Central Coast Aquarium

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Central Coast Aquarium The mission of the Central Coast Aquarium is to cultivate a community dedicated to ocean stewardship through education, engagement and action.
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Our family-friendly aquarium is now open, and we are excited to 'sea' you! During public hours, visitors have the opportunity to engage in hands-on exploration at the touch tanks - which are home to dozens of species of marine animals - from the commonly seen purple sea urchins, hermit crabs, sea stars and sea cucumbers to the unique gumboot chiton, abalone and kelp crabs. Our other exhibits include the red octopus, decorator crabs, flat bottom fish, rock fish, jellies and much more! And don’t miss the chance to get up close and personal with our local shark species during our shark talk and shark touch tank, offered every hour on the half hour! Staff, trained volunteers, and interns are stationed throughout the aquarium, ready to help identify animals on display, answer questions, and engage in conversation about the ocean environment. Donate… https://checkout.square.site/buy/KLW42RB67OGSD32HIBSSPKNA

Here are some photos from our Quest homeschool program a few weeks back, where our theme was crabs! Join us this Wednesd...
10/19/2026

Here are some photos from our Quest homeschool program a few weeks back, where our theme was crabs! Join us this Wednesday, where we will be learning all about the deep sea! ⚓️🦑 We can’t wait to see you soon.

Join us Tuesday, October 27th from 5:30–8:00 PM for an adults-only (18+) evening of local w**e, appetizers, and science!...
10/13/2026

Join us Tuesday, October 27th from 5:30–8:00 PM for an adults-only (18+) evening of local w**e, appetizers, and science!

An underwater SUPERNOVA: reintroduction of wild sunflower sea stars causes a landscape of fear on the sea floor

Featured Speaker: Dr. Sarah Gravem Gravem Lab at Cal Poly SLO

Dr. Sarah Gravem is a marine ecologist that works at the intersection of community and behavioral ecology. She focus on rocky intertidal and kelp forest ecosystems and is interested in how species interactions and communities are affected by climate change, environmental variation, and marine diseases. She studies predation impacts on prey populations and behavior, and is particularly interested in the resulting consequences of these key interactions for the rest of the players in the ecosystem. 

Poster Presentations by Local Researchers

Mia Makris - Sea Star Wars: An Interactive Activity about Sea Star Predation

Brooklyn Hause - Vanishing Giants: Sea Star Size Distributions Before and After Wasting Disease

Ben Chanin - Supernova: The Landscape Of Fear Created by Sunflower Sea Stars

Spend the evening exploring the aquarium after hours, meeting local researchers, enjoying great food and w**e, and learning about the science shaping California’s Central Coast. Student tickets are $10 off!

10/08/2026

Join the Central Coast Aquarium as we return a pregnant California spiny lobster, newly born swell sharks, and mermaid purses back to our local waters!

We’re excited to share a behind the scenes look at their journey back to the ocean!

Cal Poly Pier Open House + Central Coast Aquarium Open House!Saturday, October 10Pier activities 10–2Aquarium open 10–4 ...
09/29/2026

Cal Poly Pier Open House + Central Coast Aquarium Open House!

Saturday, October 10
Pier activities 10–2
Aquarium open 10–4 with FREE admission

Food, drinks, face painting, a dunk tank, and a full day marine science!

Will we SEA you there?

Break A Wave Rodeo B**r Garden is only 3 days away!Come hang out with us at the Central Coast Aquarium B**r Garden befor...
09/23/2026

Break A Wave Rodeo B**r Garden is only 3 days away!
Come hang out with us at the Central Coast Aquarium B**r Garden before the rodeo!
The b**r garden is FREE to enter and will be open from 11:30AM-4PM.
The aquarium will also be open during our regular hours, 10AM-4PM, with regular admission pricing.
We’ll have food and drinks available for purchase, plus a whole lineup of local vendors and activities including a petting zoo, belt buckles, bolo ties, local honey, locally raised beef, and more still to come!
Come grab a drink, shop local, and enjoy the rodeo on the beach.
Saturday, September 26!!!

Break A Wave Rodeo is only 4 days away!Come hang out with us at the Central Coast Aquarium B**r Garden before the rodeo!...
09/22/2026

Break A Wave Rodeo is only 4 days away!

Come hang out with us at the Central Coast Aquarium B**r Garden before the rodeo!

The b**r garden is FREE to enter and will be open from 11:30AM–4PM. The aquarium will also be open during our regular hours, 10AM–4PM, with regular admission pricing.

We’ll have food and drinks available for purchase, plus a whole lineup of local vendors and activities including a petting zoo, belt buckles, bolo ties, local honey, locally raised beef, and more still to come!

Come grab a drink, shop local, and enjoy the rodeo on the beach.

Saturday, September 26!!!

Calling all homeschool students & families! Tomorrow, we have another fun week of Coastal Quest planned, and it isn’t to...
09/22/2026

Calling all homeschool students & families! Tomorrow, we have another fun week of Coastal Quest planned, and it isn’t too late to sign up! We will be doing many fun and educational activities, including a nature walk to the Cal Poly Pier 🌊 To sign up, you can visit centralcoastaquarium.org/learn/. We hope to see you all tomorrow! 😊🐠

Our silent auction is now LIVE!! If you would like to participate, you can visit our Givebutter site (link below), regis...
09/18/2026

Our silent auction is now LIVE!! If you would like to participate, you can visit our Givebutter site (link below), register as a bidder, verify your email, create your bidder profile, and add a payment method! Once you are registered, you’ll be ready to browse, place bids, keep track of your favorites, and view your bidding activity until it closes tomorrow, 9/19 at 9 PM. We have many wonderful items and experiences part of our silent auction that we can’t wait for you to see. To participate, please visit https://givebutter.com/c/catchcca/auction :)

We will be closed tomorrow for Catch, our annual fundraiser. We will be back open on Sunday! Thank you all for being und...
09/18/2026

We will be closed tomorrow for Catch, our annual fundraiser. We will be back open on Sunday! Thank you all for being understanding, we appreciate it and apologize for the inconvenience. If you would like to participate in our silent auction, you can visit https://givebutter.com/c/catchcca/auction 🐠 It is live now until tomorrow at 9 PM!

Join us Tuesday, September 29, from 5:30–8:00 PM for an adults-only (18+) evening of local w**e, appetizers, and fascina...
09/08/2026

Join us Tuesday, September 29, from 5:30–8:00 PM for an adults-only (18+) evening of local w**e, appetizers, and fascinating science! 🍷🔬

🗣️ Featured Speaker: Morgan Martinez

Bio: Morgan Martinez studies the foraging ecology and habitat use of southern sea otters. She is a second-year master’s student in the Vertebrate Integrative Physiology (VIP) Lab at Cal Poly SLO, and her work explores temporal and spatial patterns of sea otter foraging behavior and diet throughout the Morro Bay estuary. Her presentation will cover the history of southern sea otters, their current status, what sea otters are eating in Morro Bay, and why we care!

🧪 Poster Presentations by Local Researchers

• Ona Musoll-Buendia: Seasonal Distribution of Southern Sea Otter Females and Pups in the Morro Bay Estuary

• Natalie Almeria: Assessing Disturbance Risk by Watercraft for Southern Sea Otters in Morro Bay

Spend the evening exploring the aquarium after hours, meeting local researchers, enjoying great food and w**e, and learning about the science shaping California’s Central Coast. 🎟️ Student tickets are $10 off!

Address

50 San Juan Street
Avila Beach, CA
93424

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+18054575357

Website

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