Reviews of Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach (Tourist Attraction)

Theglittergirl.nikki

Very fun. Great for adults and kids. Shows and interactions with the sea life..little food stands and a place for hot dogs pretzels sodas. Gift shop very nice. Not to overly priced. Overall great experience. Highly recommend if you love sealife and fish.

Helen Belsey

We visited here during our Summer vacation this year and you could tell it was Summer time, but we cannot blame the aquarium for traffic. The prices were more than we were expecting, but the staff made the money worthwhile. It was a very nice atmosphere and the marine animals seemed very well taken care of. We walked in thinking that the prices were too high but after we left, it ended up being a fair price. We recommend going to an aquarium at least once and what better aquarium to visit than at a beach!

Tiffany Smith

This was one of the coolest aquariums I had ever been to! The tunnel with the conveyor belt was crazy, being able to have sharks and fish swimming all around you was so awesome. The pure variety in attractions was also fun. You could pet horseshoe crabs and have shrimp crawl on your hand and you could even pet a sting ray. Total ya great place for a family to check out.

Kate Elizabeth

Forecast called for rain, while in Myrtle Beach on vacation, so we headed over to Ripley's Aquarium. My whole family had a blast! My daughter got to meet a mermaid, we got to pet the sting rays, the jelly fish were beautiful, and the shark tunnel was incredible! My favorite was the sea turtle. From ages 4 to 65 .. our family visit was an absolute pleasure!

R Leigh

Awesome aquarium. Lots of great exhibits plus we were able to pet jellyfish, horse crabs and feed and pet sting rays. The mermaid show was fun also. We got there just as it opened and so there were very few people there. I would recommend this as it got quite crowded a couple hours later.

Liz Praul

Our family visited Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach and had a wonderful time! It very clean and for the most part the employees were friendly. There is a lot to see and do for children and adults. Our favorite part was the moving floor that brings you by the large aquarium with sharks swimming all around and over your head. I loved the moon jellies because I never saw them at other aquariums I have visited. The gift shop is a bit overpriced but cute!

Christina One

Awesome!!!! They have two touch tanks, one is rays and the other is horseshoe crabs. They also have a mermaid show and you can get pictures with a mermaid. The shark tunnel is the best!!

Talisha Williamson

Had an amazing time! Went with my son and his girlfriend and my mother, no age limit! We had such a phenomenal time we visited twice in a day. I can’t wait to go back next year!!

Kerri Carroll

Great for the family! Great to get out of the sun and explore. Nice little aquarium. Lots for kids to touch and explore. Lots of areas for photo ops and the shows were cute. All my children enjoyed it!

Ashley Watkins

It's a very neat place. Price is a little steep though. We were only there for an hour and it was $65 for 2 adults and a toddler. We just ended up walking through the shark tunnel twice.

Mary

Something to do with kids on a rainy day, but otherwise I wouldn't bother. Jellyfish tank and walk through shark tank (long line) were interesting but that was pretty much it. Food/snacks are absurdly expensive ($10 for a dozen donut holes???) and not worth the long wait (at least 20 minutes). I know it was a rainy summer day, but the place looks like it has extremely heavy foot traffic. Not worth it in my opinion if there are other options.

Frank Moore

Amazing place full of hands on activities. Shark tunnel is pretty cool and my favorite was the jellyfish area where you can actually touch the jellyfish. Me and my girlfriend had a blast

Andrew Brewer

Lots to do, see, and interact. Didn't bother with any of the food since we ate breakfast before we came in. Staff are super-friendly despite some rude customers. The interactive jellyfish station was a highlight as well as the shows. Don't bother with the glass bottom boat ride, you can get a much better angle from walking through the shark reef. I wish they had more tank tops to choose from in their gift shop, other than definitely loved it as well as the boys. Visited 7/30/2019

Steven Tacconi

Quality over quantity. Not a huge place but plenty big and enough room on busy days. We took advantage of the "kids are free Wednesdays in May" which made the price a lot more palatable. The exhibits that are there and extremely well done. Several "touch" exhibits extend the fun. Would love to go back if given the chance. The pearl harbor exhibit was really neat too!

