Great Lakes Aquarium
Great Lakes Aquarium
4
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
This freshwater-focused Aquarium is positioned on the harbor of Lake Superior. It features more than 1,000 fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Highlights include multiple hands-on and touch exhibits including the largest sturgeon touchpool in North America. New in 2022, the H2O exhibit offering a splash, play and learn interactive experience on the science of water for all ages. Open daily 10am to 6pm.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
624 reviews
Excellent
234
Very good
195
Average
122
Poor
53
Terrible
20
Mike
Minneapolis, MN73 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
I visited the aquarium and the staff were so rude and unprofessional especially the host, they will never tell you anything and simply they don’t care.
Very expensive for what you will see and 5 dollars parking in addition 15 dollars per person is not justified.
It is clean and few interesting fish to watch but so expensive, save your money for better thing to do.
Very expensive for what you will see and 5 dollars parking in addition 15 dollars per person is not justified.
It is clean and few interesting fish to watch but so expensive, save your money for better thing to do.
Written 12 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James T
Gabriels, NY254 contributions
Mar 2022 • Friends
I brought a group of fifteen college students to the aquarium as we were in Duluth following their participation in US Snowshoe Nationals the prior day in Cable, WI. Most of our students are studying fish and wildlife, environmental science, natural resources, sustainability, and other related fields so the aquarium certainly was within their scope of studies.
There is plenty of space between the exhibits and the focus on freshwater habits and ecology fit with Duluth, the North Woods and what we are teaching/learning in the Adirondacks of Northern New York.
I believe the aquarium exhibits are appropriate for kids of all ages. Give yourselves 2.5 hours. My guess is that kids will get restless by hour three and need to get outdoors.
There is plenty of space between the exhibits and the focus on freshwater habits and ecology fit with Duluth, the North Woods and what we are teaching/learning in the Adirondacks of Northern New York.
I believe the aquarium exhibits are appropriate for kids of all ages. Give yourselves 2.5 hours. My guess is that kids will get restless by hour three and need to get outdoors.
Written 3 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ashley R
3 contributions
May 2023 • Family
I have no respect for a business who scams to get more money. The parking lot at the time of our visit was not busy, the locking arm for paid parking was up, all of the other lots in downtown Duluth at the time were still in free parking mode (it starts May 15th), there was one small sign on the locking arm at the entrance, it the locking arm was in the upright position so unless you stopped, you wouldn’t notice it. In our party for a field trip there were 8 families. Not one of the 15 adults in 8 different vehicles noticed we needed to pay. When we bought our tickets at the counter, there was also no mention about paying for parking. No sign on their door. There is a kiosk, but it is off to the side of the entrance and unless you were looking for it you wouldn’t see it. No numbers on the spaces, no sign on the spaces. Nothing. But… they were right on top of giving tickets! The aquarium itself was okay. If I was rating just the aquarium I would give it a 3 for value. It was good, but for $20 a person it was a little steep. A lot of lake fish, which is interesting to see, and they were displayed well, but there wasn’t a lot there for the money. It just seemed like the parking lots ticketing was intentional to get more money and it is difficult to have any respect for the aquarium after scamming for more money.
Written 13 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard S
Abilene, TX556 contributions
Oct 2020
The Aquarium is well designed and provide an excellent over of environmental, wild life, and aquatics scenes and information. You gain a deeper appreciation for the imact the Great lakes has on this northern region. Despite the closing on the hands on portions, the visit will add value to most regardless of age.
Written 13 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenny
Buenos Aires, Argentina36 contributions
Jul 2020
I visited the aquarium on July 29, 2020, with my sister, who is disabled. We went up the escalator and made our way through the (mediocre) exhibits on the second floor visitors are made to feel required to begin with, only to reach the end and find out the elevator wasn't working. There was no way my sister could make it down all the stairs to the first floor--it's a high second floor, almost like a third. We saw a woman with two little kids having to carry her stroller down and were really worried about what we were going to do. We had to get back on the road and couldn't just sit upstairs until the elevator was fixed! We wondered why no one had warned us when we came in about this issue, since my sister is obviously disabled, although since many disabilities are not visible, they should of course have simply posted a sign and let everyone know as they came in. We eventually found someone who let us use a staff elevator, but by that point my sister felt tired, demoralized, anxious, in pain, and upset. I brought up these concerns with the young women working downstairs, who could not have been ruder to us both. They threw up their hands, rolled their eyes, insisted this was not a big deal, that there was nothing they could or should have done, that elevators just break sometimes, and we needed to get over it. I was stunned. I've never seen such ableist practices, ever. Completely outrageous and unacceptable, and obviously we will never go back, but I would also encourage caution in other potential visitors, as the general lack of concern for people's well-being also does seem to translate into a lack of care for the creatures who live here, too.
