... I have 2 children with an 8 year age gap, so finding something that appeals to both has become increasingly difficult! The Lake District Coast Aquarium has become a favourite attraction, and one we have visited annually for the last 4 years.
Situated on the West Cumbrian Coast, the Solway ... Read review
Advantages: Interesting and interactive displays, fab outdoor facilities, good ticket prices Disadvantages: Can get a bit squished. Won't be able to spend the whole day here
...has become increasingly difficult! The Lake District Coast Aquarium has become a favourite attraction, and one we have visited annually for the last 4 years.
Situated on the West Cumbrian Coast, the Solway Estuary and with the Lake district just a stones throw away, Maryport is home to the Lake District Coast Aquarium.
The aquarium, now 12 years old, houses a wide and varied exhibition of river and marine ... ...Keswick, Penrith, and Carlisle by car, train or bus. There is pay parking right outside, and a large car park 2 minutes walk away.
== Opening Times And Prices ==
The aquarium is open daily from 10 am until 5pm and only closes Christmas and Boxing Day.
Admission costs a very reasonable £5.75 for adults and £3.75 for children (under 4's free).
I'm always on the lookout for days out in my local area, that aren't going to break the bank. I have 2 children with an 8 year age gap, so finding something that appeals to both has become increasingly difficult! The Lake District Coast Aquarium has become a favourite attraction, and one we have visited annually for the last 4 years.
Situated on the West Cumbrian Coast, the Solway Estuary and with the Lake district just a stones throw away, Maryport is home to the Lake District Coast Aquarium.
The aquarium, now 12 years old, houses a wide and varied exhibition of river and marine life from the local area and is easily accessible from Keswick, Penrith, and Carlisle by car, train or bus. There is pay parking right outside, and a large car park 2 minutes walk away.
Opening Times And Prices
The aquarium is open daily from 10 am until 5pm and only closes Christmas and Boxing Day.
Admission costs a very reasonable £5.75 for adults and £3.75 for children (under 4's free).
Various Family ticket combinations are available providing an extra discount, and the aquarium also offers a family ticket concession which admits 1 adult and 2 or 3 children. Being a single parent I really appreciate this, finding it's rare that single adult family tickets are offered at tourist attractions meaning quite often, I end up paying more for myself and 2 children than a family with 2 adults and 2 children.
Another thing I really like about admission to the aquarium is that your ticket is valid all day, and you are free to leave and re-enter as often as you like. This is especially useful if you have missed one of the scheduled talks and would like to come back for it.
Visiting The Aquarium
Going into the aquarium, it's quite dark and takes a few moments for your eyes to adjust. It's worth noting that flash photography is strictly against the rules as it upsets the fish. I won't describe every display, but keep it to the more notable.
The first displays you come to are the fresh water fish and Solway Estuary displays, which are made to be quite realistic, giving the fish a somewhat more natural environment, with cascading water emulating a mountain water fall, and the tides and whirlpools of the estuary being recreated.
Moving on we come to the crashing wave display which is home to the sea bass. This is always a big hit with the kids, as periodically a huge wave will tumble down the stretch of the display, splashing over the edges. Throughout the day there is a talk and feed display here. I have to say, while sea bass don't look the most interesting of fish, the lady doing the talk and feed made it very engaging, especially for children, involving them in the talk.
Then on to another of the kids favourite...the rock pools. Home to starfish and anemones this is an interactive area, and gentle touching is allowed. I think it's probably a good time to remind parents that a dry change of clothes maybe a good idea when visiting this aquarium!
Next to the rock pools is the highlight of the visit, the Ray pool. Again you are allowed to gently stroke the rays, and in fact they quite like the attention, happily coming up to the edges of their pool to an outstretched hand. Alongside the rays swim some small sharks, which terrified my daughter despite being told from a friendly guide that they won't bite! It's a really nice area here, with a platform for kids to stand on and stroke the rays, and a bridge over the top of the pool to give you a different view of the fish.
Another really impressive display is the ship wreck display, and home to some more exotic breeds. This is a pretty realistic ship wreck, themed around Fletcher Christian, leader of the mutiny on HMS Bounty. Christian was actually born in Dearham, the neighbouring village to Maryport. this is quite a spooky display, with some large weird and wonderful fish swimming around in ink black waters.
The aquarium is actually a lot bigger than it first appears. In Between the attractions I have mentioned there are many other displays of both marine and river life. A 'World of Seahorses' display opened just a few weeks ago, which we sadly missed and look forward to catching on our next visit.
It's really very clean and well kept inside the aquarium and you can see great pain has been undertook to ensure the fish have a natural as possible environment. There's a great wealth of visual information, but there are plenty of guides on hand to answer any questions as well as the scheduled talk and feed sessions.
One downside I have found to the aquarium is that the passages between the displays are quite narrow, and can be difficult to navigate when busy. I found it particularly difficult while my daughter was still in a pushchair, I would recommend leaving a buggy in the car if you can get away with it. The aquarium do claim to be wheelchair accessible, but again I would suggest avoiding peak times.
You exit the aquarium in the gift shop, surprise surprise. I have to say though, that as far as gift shops go, this one is very good, with novelty toys from 99p, and a nice selection of local crafts.
Other Facilities
There is a large cafe, which I can say looked very clean and pleasant, but we have never used (we always opt for fish and chips from a chippie, overlooking the harbour...delish!) It offers hot and cold meals and beverages. The toilet facilities are more than adequate and exceptionally clean.
As well as the aquarium there's an outdoor play area, again themed around a ship wreck. This is a huge play area, with a fantastic range of play equipment for both older and younger children, it even has a zip rope! It's rare that I find a play area that caters to both my 4 year old and 12 year old, so I really appreciate this one. It's free to all visitors, even if your not going into the aquarium. There is also crazy golf and a small boating pond with motorised boats. Both of these have a small fee.
Conclusion
Overall, we really enjoy our regular visit to this aquarium and I would recommend it to locals and tourists alike. While you'd struggle to make a whole day of it, it's a fantastic 3 or 4 hours spent, and a very reasonable price. I'd recommend spending half your day here, having some of the most delicious fish and chips sitting by the Maryport harbour, then heading off to Allonby, a beautiful coastal town, with gorgeous beaches and an homemade ice cream shop to die for! You can find out more about the Aquarium, directions and local attractions at www.lakedistrict-coastaquarium.co.uk
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