Santa Monica Pier Aquarium Guide

Located within the Santa Monica Bay, Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is established below the famous Santa Monica Pier Carousel in western Los Angeles. It serves as the public marine-education center operated by Heal the Bay and home to more than 100 species of marine animals and plants of the Bay.

Family visit is encouraged strongly for the aquarium has developed into a family-friendly facility through decades. Here children can get a close look at the spiky sea urchin, touch a knobby sea star and observe the plankton under a microscope. Meaningful educational programs and events are dedicated to marine conservation. A number of hands-on and marine-related explorations will help you and your kids get the fullest enjoyment in the aquarium.

Now are you ready for a refreshing experience? Before your visit, please allow us to provide you with a fine tour guide. Your tour to Santa Monica Pier Aquarium can never be easier!

Google Map for Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=1600+Ocean+Front+Walk,+Santa+Monica

What are the opening hours of Santa Monica Pier Aquarium? The aquarium is opened to the public Tuesday through Sunday, closed on Monday and national holidays, like New Years Day, Christmas Day, Veterans Day and President Day. You can find the latest scheduled closures on the website of Santa Monica Pier Aquarium:

Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

http://www.healthebay.org/santa-monica-pier-aquarium

During the summer days, the aquarium is operated from 12:30 pm to 6 pm on weekends, and 2 pm to 6 pm on Tuesday to Friday. When it comes to the winter days, the aquarium opens at 12: 30 pm to 5 pm on weekends and 2 pm to 5 pm for weekdays except Monday.

You may be eager to know the admission pricing now. Well, we should admit its pricing is quite reasonable, which makes the aquarium more popular among other attractions at the Santa Monica Pier area. Free admission is available to kids under 12 years old. The entry fees for adult and children over 12 are $3 minimum, and $5 per person for a suggested donation. Groups of 10 and more persons can enjoy the low pricing of $2 per. To make group reservation, please call 310-393-6149.

Is there any way to save on the admission? You have come to the point. Besides group tours, you can get savings by membership or with a Go Los Angeles Card.

- Becoming a member of Heal the Bay, you can enjoy free admission to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, plus many other benefits like monthly Beach Report Card, discounts and special offers. A basic membership purchase is of $35 while a student membership just needs $15.

Members of Heal the Bay

https://www.healthebay.org/secure/become-member-join-now

- Go Los Angeles Card offers the holders free admission to over 40 attractions in Los Angeles. This card includes 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 5-day and one-week options, and it is valid for two weeks from your first use day. Card holders can enjoy free admission and the guests can save up to 50% off the tickets. To know more about this mart pass card, please click:

Go Los Angeles Card Information

http://www.smartdestinations.com/los-angeles-attractions-and-tours/_d_Lax-p1.html?pass=Lax_Prod_Go

Then how to get to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium? This attraction is located at 1600 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, just underneath the Santa Monica Pier. After your inspirational tour in the aquarium, you can go out onto the beach or take a ride on the famed Carousel. Los Angeles METRO is willing to serve you. You can take METRO 1, 7, 27 534 and 733 and drop off at Ocean/Colorado stop.

For those planning to drive to the Bay, the driving directions are quite simple, as several highways and freeways meet nearby.

If you are coming from the northwest, stay on Pacific Coast Highway southeast and take exit 1A towards Ocean Ave. Keep left at the fork towards Ocean Ave. Take a left at Ocean Ave and turn left at the first intersection onto Colorado Ave.

If you are coming from the northeast, just stay on the Santa Monica Freeway southwest, pass the Fourth Street, and merge into Pacific Coast Highway. Take the left exit at Santa Monica Pier/Colorado Ave.

If you are coming from the southeast, take Neilson Way northwest and merge into Ocean Ave. Stay on north Ocean Ave and turn left at the intersection of Ocean Ave and Colorado Ave.

Whether parking is easy to locate near Santa Monica Pier Aquarium? Situated within the popular Bay District in Santa Monica County and near the Downtown, Santa Monica Pier has offered a 277-space parking lot at the west end of Colorado Ave - Pier Deck Parking Lot. This lot is operated year round, 7:30 am to 12am Monday through Friday, and 7:30 am to 1 am on weekends. The rates, during October to Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend, are $1 for every half-hour parking on weekdays (maximum $6), and $7 per day on weekends. From Friday before the Memorial Day through September, the parking fees are $7 flat rate on weekdays and $8 on weekends.

Besides Pier Deck Parking Lot, there is another four parking sites located on the two sides of the pier and along the Pacific Coast Hwy and Appian Way. You can turn to them when Pier Deck Parking Lot is occupied.

Parking Lots Map & Information

http://parking.smgov.net/det_beachcentral.html

What are the features of Santa Monica Pier Aquarium? You should never see Santa Monica Pier Aquarium as a common place just for fun and relax. It is a wonderful land to cultivate kids' love to marine animals and boost their sense of water and sea protection. All hands-on activities and educational programs here emphasize the importance to make the coastal areas and the Bay safe and clean.

The highlights include the ever-changing animal exhibits on each Saturday at 3:30pm, Shark Sundays at 3:30 pm of each Sunday, Feeding Time starting 2:30 pm on Tuesday through Friday, free quarterly marine-related lectures, themed weekends activities and celebrations throughout the whole year.

More about Shark Sundays

http://www.healthebay.org/Santa-Monica-Pier-Aquarium/Plan-Your-Visit/weekly-presentations

Special Events

http://www.healthebay.org/Santa-Monica-Pier-Aquarium/Plan-Your-Visit/special-events