Brilliant for children and they always have discount vouchers online or in the newspapers so well worth keeping an eye out for. Great location in brighton.

the whole place was great for adults and kids, the staff were very friendly and the old victorian building gave the place a wonderful atmosphere, the best bit was the shark and turtle feed and there was a nice snack cafe in the actual centre so u can see the fishes while having your tea! great afternoon will definately go back soon!!

A great day out for kids and adults alike! There’s a wealth of species to explore in this huge aquarium, with a ton of information to digest about them if you wish to. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, which was a pleasant surprise.

It can get quite busy during peak periods (such as mid afternoon during the school holidays) so unless you mind being jostled a bit and having to wait your turn to see some of the fish it’s worthwhile turning up early in the day, or on quieter days if you can.

Depending on your (or your children’s) attention span, I’d say there’s enough to keep you occupied here for a good couple of hours.

Brighton’s aquarium is one of the city’s most popular attractions, and also one of the oldest: in fact, it is the oldest operating aquarium in the world, opened in 1872.

Not that the displays are old-fashioned: the centre blends the best of the old and the new, with the original Victorian dislays - fish tanks set amidst splendid neo-gothic architecture, vying with the huge main tank, with its underwater ‘tube’ literally allowing you to go beneath the sharks, rays and turtles for a diver’s eye view. The main aquarium hall dates from the 1872 building, and has gothic columns with capitals decorated with marine life. It is now a Grade II listed building.

Altogether, there are over 150 species in 57 separate displays covering all aspects of marine life, including local species from the English Channel. One of the main draws for children is the ‘petting’ tank, where you sit on the side and stroke - yes, stroke - the inquisitive and friendly rays as they come to the surface.

Now owned by the Sea-Life company (which owns aquaria all over the UK and Germany), the emphasis is on education and enjoyment with a strong bias towards conservation - the company also operates sea-life sanctuaries. The Sea Life Centre can organise birthday parties and other group events - prices and details on the web-site.

As you’d expect, it’s a great place to take kids, and there’s a great shop at the end of the exhibitions to capitalise on their pester power. What always amuses me in aquaria shops is how they manage to make fish, molluscs and crustacea into credible fur-covered cuddly toys, though I admit that there is something oddly fascinating about a red cuddly lobster…

Practicalities:

The centre is located close to the roundabout by the Palace Pier at the bottom of the ‘Steine’, on Brighton sea-front. Most of Brighton’s bus services stop within 5 minutes’ walking distance.

Admission prices (Easter 2008) are:

Adult - £12.99 (15yrs+)
Child - £8.99 (3-14yrs)
Concession - £10.99 (Senior/Student)
Family - £38.99 (2 Adults/2 Children)
Under 3’s - Free

I’m not going to go into too much detail because DMJ has said it all in his review below! The sealife centre is fantastic. Great for kids and really quite good value. It’s central location makes it a must for day visitors to Brighton. I spent my 11th birthday here (many moons ago). Great fun.