Birch Aquarium

Explore the wonders of the ocean at Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the public exploration center at UC San Diego in La Jolla. The aquarium overlooks the Pacific Ocean and features more than 60 habitats of Pacific marine life. Discover stunning coral reefs, sharks, seahorses, jellyfish, and three outdoor living tide pools.

Admission
Adult – $12.00 Senior (60+) – $9.00
College Students with I.D. – $9.00
Youth (3-17 years) – $8.50
UCSD Staff & Students (with ID) – $8.00
Children 2 & under Free
Members Free

Parking
Three hours of complimentary parking in the Aquarium parking lot. If you plan to stay for longer than three hours, parking passes can be purchased in the Education Office.

Birch Aquarium Exhibits
There's Something About Seahorses: The newest Birch exhibit features more than a dozen seahorse species and their family. This includes an interactive exhibit and displays up-close encounters.

Kelp Tank Feeding Shows: Engage in a live show where you can watch the aquarists feed the fishes and invertebrates in the two-story kelp forest tank. The scheduled feeding times is when animal behaviors are best observed.

Whale Watching: This is one of the few adventures that take you into the "wild" with Birch Aquarium at Scripps. Enjoy daily local whale-watching cruises featuring Scripps naturalists as well as whale-watching expeditions to Baja California, Mexico. Discover local marine environments, learn about Scripps research, and find out how you can help keep our ocean healthy.

Tide Pool Plaza: The Tide Pool Plaza overlooks La Jolla and the the Pacific Ocean. It includes three living tide pools where visitors can touch and gain knowledge about unique San Diego tide pool animals.

Feeling the Heat: This exhibit explains the science of global climate change based on research from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Learn what everyday items help or affect the environment as well as discover how scientists track temperatures.

Hall of Fishes: This impressive exhibit includes more than 60 fish tanks, a 13,000-gallon shark reef with brown-banded bamboo sharks. View a 70,000-gallon kelp forest tank filled with marine animals.

The Art of Deception: Observe marine creatures that use camouflage or the art of deception to survive. Discover animals that hide, challenge and trick, where visitors are able to explore with their eyes what is not so apparent at first glance. This exhibit is fun for all ages.