User Rating: 35 out of 5 stars (79 ratings)
Downtown Aquarium
- (713) 223-3474
- Reserve Now
410 Bagby St, Houston, TX
77002
Get directions
Cross Streets: Between Preston St and Prairie St
Neighborhood: Downtown Houston, TX
29.76455
-95.3669
Own this business? Get guaranteed top placement.
| About: | Have a yearning for the nautical life? Well then, take a plunge into the deep blue yonder at the the Houston Downtown Aquarium. This aquarium is definitely the place to be for a fun day out. The aquarium features around 400 species of aquatic life, with the Shark Voyage being the main attraction. This voyage gives visitors the opportunity to travel via train into an acrylic viewing tunnel with live sharks swimming overhead. Other attractions include the Diving Bell ferris wheel, the aquatic carousel and some themed educational exhibits. If you've had your fill of the aquatic life and need some grub then take a pick from the Marina Matinee cafe, Aquarium restaurant or the Dive lounge. |
| Hours: | Mo to Th from 10:00am to 10:00pm,Fr to Sa from 10:00am to 11:00pm,Su from 10:00am to 10:00pm |
| Categories: | Aquariums & Zoos, Tourist Attractions, Seafood Restaurants, Restaurants, American Restaurants |
| Amenities: | Kid-Friendly |
| Cuisine: | American, Seafood |
| Ambiance: | Casual, Family Friendly |
| Reservations Policy: | None |
| Price: | $10 - $20 |
| Other Contact Info: | Email: jdawson@Idry.com |
Recent Reviews
1-3 of 54 Write a review
User Rating: 1 out of 5 starsThis was our second visit and last! I made a date with my wife, called in for reservations on friday at 8:00p. We arrived right at 8:00p and the ostess said there was no booth reserved ( which I rquested) that we could have a table. " I asked her what good the reservation is if I have to sit and wait for 45 min" She said there was 2 or 3 parties in front of us. That;s a bunch of B.S. Never make reservation here. parties will walk in an be seated while you wait!
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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The reviews on here are old. A lot must have changed since then. I went with my husband and son (4yrs)and my Mom and sister last week and we had an amazing time!!!
You can purchase the $15 all day pass or purchase rides, and exhibits separately. We opted for the all day pass and were very glad we did. Oh, it is a couple dollars to park unless you are handicapped or park down the street.
First we went through the exhibits. They were amazing. There was an unbelievable variety of fish and different tanks. Each different aquarium has educational information about all the different species. There was every thing from small exotic fish to 5 foot long Grouper and Catfish to octopus, eels, seahorses, etc.
If you're into the interactive exhibits (we were), they have a "petting zoo" where you can pet 2 year old stingrays (stingers removed) and harmless sharks, starfish, and a couple other things. The sting rays are so sweet, they push against your hands (like dogs or cats) like they want you to pet them. It's amazing.
All throughout the exhibits there are amazing picture opportunities and all the aquarium tank's glass is so clear you can get great pics of all the animals, so def bring your camera!
Throughout the exhibits you'll occasionally be surprised by a non-fish animal like an exotic bird, spider, snake and a beautiful Tiger exhibit. You can sit right by the glass by the Tigers and get amazing pictures that look like you are right by the tigers (without glass)!
Once, you exit the exhibits, you enter a fair ground type environment outside with live entertainment, a dungeon drop type ride, a huge ferris wheel and games (like ring toss, basketball, water shooting and shoot the clown games for prizes). The games are fun and surprisingly easy to win and the prizes are cute stuffed animals.
There is a very fun train ride that goes though a shark tunnel with all types of sharks-great photo opp! It's educational and fun, and when the fake shark pops up out of the water right by the train, it's just makes it more interactive. We rode the train several times.
