free2funLA

Heal the Bay Aquarium: Kids under 12 Free
2026-10-17 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-10-31 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-11-14 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-11-28 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-12-12 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-12-26 12:00 - 16:00, 2027-01-09 12:00 - 16:00, 2027-01-23 12:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) and 6 more dates | Heal the Bay Aquarium, 1600 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA, 90401, United States
WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY – Heal the Bay Aquarium
Looking for an exciting and educational activity for your little ocean explorers? Look no further than the Heal the Bay Aquarium!

Explore the Wonders of the Sea: For Kids 12 and Under, Admission is FREE!
That’s right! When accompanied by a paying adult, children 12 and under can enter the aquarium absolutely free. This opens up a world of fascinating discoveries for your kids, allowing them to:

Meet the local marine life: Encounter over 100 local species, including playful sea otters, curious sharks, and colorful fish.
Touch the tide pool: Get hands-on and explore the wonders of the tide pool, observing fascinating creatures like starfish, sea urchins, and anemones.
Learn through play: Interactive exhibits and engaging programs spark imaginations and ignite a passion for the ocean and its inhabitants.
Uncover the importance of conservation: Discover the vital role we play in protecting the ocean and its amazing creatures!

Make Memories that Last a Lifetime
The Heal the Bay Aquarium isn’t just about seeing cool animals; it’s about creating lasting memories with your family.

Family-friendly activities: Enjoy engaging exhibits, daily feeding demonstrations, and interactive programs designed for all ages.
Spark a love for learning: Foster a sense of wonder and curiosity in your child about the natural world and its importance.
Bonding experience: Share the experience of exploring the ocean together, creating memories that will be cherished for years to come.

Plan Your Heal the Bay Aquarium Visit Today!
Located conveniently under the Santa Monica Pier, the Heal the Bay Aquarium offers an accessible and affordable escape for your family.

Admission: Free for children 12 and under, with a paying adult.
Hours: Open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Location: 1600 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Make a splash and embark on an unforgettable ocean adventure with your little ones at the aquarium TODAY!!!

For additional information, visit the website @
healthebay.org/aquarium

Find more

Roundhouse Aquarium
2026-10-20 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-10-31 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-11-17 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-12-15 10:00 - 17:00, 2027-01-19 10:00 - 17:00, 2027-01-30 10:00 - 17:00, 2027-02-16 10:00 - 17:00, 2027-03-16 10:00 - 17:00 and 1 more date | The Roundhouse Aquarium, Manhattan Beach Pier, Manhattan Beach, CA, 90267, United States
OPEN DAILY- Manhattan Beach Pier
The Roundhouse Aquarium is located at the end of the Manhattan Beach Pier. The Roundhouse has undergone a recent revitalization through a $4 million capital project spearheaded by the Harrison Greenberg Foundation. The new Roundhouse Aquarium educates and inspires more than 300,000 visitors every year. It is managed and operated by the nonprofit oceanic and environmental organization Oceanographic Teaching Stations, Inc. (OTS), whose mission is to connect and engage visitors and students to the oceans through hands-on interactive experiences with marine life and habitats of southern California, and to inspire them to become good stewards of our environment.
OTS’ programs at the Roundhouse Aquarium promote the study of the oceans, tidelands and beaches of Southern California through a wide slate of science-based and standards-aligned education programs with its immersive and engaging exhibits of a diverse array of marine life. More than 100 marine animals from Southern California’s waters live at the aquarium, many are native to its local waters in the Santa Monica Bay. Notable wildlife include moon jellies, sharks, octopus, sheepshead, moray eels, lobsters, and more – as well as a touch tank with sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and sea snails. The aquarium prides itself on being family oriented. It’s a great place for kids to take their parents!

Come SEA our Marine Exhibits
Get to know the habitats within Southern California by visiting our diverse marine exhibits. These exhibits are showcased within 4 Aquarium Galleries.

Marine Habitat Gallery

Rocky Reef Tank
The Rocky Reef shows us what reefs in the cold California waters look like. They are similar to coral reefs but are made up of rocks instead of corals. They are just as important of a habitat as coral reefs and often serve as a nursery for many types of juvenile fish.
Kelp Forest Tank
The Kelp Forest tank represents a distinct southern California marine habitat. This tank shows us what it looks like to swim at the edge of the kelp forest, where rocks become scarcer and sand more plentiful. Many of the animals in the tank can live their life deep within the kelp forest or at the very edge. Those animals at the edges can even camouflage in the sand.

