View Attractions Related to: Aquariums & Zoos
by TourGuideTimThe World-Famous San Diego Zoo
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Entrance allowed 9AM – 4PM (8PM during Summer)
Cost: $46 ($36 for Kids ages 3-11; Discounts available)
Features: World Famous; 4,000 Animals on 100 Acres; 700,000 Exotic Plants; Pandas; Koalas
SeaWorld San Diego
Location: Mission Bay (6 Miles Northwest of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Hours vary by day. Ranges from 10AM – 5PM during Winter to 9AM – 11PM during Summer.
Cost: Several options starting at $64 with discounted online admission. Parking is $14 for cars.
Features: Shamu, Shows, Amusement Rides, Aquariums, Dolphins, Polar Bears, Penguins, Sesame Street Rides
Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Location: La Jolla Shores (14 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9AM – 5PM
Cost: $14 ($9.50 for Kids ages 3-17 and $10 for Seniors 60+)
Features: Educational Aquarium Operated by the World Renowned Scripps Institute of Oceanography
SEA LIFE Aquarium
Location: Carlsbad (35 Miles / 40 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Generally Open 10AM – 5PM during Winter and 9AM – 8PM during Summer (More Details Below)
Cost: Several options starting at $20 ($15 for Kids ages 3-12 and $15 for Seniors 60+). Parking is $5
Features: Aquarium Focused on Children Ages 2 – 12; Underwater World of LEGO models; 35 foot long Underwater Tunnel; Touch Pools
Butterfly Vivarium at The Monarch Program
Location: Encinitas (26 Miles / 30 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: 11AM – 3PM Saturdays; Also Open Thursday and Fridays during the Summer.
Cost: $6 ($4 for Kids ages 4 – 12)
Features: Butterfly Habitat
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Location: San Pasqual Valley (33 Miles / 40 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9AM – 5PM (8PM during Summer)
Cost: $46 ($36 for Kids ages 3-11; Discounts available). Parking is $10.
Features: African Safari-like Experience; 3,500 Animals on 1,800 Acres; Tours; Sleepovers; Lion Camp; Formerly Known as the Wild Animal Park, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a separate animal park from the San Diego Zoo.
Lions, Tigers, and Bears Sanctuary
Location: Alpine (30 Miles / 35 Minutes East of Downtown San Diego)
Visits: By Appointment or Special Event
Cost: $50+
Features: One of 12 Big Cat Sanctuaries in the United States
Things to Do at the Living Coast Discovery Center (formerly Chula Vista Nature Center & Aquarium)
Location: Chula Vista (9 Miles / 12 Minutes South of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: Daily 10AM – 4PM
Cost: $14 ($9 for Children 4-17, Students with ID, Seniors 65+)
Features: Wetland of International Importance; Petting Pool with Stingrays and Sharks; Up-Close Views of Endangered Green Sea Turtles, a Bald Eagle, and Golden Eagles; Butterfly and Humming Bird Garden; Nature Trails
California Wolf Center
Location: Julian (57 Miles / 1.25 Hours Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: 10AM and 2PM Shows on Saturdays by Reservation Only
Cost: $10 ($6 for Kids)
Features: Visit with a Denali Wolfpack; Learn about North American Gray Wolves.