Really tired, dingy and overcrowded. Probably the worst Sea Life Centre I've been to. The enclosures for the penguins and otters are so small, it's thoroughly depressing. The walkways are really narrow and packed full of people with pushchairs, meaning you can't get past. It was so full when we went you couldn't even see half of the exhibits as there are so many people there. We had to wait for 20 minutes to get near the otters as it was so crowded. It's looking really run down and dirty, and smells terrible in parts. It's in desperate need of a deep clean. It felt very claustrophobic on the walkways and tunnels, due to the amount of people packed in, and children screaming and running around constantly. We visited at lunchtime on a weekday, expecting it to be quiet, but how wrong we were! I think adults only evenings would really benefit this place. I'm sure a lot of animal lovers wouldn't mind paying a little more for a less crowded, more peaceful experience. If you like paying a fortune to be stuck staring at the back of people's heads and have screaming kids running around you, you'll love it here. Otherwise, I really recommend you avoid this place.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
10–30 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

I had such a great time at the aquarium. There's so much to see, including penguins, some were really interactive, different skarks and rays, loads of different fish, an octopus and many more. It was my partners birthday and the pirate that walks around the aquarium sang happy birthday and every time we passed him, he would talk to us, he was one of the highlights of our visit. We done a behind the scenes tour by Denis, that was really good. We saw where some of the food is kept, the quarantine tanks and we were given a small shark tooth to take home! We also saw some lobster claws, shark and ray eggs, shark teeth, a seahorse, a horseshoe crab and something that represents what a megalodon skin was like! Unfortunately, it was quite crowded when we was behind the scenes. There were 12 of us in a smallish room and it was a bit awkward. The staff was really nice, especially Bex, Denis, Mj and the pirate! They made the experience much more enjoyable. I'd definitely come back again, hopefully on a less busy day
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Fantastic place for anyone to spend the day! Huge place, with a variety of different aquatic life to view and learn about. The aquariums are large with plenty of items/etc to decorate the tanks, and it feels like the needs of the animals are considered a high priority (as they should be). There are posters, signs and videos around the site with information on the animals at hand. There are also plenty of staff around the various sections who are more than happy to answer questions. There's a gift shop at the end with a range of different gifts, ranging from inexpensive magnets to delightful soft plush toys. Overall, would recommend turning up early morning if you'd prefer to avoid at its busiest, and booking in advance. There are a few toilets throughout the experience, and lifts to the difference areas for wheelchair/pushchair accessibility.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

I read some of the negative reviews and to be honest I don’t have a clue what they’re on about. Yes maybe it’s a bit small but people saying they got round in half an hour? There is plenty to read about so you can learn about what you’re looking at, in which case it will take longer. As for overcrowding? Yes we visited on a Thursday lunchtime but we found it a lot quieter than expected. As with any tourist attraction it depends on date and time! We found it to be great! Our son is 7 months old and he loved the sensory element. He loved looking at all the fish and the lights. We found it to be very clean and the staff were very friendly. Every member of staff we saw said hello to our son, which says a lot to me. I don’t trust people who ignore babies. A particular shout out to Santa and the elves who were amazing!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Great place to see some aquatic animals. A reasonably sized place and good variety. The walkways are quite narrow when others stop to look, causing a backlog or an uncomfortable place to be. Like most tourist attractions is down to them letting too many people in. Great for small children, but I would go first or last thing to avoid the crowds otherwise you will see more backs of human heads then fish. There's a tunnel at the end where the fish and sharks swim above and on the side of you, but this is awful when it's busy, it's impossible to move freely. Toilets are available throughout but small, hard to close cubicle doors as it's a tight squeeze. Staff are friendly, opportunity to touch a starfish and trails for kids to get stamps as they go round. Obligatory gift shop as you exit to buy sea life branded things. Worth spending an hour at.

The best part of the National SEA LIFE @ Birmingham is the 360 degree water tunnel. It gives you so much real experience of being in the water watching fishes so closely. Penguins at the start also are active and seem to be interacting with the visitors. This was our 3rd visit (1st was before COVID). The reason for 4 stars is due to the removal of the 4D experience, which is replaced by VR experience, which is good but we really liked the 4D experience. Suggestion: if you are visiting on weekends or bank holidays, try to book early slots to avoid rush. Parking: if you are coming by car, Q-Park Brindley Place is the nearest car park with 2 min walking.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

My recent trip to the Sea Life was a very exciting one. I had booked a combo ticket where I could visit both Cadbury World and National Sea Life, and paid £35 for the combined ticket. The place is located close to the city centre so you wouldn’t have to pay much for travelling and there are plenty of buses that take you there. The place is huge and a fun attraction for children and adults. We got to see a variety of sea animals and could even touch a few of them. It was great and a nice way of introducing marine life to kids. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

My family went here only a few days ago and it was great! We took our 3 year old and 1.5 year old and they both loved it. There was lots of interactions for them, lots of lights, my 3 year old loved touching the starfish, the tunnel that you walk through seemed smaller than it looked online but it was still great, I think it just appeared smaller as there wasn’t a lot of room when we went as there were lots of people going through at the same time, so we didn’t get the best out of it. Loved the variety of sea life as well. Staff were also easy to approach and all came across super friendly and helpful. Brilliant day out though :)

