The 29 best boutiques in Mystic (2024)

Went to the Mystic Aquarium and had a wonderful visit. Very educational and many interesting sea creatures to view and learn about. Many exhibits one can touch the animals, the visiting children were all ecstatic while learning about ocean life and conservation. A big shout out to the food prep there, I had a BLT that was really amazing! I highly recommend a trip to the Aquarium, quite fun.

We went for out first time as a family & it was worth the drive.Once you walk in, they take your photo, for later you can order a keep safe memory.The seal show was so cute, you're able to see the penguins swim through out the water. You'll see fishes,turtles, sharks, you can touch stingrays. They have an area for the smaller kids to play, you can have a boat race. Definitely a fun family day that the kids will enjoy.Also they have a lot of parking ! And a gift shop.

Had a super fun time at the aquarium! So many different animals and the staff was so attentive and kind, always coming up to us and explaining information about the animals. Seriously super cool and definitely a must see if in the area! Pro-tip buy tickets days or weeks in advance!! They’re always more expensive day of.

Mystic Aquarium in CT exceeded all my expectations! It's an incredible place that blends education, conservation, and entertainment seamlessly. The exhibits are beautifully designed, providing a captivating and immersive experience for visitors of all ages. From the majestic beluga whales to the playful penguins, each animal encounter left me in awe. The staff is knowledgeable and passionate, sharing fascinating insights about marine life and conservation efforts. The touch tanks were a highlight, allowing me to interact with gentle sea creatures up close. The aquarium's commitment to marine conservation and rescue efforts is commendable. It's an ideal destination for families, friends, and solo adventurers alike. I had a memorable and enjoyable time at Mystic Aquarium, and I can't wait to visit again!

What a wonderful treat to see and experience! Excellent viewing above and below water. California Sea Lion show was quite amusing. Nice, contained space but not too small making you want more.

Spent a nice Friday here with my daughter. They had a dinosaur exhibit that was free that day so we got to explore that which I'll say was awesome, so many interactive games for kids and a playground inside. If it wasn't free that day we wouldn't have spent the extra to experience it however it made it such a unique visit (after I've been there about 4x now) so I'm glad it was an option and I'll likely think twice next time about spending the extra.It's a beautiful aquarium and we really had a great time. Food options are nice there too. Staff is all nice.

It was spring break week, so a lot of families. First time visit and love the attractions of sea life. Staff was attentive and willing to answer questions. Unfortunately, I only had a few hours there, but I enjoyed our time immensly.

We went on a rainy day and it was amazing. We saw all the animals and my kids had a blast. The staff is friendly, kind and accommodating.The animals are all very happy.My sons really enjoyed the sea lion show.Can’t wait to go back.

A very nice aquarium, with amazing beluga whales, sea lions and penguins all outdoor,as well as the indoor aquarium. Disappointing that for the steep price, the virtual reality experience, as well as the dinosaur exhibit has additional expensive prices. Mostly helpful and friendly staff. Could have been a more information to when show and feeding times are.

A smaller aquarium but fun for all ages. A normal visit will be about one to two hours depending on what you want to see. Everything is nicely organized and usually not over crowded. It's a great time for the family if they have an interest in aquatic life, with plenty of exhibits and interactive ones.

Went here for a day trip and it was fantastic. The exhibits are wonderful and great for people of all ages. The aquarium was clean and the staff was friendly. All of the staff was so nice and genuinely seemed like they enjoyed their jobs. The staff was knowledgeable and great with younger kiddos. We arrived early which was good because the parking lot is fairly small for how high the demand is. It was $44 per person but you can spend all day there. The jellyfish and the touch tanks were the best in my opinion. Overall, we really enjoyed our trip and will be back in the future.

Oh my goodness! This is the best aquarium I've been in my life so far! I've been to a lot of aquarium Sea World in Australia and Florida and many places in USA this is by far the best so far I've been! It's an hour drive for us but is worth it! We watched 4D theatres twice inside Dino Seas which is seasonal fromFlorida we have to pay extra! We came to mystic for free for me and my 3 kids under the Ct summer museum program for residents! We watched sea lions show indoor arena! We will have to find Africa penguins later! There's so much to do here! It's amazing!

Amazing. Lots for the kids to do and fun as a grown up too. The California Seals show was great, but so were all of the other features of the aquarium. There's a lot to do outdoors there too.

