Reviews of SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium. (Museum) in Auckland (Auckland).

SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium

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379 Comments

Museum

Aquarium

23 Tamaki Drive, Orakei, Auckland 1071, New Zealand

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Information of SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium, Museum in Auckland (Auckland)

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Map

Open hours of SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium

Sunday

9:30am–5pm

Monday

9:30am–5pm

Tuesday

Closed

Wednesday

Closed

Thursday

9:30am–5pm

Friday

9:30am–5pm

Saturday

9:30am–5pm

Popular times

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Reviews of SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium

Fun place to take the kids. Make sure you book online a head of time, it will make life a lot easier for your group. It's a little in the pricier side of activity choices and only took us about an hour to go through, and that was taking our time. The penguins and the conveyer walk way in the aquarium were the high light. So many neat creatures to see, and not crowded at all.

It is a great place for family with children to visit. There are many learning resources for younger ones to engage and interact with ocean creatures. People are aware of wearing masks which is quite good during the pandemic time. Just an advice. If there are staffs to call people to check in, it would be perfect. Today, everyone was asked to come in to the narrow hall and wait to check in. It was very crowded and hot with masks on.

Affordable fun for all ages. It's not huge but offers plenty of 'oooh look!' from delicate jellies and cute starfish all the way up to penguins, turtles and sharks. All the animals are obviously very well cared for by the hard working staff. Cafe on site. Easy to find, has dedicated parking, and plenty of public transport options.

Was a great day out with my 2 year old. She loved it all and loved to explore all the aquariums. The seahorse exhibit is excellent and the crayfish are huge. She was amazed by the turtles. We will be back

Great for weekends relax. Nice fish tunnel with stingrays and sharks 🦈 (even sharks are not too big 😜) but we expect more fishes, Penguin are the most attractive. Staffs are very friendly. The tickets are a bit expensive but still recommended

Fantastic experience at Kelly Tarltons today, I hadn't been since the snow cat ride was taken out, but you actually get to walk the track that it would go, including the white-out tunnel and walking along the penguin enclosure and seeing them swim up close and personal. Speaking of, we did the penguin passport experience and got to see the penguins up close on the ice! We were followed by a scrappy little Gentoo called Nigel and checked out by Maverick as well. The keepers were super friendly and knowledgeable too. The aquarium is a delight to experience, lots of fascinating facts about the conservation efforts and the different species within. Heartily recommend visiting for anyone with a love for animals and the ocean.

It’s good for New Zealand. Interesting penguins and lots to see. $40 entry fee. Helpful staff. The only thing that let the place down was several members of the public not wearing masks! Coughing too. Really horrible when they come close to you. I hope the staff can closely monitor this in the future.

As a family, this was our first visit to Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium & we were not dissapointed. $135 Family Package - 2 Adults, 2 Children. A bit pricey, but still worth it. Kids Play Area. Wheel Chair Friendly. (Lifts included). Public Toilets & Parents Area. (Spotless). Loads of FREE Parking. Can get busy. Coffee, Cold Drinks, Food, Pies, Crisps, Sweets, to buy Onsite. Pies - $6.50, Sausage Roll - $4.00, Large Fat White - $5.50, Regular - $4.50. Crisps - $2.50 Place to sit and eat. Loads of Penguins. (Main Attraction), Turtles, Sharks, Colourfull Fish Species, Stingrays to name a few. Friendly Staff. Can take photos. The moving snow wheel TUNNEL was AWESOME, photo attached! Make sure you have your vaccine pass at the door, as they do ask for it. Average time spent walking around: +/- 2 HOURS. Not very big. Date: 12/29/2021

Took the 7year old there for the first time and we had a wonderful experience together. Everything is so amazing lots different kind of fishes and other animals such as penguins , turtles, clays fish… Staff so friendly and very helpful Highly recommend

We love Kelly Tarltons. I do feel the area with the jelly fish needs updating and can be way more fantastic. We have seen some amazing jelly fish tanks in South Africa at Ushaka and even at the sea world in Cape Town. Other than that and the area with sea horses can also be updated or added onto. The visit was great we do enjoy the penguins and friendly amazing staff.

Good didn't realize how many people inside and it wasn't packed due to traffic light. Maybe cleaning the baby changing board thoroughly was a little dirty. Other than that all the upgrades and renovations look great haven't been since 2017.

A must go place with kid, but you alone can enjoy it too. it's very beautiful place one should visit atleast once in their life

It was different experience , it was great to see one of a kind Aquarium with great sharks and different insticnts from around the world.

My son and I went for a return visit and we thoroughly enjoyed, brought back wonderful memories when I took him as a young boy he is now 20 but we still loved.

The best place in Auckland to visit for families too . Worth time and will enjoy the tour and experience the amazing sealife creatures. The penguins ,sting rays and turtle are friendly too

In my personal experience this is such a wonderful, interesting and magical place, eventough is a little bit small is full of wonders, the attention of the staff is great, the installations are super clean, is a great place for the little ones, we really enjoyed this place, this is a must when visiting Auckland.

Nice place to visit. Need to book a slot from site to visit. Not crowded because the time slot reservation. All areas are operational.

Family day out with my 8 yrs daughter n 3 yrs son.. we had so much fun, kids enjoyed a lot.. the place was superb with so much marine life information .. I liked the shark tunnel n kids loved penguins. staff was very friendly n supportive. We also got our family photo which was included in GA pass..overall its worth a visit.

Our experience was great and our family really enjoyed the visit. It was nice to have not many people due to Covid and we felt really safe and could distance ourselves from others with ease. We enjoyed the talks and hearing the conservation work that you do to help our marine life. Thanks for a great time!

Great place for kids, family and even adults. . All around fun. From the underwater aquarium tunnel to the turtle area. Serves delicious coffee and a range of treats. Well worth getting the annual pass, then can go there as much as you want. Get cheaper coffee and food too!

Always a great place for the children to see what happens under the sea. The play ground and stingray and turtle pools are always a hit with the children. The tunnels are as always the finale before navigating the gift shop and saying no to all the things. Wheelchair access is very well thought out and very well accommodated for. Staff are very friendly and helpful.

Great for kids to see different sea life but parking is a nightmare

Kids love the place and a good relaxed place to go with your family. Very good educational information all around the place to read

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My kids love to visit aquarium. So we visit when we’re in Auckland. But this time moving belt and snow wheel were not working. I don’t know why. And it was first time to visit on weekday. So quiet and enough time to see and enjoy. (Usually need to be hurry with many people) Anyway if some visit here on weekday please buy ticket online. This is better price.

Having been to Kelly Tarlton's many, many times, I always enjoy being there with grandchildren. It is still very expensive for a one off visit though. Also the lovely area where the children can colour the fish and project them onto the big wall needs some explanation for newcomers, I always feel I have to explain it to people who are new to it, as it isn't self explanatory.

Such a cool experience I haven't been here in well over 15 years. I am sp happy to ve back

Awesome place for kids! Penguins were my favourite and the olden day cabin of captain Scott. There's a cafe area while being surrounded by a massive aquarium and a beautiful view of the ocean.

Had a parents room and rooms for females with babies but none for males with babies so if Disabled toilet is occupied no place for the male to go. Cafe needs to upgrade their menu and food in warmers looked very old. Cookies were expensive at $5 each. So plan to take your own food and snacks. Noisy with a school visit and kids and adults were rude. Nothing KTs can do about it and shouldn't detract from the attraction but certainly put a dampener as kids running and knocked over my grandchildren, even tho I kept my toddler close and I thought out of harm's way, never mind apology - some adults with them did the same. Couldn't say anything cos they took off and I had to console my moko. But the kids loved the Fish and other sealed Fe talking about it the next day too.

They've gone cashless, which is a bit of a bummer. $41 for 1 Adult. General Admission!! Food is so over priced! Loved seeing all the sea animals and the look on my nephews face tho.

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Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium (formerly Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World) is a public aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand, that was opened in 1985. Located at 23 Tamaki Drive, it was the brainchild of New Zealand marine archaeologist and diver Kelly Tarlton (1937–1985).Built in disused sewage storage tanks, the aquarium used a new form of acrylic shaping, which allowed curved tunnels rather than viewing areas with flat panels only, as in previous aquariums. The project is also one of the first to use conveyor belts to slowly move people through the viewing areas.

Went for the penguin experience and it was awesome. The place is well set out and a good cafe. Just needs a bit of signage as I almost missed the underwater tunnel which I found trying to find the exit. Up close experience for children and adults.

