs. The beach is just beyond Shoreline Village (no waves though). You can rent a bike or surrey and take a ride down Long Beach's excellent bike path right on the beach.
The Passport D line on Ocean Bl. will take you to the other end of Long Beach where Belmont Shore's collection of shop, restaurants, and bars will keep you busy. While there, you can also rent a kayak and paddle around Naples Island and navigate the beautiful canals there or take an Italian gondola ride through the same.
The Passport will also take you from the front door of the aquarium to the nearby Queen Mary which is worth another day altogether.
While the Aquarium of the Pacific is not enough for an entire day, it is a fun component of the many attractions Long Beach has to offer.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
heckonwheels
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Location: Los Angeles, CA USA
Reviews written: 77
Trusted by: 14 members
About Me:
Southern California native who travels around the country a lot.
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