Back to top
Home | Family Road Trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Family Road Trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Photo: Monterey Bay Aquarium

One of our favorite family getaways is a visit to the Monterey Peninsula and the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. It's about a three-hour drive from Marin, making it possible as a day trip, but even better as an overnighter or long weekend with the family.

Monterey Bay Aquarium whales

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is widely considered to be one of the best in the world, and we're willing to bet that it is. The exhibits reflect the aquarium's mission to research and educate the public about the biodiversity of Monterey Bay and the California coast, and they're fascinating.

Our favorites exhibits include the 28-foot-high Kelp Forest exhibit, with its sleek leopard sharks, anchovies, and other fish; the playful and cute sea otters; and the spectacular Open Sea exhibit—the aquarium's largest with an amazing 1.2 million-gallon tank—that features denizens of the deeper waters of outer Monterey Bay, including giant bluefin tuna, huge schools of anchovies, sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, and more.

The Open Sea exhibit is one of those things that truly has to be seen to be believed. After viewing graceful and colorful jellies in beautifully lit tanks, you enter a cavernous dark room where giant sea creatures swim by behind a 54-foot-long and 15-foot-high window. To see several hammerhead sharks and 300+ pound bluefin tuna swim past at eye level is truly amazing. It's a place where you can sit for hours and observe, and there are seats and even a balcony where you can do just that.


Photo: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Families won't want to miss the Splash Zone, an educational area on the second level of the Aquarium that features 45 bilingual hands-on exhibits for children of all ages. Check out the Enchanted Kelp Forest exhibit, with its interactive games and cool touching pools, and the Coral Reef Kingdom, which features tropical fish, seahorses, cuttlefish, and eels.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Splash Zone entrance

Other Splash Zone features include a water play area (with waterproof aprons supplied), a special zone for babies and toddlers, and of course the aquarium's famous African black-footed penguins. Make sure you're around for the penguin feedings, which take place every day from 3 to 3:15 pm!

Monterey Bay Aquarium Splash Zone touch table

The aquarium's special exhibitions are always really well designed and fascinating. On view now is Into the Deep, which allows visitors a rare look at the mysterious and wonderful creatures that inhabit the deep sea, including sea angels (pictured below), glowing transparent jellies, giant isopods, and more.

Of course you don't want to miss the playful sea otters (who are fed at 10:30 am, 1:30 and 3:30 pm daily), and make sure you take a moment to head out onto the deck to relax and take in the sweeping views of Monterey Bay. The aquarium has telescopes placed at intervals along the deck railing, many at kid-height, which are perfect for scanning the Bay and looking for wildlife.

Monterey Bay Aquarium deck outdoors view of the bay

Visiting Tips for Families

The Monterey Bay Aquarium can get extremely crowded and busy, especially on weekends, holidays, and during the summer when the crowds of tourists from Cannery Row seem to just pour in. With admission at a relatively steep $59.95 for adults, $44.95 for children 5–12, and $49.95 for youth ages 13–17 and seniors, it's not an inexpensive outing by any stretch of the imagination, and if at all possible you'll want to go when you can spend some quality time there.


Photo: Monterey Bay Aquarium

We've found that visiting during the off season makes things much more manageable and enjoyable, especially if you go during the week. It's always busy, but it usually doesn't have the crushing crowds that it does during the summer. A good strategy is to get there when it opens at 10 am; things start to change by about 11 am when the crowds really start showing up. The aquarium notes that crowds tend to decrease after 2 pm, too.

There are gift shops located all around the aquarium, including a strategically placed children's shop located right near the restrooms and restaurants. They have a wide range of really nice reasonably priced souvenirs and toys, so you're sure to find something you like to remember your visit by.

Where to Stay on the Monterey Peninsula

Six hours in the car is a long time by anyone's standards, so we like to stay over in the area and make a family getaway of it. As a major California tourist hot spot, the Monterey Bay area boasts a huge variety of lodging options at all different price points, but when staying in the area we always choose to avoid the bustle of Cannery Row and stay in either neighboring Pacific Grove or downtown Monterey.

Butterfly Grove Inn Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove (or "PG," if you're a local) is just a stone's throw from Monterey and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but it feels a world away from touristy Cannery Row. Our favorite place to stay there is the affordable and charming Butterfly Grove Inn. As the name implies, it's located adjacent to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, where you can see thousands of migrating butterflies during the winter months. It has a pool and lovely, relaxing grounds, and most rooms have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. It's centrally located within PG and within walking distance to restaurants and other attractions in town. The Butterfly Grove Inn is located at 1073 Lighthouse Ave, Pacific Grove 93950. Reserve your room at www.butterflygroveinn.com

Another great option for a family stay in PG is Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds. This historic conference center, founded in 1913, features beautiful craftsman architecture by famed architect Julia Morgan, a fun and inviting recreation room, on-site dining, and affordable prices. It also offers easy access to spectacular Asilomar State Beach. Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds are located at 800 Asilomar Avenue in Pacific Grove. Learn more and reserve your room at www.visitasilomar.com.

These are only two of the many places to stay in Pacific Grove (which happen to be our favorites). Find more lodging ideas in our article about visiting PG.

In downtown Monterey, the centrally located Portola Hotel is family- and pet-friendly and just steps away from attractions like Custom House Plaza, Monterey State Historic Park, and Fisherman's Wharf. Rooms are spacious and comfy and have a nautical flair, as well as Keurig coffeemakers, mini refrigerators, and big flat-screen TVs. On-site restaurants include Peter B's brew pub and the fancier Jacks restaurant, which has a kids' menu. The Portola Hotel is located at 2 Portola Plaza, Monterey 93940. Book your stay at www.portolahotel.com.

If You Go

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located at 886 Cannery Row in Monterey, about 130 miles south of Marin County. It's open every day (except for Christmas Day, December 25) from 10 am to 5 pm.

Admission is $59.95 for adults, $44.95 for children 5–12, and $49.95 for youth 13–17 and seniors 70+. All tickets must be ordered in advance online. No on-site tickets are available for purchase. Order your aquarium tickets here.

If you're planning to visit more than once a year, a membership at $295 is not a bad good deal, admitting 2 adults plus children or grandchildren an unlimited number of times. Become a member.

We usually get to Monterey by heading south through San Francisco to I-280 and taking it to San Jose, then taking 101 south to Prunedale, where you cross over to Highway 1 via Route 156. Follow Highway 1 south to exit 402B for Del Monte Avenue. Follow Del Monte into Monterey, then through the tunnels onto Lighthouse Avenue. Take Lighthouse to Irving Street. Turn right on Irving and park in the paid lot (Cannery Row Lot 7) located on Irving between Foam and Wave Streets. This is the closest lot to the aquarium, and parking there and at other city lots is a flat rate of $8 for the day or $1.50 per hour. Additional lots can be found around Cannery Row but you'll have to walk further to get to the aquarium. Metered street parking in the area is limited and can be difficult to find.

For more information visit www.montereybayaquarium.org, or call (831) 648-4800.