My family and I recently visited the OdySea Aquarium at the Arizona Boardwalk in Scottsdale, Arizona and had the best time! In all honesty, we have been wanting to visit for years since my son saw the aquarium on a previous Blippi episode. And it was so much better seeing it in real life! There is so much to see and do at the aquarium, you will definitely need to add it to your family travel wish list if you are ever in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.
Our family LOVES aquariums and we have visited many all over the country. There is something so calming and intriguing about marine life. It can be very therapeutic, peaceful, and mesmerizing to watch fish swim back and forth. And I absolutely love otters and penguins! I could watch them all day if I had the time! And as an educator, I love teaching my children about their world in experiential ways, and I love that the OdySea Aquarium allowed for so many hands-on experiences!
Aqua Lobby
Your experience at the aquarium begins in the lobby. The Aqua Lobby has nine massive globe-shaped aquariums, each weighing 1,000 pounds, so make sure you look up when you enter the building!
Also, make sure you visit the bathrooms in the back of the lobby. You will be amazed because instead of a mirror behind the sinks, there is a large window where you can see right into one of the tanks with sharks and fish!
But I’d have to say one of my favorite parts of the aquarium is the escalator where you are surrounded by shark, stingrays, and fish as you go down!
Touch Pools
There are multiple touch pools at the aquarium: Russian Sturgeon, Stingray Shores, Stingray Bay, and Tidal Touch, where you’ll have the opportunity to touch sturgeon, sea stars, pelagic rays, benthic rays, and anemone up close!
The OdySea Voyager
The newest and largest exhibit at the OdySea Aquarium is called the OdySea Voyager.
“Guests take their seats in a stadium-seating style theatre with 46 ft. viewing windows for the “world’s only revolving aquarium experience.” As the journey begins, they are then “submerged” into a “submarine” and taken through a narrated twenty-minute storytelling adventure where guests to OdySea Aquarium are invited to join the crew of the OdySea Voyager as they launch one of their five submarines to observe ocean life and search for answers in the deep blue! Along the journey they will encounter sea life varying from Sea Turtles and Broad Rays to giant Lemon Sharks! This 20-minute “voyage” is ideal for a budding marine researcher and is educational and entertaining at every turn.” – OdySea Aquarium
The voyage is an incredible experience and I highly recommend it. Plus it is a nice break to sit down and take a break while visiting the aquarium. And it is also included with your admission.
Penguin Point
If you love penguins, prepared to get up close with these adorable creatures!
Kids’ Cove Play Areas
There are also multiple areas for kids to play at the aquarium. And of course, my kids stopped and played at each of them! And there is even a fun photo opportunity!!!
Other Encounters and Experiences
There is so much to see at the aquarium like exotic birds, a sloth, sea otters, turtles, sharks, an octopus, an eel, jellyfish and so much more!!
Fish
And there are so many fish!!! We even saw Nemo!!
Gift Shop
On your way out, make sure to stop and pick up a souvenir for you or a loved one!
The OdySea Aquarium is open from 9am-7pm everyday of the week and you can buy your tickets here! The aquarium has limited capacity, so it is recommended that you reserve your entry time by buying your tickets online in advance. In order to manage capacity limits and provide for physical distancing, OdySea Aquarium has timed ticket entry. During peak times, the Aquarium may sell out of tickets or you may be given an entry time a few hours away. When we visited, masks were required inside the aquarium.
We were hosted by the OdySea Aquarium but all opinions and photos are my own.
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