SEA LIFE Brighton is an aquarium attraction in the English city of Brighton. Opened as Brighton Aquarium in 1872, it is the oldest operating aquarium in the world. The attraction was bought by Sea Life in 1991.
Designed by Eugenius Birch, the site opened as an independent aquarium in 1872 after construction began in 1869. The construction cost was £133,000 at the time (equal to about £5.5 million). The Aquarium was bombed during the First World War and was reconstructed afterwards.
Monday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Thursday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Friday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Saturday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Sunday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Ophélie Chauveau | Feb 17, 2018
Lovely aquarium to visit with children and toddlers. They have a buggy parking area of you wish near the toilets but many people took their buggies in. Watch out in the tropical area as it's quite dark for little feet to see where they're stepping. We used our Merlin pass which makes it really reasonable outing. They have a coffee area in the middle where you can purchase sandwiches and snacks. Nice little souvenir shop at the exit where we were able to buy a great relaxing CD in their clearance section for only £1!
Alison Elmes | Jan 27, 2018
This is a lovely lace to bring family. The sea life is easy to see and in abundance. Very very good. On the downside, it's very expensive (PLEASE book online as it gets more so on the door!). Also the coffee shop is rather dire - not a great selection and again, expensive. I imagine it would be hideous in summer. The glass bottomed boat is really openly suitable for adults or older kids who can listen to a long lecture. It's just a boat floating on top of the tank, so don't be disappointed that it's not a 'ride'. They provide paper shoes to go over your own and it's a ticketed event - your session has a time on it. They didn't tell us so when we went up we couldn't get on so missed out. They did refund this though. Signposting is pretty poor so it's difficult to know where to go. However, the tunnel is great and the staff are very knowledgeable about the creatures so ask them to tell all about the rays and giant turtles! All in all, we enjoyed it but found it v expensive.
Pawel | Feb 20, 2018
Pretty good while it lasts. There’s not really too much to see. It will take maybe 45 minutes to an hour to have a look at everything. A bit expensive if you ask me. £18.60 per adult. You can probably find 2 for 1 vouchers online. Might be worth having a look. We was passing by and thought we’d check it out.
Ken C | Jan 27, 2018
It can be pricy, but we love this place. The crab pool is great for young children and they can even stroke star fish in the crab pool. The turtles are the stars of the show and incredible to watch. The transparent tunnel under the main pool takes your breath away, it's stunning looking at the animals swimming around you. A must for the kids. They often do discounts, so book on line and go when you can get a good deal. Great gift shop too.
Alvaro Maldonado | Feb 24, 2018
I simply loved it! There are sooo many interesting things to see. The best is the tunnel. You can't get enough of it! Both kids and adults can have fun and at the same time learn so much about the sea.
M17el M17el | Mar 18, 2018
Parking is difficult to find. I felt it was quite expensive to get in. It was not as large as I expected and a bit cramped in places. If your in Brighton you could easily make it as part of a day trip. On the whole it was an average experience I don't think I would go rushing back. Plenty of other things to do in Brighton such as the dinosaur mini golf. The pier (always good fun) the marina. The tower. I'd probably do these next time rather than going back.
Miguel C. | Apr 1, 2018
Great place to visit, especially if you have kids. I missed a picnic area inside, it's a good option go outside to eat your picnic, but if the day is cold and windy it's impossible. Anyway its a good place to go, and you have many restaurants and walk along Brighton is always a good idea, that's a really beautiful place
Georgie Bees-Knees | Apr 11, 2018
Lovely range of fish and aquatic life. Educational too. A small cafe inside. Great aquarium with a boat which goes over the top of the water. Good seahorse and starfish features at the end of your route through. I've been twice, its great and can be romantic or just a great day out, quite a versatile venue.
Geoff Simpson | Apr 19, 2018
Great Aquarium with a large tank that has a walk through tube and glass bottom boat ride ( this is extra £3 ) there are sharks rays and all sorts of fish. Big educational aspect as well which is good for the kids. There is wheelchair access all the way through. Food can be purchased and eaten in here as well. Look out for deals on ore purchased tickets as it is expensive on the door .
Dave Cassar | Apr 12, 2018
Excellent aquarium, much better than expected with every sea creature you'd imagine and more. The giant sea turtles were particularly wonderful. You'll easily spend a few hours here and then down to the beach for some fish and chips 😋
James Spiteri-Baldwin | Apr 7, 2018
A really good experience, the children had a great time. We didn't do any of the additional activities, such as behind the scenes tours. So check online first as tickets are cheaper than they would be on the door. Whilst smaller than the aquarium in London it was also much quieter, allowing a better view of the fish. Great staff.
Robin P | May 26, 2018
We loved visiting the Sea Life Aquarium. Lots for kids (and adults) to see and do. The staff are super friendly and they help with all the hands on experiences. The entrance is SO beautiful, full of bright colors and they have an excellent cafe, for a hot or cold drink and loads of goodies and snacks too. And of course, walking through the tunnel and viewing all of the marine life was amazing! They have an upstairs too, where you can ride across the top of the water, looking down through a glass bottom boat (but that costs an additional fee) And halfway through, there is a little rest area where you can have a drink and snack from a vending machine and sit next to more viewing windows to enjoy your break while the sharks swim by. It's great, we LOVED IT! And of course, once we finished enjoying the aquarium, we walked straight over to Brighton Pier and the beach.
Stephen Kam | Jun 6, 2018
Really nice place to admire the different types of sea life and a great place to appreciate the old Victorian architecture. The price is very reasonable if booking in advance. It's not the largest of the Sea Life centres and some of the individual exhibitions could be larger but it is still a great place to visit. I visited on a Sunday from 3pm and it wasn't very busy so there wasn't really any issues with battling with crowds to admire the fish, would definitely go again
M17el M17el | May 27, 2018
Parking is difficult to find nearby. . I felt it was quite expensive to get in even with vouchers. It was not as large as I expected and a bit cramped in places. If your in Brighton you could easily make it as part of a day trip. On the whole it was an average experience I don't think I would go rushing back. Plenty of other things to do in Brighton such as the dinosaur mini golf. The pier (always good fun) the marina. The tower. I'd probably do these next time rather than going back.
Ruksar M | May 13, 2018
Great place to bring children or just to come do something different. Lots of different species of aqua marine life, knowledgeable staff who are all friendly and polite. Plenty for children to be entertained by as well as adults, new parts added or changed a few times a year. Shark tunnel is a classic memory from my childhood! A little pricey but there are always a ton of offers online or on vouchers or sides of cereal boxes!
Matt Williams | May 8, 2018
I felt this aquarium was overpriced for what you get. They have a decent collection of animals and knowledgeable staff but its very dated, and doesn't take much time to tour. For instance the tropical exhibit is just decorated colorful paint job and a few plants scattered about. By contrast, the zoo in my city has a greenhouse tropical experience filled with tropical plants and not much smaller collection of sea creatures, for a smaller entry fee for the entire zoo. SEA LIFE might have been a sight to see when it first opened but it needs a major revamp.
Jade Harrison | Jul 10, 2018
Very good aquarium lots to see and lots to get children involved which is great. We always enjoy the actual sea life however the changing facilities are poor. One of my children has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair and I find it very hard to change her when we visit as there is only baby changing available and she is now 5 so to big for the baby changing and to heavy for it which makes it very difficult if she requires a toilet break. Would be lovely to see Brighton sea life become more accommodating with toileting needs for children and adults with disabilities as we really love visiting here but will definitely have to reconsider if there aren't toileting facilities that are necessary for my daughter and many others who visit the aquarium.
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