Is the New York Aquarium Worth It?

Yes — the New York Aquarium fits more than 260 species into 14 acres of Coney Island. An adult ticket runs $29.95-$32.95, as of September 2026, but budget the 2 to 2.5 hours the aquarium itself recommends and you'll use most of it, and it sits close enough to the boardwalk that the rest of a Coney Island day is a short walk away.

What not to miss

Featured location New York Aquarium Brooklyn, United States The aquarium started in 1896 at Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan, and shifted to Coney Island in 1957. It is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, within a group of four zoos and one aquarium that includes the Bronx Zoo. The society's mission covers saving wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action and education.

The aquarium opened on December 10, 1896, making it the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States. It was founded at Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan, and moved to Coney Island in 1957; today the Wildlife Conservation Society runs it.

Start at Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, a 784,000-gallon, 57,000-square-foot exhibit that opened on June 30, 2018.

Outside, Sea Cliffs is an outdoor exhibit for sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals and penguins, and the adjoining Aquatheater runs an interactive show built around the bond between the sea lions and their trainers. Spineless covers the invertebrates — Pacific octopus, moon jellies and more — and Conservation Hall strings together a run of aquatic habitats along its halls.

Tickets and saving money

As of September 2026, adult tickets cost $29.95 on off-peak days and $32.95 on peak days; seniors pay $27.95-$29.95, children aged 3-12 pay $25.95-$27.95, and children under 3 get in free.

If you'll visit more than once, or want to add Prospect Park Zoo to the same trip, a Wildlife Conservation Society membership buys a year of admission to the aquarium and, depending on the membership, to the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and Prospect Park Zoo as well.

Best time to visit

Through October 31, 2026, the aquarium opens at 10am with last entry at 4pm and closes at 5pm; from November 1 through March it opens at 10am with last entry at 3:30pm and closes at 4:30pm. It's open all 365 days of the year, animals included, so a December visit is no problem.

Ocean Wonders: Sharks! and Spineless are indoor buildings, while Sea Cliffs is an outdoor exhibit. What you can't do is bring beach gear inside: the aquarium doesn't allow wagons, umbrellas or coolers, so save those for the boardwalk itself.

Getting there

The aquarium is at 602 Surf Avenue in Brooklyn; take the F or Q train to West 8th Street, or the B36 or B68 bus. On-site parking costs $18 for up to three hours, $25 for three to four hours and $40 beyond that, and there's no bus parking.

You're also right on the boardwalk: a short stroll gets you to Luna Park, home to the wooden Cyclone roller coaster, or up 150 feet on Deno's Wonder Wheel for a view of the Manhattan skyline and the Atlantic — an easy way to fill the rest of the day if 2 hours at the aquarium isn't enough of a trip out.

Prospect Park Zoo, a 12-acre, AZA-accredited zoo also run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, sits at 450 Flatbush Avenue — reachable by the Q, B or Franklin Avenue Shuttle to Prospect Park Station, or the B41 bus. It's smaller and cheaper: adult admission is $10.95, seniors pay $8.95 and children aged 3-12 pay $7.95, as of September 2026, and the zoo expects an average visit of just 1 to 1.5 hours. Its sea lions live in a pool at the heart of the park and get especially noisy during training; the Discovery Trail adds red pandas, porcupines, dingoes and three species of small deer, and the Animal Lifestyles building houses hamadryas baboons. There's no parking at the zoo itself, but parking on Flatbush Avenue is free.

With kids and accessibility

Every building and exhibit at the New York Aquarium is wheelchair-accessible, with accessible restrooms at the Plaza, inside Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, inside Spineless, and inside the café. Sensory bags with fidget tools and noise-cancelling headphones can be checked out free at the entrance admissions desk by leaving an ID. Strollers are allowed, though the aquarium recommends leaving them at home, and only working service dogs are permitted — not therapy dogs.

At Prospect Park Zoo, a limited number of wheelchairs are free on a first-come, first-served basis, and sensory bags are available at the Children's Corner entrance. Its Sea Lion Store and Café serves freshly prepared sandwiches, salads and snacks if you need a break between exhibits.

Go below the surface and meet the amazing animals, including sharks, rays, sea turtles, and more, that live right off the Coney Island Boardwalk.