Updated for September 2026
The Best Aquariums in United Kingdom
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 United Kingdom that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Animal encounterChild friendlyParking
Blue Planet Aquarium
Aquarium in Ellesmere Port
Queen Elizabeth II opened it in July 1998, when it led the United Kingdom for size, and it remains the biggest in its region. It cost £12 million, and the architects Buttress Fuller Alsop shaped the building like a breaking wave.
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Touch poolBehind-the-scenes tourGuided tour
Exploris Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Newtownards
This is Northern Ireland's only public aquarium, standing on the Strangford Lough marine nature reserve, a major wintering spot for waders and seabirds. The lough holds close to 75% of Northern Ireland's marine species, among them common seals, basking sharks and brent geese.
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Keeper talk or showAssistance animal policyDisability admission concession
Lakes Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Ulverston
Displays are grouped by region, covering the Lake District along with Asia, Africa and the Americas, and hold such species as axolotls, piranhas, tetras, Arctic char and seahorses. Windermere Lake Cruises call here, and the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway terminates alongside. It ranks third among the paid-entry visitor attractions of Cumbria.
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Keeper talk or showBehind-the-scenes tourOn-site dining
National Marine Aquarium
Aquarium in Plymouth
It is Britain's biggest aquarium, holding over 5,000 animals, and was the first in the UK founded expressly for marine learning, research and conservation. It stands in Sutton Harbour, by the Barbican and the fish market.
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Keeper talk or showDisability admission concession
St Andrews Aquarium
Aquarium in St Andrews
St Andrews Aquarium is an aquarium in St Andrews, United Kingdom. Animals on show include Asian Short-Clawed Otter, Caribe Piranha, Common Snapping Turtle, Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman and Humboldt Penguin.
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Animal encounterOvernight stayParking
The Deep
Aquarium in Hull
The tanks hold 2,500,000 litres of water and 87 tonnes of salt. A schools programme takes 30,000 primary and secondary pupils annually, covering food chains, marine care, predator-prey relations, adaptations and habitats, and group sleepovers and special events are also run.
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ParkingAccessible toiletsWheelchair accessible routes
Anglesey Sea Zoo
Zoo & Aquarium in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll
Claiming to be the largest aquarium in Wales, it shows over 150 native species and sits just outside Brynsiencyn. Attractions include a conger eel, a shark pool and a kelp forest, along with the Lobster Hatchery of Wales.
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Animal feeding experienceChild friendlyOn-site dining
Oceanarium
Aquarium in Bournemouth
Oceanarium is an aquarium in Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
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Guided tour
Macduff Marine Aquarium
Aquarium in MacDuff
The aquarium opened on 18 April 1997. It closed in 2017 so that the main tank could be drained and repaired, and Aberdeenshire Council announced a successful bid to the Levelling Up Fund in 2023. An expansion was planned that would add a second storey with a cafe.
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Animal encounterBehind-the-scenes tourParking
Sea Life London Aquarium
Aquarium in London
Attendance passed a million a year as of 2025. The aquarium is grouped with the London Eye, the London Dungeon and Shrek's Adventure.
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Animal encounterOn-site diningParking
Sealife Adventure, Southend-on-Sea
Aquarium in Southend-on-Sea
Sealife Adventure, Southend-on-Sea is an aquarium in Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom. Animals on show include Humboldt Penguins, Cownose Rays and snapping turtle.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 11 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.