Downtown Aquarium

Reviews

• AK

  Apuakea King

  Apr 5, 2026
  3.0
  Ok so idk how to specifically give a rating to the banquet room but their staff and food are off the charts. 10/10 recommend. The reason I won't give the aquarium 5 stars is because it is nowhere near a 5 star aquarium. I think everyone who's been there knows that. But I could go on and on about Annie and how hospitable their whole banquet staff are! Thank you for serving us amazingly today and getting my twins the milk ☺️
• AY

  Amanda Yarrow

  Apr 3, 2026
  2.0
  I visited recently with my family and left feeling unsettled by the animal care conditions. There were multiple tanks that appeared significantly overstocked, with fish and invertebrates packed so densely that many individuals did not have space to rest without constant contact with other animals. In several cases, I observed fish actively attacking others of the same species, which is often a sign of stress and overcrowding. This was not isolated to a single tank and suggests a broader issue with stocking density. The jellyfish displays were particularly concerning. While I understand that jellyfish require specialized flow tanks, these were very small, heavily stocked with large specimens, and forced continuous circular movement with no variation. They had no choice but to keep swimming in a circle constantly like a mesmerizing jellyfish-torture-device-kaleidoscope. There were bits and pieces of their tentacles just floating in the water and each jellyfish was in constant physical contact with every other jellyfish. It was difficult to watch and did not feel consistent with a welfare-focused exhibit. Other enclosures raised similar concerns about space and welfare. It’s a strange environment to house two tigers and a lone macaw and I really hope that what was visible wasn’t representative of their full time care protocol, but I can at least say that the mammals and single parrot were in better shape than anything aquatic at this aquarium. To be fair, not every exhibit was poor. Some larger animals had more thoughtfully designed spaces. However, the overall pattern across many tanks and enclosures suggests systemic issues with stocking density, enclosure size, and enrichment. Given the high admission cost, I expected a much higher standard of care and animal welfare. I hope the facility takes a serious look at these concerns and works toward improving conditions. Visitors come not just for entertainment, but with the expectation that animals are being kept in environments that prioritize their well-being. I guess we will not be purchasing a pass after all.
• AH

  Alexis Hanson

  Mar 28, 2026
  2.0
  Not worth 30$ a person, recommend literally anywhere else to spend your money. There is a path that does not have enough space for the amount of people that were there, was very cramped throughout. And you have to follow the flow and don't get an option for what you want to look at when. One single bathroom within the exhibit, for any others you have to exit the exhibit and go to the gift shop for which you are not allowed access to without purchase of a pass. A lot of the tanks are very high density with (what appears to be) low water circulation. Quite a few fish are missing eyes or are scarred due to poor maintenance. Almost all of the glass was smudged and did not appear to have be cleaned anytime recently. Glass thickness appeared to be varied greatly based on what was contained. One of the moray eels looked like it was actively suffering and I heard one of the employees basically beat around the bush with the excuse about age. It looked like any other eel in the tank except for the cloudy eyes, but it was curled practically in on itself on the bottom of the tank and was gasping. Regardless of age probably shouldn't let animals that even appear to be suffering be on public display for 30$ a person. Everything looks fairly outdated. I went to the zoo to look at tigers, why would an aquarium need tigers? They receive 2 stars due to lack of other aquariums in Colorado.......
• ER

  Ellen Reid

  Mar 28, 2026
  3.0
  The parking situation is ridiculous. Try to use public transit and walk because if there is an event at Mile High, you’ll be stuck waiting 30-45 min to just get into the parking lot because it’s so poorly designed. Why they can’t program the kiosks to offer “2hrs aquarium & whole day event” is mind boggling and frustrating. You end up with people honking and yelling at each other and it carries over into aquarium and then people are rude the whole time you’re there. Really stinks because my daughter loves the aquarium and we got every week but it’s hit or miss based on parking if we enjoy it.
• CF

  Carri F

  Mar 24, 2026
  2.0
  After finding the aquarium list on the EBT discount list we headed out the following morning driving more than an hour to get there. We ended up paying more than 20 dollars per person because the ticket window said they didn't offer any discount. That was a lot of money. We were told they have wheelchair available upon request. Upon arrival we were informed that was also incorrect. You walk at your own pace through a dark humid pathway that is very slippery. With little signs saying information about what the tanks and enclosures are supposed to have inside. Many of them were empty or had really sad looking fish that pointed to the top and moved slowly. If you don't grab a map you are likely to miss a lot of things. There were fish missing eyes, that had been injured and the tanks were way more blurry then anyone had expected. There is a water fountain by the bathrooms at the entrance. I recommend you fill up and bring a bottle to carry with you on the walk. It seemed like everything cost extra. At the end of the walk you can pet the stingrays just behind the photo place you find a Starbucks cafe style place to get a drink or snack. There is limited places to sit until that point as well. Not sure about the downstairs or where the build a bear thing was because after that long humid dark slippery walk I sat outside. There is little to no place to sit that is shaded either. All in all I was disappointed. They have really let that place go compared to the previous times I had been there.

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