What to do on Bournemouth seafront with small children when the weather isn’t very beach friendly? Take them to Oceanarium, which is located right on the promenade, where they can get up close and personal with a range of marine creatures, from tropical fish to penguins to otters.
How to get to Oceanarium
Oceanarium in on the sea front in the centre of Bournemouth, just to the west of the pier. There is a bus stop just round the corner, serviced by buses 1a/b/c, 5/5a, 13 and 33 all year round and the 70/80 Breezer buses in summer. Other buses to Bournemouth stop at The Square, a 10 minute walk away through the Lower Gardens.
Access
The entrance to Oceanarium is on the pedestrian Pier Approach, so small children will need to be pushed/carried from the bus or car park to the entrance. Inside, the layout is over two floors, which are reached via stairs. There is also a lift, so you could take a pushchair, but we found going without was easier. There is a buggy park, but only during the summer – figure that one out…
Parking
The nearest car parks are at the BIC, where parking costs £2.00 for an hour or Bath Road South, where parking costs between £2.10-£3.30 for an hour, depending on the season. Both of these are around a 5 minute walk away.
Opening Times
Oceanarium is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm (6 pm in summer).
Talks and Feeding
Throughout the day, there are feeding sessions, where a keeper will tell explain some facts about the various animals. Take a look at the website for the timetable. These demonstrations are both interesting and informative.
Price
Tickets are cheaper when bought online in advance. A ticket lasts all day, so you can leave and return again later if you wish.
- An adult entry costs £15.99 (£13.50 online)
- A child (3-15 years) entry costs £10.95 (£8.99)
- Under 3s are free
- Family tickets and season passes are also available.
- And you can use Tesco Clubcard points (points are doubled, so an adult would cost £8 and a child, £5.50).
Suitable for age…
Oceanarium is popular with both children of all ages and adults alike.
Details
Amazon
The first tank you come to contains fish found in the Amazon, such as this inquisitive piranha. It was Orla’s first sight of fish…
Otter Oasis
There are a couple of otters. They are most lively at feeding time. The keeper puts the food at various points throughout the enclosure, including placing a crab right in front of where the children were standing, so they got a great view.
Shark Wreck Reef
As well as a variety of fish, the Shark Wreck Reef contains a loggerhead turtle, sharks, eels and my favourite, the stingrays. You encounter it twice; the first time, from the top looking down. Our visit coincided with the turtle feeding (the sharks only get fed four times a week).
Later, you walk through a tunnel in the tank, with an opportunity for an underwater view of the various marine creatures . The stingrays seem to enjoy swimming right above the tunnel, keeping an eye on the visitors below.
Penguin Beach Encounter
The penguins are in an outdoor enclosure overlooking the beach. You can view them from above if they’re on land or through underwater windows in the play zone and café, where you can watch them swim.
Crocodile Rocks
The crocodiles are well camouflaged and didn’t move, so the children didn’t really register that there was anything in the enclosure.
Observation Station
A chance to see some of the fish close up through magnified windows.
Kids Play Zone
Half way round, there is a small play area suitable for toddlers, as well as toilets and a seating area.
Jellyfish
There are tanks full of jelly fish around the edges of the Kids Play Zone.
Abyss
The Abyss contains illuminated fish tanks in a darkened room.
Global Meltdown
Global meltdown warns visitors of the damage we are doing to the environment, so is not really suitable for younger children, who won’t understand what’s going on.
Food & Drink
There are two cafes, one near the entrance/exit, which is open all year round and a second (seasonal) kiosk near the penguins.
The Offshore Cafe
The Offshore Café sells fast food, which you can eat either inside or on the beachside terrace. There is a children’s menu and they provide high chairs and baby food heating. The staff were friendly and service was quick, but the tables, floor and high chairs could do with a clean. The children’s menu didn’t really have anything for small children (it’s a bit chip heavy), but staff were happy for us to sit and feed them food we had brought with us.
The Bayview Terrace
The Bayview Terrace is open in the summer. It offers snacks on a beachfront terrace with a penguin viewing window.
Toilets/Changing Facilities
There are toilets with changing facilities near the entrance and more by the Kids Play Zone. Facilities are adequate, but a little cramped – open out the changing table and it fills almost the entire space.
For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth with young children, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth with Babies and Toddlers here.
- Updated: January 2024
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