Education Gallery

Deep Kelp Forest Tank
These tanks represent a very diverse and abundant habitat, the kelp forest! The giant kelp that grows 2 feet a day, provides food and shelter for many different animals. Not only is this habitat important for animals, but it is also important to humans as well! Seaweeds, like kelp, produce about 70% of our oxygen through photosynthesis. So, take a deep breath and thank kelp!
Tide Pool Tank
All the animals that you can find in our touch tank live in a habitat called a tide pool. When the tide is low and the water has receded, pools of water are left in between rocks which form the tide pools. In Southern California, we have 2 high tides and 2 low tides every day, which means the animals’ habitat is always changing. They must have special adaptations that allow them to live in such a dynamic habitat.
Pier Piling Tank
Have you ever wondered what is under the pier? This tank will give you a good idea! Pier pilings, while man made, do create a habitat for lots of animals ranging from mussels, to crabs, to fish and rays. The fish can either hide amongst the mussels or lay on the sand under the pier among the rays.

Marine Science Gallery

Jewel Tank
See our animals in the spotlight with cool adaptive traits like our spotted rose anemone that has biofluorescence and our baby swell shark eggs that can camouflage as seaweed. The baby swell sharks are really cute when they hatch out too!
Pipefish Tank
The Pipefish tank is an example of a mudflat with eelgrass beds that act as a nursery for young fish and young sting rays. See if you can spot a pipefish in the eelgrass.
Artificial Reef Tank
The Artificial Reef tank is an examples of man-made structures left behind that now act as reefs teaming with life from sea anemones on rock scallops to sea stars to juvenile rockfish. Can you see the bright orange Garibaldi with blue spots?
Octopus Tank
The octopus tank is an example of a deep water habitat brought to life for our guests to see. It features anemones and rock scallops on the reef which also add structure and microhabitats to the reef. The decorator crab uses the colonial strawberry anemones to help decorate its body to camouflage with the reef. There are small but colorful rockfish like the half-banded rockfish that stay close to the rocks and use them as shelter.
Kid’s Kelp Corner
Have you ever wondered oh why, oh why did my goldfish die? Come find the answer in the Kid’s Kelp Corner. You can also relax and read the many ocean related books in our library while watching our inquisitive freshwater fish.
Discovery Center
Come check out what it means to be a scientist! Observe plankton, learn about the food chain, and discover some of the aquarium’s smallest residents.
Seahorse Tank
Seahorses are some of the most fragile sea creatures in the ocean, and they can camouflage to look like seaweed, eelgrass, or even sea fans. They use their tails to hold onto eelgrass and stay upright, but they won’t swim except in short bursts. They have excellent eyesight that they use to track their prey, which are small shrimps.

Immersion Gallery

October through March
Monday-Friday: 2PM – 5PM
Saturday-Sunday: 10AM – 5PM

}

April through September
Monday-Friday: 2PM – 7PM
Saturday-Sunday: 10AM – 7PM
Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am – 5:00pm

Advanced timed-entry reservations are required.

For additional information, visit the website @
roundhouseaquarium.org/

Find more

Kelp Forest in DTLA
2026-10-20 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-11-17 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-12-15 10:00 - 17:00, 2027-01-19 10:00 - 17:00, 2027-02-16 10:00 - 17:00, 2027-03-16 10:00 - 17:00, 2027-04-20 10:00 - 17:00 | California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90037, United States
FREE EVERY DAY- Exposition Park, DTLA
Find yourself immersed in the majestic grandeur of a giant kelp forest, where algae called kelp grow as large as trees and support a tremendous variety of life. You may be amazed to discover that examples of this spectacular ecosystem, which in the wild can support over 800 species, exist right off the coast of Southern California. Peer into our 188,000-gallon tank and get a glimpse of what life is like in these special underwater forests. And find the species you see in the tanks on our iPads to learn more about them!

Solve the mystery behind why kelp is found in some spots along the coast and not others. Meet some of the animals that live in the kelp forest—and divers that like to visit! Find out how choices you make daily can affect the kelp forest and the ocean in ways you may not even imagine. Also, discover why and how we need to protect this important ecosystem for generations to come. This exhibit features live animals such as leopard sharks, horn sharks, moray eels, giant sea bass, rockfish, spiny lobsters, anemones and more!

Kelp Forest Science Spectacular Dive Shows

Find out what it’s like to experience our kelp forest from inside the tank as you get the chance to talk first-hand with a diver! Don’t miss our Science Spectacular Kelp Forest Exploration dive show, which happens twice daily. Divers interact with animals in the tank, and also take questions from guests in the audience—like you!
Exploration times
Monday – Friday: 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
If your visit to the kelp forest doesn’t overlap with an exploration time, you may still get a chance to see a diver. We have divers working in our tank daily, feeding and examining animals, maintaining the tank…and often waving at guests!

For additional information, visit the website @
californiasciencecenter.org/kelp-forest

Find more
