Living Coast Discovery Center

1000 Gunpowder Point Dr, Chula Vista, CA 91910, USA

Address:	1000 Gunpowder Point Dr, Chula Vista, CA 91910, USA
Phone:	+1 619-409-5900
Site:	thelivingcoast.org
Rating:	4.5
Working:	10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 17

Pradeep Mohanannair

Hidden Gem of San Deigo. We picked a free entry day, which made our trip even better. But even paying $14 would be total worth. It was a fun and educational experience for my 5 year old. One a crowded day, the shuttle to pick-up from parking lot/ trolley station might take more than 30 mins. This place is a treasure, the views are beautiful and great atmosphere is so friendly for animals and birds. It is small place though, do not expect a zoo or wild aniumal park. You could do all under an hour or relax and enjoy the details over 6 hours. What makes this special is, this is Perfect place for a visit with small children, interactive staff and volunteers, well maintained enclosures and regular keeper talks/feedings. My kid especially enjoyed visiting the rays and Mom enjoyed watching the sea turtle target training! Also, the small hike across the street and walked .25 miles on their hiking trails that lead into the bay and great view of Coronado Bridge. Downs: *Not so frequent shuttle service * the entrance fee for adult is $14, guess it bit high considering the size. * Absolutely no food to buy from inside, bring your own food, picnic style. Do not miss: 11:00 a.m. Shark & Ray Feeding 1:30 p.m. Shark & Ray Feeding 2:00 p.m. Turtle Feeding 2:30 p.m. Bald Eagle & Golden Eagle Feeding

Alex Golliher

Havent been here in 20 years, but this place was even batter than I remember! Brought my wife here for her first time and she was as happy as the groups of kids touring this place. There are a ton of wild birds of pray around in the trails to take pictured of if youre fast enough and the ride there and back in the shuttle couldnt have been more enjoyable. Our bus driver was incredible and would slow down to let people take pictures and let children gawk at the wildlife, we even got to see him feed one of the resident squirrels who hopped on the bus to say hi and hang out until the shuttle was full and had to go. We will definitely be coming back soon & hopefully catch those three blue herons !!

David Little

Great little place to stop and bring the kids. Located right off the freeway 5 so access is extremely easy. You park in the lot and a bus comes and then drives you to the actual facility. The center is not extremely large but has both land and sea creatures with a petting area for sting and bat rays. They have both indoor and outdoor exhibits with plenty of areas for you to eat lunch if you bring it. This place has both rescued and endangered animals so the cost of admission which is not overwhelmingly expensive goes to funding that. The place also has great views of the Coronado Bridge and ocean.

Jillian Wohlert

Its a great place for younger children, my 20mo old loved all the low fish tanks. They have stepping stools for little ones as well. There are different times for feeding turtles or fish & an adventure walk to go look for bugs & birds. So lots to keep kids engadged & not just looking at the tanks or cages. The parking lot is kind of confusing because it is no where near the museum. But there is a shuttle that takes people back & forth. I didnt see in any reviews or the website that you can not walk to the museum from the lot.

Weirdpie

I really enjoyed my visit. There were a variety of animals at the centre, and we were able to see some of the animal feedings. Staff were very helpful and even gave a little in-depth information about animals they were feeding. There are also some panels where you could press a button to listen to the animal sounds. Great for kids! You need to take the shuttle which comes quite frequently in order to get from the parking lot to the centre.

Carlos Ramirez

This is a local conservatory that is supported by volunteers and a great venue for family time. I grew up coming to this place and now love bringing my children here for day trips. We have also hosted birthdays here for 20 plus kids and parents to go with in one of the event rooms. Nicole the Party coordinator did an excellent job working with us and providing a seemless event in this lovely venue.

Amber Wheeler

I loved this spot. We were just adventuring around Fishermans Wharf and decided to pop in on a whim. Its a small aquarium, no doubt, but the contents did not disappoint! There were two tunnels to walk through, a touch tank (so damn cool -- you can touch sting rays, little sharks, and starfish), and we got to see some sea otters doin their thang at the end. Really cute, fun spot!

Nao Hisakawa

Excellent little nature center. My toddler and I enjoyed our few hours here with the turtles, rays, birds, and beautiful views. The center grounds are very clean and they have excellent fencing, which made for a very safe place for a toddler to explore. There are many nice places with benches and views. The free shuttle from the parking lot to the center runs every 15 minutes.

Wendy Rees

Nice exhibits. The "behind the scenes" tours & feedings were great. We got to see baby sea horses (just hours & days old) & baby rays. However, at the end of the tour, they told us that they dont only rescue injured/sick animals, but they take healthy animals for their exhibits too, which is very disappointing to me.

Claudio Cruz

Love it, i learned a lot out of here, the birds were exciting, they have turtles outside once you get off the shuttle they have from the parking lot. Also if you take public transportation, from the E street trolley station you walk across the bridge and the shuttle is right after that.

Kenneth Alexander

Small but beautiful I though this place was going to be bigger, but it is really small. Still, has beautiful animal attractions, and it is good if you want to spend just an hour or so with your family. They have beautiful views of the sea. We spend a good time in there!

Timo K

There is a free P&R and they offer a free climated shuttle service. Just hiked the trails around the center. It was nice but not really worth the time (very short trail so you are done in about an hour if you keep it slow). Maybe the center offers a better experience?

Stephanie Garcia-Hayes

Nice day out with my 7 year old. We loved being greeting by the friendly sea turtles, petting the rays, and marveling at the sharks and Sapphire, the paralyzed sea turtle. My daughters fav was the bald eagle. Very educational and fun day out for both of us.

Jonathan Mendez

Ive volunteered here for a couple years now. Its honestly a great place to spend an hour or two and its pretty cheap for all the stuff you can see. Its great for children and open every day of the week. Also has some awesome VIP and educational programs!

Dona Chris Reed

I wanted something simple to do with my In-laws they both have dementia, and my father in-Law is in a wheelchair, They really enjoyed the fish and turtles and we where able to get around to see everything with the wheelchair

Oscar Newman

This is a great Nature Center. We loved the shark feeding and the bird enclosures. It was a perfect place to bring children for a family nature adventure. The scale of the site was also very manageable for a trip with kids.

Edwin Warner

Took my two granddaughters (from different daughters) to the Living Coast in Chula Vista yesterday. A week ago I didnt know the place existed. My wife and them fed these two Sea Turtles. All had a wonderful time!