The kids loved it, especially miss 1yr old. Adults felt more relaxed as easier to keep the kids in sight line. Interactive and educational. We had a fantastic time.

The place is well maintained. You sense the thrill of the sea and the flavour of salt. All the fish are amazing and they greet you warmly. The most exciting part were the penguins. Their habitat is a slice of the Antarctica. Wow! It is simply SUPERCALIFRAGIOLISTICEXPI-ELADOCIOUS. It is for the 1st time that I witnessed live penguins. Shall go there again with friends.

Loved it, and how they have made some changes was amazing, I loved the pink jellyfish and good for kids... The staffs were very friendly and warm welcoming as well explaining things and the gift shop staffs were friendly and helped as well... coming back again

My wife and I had an amazing time. Great staff lots of great info and things to see. Music was very fitting and the areas were well layed out.

Love this aquarium so much, so many interesting talks and things to see and interact with. Their customer service is awesome as well, had a family emergency and had to request a booking change at the last minute. Contacted them on Facebook and had my booking changed within an hour.

The experience here was educational, fun and fascinating. My favourite thing about being here is being able to take my time while looking at all the pretty fish as well as the adorable penguins. I came here with someone special and it was like a wholesome sort of date!

A very nice aquarium to go for a visit, however the price is a bit dear considering the size of the aquarium. It seems to be fantastic for kids, but not so entertaining for adults, though there is a very nice cafe with lovely staff. There are many cool things to see in the aquarium, I especially loved watching the penguins and identifying them through their tags ( and reading about their cute personalities! ), rescue turtles and sharks. There was also a giant preserved squid on display, which I found super interesting. On the negative side however, the penguin exhibit reeked of urine through the glass, and it was a bit worrying seeing an ammonia hazard sign outside on the building. It was worth the visit, however I doubt I would ever go back because of the high cost and smell.

Enjoyed it but wondered about the idea of having everyone lining up in close quarters for 40 mins while they waited to enter. Only one staff checking tickets so it took a long time. Might be better just letting visitors trickle in rather than joining a big group. No problem once we were inside but didn't enjoy the queuing to get in.

The visit was so worth! We weren’t expecting much of it, but it was just amazing! All creatures are beautiful. Staff very friendly. Unfortunately we spent a lot of time looking for a parking spot

It was nice visiting there, but it’s especially a good place to take kids there, they can absolutely have lots of fun

Great stuff for Saturday family relaxation. Penguins are great attraction, nice fish tunnel, with sharks.. We expected more fishes and aquariums.. would definitely recommend 👌

Good for a quick visit. Loved the penguins

The entrance tunnel was the most fun, however, the penguin exhibit is the main highlight. The penguins stand so close to the glass so you can get really close. You may get to see some swimming in the water. Other than that there's not much to this place. It's should be nice enough for kids.

Considering we booked in advance for 11 we did not get in until 11.45, not too sure what's the point of booking when the que was down the carpark. Quite expensive for a family day out, even with taking your time to walk around only took us about 1.5hrs. Id imagine older children would Wizz around quicker..Highlight was the penguins, the were bloody amazing.

Great outing for children and grandchildren. Especially during the winter months.. could do with an upgrade in the air circulation system. Place had a very strong odour of stale and fishy air..

Best choice ever. It was our first visit with our little one. She loves it and we were so busy run after her. We just refret that didnt buy the annual pass. We definitely will come back and get the annual pass.... !!

A great place to take children. Definitely recommend taking your time to go through, and loop back on the interesting parts as it can go quite quickly.

A great place to go with kids. A lot of interactive activities. The fish you colour and scan which end up swimming around was very cool

We had a fun time with our kids today at Kelly Taltons Sea Life, lots of hands on , unfortunately the travel walkway wasn't working, but it didn't spoil the fun

We are an Auckland pensioner couple with two daughters, partners and 3 grand sons under 2. Unfortunately the Taranaki family had to not come, worried with Covid. Only our daughter and our 8 week old and 18 month old made it. Because we were genuine in not expecting a refund we were pleasantly surprised. The ticket person asked about our health and day. We told them our Covid experience and our care. She then arranged a full refund of the other tickets (nearly $200) and told us to have a wonderful Christmas. What an awsome experience, it us quite clear, and we knew NO REFUNDS. We had an awsome experience, wonderful Christmas and a story to tell about the genuine concern for our whānau.

An amazing experience for everyone, but especially for kids. The penguins and sharks are the most attention grabbing ones, but the kids area where they can look at the fishes while coloring/sketching is what I liked the most. The antarctic outpost also was brilliant. Maintenance is also fairly good and overall this is a highly recommended place.

I really love this place. Even it is small, but got a lot of things to explore. It’s a place full of good memories.

We had such a great time there. It was so much fun. The entrance was grand and so many things to do. They had a huge cafe inside and also a big play area for the kids. Penguins were my absolute favourite ! There is also a small retail store for tiny aquatic gifts. Fairly well prices attraction. Wish it was bigger and had more things to do but definitely worth a visit.

It wasn't too busy for Sunday, which is nice. The price is not bad for one person, but when it's a family outing, it can become very expensive. Probably the biggest attraction was the penguins. There is a lot to see and a few immersive activities that children will enjoy. The tunnel with the huge stingrays and sharks are awesome, although there were much less fish than when I was there 4 years ago, while the tank at the coffee shop had way too many fish for such a small tank.

Very friendly Staff at the entrance . Just big enough to take 3 small kids around without them losing interest too quickly.very Limited parking on a busy day. Lovely little food area half way through

Great place to take the kids, takes about an hour or so to get through, with lots of activities and the opportunity to get up close with the sealife, recommend pre booking tickets

Boody love this place. Penguins are super cool. Sting rays, turtles, fish of all kinds, octopus, tuarara etc etc. A great place to visit especially if you love animals and wildlife. Spend a few hours here, listen to the staff when they talk about the animals and go with the flow. Highly recommend.

Fun to watch the penguins and sea creatures. Facility is a bit old and tired. Very geared towards families with children.

Havent been here for a few years and it was good to see the changes. The ice tube that moves wasn't good for my vertigo but it was a good visit all around.

It's a great place to visit if you have kids. You'll see penguins, sharks, stingrays, turtles and seahorses. It's not cheap but you'll spend easily a couple of hours of fun. The coffee shop inside is slow and they missed my order for some reason despite I had a tag and was waiting for it to blink.

Visited for my son’s birthday and although it was a busy day and trying circumstances, the staff were amazing! Every single person had a smile and we were greeted with enthusiasm.

To sum it up. value for money. 130$ for a family of four (2 adults 2 kids). The place was amazing. Lot's of things to do inside. You can pay an extra 50 for photo album but it is optional. The souvenir shop is not so expensive, you can get a thing or two from there as a memory. Kids loved it.

Have been a couple of times with the family. Nice experience, friendly staff, well maintained. Recommended visit for all ages..

Master 10 requested to visit Sealife, Kelly Tarlton’s, 23 Tamaki Drive, Orakei. $99 for 1 adult and 2 children. The number of fish in the large tanks seems lower than in the past but we still had fun. The penguins were our highlight with young “Bonnie” being the most interactive, cheeky, wee one there. Keep it up SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium, 2020 was a tough year for so many businesses and we look forward to returning and enjoying your upgrades (the only reason for a 4 star review is because a bit of a spruce up is needed). Kids in Auckland and those visiting Auckland always request visiting SEA LIFE.

I hadn't been to KT in 22yrs, so many improvements. Not cheap but so worth it. Lovely taking my mokopuna & free entry for my daughter on her birthday 🎈

It is a bit small but lot of fun for my 2-year-old. Definitely need a bigger car park. Pre-paid lane was a long queue. Looks like it would be quicker just to buy the ticket there... The worst experience was at the exit for photos. I saw a lot of other people commented on that too. I had problem viewing the photos at first. The staff was so friendly to help. Then I was told to pay $35 to get the photos printed. I decided I just wanted the digital version as it was included in my ticket when I booked it online. So the friendly staff became not so nice (I try not make harsh comment here) I was told no digital photos for my type of ticket. ....and guess what, came back home and downloaded all online for free....

The kids had a great time at the Aquarium. We as adults also enjoyed this. We definitely recommend this for anyone. The staff was excellent and very friendly and helpful.

Had a fun day with the family. Some might say it is a bit pricey, but look around there are plenty of ways to get better deals! Service was excellent, the person behind the counter was helpful and informative. Staff at the front desk, coffee kiosk and shop were all excellent- big thanks to them for being so nice on such a busy day. The place itself was good- the kids had fun and came away happy and frankly that is all that matters! There is actually quite a lot to see, we were there about an hour and a half which is pretty good value in this city! Thanks for the nice family day, my kids were buzzing afterwards!