Honestly pretty disappointing, the staff seem to be more interested on pushing gimmicky photo booth photos than protecting the animals from harassment, we saw kids banging on the glass of fish and mammal enclosures, parents (who should have known better) using flash photography, and even people touching the poor rays. Some of the enclosures did feel a little run down, there were some enjoyable parts, but for £52 (for two adults) it didnt really give any sense of value for money It takes about an hour to get through the exhibits,
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

A pleasant spot to explore. I find it slightly repetitive with the same fishes scattered in different areas, and personally, time flies quickly. It could benefit from more interactive activities for children. Nevertheless, it's an excellent destination for families with children, featuring numerous beautiful fishes and other creatures like penguins. The highlight is the tunnel, offering an immersive experience in the sea!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

We loved our time at Sealife. There's a great selection of animals (fish and non fish like otters and penguins). We do wish we had paced ourselves better so that we could have spent more time in the tunnel that comes at the end. We had three young children so we spent over 2.5 hours, but I imagine it would take less time (or maybe as much!) without kids. Overall a great place for young and old alike!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

We did go on a busy day with pre booking it. I was very disappointed with this Sea Life Centre. The exhibits were small and cramped. We mainly came to see the only sea otters in the whole of the UK to find out they didn't even get to see the sun within a tiny exhibit. These guys need a new place to live. Please Sea Life you have a the only sea otters in the UK please do better for them.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
10–30 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

We went there on peak holiday season Sunday, the crowd was overwhelming. Too noisy too packed. Rather than an immersive display it felt like a huge aquarium. They had a nice collection of sharks. The tiny clownfish tunnel had my toddler fall in love. The jellyfish display was fun. To sum it up if you are not a local, not worth the effort or cost. Max time to invest is 2-3 hours.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Nice place to visit. I do feel it’s a little repetitive with the same fishes just being in different locations and personally the time goes by really quick. There could be some more interactive things to do for children. However, it is a great place for families to come with their children. There are a lot of beautiful fishes and other animals such as penguins. Best part is the tunnel as it gives an immersive feeling in the sea!
Visited on
Weekday

Great day out. I would advise to take your time and enjoy every part of it otherwise you can end up being finished in a hour, but it's an amazing set up. The glass tunnel with sharks swimming around you is incredible. Having had some disappointing experiences with zoos last year, it was refreshing to visit somewhere that you actually see every creature easily. Also the staff are very nice and helpful. Definitely worth a visit.

I had a lovely time here today, the Christmas Market was absolutely awful so I came here instead! I can't believe I've actually seen a real Bowmouth Guitarfish, it really made my day! So many lovely rays too, and the jellyfish. Last time I visited here was with school, probably somewhere around 2001. Next time I won't leave it so long!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

A must visit place for a family day out, group activity or a date. Plenty of wonderful creatures to see, very easy to follow paths and guided viewing. Lots of information available. There's a sector to touch some star fish, apart from that there's not much interaction available. Bring a snack and water bottle with you. Not a lot of places to sit down so be prepared to stay standing. I'd definitely visit again.

A lovely place to visit in Birmingham. Would recommend booking in advance as they were not accepting walk-in bookings when we arrived on a Sunday afternoon. Plenty of different attractions to see, including penguins, a variety of tanks and a tunnel to walk through with a glass floor. Took us around 90 minutes.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Absolutely brilliant! Everything is clean and well maintained. The staff very helpful and knowledgeable! There is such a large variety of marine animals! I loved the 360 glass tunnel through the sharks and I was knelt down for ages watching the rays!! I would 100% recommend this place!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Brilliant couple of hours, marred only by lack of handrails. I'm disabled, walk with a stick in my right hand, so need a left hand rail to walk along slopes. Particularly near the penguins, other people helped me down the slopes as I was stuck at the top. Perfect otherwise
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Main attractions were: two otters, a bunch of penguins, some big sharky things in the walk-through underwater tunnel. Lots of fishies and jelly fish, but the snake necked turtles were terrifying. I hope it was cold enough for the penguins since it was a very hot day
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Lovely place to visit for a couple of hours in the centre of Birmingham. Staff are helpful friendly and knowledgable. We had a vip session feeding the fish and the penguins. An exciting and highly recommended activity when they are running.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

It was a little disappointing to visit Sea Life. About $24 was spent each ticket. Experience-wise, it was not worthwhile. However, both the staff's service and cleanliness were excellent. The store at the end was also somewhat expensive.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Take your time to visit it, very interesting with a variety of underwater species, although is a nice place, price is too high in my opinion, 24£, a reasonable price would be 15£...but overall is worth going, of you are in Birmingham
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
No

It’s so beautiful! Loved the little otters ever so cute and interactive ! The tunnel walk is also lovely ! Could spend hours just admiring the beautiful sea life. If you’ve never been to an aquarium it’s worth your first time..
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Don't waste money. It took us about 30 min to see everything. Tanks glas is dirty.please is noisy couse it is small u feel overcrowded There is not much to see anyway . are pretty much the same . Diversity is lacking . And this tank for looks claustrophobic.overal place is To small to enjoy Your visit. …