Megan McKinney

It was a great place to relax and cool down at Myrtle Beach. We had a great time and enjoyed the shark tunnel. We also saw a family that got to swim with the stingrays, I think that will be an experience for our next vacation. We had a blast. Very clean and family friendly . Our toddler is a huge Spongebob fan and we were able to take photos of us "Rescuing Spongebob" and bringing him back home to her. Wonderful experience for all ages.

Jenny Cotton

I wasn't expecting a moving sidewalk! Or mermaids! This was a great place to take children. I loved the staircase that played different music notes on each step. My only complaint was that in comparison to my local aquarium, it was much smaller than I expected. But a quality good time was had by all!

DeAnna Hoyt-Zoeller

Your typical tourist attraction. A bit pricey for what you get but fun for the kids. We did the extra experience of the glass bottom boat- not sure the extra money for it was worth it. It was over the aquarium that you already walk through- so no new things to see. My kiddos loved the sting ray experience and there are a few other hands on encounters as well- such as jelly fish you could touch and horse shoe crabs.

Shadi Zahed

Pretty expensive for a small aquarium but I had a good time. My favorite thing was the tunnel where you could see sharks swim over and around you. There also was a cute little candy shop in the lobby. On the bottom floor you could touch some underwater shrimp but that's my extent of the fun.

Kathy Mularcik

Great time. Show friendly with alot of audience participation. Food in cafe reasonable prices for families, tasty and appropriate temp. An entire afternoon spent here.

Tina B.

It was a very nice place to see some sharks and fish. The two year old had a blast. The live shows were terrific

Madison Dance

We loved the aquarium! Smaller than I was expecting but still really awesome! They are working on a penguin exhibit. We took the boat tour and got to see Gabby the Sea turtle up close and personal and it was a delight. The tour guides were super friendly and funny. Mike and Kayleigh I believe were their names.

Busy Mommymenos

It's o-kay. There is a play area within the eating area which is nice. They also have mermaid shows which is kind of cool. I think since it is a "Ripley's" I expected jaw dropping scenes and for me it was comparable to other Aquariums.

Dean Faul

Pretty disappointed. After reading numerous rave reviews of the attraction I thought it may be a good idea to take the trip. Looking from the outside I should have known what was to come, the sheer scale of the building was underwhelming to say the least. For the huge tourist attraction it is you would think it would be at least twice the size. It was $100 to walk in the door and most attractions were an additional fee. We could have seen all of what Ripley's has to offer in 20 min. Not worth the $$$

Jordan Gosnell

great attraction especially for children. They will be so occupied with everything to look & do. You have the chance to touch jelly fish, horseshoe crab and sting rays!! Opportunity to purchase photos! Definitely a must-see.

Robert Schulze

Loved this place. Lots to see. My family had a great time. My son loved feeding the string Ray's. The glass botom boat was a little pricey. A must see if you are in the area.

Erik Newby

We had a pretty good time here as a family. Always amazed and in awe by the vast world that lives underwater. Enjoyed the various hands-on places for our kids to touch sea creatures. Was sad to see some visible damage to some of the manta rays. Comes with the territory I assume. The shark tunnel is by far the best part of this whole aquarium. A slow-moving walkway takes you through the tunnel giving you time to see everything beside you and above you. If you can, try to come early as it gets incredibly busy. We were fortunate and got there just as they opened and were able to walk around to most of the exhibits without much of a wait, about 45 minutes later the lines were wrapping around walls. All the advertisements and billboards make this place out to be a much bigger place than it is. Overall a good experience, but it is not an all day event.

S P

This was a really pretty aquarium. The exhibits were very well maintained and the glass tunnel was amazing. Many interactive exhibit as well. The ray touch tank was awesome! Highly recommend for both adults and children

Rich Grogan

Wonderful place to visit. Expect to spend at least 2 to 3 hours here. The exhibits are done well and the interactive touch tanks have improved since we were there a couple years ago. The facility is clean and well maintained. All the staff are friendly and helpful. We used our visit as a home school trip as well and there is great detail posted to help us learn mate about the various exhibits. Definatly worth doing.

SCAN2 NYC

This was our second time here. If your into aquatic life. Or have younger children it is very enjoyable. You get to touch small sharks, jelly fish, Sadly this was probably our last visit.

Jo Ann Orr

Thus was a great place for children to learn about sea life around the world. There were sea creatures I had never seen before. Very educational.