The tunnel at the start might be a bit intense, but once pass that its so good. Take time to look at the penguin names on the poster, it makes it much cooler

The sharks were very purposeful and busy, had hoped for some very interesting views up and under them, but it didnt work out that way! hey it's still great. I loved it, the penguins and all the lovely exhibits. Thinking about getting a pass for there so i can go more often.

Great place, kids love it. We spent a few hours there today and TBH we were disappointed there there was NO food at the Cafe at all. So besides being hungry we had fun. (Take your own food)

Great place. Good aquarium. Great place for families of all ages. Staff are super friendly. Signs are very informative. Exhibits are well laid out. Shark feeding was very informative to listen to as well as to watch. They have a conveyor belt that you can stand on that will take you all the way around one of the main tanks that holds thousands of fish. The seahorse aquarium was also very informative. They have both the traditional as well as more exotic seahorses. The aquarium also has a wonderful penguin exhibit. It is closer to the beginning. Lots of fun just watching the little guys. In the middle is a cafe. It has drinks and snacks for a quick meal. Nearby is also a kids corner that parents can let the kids out to play in.

Worth visiting this beautiful place. Especially if you have kids they will be amazed with this place. Tickets price was bit expensive. They have shark, sea horse and variety of different fishes. Penguins are eye catching. But they don't have dolphin which was quite disappointing. I have been to several sea world places like this in London and Scotland. When compared to those they have very less sea species. However from my view this Kelly tarton can reduce the price little to attract more customers. Cool pictures i have uploaded in the public gallery.

Penguins were fabulous. The tunnel is good. Doesn't take long to go through the whole place.

My older children had a great time moving through the experience and my special needs son was treated in a lovely way.

Absolutely amazing time there with our amazing little man. Great lay out, excellent facilities, nice coffee and very child friendly place to take your family too. Look forward to our next visit. Thanks Kelly Tarlton's.

We haven't been here since 1991 so it had a lot of new bits however the travelator, sharks and stingrays are still here and the crayfish in the ponds near the gift shop at the end are giants! They were there in 1991 so possibly the same ones but grown up now. Liked the big tank in the dining area which gives the kids a great opportunity to see above and below water and the play activities as well. The Pasifika staff were absolutely amazing, friendly and so helpful-absolute credit to this place.

This was a super and amazing place to come visit l suggest that everyone come down with their family or friends and look at the wonderful sea life living here absolutely amazing 👏 10/10

The place already seems a little bit used and old. But the activities and exhibitions are really nice. They have an amazing room where you can paint your fish and they would scan it an put it on the screen. You can get a student discount with your student ID or sometimes they have 15% discount tickets on the travel magazines.

Had a great time! Love the aquarium tunnel and watching the penguins for far too long. Will definitely come back.

I took my 3 and 1 year old grandsons. They loved the trip. They must have said WOW a hundred times

Best place to visit in auckland.If you love sea creatures best place for you. You get to see almost all types of animals . Kids will surely enjoy. Staff is friendly. Enough parking space . Neat and clean place. Even close to mission bay so you can have fun later on there as well.

We were really impressed with lots to see and view. Spent a couple of hours there enjoying the live action.

Was an ok experience. The facilities are dated and its a fairly short self-guided tour. I loved seeing the African Cichlids (as i keep them, would have liked to see more though). Penguins are great! Was absolutely pouring with rain the day we went and around 6 degrees, and once we got to the end, we had to wait in freezing cold and wet shelter for the shark bus to take us back to the city. Shark bus was cool too!

Loved our visit here. Had booked a 11am session, turned up at 10.30am not sure how long with Auckland traffic it would take. Staff were happy to let us in when we arrived. It was interactive and interesting. Kelly Tarton was an incredible person with great vision. Spent roughly 2 hours here. Saw most things.

Really underwhelming however it explains the price, the exhibitions need vacuuming and dusting. I feel horrible giving a poor rating but I just know you guys can do better.

The experience here was a fantastic and great place for fun. Special one penguins, and other animals.

Just the place to take our 5 year old grandson. Went round the travellator about 16 times. Fascinating stuff well presented. He liked the sharks and wanted to buy one.

A very good penguin display, something to equal Melbourne aquarium. The overall tour was very good with some great things to see, including the arctic displays which were very interesting. The big main tanks I think need more fish, and more tropical fish to make it one of the best aquariums to see. Excellent cafe and food.

Pretty fun place! So cool to see all the sea animals. It can be hard to get a park at Kelly Tarlton’s as it’s so small and crammed. But overall great!!

Was a very fun experience, the penguins, all sorts of fish, the turtles and the shark cove all were just an awesome time.

The penguins are very cool and we enjoyed the travelator-type circuit that allows you to get up close with some of the sea life ... but having visited the aquariums in Toronto, Nagoya, Osaka and even Singapore, this aquarium was just very small in comparison, especially considering the price ($30/adult online if you have 1 kid and during a weekday - and that was the discounted price). We were done in less than an hour! Still, the 3D printer area was fun and the kids also liked the indoor playground. So it was ok but not great. Good for a rainy day.

Small aquarium but in a great location with a neat underground method and sea-level viewing window. A few specific great features like the rotating ice tube, TONS of penguins, and underwater tunnel pool - watch sharks and mantas swim over you! Limited wildlife, and no live turtles I could see. But what they do have is good. Also, SHARK BUS!

Was a lovely place to visit. So nice to see all the fish and penguins close up

One of the best sea life experience. Love it.

Great place to go with kids lots of fish,sharks,eels,stingrays and more. decent food

Great place. Beautiful sea creatures. Good place to spend quality time with family

Went here a couple of weeks ago and had an amazing time. Then had a guided tour with the educator Pauline. We had a bunch of toddlers and were all so impressed at how she was able to keep both the adults and children engaged. The other educators we encountered were also amazing with my daughter. The space is layed out so well in a way which gives children a break and so that they are not over stimulated. The colouring in section was a real hit and was a real nice blend of analogue and digital. This is really an amazing outing for both kids and adults and the staff really make it!

Great for kids, especially if you get to watch them feeding the penguins

Updated review: This is more of a critique on one of the staff. Came here for a double date, me and my boyfriend both had online tickets though my boyfriend purchased both as I was out of money. He showed both tickets to the guy at the front, tan guy with a passive aggressive tone. He said he needed to see "both tickets" as we could be showing him 1 as 2 screenshots to try trick him, but the order numbers on both images were different. My boyfriend stated that but the man basically called him dumb by saying "one is one, two is two do you not get it?". Eventually he tossed us out the line until we got the full emails for both orders. Despite the fact we showed BOTH emails individually, with different order numbers again, it took him 2 looks before he realized we weren't scamming him. Actual jerk, gaslit my boyfriend into making him feel stupid. Felt awful as he's an anxious guy. I wont come back here again if I see that man at the front, every other staff member was extremely kind.

It was a nice experience to visit there and see sea life of some of the very beautiful creature of nature, If you are interested seeing them you should definitely go there while touring Auckland! Staff was very nice.

We visit the aquarium regularly as we have a membership. Staff is very very helpful and friendly and care about the place, you can tell they love their jobs. The shark tank is great and always a hit with the kids. Playground is nice to keep little ones entertained. I wish they could improve cleanliness in toilets and modernise them. *Review updated after explanation from owner regarding cafeteria, it makes total sense!

Really enjoyable. Hadn't been there for quite a while. A fun place for children and adults. Would recommend going early as car parking can be limited

Bit expensive compared to global sealife aquariums. Good fit for kids. Can see a variety of sea life.

This place is very unique for aquariums. Additionally, they had an abundance of different types of sharks, penguins, seahorses, and everything in between. Also, with that they had very interesting information and fun facts that I had never heard about. Super kid friendly so bring the entire crew with you and enjoy everything that is Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium. You will not be disappointed.

This is a wonderful place that provides a unique experience. The well designed walk takes you through the knowledge about life for humans in Antarctica and the history associated with it. Itnthen provides comprehensive exposure to marine biology and a unique opportunity to observe many of the marine animals found around the world. The price is a bit steep but I am not taking a star off as the place must be expensive to maintain.

Used to love coming here as a child, still love it as an adult! Great exhibitions with learning for all. A particular fan of the missions. Not very big, but as the tickets aren't time limited, you can take a good long look at everything. Only recommendation is that more staff go to the ticket desk when the bus is due to arrive.