My first time at this aquarium, and it was amazing how they had plenty of rental wheelchairs, and most tanks were easily viewed from that level.It was a lot of walking, and I have a number of injuries still healing. I was grateful for the option of using the wheelchair like a walker or sitting and being pushed when needed.We LOVED the mermaid exhibit! My only comment would be that I ended up waiting in line twice because the woman sending people to wait at various windows sent my brother and I (our group) and then asked if it was okay if another group joined. I said I had waited half an hour to have the experience and to get a picture. She added three kids to our window anyway and the mermaid didn’t interact with my brother and I at all, just the kids. We got no picture and had to go back in line for another one.Adults like mermaids too!!! By the time we got in like the second time I did get to interact with the mermaid but not a good picture because my brother had given up and was sitting across the way.I was just disappointed is all. He came all the way from NY for this. We were so excited, and we just wanted to be treated like equals with the kids, in terms of wanting the experience.

Took my toddler and 7&9 year old niece and nephew there with my sister in law last Saturday. We had a great time. We walked around the tanks for an hour and then saw the sea lion show. It was a great activity to do to get out of the house in the winter. We reserved tickets through our EBT cards and the admission was free!!! Definitely a plus😁

We brought our oldest child for a preparatory tour/ sleep over at the USCGA and my youngest and I needed something to do. We found this place. It is absolutely amazing and totally worth the money.We stayed for hours! If you have young kids make sure you splash out the extra 12 for the Dino thing...little kids adore it!.The staff was professional, the exhibits were amazing, and we just had a fantastic time!

I was thinking of going somewhere fairly close , within an hours ride, to do something out of the ordinary. I came up with the Mystic Aquarium. I brought my 17yr old son along. I wasn't sure ifhe would still enjoy it as an older teenager but he really liked it, not in a way that a young child would but with a more scientific point of view as well as a healthy dose of teenage boy gross humor describing various fish and animals.Gross descriptions aside, it's a great place to go to see fish from all over the world as well as the displays of local fish and wildlife.There are outdoor exhibits with seals, penguins and Beluga whales. Indoors it has interactive exhibits ,where you can "pet" some of the fish as well as an outdoor tent where you can pet some Cow nose rays.There is also a California sea lion show which was both fun and educational.You can take your time while there but you have to purchase tickets in advance for a specific time. If you just show up like I did they have kiosks where you can pick a time and buy your tickets . Luckily for us there were openings for the time that we got there so we were able to go right in. It's such a big place that it probably could accommodate you when you get there but if you want to be safe I would go online and purchase in advance.Masks are required indoors so make sure you bring one.We spent about 2and 1/2 hours there which was enough time to see the exhibits and a show but I would have liked an extra half hour to an hour to go thru the exhibits a little more slowly.We got there at 130 and it closed early(4pm) because it was New Years Eve.I would allow about three hours to see it all especially if you have small children in tow.All in all a great experience! Enjoy!

A very cute aquarium! The prices have gone up immensely but I know they are an intricate part to supporting and maintaining marine wildlife off our New England coasts.I wish the signage to the marine life had said where they were from. We love learning about where each animal comes from and there are not enough verbiage to educate.The staff needs to have a stronger voice to the ignorant and blatantly irresponsible patronage who do not follow the rules. Washing your hands, using the two finger pet rule and avoiding certain areas of the petting pools is so dang important. Repeating the rules in a passive aggressive manner does not make people listen. Back bones and strong representation to the aquarium recommended.Otherwise, a beautiful clean aquarium for the public to be enjoy. Kid friendly. Handicapable friendly. Educational to a point thanks to the staff.

It's decent size and nice for a visit. We had a pleasant time. You have to buy time slot tickets either at the door or possibly online. We were unaware and had to wait two hours before we could enter. We grabbed lunch and walked around Mystic Village which was enjoyable.It is very crowded most days so expect to be in the vicinity of others. Don't expect to immediately be able to experience an exhibit without first having to wait and take turns with other patrons.The animals seem generally happy. The exhibits are clean and the aquariums are too. It's difficult to truly get a full learning experience because of the crowds however the staff is mostly knowledgeable.There are interactive areas for children, information hubs for different exhibits, and a few regionally themed aquariums that were interesting.We paid extra for the dino exhibit. It was interesting with life sized robotic dinosaurs. If you have experienced something like this before it's probably similar to what you have experienced albeit it was nicely done.Overall if you've never been to an aquarium this is a decent experience. I probably won't go again just because of the crowds, it made it difficult to enjoy what they had to offer. Four stars because they do what they do pretty well but for me it wasn't anything I haven't experienced somewhere before.