Erika Myers

I don't why it was seemed smaller than I remembered, but my baby had fun. It was teacher appreciation weekend. I really loved that they offer this to teachers and allow us to bring an additional guest for free. I will be back.

Misty Marcum

Sadly we missed the mermaid exhibit, which was the main reason we went but we still saw other great exhibits and lots of sea life. They have several interactive exhibits that allow you to actually touch certain animals. We did encounter one male employee who was more than rude when he was called to run his exhibit and probably needed reported, but our experience with the rest of the employees was great. Everyone else was very friendly and helpful, very eager and willing to answer any and all questions.

Jessica Jordan

What an awesome aquarium! The kids loved that they were able to touch sting rays, sharks, horseshoe crabs, cleaner shrimp, and jelly fish. The underwater tunnel was amazing too!

April Kissinger

Ripley's aquarium is a wonderful family place with lots of hands on interaction for the entire family. The sea creatures are all well cared for. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. It's truly an educational but fun experience!

Kelly Wood

Not worth the money. Super small only cool things they had were touching jelly fish and horseshoe crabs. Whatever you do don’t do the glass bottom boat you literally are over the same fish you get to look at through the aquarium. Save your money :-)

Robyn Christopher

This was a very nice aquarium and they are expanding. Loved being able to touch some things like the sting rays, jellyfish and horse shoe crabs. It was smaller than expected with the cost but maybe more value for the money after the addition is complete. The gift shop was reasonably priced.

Monique Egan

Aquariums are so much fun to look at! Where else can you go to touch a sting ray, hold a horseshoe crab, and get up close to sharks! My favorite part of Ripley's Aquarium has always been the tunnel aquarium where different species of fish and marine life completely surround you. An electronic walkway guides you through the tunnel. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable in their respective areas. Price was reasonable for our online tickets. No waiting in line!

Bri&mommy Guzman

Staff is friendly , the place is clean and the kids had such a good time . We loved the experience and the mermaid show is a must see ! Don’t forget to stop and get your picture taken with a mermaid. The shark tunnel has a moving belt that you can choose to get on and it takes you around ! Being able to pet a jelly fish , sting ray and horseshoe crabs were a double plus . Add this on your to do list because it’s a place you wouldn’t want to miss !!! :)

Myrtle Vaughn

I've enjoyed this several times over the years. It's definitely more geared for younger kids but the teens have a good time too. I enjoy it regardless. They have mermaids. They are adding a penguin exhibit soon. If you are in the area check it out. They have a big military discount as well.

Katelynn Barnhart

"Whoa! Wonderful place to stop in and admire while visiting Myrtle Beach, SC. Beautiful under the sea creatures of every kind to just take your breath away. My son absolutely loved it so was definitely worth every penny spent. Will certainly be going back on our next beach trip!"

M Seng

This location is similar to other Ripley's aquariums, specifically the content and layout. That said, it is still an enjoyable experience with plenty of exhibits and marine life to view. We visited on a weekday after Labor day so crowds were sparse and we were able to see everything in a relaxed atmosphere.

Richard Lane

Smaller than many aquariums but great displays. We live close enough that we bought a membership. We already visited twice and reaped the full benefit of membership.

Tackya Hoilett

If your kids are 5 years old and up they will enjoy it. Five and under one may feel like they waste their money. Well, least I did. My 2 and 3 year olds were not impressed much. The 3 and 12 year old enjoyed feeding the stingrays and I enjoyed the jelly fish and dad enjoyed the boat ride.

Kimberly Carter

The aquariums were clean and the fish well taken care of. We had a coupon so the price wasn't to bad but otherwise we wouldn't have gone. It only takes about an hour to go through if you take your time so I think $30 is a bit steep but almost all the coupon books have discounts for it. They have lots of kids activities too.

Nick Greene

Nice aquarium. Layout was good and have never seen upside down jellyfish anywhere else. Good place to take the kids.

Netherexio

This was an adventure! All of the cool events and areas were super cool to check out. I loved how some of the places let us have a hands-on experience with the sting-rays and Horseshoe crabs! Everything is cool and all, but I think the tickets to go on the little boat are a bit pricey.

Will Bale

Although small, this place packs a punch! Simple to walk through and clear descriptions. You get the typical Ripley's experience with hands on activites and facts to read all over the place. Touching stingrays and jellyfish was pretty awesome too!

Dale Cook

It was a great experience for the whole family and so much to see. If you and your family want to see something truly amazing then this place will blow your mind. The staff and environment of the aquarium are excellent. If you have a day with plenty of time to kill or just want to experience something different, then check out this place.

Carol Allie

This is a great place for the whole family! We got to see sharks of all sorts, pet jelly fish and watch a mermaid show (which the children love)! They also have a limited time exhibit about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was quite interesting.

Brooke Adkins

This place was a lot of fun and very clean. The staff was friendly and very helpful. The exhibits were very cool. My favorite was the jellyfish and shark tunnel. We also did the glass bottom boat ride. The staff answered all kinds of questions and gave us lots of info about the sharks that they have. I definitely recommend this place. My kids, 10 and 11, had a great time.

Jerry Robertson

Mostly kid-oriented attraction that took two adults about an hour to complete. Tanks were clean well-designed attractive and probably a little overstocked. Enjoy the experience but would not do again as I don't have kids.

Helen Bowers

This place is so much smaller than they advertise it to be. It's so packed full of people and kids that you can hardly move or breathe. There are like four places you can see animals if you're lucky. I don't know how the workers managed to seem happy there. If you have younger kids and are willing to put up with the migraine this place is then it might not be too bad for you. This place is more of an attraction than it is an aquarium. So not worth the $130 I spent for four adults.

Donnie Amoia

Was very impressed with the level of professionalism this particular aquarium displayed!! Staff was very nice and knowledgeable about all the animals on sight. Price for 2 people to get in was around 60.00. Be aware of all the extras they try to get you to do for instance to go through shark tunnel was part of the admittance fee but if you want to view sharks from above they want to charge you a extra almost 30.00 I thought that was excessive!! Other then that was a great place to go.

Theodore Lindsey

Great location to take kids and enjoy an aquarium. There are several themes and the shark tank is very interesting. There is a moving conveyor to move you through the tanks. The sharks are also visible overhead for s really unique experience. It also possible to view the shark tank from the glass bottomed boat for an additional charge. There are shows with mermaids on the stingrays tank. Great gift shop and a concession area. It's a little pricey but the kids will absolutely love it. The ticket is good for all day. There is usually a discount coupon available in one of the coupon books from the area that will save around $3. I would definitely recommend this place. There are other great attraction and shopping directly in the area.

Caleb Browne

It is a really fun aquarium. The line to buy tickets will get long early on so be mindful. Once you get inside it's a whole different world. My girlfriend and I had such a blast here. Between the shark tunnel, getting to pet stingrays and even jellyfish. It was a really great time and definitely one of the better aquariums I have been to

Isaac Grahl

Clean, fun, good atmosphere, very colorful. Not as big as some aquariums I've been to, but definitely none the less entertaining. Definitely geared more towards kids, but there is something for everyone to enjoy. Jellyfish exhibit was the highlight in my opinion.

Ashley Knapp

We went today as a fun end to our Myrtle Beach weekend. The aquarium is very clean and well maintained. We loved all the exhibits and it's so nice to have places to sit and a cafe to relax and get a drink and/or snack. Tickets are quite pricey but unfortunately that seems usual for most attractions. Also the cost to ride the glass bottom boat is ridiculous. My daughter loved seeing the mermaids and the diver feeding the fish. Good experience overall just costly.

Kayley

First of all shark tunnel is a must!! So cool. Also, the glass boat ride above the tank is well worthing seeing. Nice perspective to see the sharks from above. However, I wish I had of known it is definitely more little kid oriented. Not a criticism but just something to keep in mind that majority of the attractions are for small children. It also didn't have as many exhibits as I was hoping for. Felt like we had seen everything in less than an hour. The pearl harbor exhibit they had at the time we went seemed a little gimmicky... Borderline disrespectful to those who served. But I cannot 100% comment as someone who isn't a veteran..just came out of it feeling like I just went through a fun house and not an exhibit to learn and reflect. Just things to keep in mind when deciding to purchase a ticket. Shark tunnel and glass boat for me was worth the ticket price.

sammi s

Would I pay $30 per adult ticket? Probably not. We used a coupon and got tickets for $20 per adult. It isn’t as big as you’re probably imagining from photos but my daughter absolutely loved it so it was worth the experience. It took an hour to go through everything and we even did the ray bay 3 different times.

