Great Lakes Aquarium

Address:	353 Harbor Dr, Duluth, MN 55802, USA
Phone:	+1 218-740-3474
Site:	glaquarium.org
Rating:	3.9
Working:	10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 10

Savannah Palmquist

As someone who loves to visit aquariums, I was excited to add a visit to the Great Lakes Aquarium to the itinerary for our visit to Duluth. Given the fact that we were visiting while weather is still cold, it was a perfect activity. Unfortunately, the aquarium was experiencing some power outages throughout the day, which threw a wrench into our plans for the day. These things happen, and we tried back three times before power was finally restored. Sadly, upon paying for parking and admittance, I was disappointed with the aquarium compared to others Ive visited. It is quite small, and there is not as much to see as expected. I did enjoy that many of the fish were local, but expected more. I think it would be an enjoyable activity for children, perhaps on a rainy day in Duluth. However, personally, I felt it was disappointing for the cost. While Ive returned to other aquariums multiple times, I do not think I would return to this one at their current price now that Ive done it once.

Krysta Swanson

This is a very neat aquarium that displays not only the great variety of fish that Northern MN and the great lakes carry but tons of other exhibits as well. They have an amazon section with huge piranhas and tons of exotic fish. Theres informative signs and cool interactive globes and damns around the aquarium that you actually learn a lot from(even as an adult I leared stuff I didnt know). They have fossils on display. And theres an aviary where they take in birds that have been hurt and wouldve survive long in the wild-which I thought was really cool. The staff was super informative and we got a chance to visit the new sturgeon touch tank and watch the feeding section. They also have two adorable otters and the staff does an interactive "snack time" with young kids to show them what it is like to be an otter at the aquarium. Was pretty cool to watch :)

Bob Edwards

I feel like its beating a dead horse here; the place is good, but way overpriced. If you get a coupon book from any local hotel youll be paying $14 a person to get in, for 1-2 hours of entertainment. Its about what you pay for a movie if you get a drink/popcorn, but its more that Im used to to see a non-profit exhibit. In terms of total types of fish, the place may be the largest aquarium to focus on freshwater, but it feels smaller than almost any other aquarium Ive been to. Not to only dog on the place. Our son had a ton of fun, there are a lot of interactive parts, and its in Duluth so you shouldt be expecting the San Diego freaking zoo. Worth a one time visit if youre looking for something to do and youre from out of town.

Omini

Its a little small, but its a lot of fun. Lots of great lakes fish to observe to remind me why swimming in lakes absolutely terrifies me. But theres a shark, and sharks are cute. Theres also a sturgeon touch tank, and if youve never touched a sturgeon, boy its really something. They also have an otter exhibit, and otters are energetic and adorable, but the lazy bastards were busy being asleep and adorable, so I guess my hopes were dashed ever so slightly. But I cant be mad at otters. With the backdrop of the big lake, its good for an hour or two, and your tickets are good all day, so if you want you can come back later. And the gift shop has Dippin Dots. So there.

Michelle Greener

A neat, fresh-water aquarium with lots for kids to do. Its not huge, what Ive found is perfect for a 1/2 day visit with my 4-6 yr olds. There is a lot aimed at kids and teaching them about the local environment. The otters are a must-see! So lively and playful. If you have younger kids Id recommend bringing an extra shirt or set of clothes if they are toddler aged. There is a fun hands-on exhibit teaching kids how the big boats go through the Great Lakes Locke system. They tend to get soaked and love playing with the boats. We always save that for last. :) Its a bit pricey but if you are local you can get a years pass that makes it more affordable.

Emily G

This place was ok. Some nice exhibits on climate change, lake effect weather, water quality, hydroelectric dams, early native americans and explorers, and geology. The coral reef and otter tanks looked sort of dirty, and the jelly fish tank only had about 5 fish in it. There is no food venue on site, and the gift shop is lacking. The best part was the tree house and slide which was nice for kids age 6 and under. The worst part was the cost. Its $16.50 for adults, and $10.50-$13.50 for kids 3 and up, plus $5 for parking. You get $1 off with AAA membership. There is a park across the street it looks like that is not open in the winter.

Doug Sahr

All in all, this aquarium does everything it is meant to accomplish. There are plenty of freshwater species both local and exotic. It has a lot of visuals for kids and information for adults. My experience even included a stingray feeding. However, being this price tag is a little steep for the size of the aquarium, this museum does hit one of my pet peeves, broken or poorly functioning exhibits. Most of the site is in great condition with plenty to see but its a big downer when you go to an interesting spot and it does not work. This place is at best current value with a zoo 2 in 1 pass or other packages.

Shakila Piatt

Me and my husband went here and it was ok but definitely not worth $16 per person plus $5 parking. It is ok size but there were only a few things that were kind of cool. And we went to the otter "feeding," but all they do is tell you about them while someone else actually feeds them behind a wall so you cant even see them, and then they leave a little food around the exhibit while the otters are behind the wall eating and then have to wait for them to decided to come back, so it is completely pointless. Unless you have small children who absolutely love animals, I would not recommend this place.

Sheri Postma

We only spent an afternoon there, but we loved it and wished we would have allowed at least a day. I think the boys could have stayed a week. Staff members were very friendly, knowledgeable, and interested in talking to us. We learned so much! There was a Mia Bird recuperating from injury & my grandson taught it to say "What?". Then they spent quite a bit of time talking to the Otter Trainer, as she told us what she had studied in college and explained volunteer opportunities at the Aquarium. There were many exhibits where wed like to have spent more time and we will definitely return!

Jeff Franck

Disappointing. First it was over $70 for my family. Its a two story warehouse with some fish. There were numerous education poster boards, but this was far from what me and my kids expected. Highlights? there were 2 otters that wouldnt come out of their den, and some sturgeon that you could touch if they swam up to you (they didnt). My kids spent most of their time in the shipwreck exhibit (one octopus) and the toddler toy room (a boat playhouse). Not worth the money. Maybe a third of the price would have been fair. Much more to do in Duluth, better and cheaper.