The Seattle Aquarium is open with timed ticketing and limited attendance to enhance the visitor experience. Entry to the Aquarium is based on reserved entry times every 30 minutes, each with a maximum number of spaces available, between 9:30am and 4:30pm. Last entry to the Aquarium is at 5pm with the Aquarium closing at 6pm. We can’t wait to see you!
The Aquarium is operating with the health and safety of our guests, volunteers, staff and animals in mind. We are meeting and exceeding the recommendations of local health officials and reopening guidance and are excited to offer you a fun, safe experience.
- ONLINE TICKETS MUST BE RESERVED IN ADVANCE for all guests, whether you’re a first-time visitor or a long-time member.
- YOUR TIMED TICKET indicates your arrival window. There is no limit to how long you can spend at the Aquarium.
- MASKS/FACE COVERINGS ARE REQUIRED during your visit. Exemptions to the current state mandate include babies/toddlers under age 5 (face coverings/masks are highly recommended for children ages 3–4). If you don’t have a mask when you arrive, one will be provided for you. Additionally, clear masks/face coverings are available at no charge to those who might need them. If you are unable to wear a mask, the Aquarium will work to arrange a visit at a later date when the mask mandate has been lifted.
Keeping You Safe
The Aquarium has implemented the following safety precautions to protect the health of our animals, guests, staff and volunteers:
- Hourly capacity is limited.
- All Aquarium staff members and volunteers are required to wear face masks while working in public areas.
- Touchless ticketing at the Aquarium’s entrance.
- Additional touchless hand sanitizer stations have been placed throughout the Aquarium.
- The Aquarium will maintain its high standards of cleanliness and all high-touch surfaces (like windows, railings, restrooms and elevators) are being continuously cleaned.
- We’ve implemented state-of-the-art bipolar ionization air-handling equipment to help filter out air particles and enhance safety.
- Our safety procedures implement the recommendations of the CDC and King County Public Health.
Timed tickets and reservations
- The Aquarium will limit the number of guests allowed to visit each day and during each timed-ticketing window.
- Members will continue to receive free admission. However, online tickets are required to manage limited capacity. The Aquarium will set aside a block of tickets exclusively for members each day.
- Online tickets can be purchased in 30-minute time slots and guests will not be admitted prior to their scheduled time.
- CityPASS ticket holders: First, purchase CityPASS online for immediate mobile delivery. Use the link provided in the emailed order receipt or make your timed-entry reservation or visit citypass.com to manager your reservations..
- Connections ticket holders and Gold/FLASH cardholders: enter the walk-up line upon arrival; entry will be permitted as space allows. You may also make an in-person reservation for the next available time slot.
- Timed tickets may be canceled or rescheduled up to the reservation time but not after.
- Members needing assistance making a reservation may call us at (206) 386-4300.
- Guests will not be admitted to the Aquarium prior to their reservation time.
- Have your ticket ready for scanning at dedicated, touchless stations inside the front doors.
- Our water fountains are closed for health reasons—but our touchless water-bottle-filling stations are open. Feel free to bring your own water bottle to stay hydrated during your visit.
- The Aquarium’s exhibits and restrooms are wheelchair-accessible. If you need a wheelchair, you may check one out, free of charge, from the Aquarium’s Guest Services desk (available on a first-come, first-served basis). Wheelchairs will be sanitized between uses. A credit card is required for checkout and will be charged $600 if the wheelchair isn’t returned.
MASKS/FACE COVERINGS ARE REQUIRED during your visit. Exemptions to the current state mandate include babies/toddlers under age 5 (face coverings/masks are highly recommended for children ages 3–4). If you don’t have a mask when you arrive, one will be provided for you. Additionally, clear masks/face coverings are available at no charge to those who might need them. If you are unable to wear a mask, the Aquarium will work to arrange a visit at a later date when the mask mandate has been lifted.
All Aquarium staff members and volunteers are required to wear face masks while working in public areas.
We will provide one for you. Additionally, clear masks/face coverings are available at no charge to those who might need them. If you are unable to wear a mask, the Aquarium will work to arrange a visit at a later date when the mask mandate has been lifted.
To protect the health of our visitors, staff and volunteers, we’re currently limiting the number of visitors allowed in the Aquarium. Our plan-ahead pricing and timed ticketing remain in place, allowing for less-crowded visits at the time and budget that works for you.
The Aquarium has introduced separate lines for timed-ticket holders and walk-up guests outside the front doors.
For health reasons, our water fountains are closed. But our touchless water-bottle-filling stations are open, so feel free to bring your own water bottle.
The Aquarium has implemented several practices to protect the health of the humans in our facility, including the following:
- Providing additional touchless hand sanitizer stations throughout the Aquarium.
- Regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces like windows, railings, restrooms and elevators (in addition to maintaining our already-high standards of cleanliness).
- We’ve implemented state-of-the-art bipolar ionization air-handling equipment to help filter out air particles and enhance safety.
- All Aquarium staff members and volunteers are required to wear face masks while working in public areas.
- Our safety procedures implement the recommendations of the CDC and King County Public Health.
The Aquarium café and gift shop are open.
Animal feedings and presentations are cancelled for the time being to promote safety.
That is very unlikely. COVID-19 is almost exclusively a human disease. There have been rare cases of animals from other species having the virus. Of these, some cats (domestic cats, tigers and lions) and mink have shown mild symptoms following natural infection. Some non-human primates (macaques, African green monkeys, common marmosets), golden Syrian hamsters and ferrets have shown mild symptoms following experimental infection. There have been no reports of the virus in any of the species at the Seattle Aquarium. However, since sea otters and river otters are in the same taxonomic group as ferrets and mink, they are under additional biosecurity protocols out of an abundance of caution.
This coronavirus is almost exclusively a human disease, but there have been rare cases of cats, dogs and farmed mink getting the virus from humans, typically from owners showing symptoms of COVID-19. There have been two suspected instances where transmission from farmed mink to human carers may have occurred, although research is ongoing. The vast majority of virus tests done on domestic species have been negative. At this time, there is still no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. At the Seattle Aquarium, we’ve always had protocols and training to prevent the transmission of zoonotic diseases between humans and other animals and we continue to monitor them closely.
The protocols designed to protect humans from COVID-19 (such as good hand washing, face masks, cleaning and disinfection) also protect humans and the animals under our care from many zoonotic diseases. You may see additional precautions around our sea otters and river otters, including restricted access. This is out of an abundance of caution; the risk to our otters is very low. We continue to closely monitor all the animals in our care.