Spread across a 5-acre site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California, the Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the region’s most consistently popular tourist attractions.
A school of fish behind a glass screen at Aquarium of the Pacific (Photo: Tracie Hall via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
The world’s largest ocean aquarium is home to more than 12,000 species, giving families a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with a dazzling array of exotic marine animals. Among them are giant sea bass, leopard sharks, eels, seals, sea lions, white abalone, and more. If you’re planning a visit to Long Beach and would like to check out the aquarium during your stay, we’ve selected two of the best online resources for finding great value tickets.
The aquarium is open every day of the week from 9am to 6pm. It is located half-a-mile from the Transit Mall in downtown Long Beach, a 10-minute downhill walk from the Blue line and major bus lines. Alternatively, you can take Long Beach Transit’s FREE Passport bus that serves downtown Long Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the Queen Mary. Visitors arriving by car can park in a dedicated facility just steps away on the waterside of Shoreline Drive. The parking fee is $8 for the day with Aquarium validation and can be paid for as you exit the lot with a credit card or at one of the parking kiosks near the elevators.
aRes Travel
aRes Travel are our first pick for booking discount ticket at Aquarium of the Pacific. Headquartered in San Diego, the company are reputable authorised ticket sellers for attractions across the US. You can save money by booking with them instead of paying at the gate, with savings particularly adding up when purchasing multiple-day passes. When we searched for tickets online, we found them available for prices starting at $23. aRes also offer hotel and ticket packages, which combine aquarium tickets with cheap hotel deals, with the company promising this can save you up to 30% on buying each individually.
Viator
One of the world’s biggest ticket selling agency, Viator acts as a third-party, selling tours operated by other companies. They offer tickets and deals for a huge number of attractions across the globe, including general admission tickets for Aquarium of the Pacific. We found skip-the line tickets for the aquarium for rates starting at $37 that lets visitors avoid queues and go straight to the gate with your ticket, pick up your guide book, and start exploring. Tickets give you access to all of the aquarium’s galleries and exhibits.