Better than when I was a kid! Love this place! There's something for everyone here at Kelly Tarltons. Daily shows, interactive exhibits, a cafè (which is a little expensive hence the 4 stars), penguin habitat! The amazing tunnel and heaps more!

This was one of the best experiences ever! I stayed here for so long and enjoyed this place so much, would definitely come back

Great for families and a free shuttle to get you there and back! This wonderful attraction in the heart of Auckland is testament to the hard work and dedication of Kelly Tarlton and family. It's an amazing chance to see fabulous penguins, sharks and brilliant sea life up close! The hard work and conservation of these incredible creatures is evident and they are big on educating the next generation. Magical and breathtaking, it's a MUST do on any Auckland trip.

Worth visiting especially for kids. You get to touch starfish and for a bit extra you get to meet the penguins. There is no rush so makes for a lot of fun.

A must visit aquarium if you have kids! They will have loads of fun with all the different interactive activities. Don't miss the tunnel with all the sharks hovering above you, and little Antarctica with the emperor and gentoo penguins!

Actually not to much things to do but my daughter expect to visit here everytime and spend such a fun time.

Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Geared towards families, and could take as little as 45 minutes to as long as three hours depending on how excited you are about marine life. I went on the behind the scenes tour which cost a little extra. Staff take the time to answer all your questions and you'll get to see some of the critters in quarantine, and feed the fish. The behind the scenes tour seemed to be about 15-20 minutes. Expect to see fish, sharks, eels, bull Ray's, turtles, sea horses, an octopus, and penguins.

We visited in Nov., 2016 and today again in March, 2019...it's really place to visit. This time they added turtles naming Jackson and second I don't remember her name...knowledgeable place. My grand daughter loves this place and visits frequently.

Very cool place. Parking is terrible but it is what it is. Penguins were awesome and the seahorses, giant squid and conveyor belt aquarium was stunning. Lots of history about Antarctica and early explorations.

Enjoyable specially for kids

Probably wonderful for kids. Is very much geared towards a younger audience. Nice shark tunnel, pretty good penguin exhibit. But rest is outdated and pretty small really. If you’ve ever been to the Shedd Aquarium or similar elsewhere, don’t bother. I was able to catch a free shuttle round trip from the CBD, which is quick and easy.

Clean and tidy. Good staff with great knowledge. An excellent place to take kids to learn about the ocean and our environment.

Lovely place for kids and adults to learn and enjoy. The Penguins are awesome. Very family friendly. Loved it.

They advertised turtles, and I had yet to see one at Sea Life... I did love the penguins they had. The smell was not bad at all. Very kid friendly.

We had a great experience with Sea Life. I just wish they advertise their place to international students more, along with free shuttle bus service. If you have student id, you would receive a special discount. An Auckland must do when you are in town.

Amazing experience, if you're looking for a fun weekend activity indoors, go for it! Also if you like penguins, you've gotta visit here!

My favourite place to visit in Auckland, New Zealand. I found it very entertaining watching the fish swim around. Learning about Kelly Tarlton. While we were there, there were divers in the tanks hand feeding the fish. There is one section where rather than walk, you just stand on a platform that carry’s you through the underwater tunnels where you can observe the sea life all around you. Your entry ticket lasts all day long. There is also a very pleasant restaurant in the building.

Upon entering you go through a dizzy tunnel which opens to the penguins. We got lots and lots of lovely photos of the penguins up close. We also saw the 11:30 feeding which was great. One of the assistants gave a talk about the penguins which was very informative. There was a children's colouing in activity where they could colour in a fish picture, scan it and then that fish went on the digital displays in the fish tanks and on the large display. The food wasn't that great, but you could see that we were under sea level at high tide and the water came up the external window which was very cool. The viewing tunnel was amazing as you got to go around a circular travelator and look up at the sharks and other large fish. The dramatic coloured lighting and props in the water added to the experience. The gift shop at the end was very good. We spent up on some lovely plush toys and puppets. You get a free gift if you spend over a certain amount. Overall its a fantastic experience for our family and the shark bus from Quay Street was very convenient.

I haven't been to Kelly Tarlton's since I was a kid about 25 years ago! Now I have a child myself and I wanted to see what it was like. I was pleasantly surprised. It sure has grown in size since then. We spent a great 3 hours wandering around all the exhibits. An amazing space to explore. My son loved the penguins, turtles and the sharks. But most of all the water play in the playground. I loved the classic underwater travelator with the stingrays and sharks swimming around you. A bit expensive but worth it I think.

Had an amazing time here. I went and had the penguin experience which was really something amazing and I'd reccomend to everyone. Penguins feel like a completely different animal when you experience them from that close and the team was so accommodating and friendly.

Not bad first time taking the baby, overall good except the car park as their width of spacing is so tight that many people park over the line.

It’s really good for families with younger kids, both educational and entertaining. To avoid waiting in long queues, order your tickets online from their website. There are some penguins, sharks, jelly fish, scorpions & other types of sea animals that kids might like to see as the learn about them. My favorite part of the whole thing was the aquarium with all the fish & shark which are in a glass surrounding you as you’re standing and a belt-like thing is taking you around. It’s not too far from CBD you could just take a Tamaki Link bus & you’ll get there pretty quickly. If you’re in Auckland for a visit, i’d recommend you go to Mission Bay after you visit the aquarium. It’s a nearby beach that is really beautiful & there are some restaurants around there too if you’re hungry. Again you could use the Tamaki Link Bus!

Explore this Majestic place with loads of information for all ages! Enjoy it to the MAX!

I had fun. For like $40nzd it's fun and informative and the shark tunnel is definitely the best thing as well as the penguins are super cute. Gift shop has great variety and reasonably priced souvenirs. I will come back to this place my next trip here.

Good displays, especially the penguins!! Loved the shark/manta ray tunnel! A nice cafe with a water view! Lots of kids there having a great time.

Wonderful facility extremely knowledgeable staff, brilliant conservation education patience with kids just an overwhelmingly great experience

Always enjoy coming to Kelly Tarlton's. It's quite pricey, but we managed to get discounted tickets. There is so much to see and to explore, and they do a lot to help protect our oceans and sealife. A must do in Auckland! The underwater tunnel is amazing!!!

So much fun with the 3D drawing, the kids loved it and can spend a lot of time there. Loved the Penguin, they are super cute. Definitely will go there again.

Fabulous!! Great educational and fun space for people of all ages! Wonderful habitats and animals, and everything appears happy and healthy with plenty of room to swim and enjoy life. We had a wonderful time, and would recommend it to virtually anyone.

Great place to see, but not often. Quite expensive too

Great underworld of marine life👌

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! What an amazing experience!!! Celebrated my 24th birthday here today and it was stunning! Will absolutely be purchasing a yearly pass and be coming back often!!! Staff are also extremely helpful and friendly!!!

Construction of Kelly Tarlton started in 1984 and completed by 1985. It was opened to public in 1985. You can spend an average of 2-2.5 hours here. There are two different live experiences, Penguin feeding and eel feeding. The Penguin feeding is done twice a day, check the timing on the official website before you go. Try to catch the penguin feeding as it's informative. The Penguins here are king penguins and more in number as compared to the Antarctic centre in Christchurch.

Fantastic Acquarium in Auckland. We'll laid out, and great collection of Pacific sea Life. Penguin exhibit is amazing. The Ray's just swam right over you. The sharks were fierce.

The penguins were up close and personal; fish and stingrays and sharks swimming around you was awesome. Food not so good; finding where to catch the free shuttle was a challenge.

All good. Enjoyable. Loved the digitising of kids fish drawings onto screens & main projector !! Price for 3 - 5 yr olds is a bit bloody pricey especially if you're in Auckland for a family wknd. Car parking is a bit rough. Especially dealing with self-important drivers in too large cars

I really enjoyed my time at the aquarium and I most likely will be back.

This place gives value to your money. There is a good variety of all kinds of fish. You can enjoy the ride on the belt exploring the massive fish tank. There are times where they feed the fish as well. You could also see a large number of penguins at this place. A must visit place. Recommended

I didn't really have high hopes for this place but I was so surprised at how amazing, fun an interactive it was, the penguin enclosure was just magnificent I could sit and watch those penguin for hours. They have talks throughout, a little playground for the kids and a cafe, and my favourite part, you colour in this piece of paper with a fish on it then scan it into the big screen. AMAZING!

It was a great experience and he staff were absolutely lovely and so helpful and friendly. the sea life and penguins all look incredibly well cared for and happy, which was also great to see :).

