Experience Hawaiʻi's Ocean Life, the Sphere Theater, and the Largest Display of Living Corals in Hawaiʻi

Beautiful creatures and layout, loved the giant sharks and stingray

11/26 - My wife and I attended today. It is well done. I think for a family, it is a good mission for a couple of hours. We ate at the onsite restaurant which has decent food and an excellent view of the harbor. I recommend.

This was worth the price of admission. We enjoyed the many aquariums. Being able to see the green seas turtles up close was a highlight. They have a rehabilitation and release program which allows for this to be possible. We loved the shark tunnel. We were able to spend time with a naturalist speaking about the sharks. The pufferfish are absolute stars and love to interact with you at the glass. I took so many photos and videos. I am unable to go snorkeling and was feeling bummed that I wouldn't get to see the amazing local marine life and fish. This completely cured me of that feeling.

We visited the Maui Ocean Center with our family, especially wanting to take the kids, and overall had a really enjoyable experience! We originally received two complimentary adult tickets through our hotel, so we decided to bring the whole family. One thing to know is that children are free, which was a great bonus! They also offer military discounts. We purchased our tickets through the hotel, so we didn't realize there was a military discount available at the entrance. If you're military, definitely ask about that before purchasing your tickets. The biggest downside for us was the weather. A lot of the walking between exhibits is outdoors, and the winds were blowing around 20 mph the day we visited. It made being outside pretty unpleasant, so we didn't end up spending as much time there as we probably would have otherwise. We were there for about an hour. The aquariums themselves were beautiful! Everything was clean, vibrant, and well-maintained, with large viewing windows that made it easy for even our little ones to see all the marine life. The highlight for our family was definitely the underwater tunnel and the main viewing area. Walking through with sharks and a huge stingray swimming overhead was so fun for the kids! We probably spent the most time here just watching all the different sharks, rays, and other marine life go by. It was fascinating to see so many creatures you might not otherwise get to experience unless you're snorkeling or diving. The kids also enjoyed the touch pool, although I wish there had been a few more things available to touch. The turtle viewing area was okay, but not necessarily a highlight for us. We didn't get to experience the 3D humpback whale experience since we had the little ones with us, but I've heard it's fantastic, so that's something I'd love to do next time! There are also shops just outside the Ocean Center. We browsed a bit, but the prices seemed pretty comparable to the gift shops inside, so I wouldn't necessarily go out of your way to shop elsewhere. A couple of helpful tips: Children under 3 are free! Ask about military discounts when purchasing tickets. Parking is paid, so make sure you scan the QR code when you arrive and pay for parking. Don't forget, or you could end up with a parking violation! A lot of the exhibits require walking outdoors to get from one to another, so keep the weather in mind when planning your visit. Overall, we really enjoyed the Maui Ocean Center, especially as a family with young kids. It's a great way to experience Maui's marine life without having to get in the water. I'd recommend it for families, particularly if you have a day with less-than-ideal beach weather!