A bit overpriced for what it's worth if I'm honest. To charge kids the same price as an adult is a bit silly in my opinion. The prices seems to have hiked to ridiculous levels.. Also not as big as I thought it'd be and neither has much changed since it first opened.
Reservation recommended
Yes

Really nice experience here. Would definitely recommend it to somebody interested in marine life. Penguins are a steal. Very rare to find them these days. 360 tunnel underwater was mindboggling!! Absolute insane.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Had a fantastic family day out here lots to see a good variety of sea creatures penguins were amazing to see and loved the sharks and turtle staff are friendly and very knowledgeable good educational place
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Amazing sea life centre! All of the staff were really friendly and happy to chat about the animals. Everyone seemed very well looked after with plenty of space and seeing the sea otters was amazing! The tunnel was really great to go through, the glass bottom really added to the experience

Lovely 1/2hr visit, wish it was more interactive as my autistic son got bored very easy. My toddler daughters enjoyed it and the tunnels was great . We visited in mid July morning and was quiet.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

My little one loved this place! We visited on a Monday morning thinking that it will not be so busy, but we were so wrong! There were a lot of class trips, but we still enjoyed the visit.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Nice place to spend with family and kids. Kids really enjoy a lot to see big fish, seahorses, jellyfish etc. Parking is nearby within 2 minutes. Can complete around 2 to 3 hours. 360 degree tunnel is very nice to take photos and get good views of fish seeing in very close.

It’s an interesting place to spend few hours here. Personally I feel it’s a bit of hype. I have seen other aquariums that are much better than this. I bought the tickets online.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

We went on a Friday, middle of the day. Really enjoyable, wasn't too busy, kids were not on holiday. Pre booked tickets, so just walk in a bit before your time slot.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

First time being here. Found it to be on the small side. Decent rage of aquatic animals, Daughter enjoyed her first visit. Didn't feel it was value for money though.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

My daughter loved the sea life centre in Birmingham, we got cheap tickets as toddler and adult mid week special. Plenty to see and learn about, lots of colour and visually pleasing. Walk around took about 45 minutes, with an excited child. More

This place is amazing! Went with a friend to end off me visiting them and it was the best end of a trip. The whole place had so much character with the little halloween decorations scattered around. The sea otter's were the best part spent

We had a really good day out at Sealife. Great for children and adults. The staff are so friendly and helpful. The facilities were clean and the animals looked happy. The only reason I have given 4 stars and not 5 is because I do think it

It’s a really nice place and it’s definitely an enjoyable experience for the kids. It can get quite crowded in certain places due to the narrow path where people sometimes stop and watch so I think that should be improved. Other than that

The tanks are amazing! Favourites have to be the shark tunnel, penguins and otters! Doesn't take that long to walk through so could easily do other things nearby on the same day but worth a visit. Also the staff were all very friendly

It’s very small, mostly are fish, but they seem doing great for the conservation work and the staff are friendly and proactive with great smiles ☺️
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Wonderful place to take the kids. They had a really good time. Penguin exhibit was decent, but the 360 tunnel is not as spectacular as advertised.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

So good!!! There were a wide variety of exhibits. And the 360° tunnel was amazing- I would go here for that alone. Definitely worth a visit
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Buy tickets in advance. Great place for kids above one year. It's quite colourful too and has lot of picture options for Instagram
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Great place for a 1st Birthday party. 6 of us had a fabulous time. Not all of us are one today, just in case you wondered!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

The Sea Life 360 tunnel is just superb! The penguins are adorable with so much more to see. A fantastic day out!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Decent visit at the aquarium, it takes about 30minutes to 1 hour to complete. It was just extremely crowded despite booking in advance. The tickets are also pricey, so not sure this was good value.

Fantastic day out at the aquarium, large variety of animals and have also done the behind the scenes tour, would highly recommend, nice staff and great location, great for all family members More

It is more centred for the kids.......... long and exciting enough for a toddler to enjoy without getting tired with enough seats to rest for a while to enjoy the soreness of the water flowing.

Amazing experience, been there twice. Kids love it! Totally worth the money.Easy parking too, close to it.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Overall I enjoyed the experience. Lovely range of animals to see and the sea otters are absolutely lovely. It is good they have an area to tuck themselves away from the public eye.

A bit expensive for what you get to see but still an experience not to miss. Worth having a look and the multiple tickets you can get at once as it will be more worth the price More

Family outing for our daughters 1st birthday! She absolutely enjoyed herself and so did we.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Great place to take your kids and nephews. A great place for adults and kids! You can learn alot and see. Staff are excellent and are very polite. Would reccomend to go again

Really cool to see the otters, penguins too and many types of fish and marine life to see. Only about an 1.30hrs we spent in total so consider that when you going

Kids enjoyed alot.very good and informative for aquatic lovers
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

One of the best aquariums I’ve been to as there are a range of things to see alongside the staff being very friendly and informative. More

Great place for the whole family girls loved it see all the different types of fish …

So amazing! I love this sea life centre! It’s ten times better than the one in London