Great experience have been many times.over the years and still love it every time

Had an awesome time here, great place to have a family trip

Very good experience Very kids friendly, yhe staff was very helpful and nice

Great adventurers for the kids and loads to see and do! Excellent use of space and loads more exhibits than they had 10 years ago. Overall I'd rate it a 9 out of 10!

Penguins and sharks are easily the highlights. Their penguin colony is fascinating to watch both in the water and on land. And the sharks swimming above you in the tunnel is incredibly cool. Staff was all very friendly. Went on a Saturday morning and it wasn’t overwhelmingly busy, although I certainly had to wait my turn to see things. Gift shop at the end is unnecessarily large, but if you’re looking for that kinda thing, it’s there.

Quite expensive for how short time it takes to walk through it but awesome experience to see

Amazing show of variety of species of sea life one can spend value time with kids and relish !

Friendly staff and children love it there

Great place to take children. Lots of interactive things to do.

Great fun. Bit pricey but still worth it.

Pretty cool experience, give yourself plenty of time to really explore everything. Free transport from the city center on the shark bus. Lots of different habitats to see, the penguin enclosure is amazing and the shark tank is worth going round a couple of times

Great place for kids and adults. Clean and interesting. Prices can be a big high. But the kids did enjoy it.

If you're local I recommend a yearly pass. Great for wet days when you kids are stuck inside.

Always a great time. We have an annual pass which of you live in Auckland and plan to go a few times a year it's worth it. We now pop in just to do a few loops and leave. Penguins, sharks and seahorses are the favourites. They seem to be always improving and adding different attractions. It's worth visiting. We found the afternoon penguins seemed more active, but then the octopus want as active as the mornings.

Well worth a visit, the penguins were the best attraction in my opinion

Very beautiful place!

An awesome place to bring the whole family. Lots of great aquarium’s and a great variety of sea life to look at. A great place for tourists to go.

Wonderful day the kids loved it could take our time and just watch all the animals.

if you have student card, the ticket is only $30 for adult. the aquarium is quite small but the marine animals is impressive me a lot.

Its a Must visit if you like to see penguins and sea life from close proximity. Staff is friendly and helpful. Keep half day for entire museum visit. There's mini Cafe inside , you can get coffee n some eatables.

Good way to entertain kids for two hours. You get very close to many animals.

Great couple of hours out with family. Baby loved the fish

Just beautiful and innovative... had gr8 fun.definitely a fun filled educational activity for everyone in the family...for little babies too....

Great place to visit. Has interactive area's for children

Reluctantly Hubby came with me for the first time and REALLY enjoyed it! A highlight was the turtle talk, which was interesting and informative. Loved the penguin enclosure (they are so cute and get so close to the glass), as well as seeing the sharks and stingrays swimming above us.

Great for all ages. Kids are well catered for. So much to see and do. Great information talks. Shop is well priced and fantastic selection. The entry photos are awesome. Spent nearly 3 hours walking though it all and could have walked though it all again. Love the rescue hospital work they do. Get there early and you get a great park!

Highly recommend, great place for kids. Well maintained with lots of sea different types of fishes and penguins.

The staff were excellent always had a smile and willing to help. Very knowledgeable about the sealife.

One of the best experiences. Loved every bit of this place. Loads learn.

It has been such a beautiful experience. My daughter discover a new whole world and a favorite pet: the penguin 🐧which, she adores. The whole place is magical.

Beautiful place that tell the history of people that love nature and sea life. Must go of you're in Auckland

Great exhibitions with fact cards and interaction with the marine life. Great stations set up for kids in the holidays. You forget you are 10mins away from Auckland CBD. Penguins are very entertaining!!!

Some very cool tunnel aquarium experiences but I did find the octopus tank to be tiny and depressing for such a smart creature.

We just spent the night there which was incredible. The staff organise games and displays for the kids and it's run very professionally. Definitely recommend for a days outing, but the sleepover is something else!

Got there early and had a fun day out. Prebooking online helped avoiding the queue. The photo service was annoying though and created an unessessary queue. A separate line for those who don't want a photo would be better.

A very nice aquarium with large collection of fish and other marine life. With may types of sharks including sting rays, sea horses. You stand on a moving platform and watch the various types of fish move around you from the glass panels overhead. Then they have penguins and other aquatic animals also. A good place to spend time for a family especially with kids.👌🏼👍🏻

An aquarium with a special story. You can see that there are many kinds of fish, just a pity that there are also some wounded fish swimming. The penguins are also a pleasure to see.

Beautiful Aquarium and variety of sea creatures, just need a cafe that serves more variety of food but coffee was great

Another of Aucklands premier attractions… they have over 2000 animals, including Sharks, Stingrays, Penguins and many, many other species… they also breed Marine animals, rehabilitate Marine animals and do a lot of rescue work for any marine life which needs it… a must see when you visit my city of Auckland…

Would recommend arriving early, as there was already a queue at 9:30, although, to be fair, it was during the holidays. The place got super packed and there wasn't much seating in the cafe area, so I think they need to apply restrictions to number of entries. However, it was a great adventure!! So much to do, aside from looking at all the attractions like a colouring in station, antarctic freeze plunge, turtle card area and playground. I didn't receive a turtle card upon entry, though and didn't want to hustle through the crowds again. The staff were very respectful and professional, which was highly welcome in the madness of the crowds. It was really cool being able to see the penguins up close in the display windows and the feeding sessions were well timed and informative. There was a conveyor belt in the stingray/shark tunnel, which was great for moving people along efficiently without clusters of groups blocking the aisle. The aquariam also had a deal for children who came in a PJ mask outfit and a discount for me as a registered teacher. Orakei Bay is absolutely stunning too, and there is a great view of the harbour outside the cafe window. There is also a great park nearby in Orakei basin. Would recommend!!

Really enjoy going to an aquarium and lithos one was great! Lots to see and friendly staff! Worth a visit

Definitely worth a visit. Quite pricey (like everything in Auckland), but a good time out with the family.

Fantastic experience for family's, such a great display of animals

Solid 4 stars for a nice few hours of entertainment. Cafe is average.

It is awesome to go there and have fun. They protected all the sea life very well and taught people about them. There is a shark talk you can't miss in the day. Staff are very friendly. Good place to go with your family.

We had a great morning here with Miss 3 and 4. The tickets are on the pricey side but the kids were engaged and excited for the 2.5 hours we took to go through. They especially loved the playground of course. We arrived at 1000 on Saturday and had no problems parking and no queue for tickets. When we left after lunch the car park was full and lots of cars queued up waiting for a park too.

It was great, my daughter loved it. But I was shocked when we got to the end. It was so quick. I expected a bigger experience. Quite expensive for a 1 hour outing

Great interactive and informative day for all ages. The turtles and penguins are a must see. Take your time and stop off at the digital stop... seeing your creation come alive on the big screen is amazing.

Liked it, though am really disappointed that the octopus, for being an intelligent animal lacks any kind of enrichment. Really sad..

Kelly Tarlton's is great for kids and parents. The tickets are not cheap - that was my only 'put off'. But we managed to get a good discount (free kids ticket) via the Entertainment book. I would recommend getting tickets with a discount as the normal price is $39 for adults, but a family pass is cheaper. With a discounted entry I thought it was well worth it. There is a lot to see including penguins, jellyfish, sharks and many many species of New Zealand fish. My son loved the whole experience and we will definitely be visiting again!

Always lots on for the kids over the break, staff are always happy and informative. Entrance has always been the issue here. They suggest pre-paying to speed up entrance but this far from reality. Those who paid on site were in under 5 minutes and had seen lots before we got in, as the prepaid queue was over 30 minutes long. I suggest paying in person on the day not online.

Awesome place to go with kids. An absolute must go for those who love the sea and are interested in Antarctica.

Very beutiful place. Well designed. I totally recommend it

I first visited about 20 years ago, loved it, but haven't been since. I was pleasantly surprised I loved it just as much this time. I had my heart set on seeing the penguin feeding and it didn't disappoint. We spent well over two hours throughout.

A good place to go to with kids. My son was amazed to see so many sea creatures in real life.

Nice friendly staff. New playground area. Good classroom session. Great QR interaction but not all QR scanners read the cards. Not a lot of different species to see. Children enjoyed the experience.

Been over 10 years since last visit and so many great changes especially Scott's hut. Really enjoyed it. As a local I only drive by 10+ times a week, so recommend everybody does an update visit.

Nice place but miss the penguin ride its a shame my daughter wasn't able to see it

Seeing all of the animals was really great and my 1 year old daughter thoroughly enjoyed it. The food selection in the cafe is absolutely terrible unless you like pies, chocolate, chips and fizzy. So I would suggest either bringing your own food or heading there outside of meal times. We booked for 10am and this was a great time to arrive in regards to finding a park and the line wasn’t long.

