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Aquariums in Brisbane: Visit These Underwater Attractions Now

Seeing exotic animals and getting close to marine life does not have to break the bank or take you too far out of Brisbane. There is a great range of Aquariums in Brisbane that are accessible to all families. If you want to take the kids on an educational trip but do not know where to start, we’ve listed some aquariums that offer fun for all the family and can be a great way to spend the whole day or just a few hours.

One of the best family events that you can enjoy on a day out is going to the aquarium. The calming atmosphere promotes a sense of tranquility, melting away stress and anxiety with each wave that passes by. You can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy some screen free time with the family.

Many aquariums have programs and exhibits that promote awareness of conservation issues and the need to protect marine life and their habitats.  There is so much for the whole family to learn about. In this article, we show you the best aquariums Brisbane has to offer.

Best aquariums in Brisbane and nearby

A Brisbane aquarium is an awesome bonding opportunity for you and the family.  Once you are inside, you feel cut off from the hassles of the world outside and you can just focus on some quality family time in a tranquil setting.  It’s nice to know that you don’t have to travel too far to find some of the best aquariums in Brisbane and the best aquarium near Brisbane is just up the road. Whether the aquarium is large or small, a tourist attraction or a local aquariums shop, we have listed our local places to see sea creatures.

Are there aquariums in Brisbane?

Yes, you are in luck! If you are in Brisbane you can visit an aquarium that is just one hour drive north called Sea Life Sunshine Coast.

Sea Life Sunshine Coast | Mooloolaba

Sea Life Sunshine Coast
Sea Life Sunshine Coast

When you think of visiting an aquarium, Sea Life Sunshine Coast is what you think of. SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast is a multi-award-winning, all-weather tourist attraction. They are home to thousands of marine and freshwater animals – including penguins, sharks, seals, stingrays, tropical fish and more. They offer a very hands-on experience which makes it the perfect aquarium for even the youngest member of your family.

You can find our review on Sea Life Sunshine Coast here

You can find discount tickets for Sea Life here

Aquariums in Brisbane northside

There are plenty of other places you can see fish and other marine life at aquariums in Brisbane. These locations are usually very happy to show you around their tanks and aquarium supplies. They often have a large variety of fish and you might be surprised at how cool their set-up is. Here is a run down of all the aquariums Brisbane northside.

Aquariums R Us | Wooloowin

Aquariums R Us have a huge range of ready-to-go fish tanks and aquarium furniture. You can tap into their knowledge to help you plan and create your very own home sea life aquarium Brisbane!

Atlas Aquarium | Wavell Heights

Atlas Aquarium tanks

Atlas Aquarium have saltwater fish and live corals, invertebrates, freshwater fish, plants and all the equipment required to keep them successfully. They pride themselves on creating a family friendly environment, so it is a great place to take the children to watch fish and decide if you would like to start your own aquarium.

Aquarama | Stafford

Aquarama Aquarium tanks

Aquarama is one of the best aquarium north Brisbane has to offer, boasting a 6 system setup and over 300 tanks of fish for you to choose from.  You can spend some peaceful time being calmed and inspired by the amazing selection of marine and tropical fish.

Tropical Aquarium | Hamilton

Tropical Aquarium at Hamilton pride themselves in having the healthiest fish in aquariums north Brisbane! There is a huge variety for you to view and they have plenty of knowledge to answer any questions you have.  They endeavor to support ethical suppliers and love learning new things about the fish in their shop which means you might have just found the best aquarium in Brisbane!

Aquariums in Brisbane southside

We love staying local! We have found the best aquariums on the southside of Brisbane so that you don’t have to go to far to enjoy and explore all sorts of fish – you may even find Nemo!

Annerley Aquarium | Coorparoo

Annerley Aquarium specialises in rare and unusual fish and carries an extensive range of African and American Cichlids, Exotic Tropical fish, Goldfish, Marine/Saltwater fish from all over the world. They also stock a myriad of quality equipment and accessories from traditional tanks to the very latest in fish keeping technology from the four corners of the globe.  You can wonder the aisles and enjoy the serenity.

Paul’s Aquariums & Ponds | Oxley

There is always something new to see at Paul’s Aquariums & Ponds. They stock a great range of fish from tropicals to cold water and they also stock an extensive range of Bettafish. The staff are very keen to show you around and help any ‘newbies’ and they also have the knowledge to help the more experienced aquarium owners.

Mad Aquariums | Underwood

With over 20 years of love and passion for the aquatic industry, and especially for African Cichlids, Mad Aquariums are keen to inspire you with their range of aquariums and fish.  The whole family likes to hang out at the shop and help out. You will see some of the best aquarium fish Brisbane has to offer.

Nielsen’s Marine Mates | Loganholme

Nielsen's Marine Mates

Nielsen’s Marine Mates combines fish, coffee and plants! They have their own coffee shop as well as a native nursery. They have a huge coral reef tank and some amazing tanks for you to view a huge variety of fish.  You can definitely make a day of your visit to Nielsen’s Marine Mates as it is one of the biggest aquarium shops Brisbane has to offer.

Shark and Ray Garden |  Loganholme

Shark and Ray Gardens in Loganholme is one of the best Aquariums in Brisbane
Shark and Ray Gardens

How would you like to feed a shark or a sting ray?  You can at Shark and Ray Gardens.  You can stand in knee deep water and have them swim around your ankles and feed them!  There are different experiences available to choose from.  They also have different experiences each day of the school holidays.  This has to be the most interesting sea life experience in aquariums Brisbane South. We visited a while ago and that is the photo of our kids patting one of their stingrays! You can read our detailed review of our visit at the Shark and Ray Garden here.

Other places to see sea creatures around Brisbane

Aquariums are not the only places to take the children to see sea creatures.  From dolphin shows to whale watching tours, we have found some awesome experiences involving all sorts of sea creatures.  To see sea creatures as well as lots of other animals, we have the best zoo options as well!  We hope you enjoy finding the best aquarium Brisbane has to offer.

Photo of author

Regina Gleeson

Regina is a fan of finding 'things to do with kids' in South East Queensland (specifically Brisbane and surrounds). As the Listings Editor of the popular Families Magazine (2013 - 2020), she was instrumental in hunting down and finding all the best things to do for families and sharing that information with her audience. She is extremely community-minded and makes it her personal mission to contribute content that is low cost (or free!) and suitable for families. This thirst for knowledge and desire to experience the things she writes about makes her an irreplaceable member of the team. Now working for blogs as a free-lancer, she contributes around raising two smaller humans and working with many, many more.

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