Melbourne Aquarium, Melbourne

Located on the Yarra River, just near the viaduct on Flinders Street in Melbourne’s CBD, the Melbourne Aquarium is one of the city’s premier family attractions. Opened in 2000, the aquarium was designed to look like a ship moored on the river. The aquarium primarily focuses on the marine life that is to be found in the Southern Ocean and in Antarctica. There are four floors of tanks and plenty of interactive aquatic experiences to be had on every visit. The King and Gentoo Penguins are certainly visitor favorites, but you will be impressed by the other locals too. The Grey Nurse Sharks, Sandbar Whaler Sharks, Port Jackson Sharks, Freshwater Sawfish, Green Sea Turtles and Big Bellied Seahorses all provide a fascinating glimpse at life below the waves.

To complement a regular visit, the aquarium also offers a range of experiences where you can dive with the sharks, meet the penguins, take a look at life in the aquarium behind the scenes, meet ocean rangers and feed the fish. During school holiday times they also offer aquarist programs where you get to work at the aquarium for the day.

Why You Should Visit:
Well presented, easy to navigate and seemingly endless!
Attractions flow in a one-directional nature, ushering you to see all the themed zones.
Upstairs there is a balcony you can go out on to take a breath of fresh air.

Tip:
Pre-pay your ticket online for a discount and come at opening time to see the feeding demonstrations.
"Aquarium After Dark" events are hosted on the last Friday of each month, starting at about 7:30pm until 11pm.