Awesome place! Our 1 year old loved it, as did we. Highly recommend a visit!

We had a wonderful experience here...quite expensive entry fee but it really is a "must see" if you're visiting Auckland.

Amazing place to learn about sea life. Is a medium walk between all the different species that live inside the place.

I remember taking my children to Kelly Tarltons years ago and it was a great experience. Recently we took our grand daughter and it doesn't seem to have aged well. The cafe had a very very limited menu so if you didnt take your own food, a pie is pretty much your only option. It was also over-priced cost twice as much than going to the zoo!

I did not sea before any sea life in my this is my first experience. I was really really awesome. Many many sea animals and creatures in here. I saw all of them before in book or movies. It was really awesome day for me and my family. Near here lots of place we enjoy the sea beach area as well. People are catching fish near sea world. Lots car parking here. Staffs are very helpful.

Awesome, the 🐧 awesome the aquarium and all the different varieties of fish just awesome.

Kids will love this place , and has a good cafe there and lots of interesting sea life to look at .

Really good! Penguins were my favourite 🐧 Lots of interactive displays not going which was a shame. Good fun though!

Expensive, but a fun day out. Cafe is definitely lacking but the wildlife are interesting to look at

Very nice for the whole family, about a two to three hour trip if you look at all things and have a coffee halfway in the building

These guy's are doing a tremendous work in marine conservation and rehabilitating turtles..awesome place to enjoy sea life and history..

Haven't been there for years. Help full staff. Good advice. Grand kids loved it. Great family-friendly. Good cafe.

There’re all so so cute. Lovely staff and have lots of knowledges

Feel kinda sorry for the marine life 😕 especially the penguins, smelt really bad and could see the poo

Kelly Tarlton's is well worth the visit, whether you're going for the first time or returning. The staff have put a lot of effort into developing and maintaining an engaging series of displays and animal encounters that is both fun and informative. The issues visitors may run into are challenges with parking and vehicle movements along Tamaki Drive on busy days, as well as congestion around popular displays such as the penguins. Still a great experience though.

Nice aquarium where penguins get very close. Book tickets online as they are $9 cheaper. Not sure why...

Good value if you have an AA card you can save 30% on entry fee when bought online. They are now cashless so beware they can only take cards and Google pay.

Wonderful environment, thousands of fish, amazing sharks and truly an amazing experience. Definitely worth visiting!

Nice place to take your little ones for a day trip. Take some packed lunch with you as there is not much for kids there and limited options for adults too. I found that an annual pass for two adults and a child is cheaper than a once off ticket. Be sure to investigate that for yourselves. Parking is limited so be prepared to walk around 5-10 minutes once you find a parking spot down the main road. There is a wheel chair lift at the exit and access at the entrance is wheel chair friendly too. Be sure to check their website for additional details on activities.

A magical place for people of all ages.. Fasinating to see so many kinds of fish. A must see for visitors to Auckland.

This is one of my favourite places to visit in Auckland. We have been many times but this was our first time taking our 15 month old Baba. She was a bit unsure at first but then warmed up to it. On the other hand, her parents absolutely enjoyed it 😉 It's such a sanctuary for us and our absolute favourite today were the sting rays. They are an absolute beauty. Of course the Penguins are a highlight as well and our baby loved colouring the different fish and scanning them to see them come to life. It's definitely a win win situation as kids adore this place and it's such a haven for adults too. Definitely recommend and a must see ☺️

The kids and I had so much fun. They a little pricey so only one trip a year for us. Maybe if it was a little cheaper we would visit more.

Fantastic place to take the kids. They loved the penguins and all the fish including sting rays and sharks. They enjoyed touching the starfish and all the interactive displays. The playground was safe for all ages with a safety gate to ensure they did not get lost. You can spend 3 hours here with small children and remember to take a picnic.

Overall was fun for the kids, but the Cafe really needs some work. Went on a Saturday round 12.30pm there was only 2 cakes and the pies you had to wait for 30mins to be ready. For a busy day you would think they would have food ready at that time and more options for the kids

Beautiful!wish there were more animals though

Kelly tarltons was a hit with the kids. Lots of interactive activities and their new virtual aquarium kept the kids amused for hours. The talks were very informative and educational.

Parking is atrocious, but the experience more than makes up for it. The aquariums are well maintained and the animals are treated well.

This is an okay aquarium, it feels a little dated and small compared to other Sea Lifes I've been to. After the Penguin enclosure the rest of the aquarium doesn't really excite you. If you could only go to Auckland Zoo or the aquarium, stick to the zoo.

Best place for seeing marine life. Good and friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Awesome place to take the kids to learn enjoy the sea life creatures. Overall experience was good. Just one thing. My family would have loved to eat lunch there and stayed longer but had no choice and leave because they were hungry as the only option was pies. where was the hot chips, the wedges, burgers, nuggets or fried chicken. This is not a negative review but a slight improvement suggestion. To all staff thank you and keep up the great work.

A great place for family with children. The aquarium has very well design display and activities thoughtfully arrange for both adults and children. The penguins display is definitely the highlight.

Me and my lil family went here and it was so amazing!!! Wer all animal lovers and I am a diver also still learning so it was really interesting too see everything i havnt seen underwater yet such as a shark !! Great for the kids my 6 year old loved it I took my time taking vids gotta make the most of it lol staff we're friendly aswell I would so go again!!!! Infact I didn't wana leave !!!! I bought a couple of keychains a babyshark book and a turtle soft toy for my baby which she adores! You will not regret it if you love animals n sealife xx

Amazing experience. Almost like meditation

Really nice place to bring kids to, in fact, i love it too, only thing is if you are bringing a baby jogger, then exit is not too convenient.

Wonderful marine life. Where else can you see so many Penguins in North Island. Great experience.

Still more expensive than it's worth in my opinion. They do keep adding on fun areas tonite, but still nothing amazing unfortunately. Kids enjoyed it though.

Nice aquarium, fun for the family. Kids loved the penguins. Mom loved the gift shop. *eye roll*

Loved the penguins and all the fish, good couple of hours of entertainment

What I enjoy the most was the behind the scenes tour, it is just crazy 🤪 all the cares and requirements the place needs to run. They are very into providing the best spaces for the animals.

Walk through tunnel very cool as usual, exhibits otherwise fairly standard compared against Sydney and Cape Town. Price was reasonable for the experience. So many penguins, bro.

Amazing, educational place to take the kids. Great to see what Kelly Tarlton is doing to help sea life. They have an awesome area where you can colour in fish or a sea horse, scan it and it 'comes to life' on screen, then swims out where all coloured-in sea animals are swimming for the day, projected onto a large ocean/aquarium wall. Interactive save-the-turtles are was great too. Cafe food is expensive, but expected (we took our own food). They also have a playground area next to the cafe.

Awesome for kids and adults, lots to see and explore

Amazing place to spend time with kids. Great info about sea life and heaps of activities for little ones.

Our son loved it so much! The revamped penguins exhibit is great as feels like you can get closer and better view. He also loved the playground near the food court too.

I really loved our trip to the aquarium! I'll never be too old to visit them 😂

70% as good as just taking your kid to a quiet park.

It has changed. But kids seem to enjoy it.Not what I remember but if the kids enjoyed it I can't complain..Also it's abit pricey

Great place. My 2yr old loved it.

Absolutely awesome experience. Very interesting and fun.

Great place to visit and see all the aquatic life there is a gift shop, penguins, sharks, eels, octopus, crabs, lobsters, marine, and tropical Fish, the sharks are in a tank that you go under quite a cool experience. They also take pictures of you and whomever you are with. They also have toilets, guided tours, children drawing area.

Great aquarium for the whole family, we love seeing the octopus and sharks especially.

This place was awesome I did a re visit. Loved it

Kids love this place. Had a great afternoon out. Will definitely go again.

Awesome experience even fed the giant lobster . The young guy was very informative. The childrens cebtre fun to even for adults

We really enjoyed our day. Some wonderful creatures to see and the penguins are super cute. The only reason for the 2 stars is that it needs a bit of an upgrade and a clean up. Edit: Added a star for great communication and replying. Look forward to seeing all the new bits on my next visit. Covid has certainly messed with a lot of plans for everyone.

Loved it. Great for an outing with friends or family. Quite a number of things to see and learn. There's also a cafe and a souvenir shop to spend time in.

Was a great place to visit. Loved all the creatures, brilliantly organized. Didn't like the entance as developed vertigo...unsure why the floor swayed the way it did. Apart from that...loved it

Still a great experience just not worth the money they charge and too short overall.

