One more place to enjoy near Long Beach in California
History and Culture
The Aquarium of the Pacific opened its doors on June 20, 1998 as one of the largest cultural institutions in Southern California. Designed by the architectural firm Esherick Homsey Dodge and Davis, the aquarium was built on a five-acre site in Rainbow Harbor as part of the Long Beach waterfront redevelopment project. The institution was the first aquarium in the United States to focus exclusively on the Pacific Ocean, the largest and deepest ocean basin on Earth.
The aquarium quickly established itself as a leader in marine conservation and public education. Its founding mission combined live animal exhibits with research programs, community outreach, and habitat restoration initiatives. In 2002, the aquarium expanded with the opening of the Shark Lagoon, a touch-friendly exhibit that transformed public perceptions of ocean predators. The institution has welcomed over 30 million visitors since opening and become one of the most visited aquariums in the country.
The institution’s cultural significance extends far beyond tourism. The Pacific Visions wing, a 29,000-square-foot expansion opened in 2019, uses state-of-the-art digital projection and interactive technology to explore the future of the planet’s oceans. The aquarium partners with NOAA, regional universities, and international conservation organizations to advance marine science and public awareness. Its education programs including the Aquarium on Wheels mobile classroom have reached hundreds of thousands of students across Southern California.
What to Do
Visitors can explore over 100 exhibits featuring more than 12,000 animals representing the diverse ecosystems of the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium is organized into three major gallery regions: Southern California and Baja, the Northern Pacific, and the Tropical Pacific. Each gallery immerses guests in the distinctive marine environments of its region through carefully designed habitats that replicate natural coastlines and ocean depths.
The Animal Encounters program allows guests to get hands-on with tidepool creatures in supervised touch tanks featuring sea stars, sea urchins, and sea anemones. Daily diver presentations inside the Tropical Reef Habitat let visitors watch aquarists feed sharks, rays, and sea turtles while answering questions through an underwater microphone. The Behind-the-Scenes Tour reveals the aquarium’s massive life support systems and animal care operations that keep the exhibits thriving.
For families, the Explorer’s Cove outdoor play area provides splash zones, climb-through exhibits, and interactive learning stations designed for younger children. The Pacific Pals program offers story times, art activities, and animal-themed games throughout the day. Special seasonal events include the Autumn Festival celebrating Asian Pacific cultures, the family-friendly Scarium of the Pacific around Halloween, and the popular holiday-season Aquarium Holidays celebration featuring festive decorations and snowfall.
What to See
The Tropical Reef Habitat serves as the aquarium’s signature exhibit with a massive 350,000-gallon tank inspired by the warm waters of Palau’s coral reefs. This breathtaking display teems with over 1,000 colorful fish including angelfish, butterflyfish, and wrasses alongside green sea turtles, zebra sharks, and giant groupers. The viewing window stretches nearly three stories high, creating a panoramic underwater vista that captivates visitors of all ages.
Shark Lagoon features more than 150 sharks across a 10,000-square-foot outdoor exhibit where guests can gently touch bamboo sharks and epaulette sharks in shallow pools. Larger predators including sand tiger sharks, zebra sharks, and sawfish cruise through the deeper lagoon waters visible from a suspended walkway. Daily shark keeper talks provide fascinating insights into shark behavior, conservation challenges, and the essential ecological role these misunderstood animals play in ocean health.
The Jellies Lab displays the alien beauty of moon jellies, Pacific sea nettles, and comb jellies in illuminated cylinder tanks that highlight their translucent forms and hypnotic movements. The Sea Otter Habitat is home to rescued Southern sea otters serving as ambassadors for their threatened wild population along the California coast. The June Keyes Penguin Habitat houses over 20 Magellanic penguins in a rocky coastal enclosure with underwater viewing windows that reveal their torpedo-fast swimming.
When to Visit
The ideal time to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific is during weekday mornings in fall and spring when crowds are lighter and school field trips are less frequent. September through November offers pleasant Southern California weather alongside reduced tourist numbers compared to peak summer months. Arriving at the 9:00 AM opening allows guests to observe animals during their most active feeding period and explore galleries before midday crowds arrive.
Summer months from June through August bring the largest crowds, with weekends often reaching full capacity by early afternoon. The aquarium extends its operating hours during this season with Late Nights programming offering evening access until 8:30 PM and special after-dark experiences. Winter from January through March provides the quietest atmosphere with shorter lines at popular exhibits and more opportunities for personal interactions with knowledgeable docents and volunteers stationed throughout the galleries.
The aquarium hosts several signature annual festivals worth planning a visit around. The International Children’s Festival in April celebrates cultures from around the Pacific Rim, while the Pacific Islander Festival in June showcases traditional dance, music, and craftsmanship. Moompetam: Native American Festival in September honors the indigenous maritime cultures of California’s coastal tribes through demonstrations and storytelling. Reservations are recommended for weekend and holiday visits, and tickets with timed entry slots can be purchased online to guarantee admission on busy days.