Updated for September 2026
The Best Aquariums in Netherlands
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every aquarium in Netherlands that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Artis Zoo
Zoo & Aquarium in Amsterdam
Artis Zoo is a zoo in Amsterdam, North Holland, Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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Animal encounterPlayground
Dolfinarium Harderwijk
Zoo & Aquarium in Harderwijk
Across Europe no marine mammal park is larger. Between 2005 and 2011 attendance stayed in a band of 700,000 to 800,000 a year. Takings fell by roughly €2.4 million to €12 million in 2012, a year in which the orca Morgan left and part of the site shut for building work.
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Keeper talk or showParking
Ecomare
Aquarium in De Koog
Ecomare, opened in 1929, is an aquarium in De Koog. Animals on show include vinvis, zeehonden, haaien, roggen and aalscholver.
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Education program
Aquazoo Leerdam
Zoo & Aquarium in Leerdam
Upkeep and management rest with the members of the local aquarium society. Animals on show include haaien, piranha’s, zeesterren, anemoonvissen and discusvissen.
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Rides and attractionsOn-site diningNight and evening opening
Oceanium
Zoo & Aquarium in Rotterdam
It stands in the zoo's extension zone alongside a new entrance and car park, and was the zoo's largest project up to that point. The surrounding grounds carry displays themed on the Americas, and scientific work on coral conservation is hosted here.
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ParkingAssistance animal policy
Royal Burgers' Zoo
Zoo & Aquarium in Arnhem
Founded in 1913 by Johan Burgers, it houses many of its animals in large recreated habitats under cover. It draws roughly a million visitors a year, from Germany as well as the Netherlands.
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Keeper talk or showBehind-the-scenes tourIndoor spaces
Sea Life Scheveningen
Zoo & Aquarium in Scheveningen
The aquarium is part of the Sea Life chain, the world's biggest aquarium operator, with sites in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, England, France, Ireland, Italy and Spain, and further branches in the United States, Asia and Oceania. Sea Life itself sits under Merlin Entertainments Group. The building stands on the seafront boulevard, where a wave pool used to be.
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ParkingAccessible toiletsMobility equipment loan
Zee Aquarium Bergen aan Zee
Aquarium in Bergen aan Zee
The idea of a sea aquarium arose in 1954, and it was formally opened in 1956, built where the Hotel Nassau had stood before being pulled down during the Second World War. The Neptunus restaurant was built on top late in the 1960s, and further alterations were made at the end of the 1980s.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 8 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.