Kelly Tarlton might not have ad much on display as bigger aquariums but its always a good experience with lots to do for kids. That said forcing everyone to take a photo as you walk in is not nice. Even when politely declining the staff would be pushy about it.

Nice, smartly engineered for pleasant tours by all family members, well entertaining and great utilities.

Great place to visit. I liked walking in the tunnel and having rays and sharks swim overhead

Amazing place and even good for adult，love the penguins most！

An awesome place to take kids even adult's to see SeaLife creatures right in your eyes. Amazing place a cafe setting looking across to Aucklsnd city under water level. Worth a visit to see giant crayfish/koura, turtles, seahorses, sharks, penguins so beautiful to watch closer to their environments. Check it out everyone a good day out with families reasonable price too.

Not quite up to the standard of big aquariums elsewhere but worth the visit purely for the penguin display.

if you are planning to visit more than 2 times in 1 year, better get annual membership.

Guys, sort your cafe out. We got there at 12 noon and there was only crisps and muffins left. Granted we visited on a public holiday but it was still busy. I seem to remember them serving hot food on our last visit 2 years ago? If I'd known how poor it was I would have brought a picnic for the family.

Great visit, penguins were my favourite

Amazing place loved it. Great family fun

Absolutely lived this venue. Hard to tell it used to be a sewer. Now that is ♻ at its best

It would be nice to have extra staff especially weekends to do rounds just to check whether some people needs help at the exit area. As a first timer, we are lucky because we are 2 adults with a pram at that time, if you are alone with a pram and no one is around how can you manage to use the lift at the exit? My husband has to help a mom with a pram and a child so they can use the lift. They got plenty of staff in the merchandise area but no one in the exit area. Like I said, it would be nice if there is an extra staff. If not, at the entrance, it would be nice to remind people with instructions from staff who will be needing the lift at the exit. There was a sign but yeah some just leave the lift without taking considerations or probably not reading the sign.

Fantastic.experience for children. Lots for them to do and very informative. The coffee is good so you can drink coffee while the kids play. You can bring your own snacks.

Expensive and really not much interaction for the kids, although my 2 year old grandson did enjoy seeing the penguins, stingrays, sharks and turtles.

Our playcentre had a visit and it was fantastic, all the children loved it

Initially we had a few problems with booking (very hard to ask questions or talk about booking before actually placing the booking) but from then on it was awesome! We booked a birthday party for my 10 year old daughter and her friends. The birthday parties are reasonably priced and we got a behind the scenes tour with a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide. The 'scan your own fish' attraction was also a big hit. I would certainly recommend this as a party destination.

Loved it lots have changed from the last time I came here in a school trip in 2008 seeessh

More for kids than adults. Would recommend highly for those with 18months and older children. The penguins are great for all ages though.

Staff are pleasant. The parking is limited so expect to be driving round a while if you aren't there at or before opening. The place itself is small for what you pay for. If you get the annual pass it is digital only. In the section you have to show this there is no data coverage so prep this before hand with a screenshot or note down your member number. Your annual pass gets your $2 barista coffees which are a great price for Auckalnd and they do taste good from here, when I tried it today. Worth it if you take your time, don't rush it. And go when you have a discount or voucher for it to be cheaper.

Its getting better every year as a an educational experience for the young and old. Keeps the eyes active with all the sea life, good employees.

Great fun for all. I recommend getting the annual pass if you live in Auckland. Better value for money.

Was very cool seeing some of the Antarctic history, different species of fish, crabs, jellyfish, penguins and few sharks. I'm disappointed because when I looked at the map at home, it seems I failed to view the the sea turtles, but this was my own fault as I did not look at the map during my visit due to my excitement. Also a cool test the Aquarium setup for one to experience how cold the water gets in Antarctica, I won't spoil it for others by saying exactly what the test was. Parking may be an issue, esp during school holidays but Lovely day trip nonetheless.

I lost my car key last week and I called everywhere I visited on that day including the aquarium. Fortunately, my key was found at the cafe and the cafe team leader, Mariana, helped me to get it back even though I don`t live in Auckland. Much appreciated her help and SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium is a great place with children!! Thanks again.

Really Amazing, defenatly worth a look, and in my appinion well worth the entree fee, take plenty of video or pic's.🐠🐙🐬🐡🐟

Great to visit with the kids but very expensive cost $110 for 2 adults and 1 child just to get in, 2 pies and 2 soft drinks cost $26 as much as I love going its a once every year kinda.place due to cost

Took our 3 year old grandson. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Great place to visit. Only thing we didn't like, the spinning entrance, had quite a bad affect on us. Next time would close our eyes or look down.

Superb place...well kept animals...loved the penguins.

We spend 15 minutes in queue despite being first in line. It was really frustrating to wait, especially since our own purchase took 20 seconds. Book online if you know you're going. Bring your kids? Bring a leash! Small kids were running around, screaming and yelling. They were knocking on glass and being really whiny in general. This would have been a nice tour if it wasn't for the queue time and kids.

Animals in Kelly Tarlton looks very happy and interact a lot with the visitors. It's really a nice idea to make a wasted facility into the heaven of arctic animals.

My daughter and I had a fantastic time here. Being up close and seeing all the sealife is an incredible experience. We will definitely be back, it is one of our favourite activities!

For kids it's very cool; we were a group of one senior and two students between 20-30. Was OK, but for the price I wouldn't do it again.

Loved it but.... the penguins don't seem very happy without access to fresh air and the sun. We got a bit unlucky going while there were 100s of kids too, but that's uncontrollable.

Really cool for the kids and bigger kids.

Always worth a trek around Kelly's, plenty of places to keep kids, particularly younger ones, happy and busy for a few hours. Beware of the queues when it's raining 😅

Awesome, affordable prices kids loved it and so did we a must do. You won't regret it!!!

Pretty busy due to holidays. Food at cafe not great at all nor was coffee. In fact, inedible and gross. Attractions were pretty good and the interactive things were great for the kids. A fun day was had but won’t go near the cafe food next time. A copperband would clear up the bunches of aiptasia in the tanks...

Smaller than I remember, pricing over the top, the place needs a remodel

Such a great place to visit, especially with children! Penguin section has been upgraded since my last visit and the removal of the "ride" is a huge improvement - it is so much easier to see these beautiful creatures now and a much more relaxing experience to watch them. We were lucky enough to visit while they were sitting on eggs - just amazing! Great to hear about the work done with the sea turtles, and to be able to touch the starfish. The underwater tunnel is always popular. Definitely a favourite place to visit.

Had heard some mixed reviews recently so wasn't sure what to expect - we had a great time! We visited under level 2 so missed out on a few minor things but had a great time, so much for the kids to see and do, really engaging and interesting and so much bigger than we expected too. Definitely recommend!

Staff at ticket counter and cafe counter were friendly and great. Kids area was great in regards to the colouring you can do with sea creatures images and scan them to bring to life in the fish tank and main wall feature. Playground was also fun for the kids however not much has changed in regards to experience, food and photos they charge. Not worth the money you spend.

what a great time spend there. it’s mostly good for kids

Nice experience but wouldn't recommend if your kids are 4 or younger or you need a pram. Not small kids friendly, which is fine, but I wish I knew before I attempted this on my own with a 1.5 and 3.5yr old in a slim pram. Was pretty stressful, to be fair being school holidays probably didn't help either, but it's definitely not a pram friendly place. Beautiful for adults or school age and older kids.

My daughter love to see all fishes and penguins...

Fantastic live displays and information.

We visit lots of aquariums all around the world. This was a small aquarium but well laid out and an OK selection of fish as well as some nice penguins.

We took our 19 month granddaughter and she had a lovely time. We hadn't been there for while and the new exhibits were great. The staff are friendly. However I think there should be a reduction in price for NZers living here. It was very expensive.

Great place for the family. My daughter loves it Big enough to spend some time but small enough to pop in for the afternoon.

The penguins are very interactive. Cutest turtle 🐢 ever. Massive sting rays and sharks. Good to just sit and watch.

We love taking our toddler to Kelly Tarlton's. Everything is down at her level and there is an awesome little playground. An annual pass is great value for money.

It's a very nice little Aquarium. We went during school holidays so there were a lot of crazy kids. It's a little expensive but I'm ok with spending a little extra knowing it's going into care of the animals and research. Penguins were fun to watch and there was lots of viewing windows.

Great fun for the kids and lots to see.