If you're going to go more than once, which I recommend, just get a membership. Tourist season in Mystic is impossible for any reason, and the aquarium is no exception, but it's definitely worth frequent visits the rest of the year. I'm still glad I get to see a variety of pinnipeds here, but I wish the California Sea Lions could be enjoyed in a regular habitat, not just the theater tank. The facility is tidy and the staff looks genuinely happy to be there.

You must go here!! One of the best aquariums I have ever visited! Seeing multiple beluga whales in person and interacting with them through the glass is something I will never forget. The aquarium has a huge outdoor section with several cool exhibits — beluga whales, seals, penguins. The indoor section is great as well with a large variety and tanks and exhibits. The sea lion “show” was both entertaining and educational, shedding light on some ways to be more environmentally friendly!

BUY TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME! Nice place. Smaller than the Boston aquarium. Fun interactive things to do and GREAT customer service!!! We went at 9am and people were already waiting in line. So pre-buy tickets! All the staff that we came in contact with provided excellent knowledge about the animals, facility and area. We went on a long holiday weekend. If I was to go again I would go at a time with less kids.

What a fun place! It’s not the biggest aquarium in the country but it makes up for it in guest service and interesting exhibits. The sea lion show was cheesy but cute. The main gallery had interactive exhibits and lots of interesting info. We saw the sea lion feeding and the attendants did a great job of explaining their actions and behavior of the animals. And of course the belugas were so dang cool! If we lived closer, we would definitely get season passes but a trip every year is definitely warranted!

We have been here quite a few times and it never gets boring! Sad that the penguins area was out due to construction but well be back again. The beluga are always happy and the sea lion show was spectacular as usual. They updated it! Enjoy some of our photos and the video of the beluga saying hi

We had so much fun at Mystic Aquarium! The highlights of my trip were seeing the penguins, beluga whales, and the sea lion show! If you are debating whether or not to see the show, I highly recommend watching it (great experience for both kids and adults). I’d recommend getting there a little early to get a good seat and there’s a little bit of audience participation at the front middle row if you’d like that.Inside the aquarium, there were a few interactive exhibits where you could touch the fish or crustacean and one where you learn about waste.All the staff were very nice and welcoming. We had a really wonderful time seeing all the animals. Overall, highly recommend this aquarium!

Do arrive by their opening, so you can secure proper parking. The first seal show is at 11 AM, which was amazing. Play with sharks and sting rays. Learn more about the Long Island Sound and the technology inspired by it. Explore the aquatic life of the Amazon. Best of all use various links to go on a listening tour. The staff are friendly, so ask for help and directions. This is a place to frequent often, so get a membership to enhance your learning.

This aquarium is great every single time it truly never gets old! It’s such a beautiful place and you can tell the animals are taken care of and loved. Everyone who works there is very informative!

So fun! There are so many things to do here. We got there bright and early and had bought our tickets online so we got right in. It was a lot less crowded in the early morning. It’s about half inside and half outside. They have feeding schedules posted for each out door animal. There are workers at each station telling you all about the animals which was neat and they answer questions. There is an outdoor play area for smaller kids(8 and under) it is in the shade. Definitely lets the kids get some energy out. There are so many add ins throughout the aquarium. My daughter did the hurricane simulator and loved it. Only $6. There are a few touch tanks: shark, star fish, sting ray etc. the food and drinks are over priced but that’s to be expected. The dinoseas was a nice add on which wasn’t too expensive. They have quite a few interactive activities, a kids play area, 2 4D movies and some neat animatronic dinos and turtles. This is all indoors. The sea lion show was awesome! It is less than 30 minutes. Very entertaining and interactive. You are able to come and go as you please you just need a stamp before you leave. Great experience and pretty affordable. Recommend dining elsewhere or packing from home. The food is tasty but pricey.

It’s always amazing to visit here at Mystic Aquarium. My toddler loved it! The gentle giants beluga whales❤️. Food options are less but overall awesome and don’t miss the sea lions show.