New Age Dream Chick

We went first with the kids and they enjoyed it. We went back alone to explore further later that evening and it was less crowded. The exhibits were beautiful. I loved seeing the sharks over my head and love stingrays They had an opportunity to pet jellyfish and stingrays The stingrays were so playful in the little pond They also had a photo op with a mermaid It took us a good 1 1/2-2 hours to go through the whole aquarium. Definitely recommend to families with kids who love fish.

Rebecca Puckly

It is okay. Not impressed for the price. I thought it was worth it when I got half off. Is probably more worth it with little kids who love fish. They do have some really neat fish though!

annrango 11

This Aquarium is a great spot for family. There are numerous sections. Kids had fun and adults enjoyed it as well. Loved the moving walkway underwater tunnel.

Alyssa Stuart

My family and I absolutely loved the aquarium! The shark tunnel was super cool. My girls (and myself) were impressed by the mermaid show! It was one of our favorite parts and we were glad to have made it in time. If you go, you won't want to miss the mermaids. The aquarium made for a great thing to do to give us a break from the sun on the beach!

James Hinson

While the fish and the diversity of the species was awesome, I was not expecting it to be so crowded. After walking and standing for hours, the only exit was thru the gift shop. A dirty move. I would go back definitely, just in the off season.

Dennis Hall

I have an exhibit in Ripley's Believe it or not, so ever time my family and I are around one of there places we take the time to experience what Ripley's has to offer. The trip to Myrtle Beach, gave us a chance to go into four different Ripley's locations. And as usual they are all a great adventure.

Chris G

This is an amazing experience! It's definitely worth the money. From ages 0 to 100 every age will love this place. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Christina Puff

Definitely a great place to explore the life of the under world. It took about an hour or so to explore everything. If you have kids expect to spend more time there and more money! Bought tickets in advanced and saved about $20 on 2 tickets. Happy we didn't pay full price. Still a wonderful place to check out while your visiting Myrtle Beach!

Outdoor Adventures

Great for the vacationing military families with the military tickets. Kids loved it. You have to exit through the gift shop so be prepared to blind fold the kids on the way out. Some of the areas are small and if your fast paced you can be in and out in under 2 hours.

Ryan Rattie

This place was amazing. Even if you aren't staying near it is a must see if you are in South Carolina. The fish were amazing and the world war 2 exhibit was very entertaining and informational. Amazing for families of all ages. The shark tunnel was by far the best part, you get to go in a glass tunnel that brings you all around a tank filled with different deep sea creatures.

Faith Henry

Love the experience here. Very nice. Been coming here since my kid was in diapers he's almost 20 now. Love it. The experiences are amazing and they have something different every time come. Right now if your a history buff they have a limited time exhibit on Pearl Harbor

snowwhite Bullock

Absolutely funtastic! We had a blast! The aquarium is filled with all kinds of fish and crustaceans. From sharks to squids to jellyfish, they are all beautifully alive in natural habitat type settings. They even have a petting area with the little stingrays. Loads and loads to view and do. It is however a bit pricey, but they do run specials. Check them out on Facebook and see when specials are running, we did and got in for 10.00 each. Make this a must do when in the Myrtle Beach area. Highly recommended.

Steven Wishkoff

I love this aquarium! There are tons of amazing fish, multiple opportunities to touch aquatic creatures and many shows to entertain and teach you interesting facts about the sea creatures. The building is maintained very well and is run very professionally and efficiently. The staff is very friendly. There's a good flow to the layout of the building and my favorite section is Planet Jellies where you can touch jellyfish. If you are a local the annual pass is a great deal and let's you visit your fish friends anytime you want!

Ronald Bowling

Always a great time for the family. Always able to learn something new and experience some neat things like touching the jellies or having the shrimp tickle(clean) your hands and fingers! Also got to touch a ray which really made my little boys day. They had the pearl harbor section open when we went this time and it's pretty cool and historic. We got a nice family photo here too which we paid around 10$ from what my wife recalls.