I hadn't been here for 23 years. It's made improvements. I was in a wheelchair and found I got round fine. Thank you to the staff who were chatty helpful and answered my many questions with patience. I learnt so much from those staff. Thanks Kelly Tarltons.

Was cool to see all the fish and the variety of fish staff were incredibly friendly. Although it's abit run down. It smelt really bad and there is alot of carpet hazards where the are bits of missing carpet I tripped on a couple.

One of the best attractions in Auckland and a brilliant place to take the kids.

The funny day out

Awesome experience any to think it was initially built and engineered by Kelly to save money

Really cool place. Sharks are the biggest creatures here

Very cute sea creatures 😍

O for Orsum recommend for adults&kids to learn about sea animal life and surrounding

cool fish, wish there wasn't so much water though

Great Auckland view from the restaurant

Best time to go during the week. Try to avoid school holidays. Penguin experience and snorkeling with sharks is highly recommended

It was awsome. Took our son there for his second birthday and he loved it so much.

Very fascinating. A place where you have to actually stop to absorb how amazing every where you look is

Great aquarium, lots of different fishes, sharks and turtles to look at. The cafe isn't the best and has poor hygiene. Gift shop is cool.

Great place to take the kids. Nephew was blown away watching the sharks & stingrays etc swimming overhead.. Really enjoyed his visit... Wants to go again...

It is not very big but interesting to see. Our favourite was the penguins. I would like to see better signage as to what fish are the tanks in the first few displays.

Love everything about our visit. It was the first time my little niece visited this place and she was in her element! Interactive activities; AWESOME STAFF (giving some insight into the different seacreatures/animals) and a fun kids area near Turtle Bay. Have always loved this place since I first visited this place as a kid. I highly recommending visiting this place! It's a great way to learn about the history and kaupapa of this place and why it was created.

Not a very large place, but nice to see, especially the penguins and underwater aquarium passage. Healthy animals...

Customer service was awesome. When we arrive got to the counter is was awesome. Sorry but now the negatives... People like to push, don't care if you have a student with disability... The experience of seeing the penguins was okay, but changed heaps since 8 years ago.. loved the ride around but now walk to here and there and not much to experience the open of touching or seeing things. Very short, price is high for a limited experience. Parking is really really bad. Again people are rude. The lift the lady needed to use to get out, because people up top keep playing with the door she couldn't use it. So mu hubby and another guy helped her out. Parking when leaving, people parked on yellow lines, two cars parked in a disabled car park... I think something needs to be done to bring the 100% wow factor back to Kelly. But customer service is 10 out of 10.

This is a great underwater experience. Young and old. Totally awesome.

Not much changes since the last time we visited this last 2015 and we didnt enjoy much. Now with our 2year old our perspective changes and our little monkey enjoyed it so much from penguin to fishes and then sharks. But the best part was the penguin. Quite small place though and for 2year i think thats good enough. Not much parking in the area but heaps of off road parking

Interactive and varied with lots of activities for the kids. Penguin display smelt a bit fishy but to be expected considering how many penguins are in there!

Good, but if I compare it with Sydney aquarium, it's very small. Big colony of pinquins.

Great place for kids. Love the Interactive scanners

A wonderful morning out at Kelly Tarltons. Hubby lost his wallet which was handed in. There are still good people out there and KT called us with the goods news. 6 stars!

Nice place to visit. Best time to go is during feeding times, as the staff explain the animals etc. Really fun.

SO pleased with the conservation efforts at Kelly Tarltons. I loved taking my son and teaching him about taking care of our oceans!

Awesome place to visit. Highly recommend booking online the night before to get a discount! Great activity for the whole family!!

Has a fee of 3NZD per person. Got chance to see some new animals here. Penguin was a show stopper.

We had a great time. The aquarium has had a big over haul since I was there last. The penguin encounter is fantastic. I love how close you can get. The turtle rescue is brilliant and we were really lucky to see three different species present. The tunnels through the main aquarium tanks were great too. The best bit... The kids area. As a dad to young kids this was great. They can colour in a fish, scan it and then see it come to life and swim around the wall. There's a soft play jungle gym to run off some steam, conveniently next to the cafe and about mid way through. Its great. Yes, it costs, but I think it was well worth it.

Great place and good fun for all ages.

Must go for anyone who never been there especially families.

Fantastic exhibits of live fish sharks turtles and penguins beautifully displayed.Excellent signage and informed staff. We will be back.

Very enjoyable. Can learn a lot about ocean life here. Penguins are adorable. Great place for kids and adults

Kelly Taltons has an amazing array of fishes and the staff are friendly! The new kids centre is awesome and my boy loves going there. Fav are the penguins!

Very expensive for what is on offer but kids enjoyed it

First time I have been back in ages. It has really improved so that was good. I still believe the admission price is way too expensive.

This is a great place for a day out. I had not been in over ten years. It has changed a lot. The penguin display is much better these days. The tickets are expensive so it is a treat to go there.

Located 10 minutes away from the city by drive, this place is a penguin paradise. They provide free shuttle service every 20 minutes past hour from Kelly Tarlton's to Quay St. The place provides friendly customer service at the front desk. Don't miss out on getting your photos clicked as you go ahead. This is one of the best souvenirs and memory to take back home. The cafe doesn't have much food options but the seating overlooks the scenic view of the city. If you visit, do not miss out the fish feeding. The map provides all the information. There's plenty of activities for the kids. While exiting, you go through the gift shop and this is the best place to purchase toys or gifts for loved ones. They have plenty of collection of key rings, accessories and so on. At last, you get to buy the photos and don't forget to grab a key ring and magnet that you can customize. Best time to visit is weekdays but this depends on your itinerary. Overall a fabulous experience and complete value for money.

Small aquarium and pretty pricey. Unfortunately on our visit the microphone wasn't working during the penguin talk, which was a shame as the chap seemed to be really knowledgeable and engaging. The shark tunnel is fantastic. I love the conveyor belt system as well, there's no worry about bumping into anyone as you're walking around. All in all you can be done within an hour.

Awesome stuff, everyone loved it especially the kids

Loved it. Very clean, organized and friendly staff. Penguins are awesome. Their variety is good and the structure of the building is perfect. Good indoor activities for the family. The play are is beautiful too

Great morning. Very crowded but all moved well. Loved the penguins!

This Aquarium is amazing!!! It's possible to dive with sharks and to see closely penguins.

Cool interactive things to do. Dining area and playground are nice Really cool thank you

We bought the yearly pass but eveytime we went there the scanner that suppose to scan the paper coloured fish to life is not fixed,i am not sure why they never fix it and still charge us expensive tickets,i really hope they can fix it

Fiance and I went there for the first time and enjoyed every moment. There were times where it was a little crowded but was to be expected since there was a couple of classes from a school there. We are definitely thinking of coming back, staff was great and the sea mammals were awesome just wished there was on more turtle. Otherwise we had a lovely day there.

Is a special place. Is smaller than expected but the penguin and shark exhibits are worth the visit. Covid means no crowding so you have heaps of free space to enjoy everything.

Our kids were absolutely fascinated and had a fantastic time discovering new sea life creatures and interacting in the colouring area. Plenty of photo opportunities and the shark tunnel was a huge hit! The one thing that would have made our experience better would be more variety in the cafe, we made a day of it and would have like to have a good lunch before driving back home - so be sure to pack snacks!

I organised the penguin experience with my Dad and family friend from the UK. It was a wonderful experience for all. Not only did the staff look after us and make us welcome, but the penguins were very friendly too. So very cute and wonderful hosts!

Stunning creatures

Fun and interesting spot to take kids. The penguins are adorable to see up close, the huge tank has so many different species in it and the play area was a hit.

Would be ideal if you had children, but if just adult parties I'm not sure I would bother. You can tell they do everything they can for their animals and care about educating and the well-being of the ocean. The shark tank is pretty cool, but otherwise, it's nothing you can't see elsewhere. Definitely targeted at families and children

Amazing place to spend few hours , specially for kids. Good sea life collection.

Great Auckland view from the restaurant

Fantastic exhibits of live fish sharks turtles and penguins beautifully displayed.Excellent signage and informed staff. We will be back.

It is smaller than I thought but there are many things to see. It would be nice to go with friends🦢

Awesome experience. Hard to pick a favorite, probably the king penguins

If you want to see life under water without getting wet, this is the place to go.

Parking is atrocious, but the experience more than makes up for it. The aquariums are well maintained and the animals are treated well.

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Reviews of SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium in Auckland - Museum

SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium - Auckland

SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium - Museum

23 Tamaki Drive, Orakei, Auckland 1071, New Zealand

Comments and reviews of SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium