Guess it depends on what you are looking for, myself I just love seeing new places. The pamplets made it sound bigger but is still nice place to see. You can get coupons at local stores,gas stations and Hotels if on a budget, Like me. The only complaint is the parking is a little high priced.

We have to been to a couple of diffeent aquariums, and this was really a waste of money. It is small and old, needs a good bit of repairs. My son did enjoy the dive shows but they are short and not really worth the wait. The new GA aquarium, and Sea World was a lot nicer. The Aquarium was hard to find, we did go see a movie at the mall that is by the aquarium though.

The Aquarium itself was nice. But the best overall part of the "aquarium" was the ecotour towards the end our trip there. A nice little boat ride/tour of the Gulf of Mexico was gorgeous! Despite not seeing any dolphins, it was a nice time on the water! I highly recommend it!

being that Florida is a peninsula that rest right on Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, "The Florida Aquarium" was a bit of a let down. Georgia's Aquarium (located in Atlanta) is much better than this. The had a couple of exotic sea creatures there but I couldn't help feeling like I was ripped off. It just wasn't worth the money I paid for admission.

For the money this place is not worth it- The employees are unfriendly. The exhibits are small and are starting to look old. I would not recommend going here to anyone. There are far better places to visit in Tampa then this aquarium!

The Florida Aquarium surpised me with the cleanliness and overall appearance. It was easy to navigate and was a great place to beat the heat in air-conditioned bliss. The animals really were showcased nicely in the exhibits and the entire Wetlands Gallery is housed in a spectacular glass dome. The birds fly free and you feel like you are in the wilds of Florida but are still inside (and did I mention in air-conditioning). We didn't get a chance to Swim with the Fishes, but we saw other guests doing it from the huge panoramic window. Moray eels, tarpon, grouper and other fish were within arms reach of the 'swimmers'. Our return will certainly include a Swim next time! The Penguin encounter (Promenade?) was very cool and unique. There are no acrylic windows between you and the penguins. They just waddle up and check you out face to face (or face to beak). We also saw the divers in with the sharks, which was extremely exciting. My two-year-old couldn't get enough of the "shawks"! There were even two sea turtles in the exhibits with the sharks. A great place to spend a few hours relaxing and enjoying some amazing aquatic life. We will definitely be back!

The Florida aquarium in Tampa was the 1st place that caught my eye while visiting there and I like fish I've had 1 of my own and family members also have aquariums at home too.The 1st thing you must realize is that this is not Sea World There won't be Killer Whales,Dolphins,or Manatees law prohibits these creatures from being kept there.They offer for a packaged deal that I highly recommend you can enjoy a chartered boat ride in Tampa Bay where you will most likely see dolphins and lots of native birds and animals in their natural environment. Its not as small as some of the other reviews would have you believe and if you left after 45 mins you didn't look around much I spent that in the 1st exibit in the aviary/garden alone!There are thousands of different species of fish at least 4 different shows and at least 2 different hands on exibits where you can touch a ray or small shark ect.there are small tanks and very large ones . Its not cheap but i'll bet there is very little profit there after the upkeep that would be involved there.I didnt see 1 dead fish the whole time.The employees were educated and friendly If you get hungry there are places to eat and rest also water fun for the kids.The boat ride was really fun we seen dolphins and got a complete tour of Tampa Bay my only warning is hold on to your hat :) (mine blew off) Total time there was 3 hours saw it all did it all it was $38.00 for the Aquarium/boat ride I think it was $5.00 to park but I took alot of pics and have fond memories of the Fl aquarium

Seems very overpriced for size and what you get. Not impressed for being a aquarium only. Most zoos have just as nice aquariums. Want more money as soon as you walk in door trying to take your picture.

Our kids are still talking about it! Our 8 year olds got into the coral reef tank wearing wetsuits and equipped with modified SCUBA equipment (yes, regulators,air tank, and all) and swam around with the fish! We watched their intruction from the top of the aquarium where they entered the tank and then from the observation area below. It is expensive, but was worth every minute! Our group of 4 children and 4 adults spent the whole day at the aquarium and enjoyed the exhibits, the cantina and bar, the outdoor play area (wet and dry) for our youngest. We will definitely return and maybe try the dolphin boat ride! The staff was friendly and eager to teach.

we were here in 2005 and are going back in feb 2008. it's a great way to spend a day... it was very intriguing and interactive.