poulsbo marine science center

I went with some other ladies and their kids (ages 2 - 6). It only took us about 20 minutes to tour the aquarium portion. There is a touch tank plus about 5 other tanks with fish. One tank has tropical fish, the rest have fish indigenous to our area. There was a secchi disc display for measuring water clarity, but it was out of order. One thing that was interesting was an area displaying a few bottles that were from the Japanese tsunami in 2011 that had shown up in Ocean Shores in 2013. There is also a small theatre. In the back of the museum, there is an art room. We actually spent about 2 hours in this room; we visited at one of the tables while the kids played. They have sea life rubbings, coloring/activity pages, fishing poles with magnets to catch the little fish with magnets or to use on a sea life puzzle with magnets, stuffed animals & puppets, a basket of plastic fish, a whiteboard for drawing your favorite sea creature & a microscope for viewing shells.One thing they could do to improve is to label the tanks showing what is in them.The staff were all very friendly.There is no fee, but donations are accepted.One of the favorites for the kids was the big octopus statue outside. It was great for climbing and picture taking. :)

The marine aquarium is a great stop in Poulsbo. While it's small and not very updated, the staff ensures that you really learn some valuable information regarding the local marine life. We stopped in during a downpour and it was full of families with curious and engaged children. Definitely a must stop. There is no entrance fee, however, a donation to help the cause is always appreciated.

This is a very small science center but I enjoyed it. Had knowledgeable docents walking around giving all kinds of information about local marine life.

I took my 6 month old daughter for a quick visit, and we had a great time! The Marine Science Center is small, but a nicely kept little gem. The staff was very friendly, informative and accommodating. I would recommend a visit with small children, as they allow them to touch the displays, as well.

Didn't visit the Marine center but the town is quaint! Visit the bakery for Viking cups! Awesome! Great art co-op store with 35 artists participating.

We went here on a whim...it was small but had a good sampling of sea life and the staff was very friendly. The best was the octopus by far. It was really active, especially when they fed him...while our kids enjoyed it (early teens), its probably more suited to pre-teen and younger. We went through it in less than 30 minutes. No cost to enter, donations desired.Would we go back? Probably.

The aquarium is small with a big touch tank, a couple large aquariums with local fish, and a few smaller ones. It's good for a half hour visit. They do have a nice actual whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling. I found the most interesting part was a theater where they continually show a documentary on local marine life. Fortunately they charge by donation, so you pay whatever you feel is appropriate - that bumps it up by a star.

This is a great spot to bring the kids on a chill afternoon. Great volunteers to talk to and help entertain the kids. The aquarium isn't huge, but it's very relevant to living in the northwest. The touch tank is nice and there is a great learning room with fun books and sea themed activities. Totally worth making a donation to. Thank you!!

Small, but plenty of fun for little ones. Grand daughters enjoyed the displays, touching the star fish and the big activity room. They colored and make marine themed drawings. I believe it was free, and the staff was very friendly.

Nice people working there, it is fixed up nice, lots of animals. Can't beat the price(free). Worth going out of your way to see, bring the kids. Don't forget to leave a donation!

It's not an aquarium. It's a very small place and if you're in downtown Poulsbo you should stop by, check it out, and by all means donate.The staff seems like volunteers that really enjoy what they do. They've got local fishies, and an octopus! And you can pet stuff! And a video to watch. And for the record - I'm in my 30's. And I enjoy this kind of stuff. It's not just for tiny people.

A must do with the family, It's an above ground re creation of what's just under your feet. Best for 3-6 year olds, it's fun!

I wouldn't go here as a destination, but it can provide an interesting side trip to shopping on Front Street.

Very small place, but what do you expect for free? (donations gladly accepted.) staff was friendly and full of enthusiasm and information. They were gathering specimens from Liberty bay as we got there and they showed us what the days catch was! Touch pool Is a hit with kids. Movies in the hall if you want to sit and learn.

Small, informative, friendly staff. Nice to have a small local place for marine science although but lacking in exhibits.