8/10 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊Mommy Approved Smiling Faces
https://www.mysticaquarium.org/
55 Coogan Blvd.
Mystic, CT 06355
Mystic Aquarium is comprised of several clustered buildings displaying various exhibits and hands-on activities. No matter your age, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy! The exhibits include a sea lion show, a small shark petting and sting ray touch tank, a water play section, small animal petting pool, penguins and beluga whales. Also there are individualized pod-like virtual reality films, a gift shop and a food court.
Currently Mystic is undergoing construction that I was told should be done in May 2023 but has been delayed so who really knows. The old dinosaur wing with the amphibians and 4-d theaters are inaccessible at this time but the admission prices remain the same and this is not advertised. I was surprised to see that when we visited as we thoroughly enjoyed this other building. An improvement made already is the outdoor play area for smaller kids. This includes fun character-like structures like pirate ships and ocean animals for the kids to climb up on, slide down and pose for photos on. We are anxiously awaiting the construction to end since about 1/3 of Mystic Aquarium is no longer open, I’m sure the end result will be worth the wait!
The former Arctic room is now the individualized seated virtual reality area. It is fairly small with a decent-sized wait time when we visited. Since we were all getting hangry we didn’t get to enjoy this extra activity. For non-members a 5-7 minute show of your choice costs $8 per participant.
The Skinny:
Weather : Best on a nice day or at least non-rainy, as you have to walk outside from each building to the next. The beluga whales and penguins are outside. One day we went, the penguin exhibit was closed due to severe rain and no discount was offered.
Duration : We averaged about 3 hours here.
Cost : Adult: $59
Senior (65+): $53
Child (ages 3-13): $41
Child (age 2 & under): Free
Hours : January 1st – February 15 10:00am to 4:50pm
February 16 – March 31 9:00am to 4:50pm
April 1 – September 2 9:00am to 5:50pm
September 3 – November 30 9:00am to 4:50pm
December 1 – December 24 10:00am to 4:50pm
December 26 – December 31st 9:00am to 4:50pm
Open daily (except for Thanksgiving and Christmas)
Recommendations:
- Check out Mystic Village for food /shopping its seconds away. We went to Mangos Fire Grilled Pizza and it was just 😑 meh ( service-wise and food too ). I wouldn’t recommend it. Instead try Pink Basil if you like Asian food, as it was delicious and the portions were generous! If you don’t mind a less than 10 minute car ride, Noble Smokehouse in Downtown Mystic is a great little BBQ place with its own parking.
- Explore membership options as it seems to be the more economical way to go… with it you receive a discount at the food court and gift shop. Also if you plan to go more than one time a year, it generally pays for itself as admission is costly. I tend to ask for memberships for holiday gifts as opposed to toys that don’t last. Another thing to consider with the memberships is that if your child is having a “bad” day and you need to leave for whatever reason, you didn’t just spend over $100 admission so it doesn’t sting as much if you have to leave. Trust me, I’ve been there and I hate wasting my money.
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Jewel Approved 👍 Jamison Approved👍
If you and the kids enjoyed seeing the sea creatures at Mystic Aquarium, I’m sure you will also enjoy the FREE educational center, Meigs Point at Hammonasett Beach and the more hands-on Riverside Reptiles educational center.
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