Mr. Standafer

ITS OKAY. it's a tourist trap. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it. They have jelly fish, horseshoe crab, shrimp, and stingray touching. How many times do you get to do that? It's so expensive though. Just go through the attractions and don't do the things on the side, it's not worth it. Very cool fish inside and staff is awesome. It was clean yet crowded. However, I went when it was half off the aquarium. So I expected it to be crowded. Lots of little kids that needed to be on a leash or left at home. I almost ran a group of toddlers over because they just walk all over the place. However, it was still an very enjoyable way to spend the day.

Alyssa McTheny

Our family really enjoyed the experience. The shark tunnel was amazing. Being able to walk below the marine life was so amazing. We came face to face with various sharks numerous times. This is a very nice family excursion.

Mart Martinez

Love it! It's not as big as I thought but very nice set up. The ticket to enter is $25 which I think it's a little high for the size of the aquarium but given where its located the price is fair. Has a very cool moving floor that you stand on and it takes you around through tunnels underwater to see lots of different ocean species including SHARKS! There are a few places where you can pet or touch some animals and you can even swim with stingrays. I dont know if you have to pay for the petting and touching but I imagine you do. Overall if you go to myrtle beach and is staying close to Ripley's Aquarium, I highly recommend going. Definitely worth your time and money.

Aaron Stanley

This is, hands down, the best aquarium I've ever visited. The entire facility is super clean, it's not crowded at all, and it provided my child the opportunity to experience things that she may not experience elsewhere, such as "petting" Sting Ray's and Jellyfish, and meeting a Mermaid. I would definitely recommend this to other families and plan to go again the next time we are in Myrtle Beach.

Alexander Durham

Not much more variety than any other standard aquarium, but it is nicely laid out. I like all the opportunities for learning for kids - my daughter really enjoyed it. Can be very crowded though.

Makayla LeGear

Me and my husband loved it. The glass boat tour was great and all the staff were very friendly and knew all about the exhibits they were working and the animals in them. We had a unicorn pearl drink that was great and a churro that was really good.

Joel Chanaca

Great place for small and big kids. There is some history in there for the non aquatic lovers as well. The tanks and touch and feel areas are all great. The biggest hit for my daughter was the cleaner shrimp in the touch area. Put your hand in water and the come eat the dead skin and junk out from under your nails. Stay still...they will come!

Aileen Capellan

We had a blast. The aquarium is really beautiful and have a lot of things to do. The only thing to keep in mind when buying the admission tickets is that the attractions that comes in some combos ( RIPLEYS BELIEVE IT OR NOT! ODDITORIUM, 5D MOVING THEATER,MARVELOUS MIRROR MAZE and HAUNTED ADVENTURE) are not inside Broadway at the beach and they are not walking distance located. You can either drive there or take the free Train-looking Bus right there at the aquarium ,which takes you around Myrtle Beach and the attractions.

Laura Lambrecht

Wow!! What a WONDERFUL place to visit! Employees are friendly and helpful. We took our grandkids and they loved everything about it. Well worth the price of admission.

Adair Hill Morrison

Our family had fun here. It was a good aquarium, maybe a little overpriced. Only complaint was no safe changing tables in the downstairs restrooms. Not sure if they were elsewhere but for a family attraction we thought this was really strange as all the largest most popular attractions were on that floor.

C Ken

I went here with my family. We enjoyed ourselves. This aquarium is nice. I enjoyed the jellyfish exhibit. The price was reasonable to me. We used the coupon code online. I was expecting more from the mermaid show, but the kids liked it.

Morgan Meyer

Loved the hands on experiences. You can touch jellyfish, sting rays and horeshoe crabs. When you get there it feels small, but as you walk around there is so much to explore. It was just my husband and I -- and as adults we loved it.

Kaitlin Van Hoy

We had a great time! There were so many hands on exhibits and animals to experience. We definitely recommend it

Debbie Rankin

Very interesting place! We enjoyed the shark tube and the interaction with the sting rays. The cost shocked us at first but it turns out it was well worth it!!

Ashley Middleton Rodriguez

We've been to both SC and TN Aquarium's and we loved visiting both. This location offered great customer service with friendly workers, that are eager to help! The kids had a ton of fun playing and holding and touching the different marine life, as well as mining!!! The food was good, the prices where fair and it was a bit educational as well! I would totally recommend visiting any Ripley's Aquarium's.