Written 31 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It sounds like we fell far short of expectations and our protocols during your visit with your sister. The management team at Great Lakes Aquarium is disappointed in our performance however we appreciate your review as it has led us to implement tighter procedures during elevator outages to support greater accessibility for all our guests. It is true that during the COVID-19 pandemic our building guidelines require one way travel, meaning all visitors are directed to follow the arrows to the second level. It is protocol for our front-end staff to inform all arriving guests of elevators or escalators being out of service. Management has learned that just prior to your visit in July the elevator went out of service and a shift change meant the new front-end staff had not yet been informed, nor had signs been put up in a timely enough fashion. These are two critical errors that we are determined to correct with an updated plan. Inclusion and accessibility are core values at Great Lakes Aquarium and we do not take these matters lightly. We are pleased that a team member led you to our second elevator, however we regret the poor experience and interactions you and your sister had at our facility and with other members of our staff. We would appreciate another opportunity to have you visit. Please contact Allison at aiacone at glaquarium dot org if you would like to give us a second chance and I will set this up for you.
Written 19 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Skye H
5 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
There were animals you’d expect, like otters, fish, and jelly fish, and the ones you wouldn’t: a bald eagle, a turkey vulture, an opossum, and two skunks. The skunks like walks on the boardwalk daily, so if you’re lucky you might see them. Make sure you purchase some paw-made artwork by the skunks! I got a bookmark, but they have canvases too! The otters were my favorite to look at, and my boyfriend and I both loved to touch the jelly fish. All the staff were friendly and knew so much about the animals at their designated exhibits. Also very clean! Would recommend!
Written 4 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dragonflyfrisbee
Duluth, MN498 contributions
May 2023 • Family
Very disappointed that 2/3 touch exhibits were closed. It was barely an hour after opening and they didn’t have the jelly fish or star fish tanks open. The only open tank was the sturgeon and the only fish that came near the surface staff said not to touch because it was injured. Very disappointing for our toddler and the adults. The other big disappointment was the otters weren’t out. The rest was fine the large tank is impressive but it’s all local fish. They do have more salt water fish and animals now and that’s really what kids want to see.
Written 7 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FergusDad
Port Townsend, WA1,430 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
The Great Lakes Aquarium is a great experience, especially for children. Seeing fish in this environment eclipses the digital fish you can visit on line. It’s a reminder that there is a real world just outside your computer.
Written 9 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sushi56
Livonia, MI59 contributions
Jan 2022 • Family
The aquarium was beautifully laid out with touch tanks in several locations, a two story Great Lakes tank, and beautiful views of the waterfront. Exhibits and viewing areas were clean and laid out in a manner that promoted Covid safety. The staff was very patient and engaging with my 4 year old granddaughter. We were surprised to find live animal exhibits as well and lots of reptiles!
The water play area was tons of fun for the kids. They enjoyed piloting their little boats through the Great Lakes. But don’t see this as a “kid only” attraction. It is totally worthwhile to any adult interested in North American aquatic life.
The water play area was tons of fun for the kids. They enjoyed piloting their little boats through the Great Lakes. But don’t see this as a “kid only” attraction. It is totally worthwhile to any adult interested in North American aquatic life.
Written 4 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle H
64 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Every city we go to, we always visit the aquarium. That said, this one is in our top five and we've probably been to over 50 aquariums.
Extremely well thought out and flows nicely. The exhibits have a lot of interesting information and we really learned a lot more than we were expecting.
There are more than just the fish, a few animals and birds.
It doesn't hurt that every window you pass by has a gorgeous view of the Duluth harbor and the lift bridge.
The admission attendant was very friendly and nice, as well as the guard at the front. There was one lady at one of the exhibits that looked bored and was on her phone the entire time we were there. I had a question, but she couldn't be bothered.
All in all, I highly recommend and after, take a walk along the harbor and it's just a couple blocks to downtown with some fun restaurants and shops.
There is also a boat tour just 1/2 block from the aquarium that is really fun.
Extremely well thought out and flows nicely. The exhibits have a lot of interesting information and we really learned a lot more than we were expecting.
There are more than just the fish, a few animals and birds.
It doesn't hurt that every window you pass by has a gorgeous view of the Duluth harbor and the lift bridge.
The admission attendant was very friendly and nice, as well as the guard at the front. There was one lady at one of the exhibits that looked bored and was on her phone the entire time we were there. I had a question, but she couldn't be bothered.
All in all, I highly recommend and after, take a walk along the harbor and it's just a couple blocks to downtown with some fun restaurants and shops.
There is also a boat tour just 1/2 block from the aquarium that is really fun.
Written 22 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I would say plan for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Written 1 June 2019
Hi Is this more geared towards kids or is it for all ages? Thanks
Written 7 March 2019
Both kids and adults. Fish are interesting and beautiful for all ages. But I believe there was an area geared toward kids too.
Written 7 March 2019
Regular adult admission is $17.99. Senior 62+: $14.99. Children 3-12: $11.99. Teens 13-17: $$13.99 and children ages 0-2 are free. All tickets are $1 off when pre-purchased online at our website.
Written 2 July 2018
Bmwiggs52
Oakdale, Minnesota
How much is admittance and do you have motorized scooters
Written 15 March 2016
Bmwiggs52
Oakdale, Minnesota
How much is admittance and do you have motorized scooters
Written 15 March 2016
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