Zoo/Aquarium

Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium

Auckland's aquarium, open since 1985, built around King and Gentoo penguins, rescued sea turtles and keeper talks that run through the day.

Typical visit
Ages
Booking
Book online
Booking online in advance saves over 24% compared with paying at the door.
Timed entry
Entry is by a booked time slot, and the slot is your arrival time rather than a limit — once inside you may stay as long as you like.
Last entry
Last entry is at 4pm.
Ticket covers
All the daily educational talks are included in the admission price.
Penguin feed
The only scheduled penguin feed of the day is at 11.30am in the Antarctic Ice Adventure.
Baby changing
Changing facilities are spread through the building, in both men's and women's toilets.
Feeding a baby
A designated parent's room beside the playground gives a more private space for breastfeeding.
Indoors
The attraction is fully indoors and open rain, hail or shine.
OUR FAMILY ASSESSMENT

Family Intelligence

The whole route is indoors, so rain does not change the plan. A cafe with seating sits on the way round, accessible toilets are at the entrance, at the exit and beside the cafe, and bench seating turns up at intervals — without backs or armrests, which matters if someone in the group needs proper support. The trade-off is the atmosphere: lighting and music shift level from gallery to gallery, and weekends and school holiday peaks can mean a queue at the door, so a midweek afternoon outside the holidays is the calmer choice with young children.

Family FAQ

How much does Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium cost?

Booking online in advance saves over 24% compared with paying at the door.

Is there baby changing at Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium?

Changing facilities are spread through the building, in both men's and women's toilets.

Why kids will love it

The penguins carry the visit for most children. The King and Gentoo colonies get one scheduled feed a day, and the curation team talks through what the birds are being given while it happens, so there is a commentary rather than just a crowd at the glass. Turtle Bay is the other stop worth timing: the talk there is about turtles the aquarium has taken in and cared for, which gives children a reason to look at the animals as individuals.

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