I went on a trek to the Downtown Aquarium in Denver for the first time yesterday, in search of a unique experience. Having grown up in the Chicago area, Shedd Aquarium was the aquarium I was accustomed to. I was living near Atlanta when Atlanta Aquarium opened its doors and went to that aquarium as well. I've also visited aquariums in several other states. I had never visited an aquarium, though, where the restaurant is such a large part of the aquarium experience. I have both pros and cons of the experience.
LOCATION: The aquarium is in an amazing location. I am a little bit biased but I love Downtown Denver. Though the parking was a bit steep ($7.00) for the amount of time that someone that is walking the aquarium path just once, it is not outrageous for the price of parking in other parts of Denver. In addition, the parking lots were well-maintained with conveniently located sidewalks and a comfortable walking distance to the aquarium itself. The location in reference to the highway was perfect. No uncomfortable one way streets to navigate. Get off the highway and get ready to park. I found it to be incredibly convenient and a great place to be able to send out-of-towners without them having to use Google Maps to find their way through busy city streets.
CLEANLINESS/UPKEEP: As with most attractions that I have visited in Denver, the aquarium was maintained very well. The facility was clean, inside and out. The architecture was incredible, eye-catching and fun. The restrooms were well maintained and located in convenient locations throughout. Thumbs up to the staff for their great job keeping things up for the patrons.
STAFF: I found the staff to be incredibly kind. From the ticket sales person to the photographer (souvenir snapshots) and everyone in between, everyone was courteous, helpful and ready to help make the museum experience fun and educational. I personally witnessed them speaking with children on field trips with a level of patience that some day care educators would be envious of. There was not a person that I ran into that didn't seem to enjoy their job to an optimum level.
GENERAL ADMISSION PRICING: I am a bit divided on this one. If you are planning on eating at the restaurant, the $17.99 for adult admission is definitely worth the price. I would also venture to say that if you are able to linger at the exhibits and observe for awhile (alone or with older children who have attention spans and interest in the experience), it is well worth the admission price. This extends to those that are willing to walk through the path more than once to see exhibits over again. After all, these are living, breathing creatures that will never give you the exact same experience twice. If you are the parent of an infant or toddler that you are just bringing out to "see the fishies", my recommendation would be to wait until they are a bit older. Though children 1 year and under are free, you are still going to have to pay for your admission and children with short attention spans are likely to not enjoy this experience nearly as much as your $18 asks.
MEMBERSHIP: Obviously I didn't buy a membership this trip but I examined the memberships rather closely at the aquarium and online. If you are a family of four, the $159 for the Captain's Level Membership seems to be a very reasonable price for unlimited admission for a year (especially when the general admission price is so high). Though it doesn't include free parking, it does reduce your parking price to $3.50 which is less than a coffee from most major latte chains. It includes a 4D Theater Value Ticket, guest passes (4 total), priority seating in the restaurant and discounts on several different levels.
The Admiral's Membership, at $199 for a family of four, is reasonably priced. It offers the same perks as the Captain's Level but ups the amount of guest passes to eight and gives you discounts on up to four adult entrees at several different restaurants in Colorado. Incredible deal for those that dine out regularly. You still don't get free parking, but your parking price is still half off.
Now here's the drawback...for large families that are already on a budget, it would be an additional $25/person to add on memberships for the other two people in the household. Unlike a large portion of family-friendly places that offer memberships, it is NOT all of the children within your household included. It was not clearly listed whether adding the other two people on for that price would include discounts within the restaurant for the additional people as well. The price has now moved rom $159 to $209 for my family's membership, which is nearly double the price of a membership to most zoos and museums in the area which offer free parking to visitors. In a nutshell, if you're a small family, GREAT value. If you're a large family, you might be better off getting a membership to the zoo and making the aquarium an occasional visit.
ADD-ONS: The restaurant's food was incredible and well worth the visit for those that are looking for a unique experience. 4D tickets were not outrageously priced nor were the tickets for the Aquarium express train or the carousel. At the end of your trek, there was a plethora of activity from face painting to pictures with the mermaids (which I will get to in a moment) to feeding the stingrays. All things considered, the prices were actually very reasonable and well worth the price for something unique.
EXHIBITS: I was actually quite impressed with the variety of animals in the exhibits. The layout was well thought out and the exhibits offered a very up close and personal experience. Creature views are accessible from strollers for the youngsters being toted along in such accommodations. Getting to see snakes and tigers was a pleasant surprise. In addition, the flash flood experience was a very neat "hands on" way for kids and adults alike to learn about this weather phenomenon. Getting to see the divers feeding the fish (and other creatures) was incredible and the mermaids were a fun addition to the experience. I was, personally, a fan of the seahorse and jellyfish exhibits though the shark area was a pretty incredible sight to see, as well. The children seemed to flock to the shark area with floor to ceiling viewing and viewing portals in the floor as well. The exhibits seemed very true to the animal's natural habitat and allowed easy viewing without having to stand on tippy toes.
UNIQUE FROM OTHER AQUARIUMS: The mermaids add a delightful spin to this aquarium. For children, this is a magical experience and a nice treat of eye candy for the dads coming in. In addition, the tigers were a pleasant surprise, though it seems a bit out of place for an aquarium experience. The aforementioned flash flood experience is an incredible and fun way to learn and the various "port holes" where kids can stick their heads "in" the exhibits are a phenomenal add-on.
BOTTOM LINE: The bottom line is pretty simple. For the family with infants and toddlers only, I'd say stay home or pick another Denver excursion (as the choices are plentiful). For the family with preschoolers on up, this is a great experience. If you're visiting, make the choice to dine in the restaurant and take your time in the exhibits to get the optimum bang for your buck. If you're a local, the membership might be worth your money for a small family.
Will I be returning to the Aquarium? That remains to be seen but I would definitely not turn down the opportunity to explore this site again in the future.
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