After riding the rides and playing games outside, we went into the restaurant to eat (amazing ambience). We were seated within 5 minutes (in a great booth in the back). Our waiter was very knowledgeable and friendly and took very good care of us! We ordered the appetizer sampler, I had the broiled seafood platter (stuffed crab, stuffed shrimp, grilled shrimp, tilapia, steamed veggies, flavored rice, and scallops), my hubby had the lobster bisque, Mom had a burger(biggest burger I've ever seen) with fries and Sis had the house salad (biggest salad I've ever seen). And the food was the BEST FOOD I'VE EVER HAD!!!!! I tasted everyone's and everyone tasted mine and we all agreed everything was AMAZING! The food was a little expensive(mostly $8-$20), but definitely worth it!!
After we ate, we went through all of the exhibits again. Then we rode the rides and train again. Then we petted the sting rays again. :) We were there from 3pm-11pm.
In conclusion, the all day pass bracelets were great (so we didn't have to pay for the train, ferris wheel each time, we could ride them as many times as we wanted). It was so much fun and definitely brought my family closer together. It was a fabulous experience. With or without kids, you will LOVE it! It's great for a date, or for a fun day with the kiddies. It may not have been great when the other reviews were written, but last week when we went, we had the time of our lives! And it's so nice that in this 100 degree TX weather, to have a zoo-like experience inside in the air conditioning. One hour at the Houston Zoo and the heat would have made us miserable.
The next day after going to the Aquarium, I wanted to go back again. You'll love it! And I am going back very soon! -
User Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
This year our company decided to hold our annual holiday dinner at the downtown Aquarium . . . I called in August and booked a reservation for 14 guests for Dec 6th . . . everything sounded wonderful and we were looking forward to our dinner plans! . . . Two weeks ago I decided to call to add a couple more guests only to find out that we had been "booted" out of our dinner arrangements! . . . the response I got was "How sorry they were but someone had overlooked our reservations" . . . another party came a long and The Aquarium decided to close the restuarant for that night to let "someone" else hold a private party. . . . "we don't normally run our business this way" . . .but there's nothing we can do . . . Sorry!! . . . was the answer I got . . . . . that's when I said you actually do because you just did!!!! . . . . . during our conversation I asked why it was that "I" had to call and find out that we had been "booted out" . . . I was not even given the curtiousy of a phone call from them . . . .when I asked why "The Marketing Mgr" said our reservations must have been overlooked . . . they had already called the "other two" parties that had been made that night a couple weeks back . . . "We normally don't run our business this way" was said yet again . . . and I replied . . . well obviously you do . . . because not only did you "boot" our dinner reservations but you just told me you recently "booted" two other companies that had reserved that same night . . . . SO OBVIOUSLY THEY DO RUN THEIR BUSINESS LIKE THAT!!!! . . . . made me sick . . . I had limited time finding another restaurant to host us for that evening . . . . we will NEVER make reservations at the Aquarium again . . . and I advise everyone else to take caution in the event a reservation is made . . . chances are you'll get booted . . . BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THE AQUARIUM RUNS THEIR BUSINESS!!!!!
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Comments (2)
just wanted to say that this is an amazing review. thanks for fine tooth details. it made it easier for me to decide whether or not to go. it always makes the most difference knowing what another mom thinks of a place. thanks again Trista because of this review, my 2 children and I will be going in August.
Wow - i read your review yesterday and went to the aquarium today because of it. I wish I hadn't expected so much. Its ok, ho-hum, alright...nothing to get excited about. its good for a few hours of fun...what you did from 3-10 I have no idea?!?! There are 4 "rides", and the aquarium itself. We took our 5 year old daughter and it took us 2 hours to do it all - 3 times. its just really really small. there is nothing to it. maybe it would have taken longer if she'd taken a bathing suit to splash around the "dancing fountains", but it still didn't impress me. the parking wasn't a couple of bucks, it was $6. that's kind of steep for the small venue. go ahead and go, just don't expect too much. a ferris wheel, a carousel, a dropping chair ride, and the train that stops in a shark tank, and a small aquarium. it's not terrible...but i will definitely not go back.