ABQ BioPark Aquarium - Aquarium in Albuquerque - 2601 Central Ave NW, USA

I took my little here, and she had a blast. She couldn't stop giggling at the sea otters sun bathing. The "touch pool" wasn't open, but we will definitely come back here. The staff is friendly and accommodating. It's a super cheap way to spend a couple hours. There's even a dining room where you can sit and watch the fishes swim around. There was no line for admission (we went in the morning on a week day). Thank goodness for the accessibility. There are ramps everywhere. The only place there is no ramp (underwater viewing floor) there is an elevator to access it. Very stroller friendly!

We had a great time. Not a huge place but it is really nice. The river otters were cool. Admission also included entry to the botanical garden next door which made it a great value. We'll definitely go again some time.

I absolutely love and recommend this aquarium for anyone looking for an affordable, fun time with your children! The aquarium is relatively small, it took us about 30-45 minutes to look at all the marine life, although we didn't stop and read all the plaques. It is very well put together with lots of bang for the buck. We bought the combination passes which included aquarium, botanical gardens, and zoo for 2 adults and 3 kids for less than 100 bucks. So for less than 100 bucks we had about 7 hours of family fun and it would have been longer if not for the cold weather at the zoo and botanical gardens. Pros: Very well put together, lots of various marine life, indoors Cons: Relatively small. 30-45 minutes gets you through the whole thing, probably an hour to an hour and a half if you are really reading everything.

Loved visiting the aquarium during our trip. We saw some fish I've never seen in any other aquarium. The river otters were a favorite, and I was surprised to see a bird hanging out inside. We went around 2 pm and got to see several tanks get fed. There was a diver in the tank with the sharks 😯 Glad we didn't buy tickets in advance as you must choose time of arrival and there are no refunds. We didn't have to wait and it wasn't busy on a Sunday. To touch the stingrays, you need to go on a weekday.

The aquarium is not to big but I really enjoyed. I have been to aquariums in large cities like Denver and Houston, but Albuquerques was perfect for me. We went early on a Saturday afternoon. Not alot of people and was able to look at everything without it being crowded like the big cities. I recommend eating lunch while there the view inside the cafe is awesome since you can see one of the aquarium tanks. I might mention in Denver you pay big bucks for the same experience. The cafe is open to the public and you can go eat there anytime without paying for admittance, it would be a great place to take your family to eat. We didn’t visit the BioPark that day even though it is included with price of the aquarium, but will return to explore next time in Albuquerque.

It was a beautiful experience. They had Christmas lights in all kinds of shapes and sizes. In the summer it's a beautiful garden that you walk through.

After many years, I finally came back to this amazing Aquarium and the beautiful Botanical Gardens on 19 Oct 2023. I purchased my ticket online, which was only $10 (the price for residents of New Mexico), for the time of 0900. I arrived just after opening (my ticket time), and left about 2.5 hours later. It was an easy and peaceful way to spend a few hours, as it wasn't terribly busy yet and the cool air made the Gardens exploration more comfortable. The only disappointments I had were: the individual whom scanned my ticket at the Garden entrance just after 1000, was not at all friendly and acted like my question was a major inconvenience; the Butterflies and Bees exhibit was closed; and a few different groups of people were having photos taken all over the Gardens, which took over some areas for various lengths of time until they were finally done. I love that there were Autumn and Halloween decorations throughout! It was a very festive and fun surprise. Experiencing the Bugarium for the first time was awesome! The Aquarium was filled with so many different and fascinating creatures, kept very clean (in the water and in the human areas, as well), and just how I remembered it. The guy whom scanned my ticket at the Aquarium entrance was so pleasant, which was a great way to start my visit. The trains in the Gardens are my favorite part. I had such a lovely Thursday morning at the ABQ Aquarium and Botanical Gardens, and cannot wait to go back.

The aquarium is decent for being located in the desert, but it is pretty small and kind of cramped. It does make for a nice quick trip to escape the weather for a bit, but the real reason to go is for the beautiful botanical gardens attached. The botanical garden space is huge and is great for an outdoor exploration day!