[Editor’s Note: Last week’s Cleveland People issue featured 30 profiles and 30 photographs of fine folks in our city. The photography was done by Frank Lanza. We failed to cite Frank’s important role in the feature, which we deeply regret. Do look him up and hire him the next time you need professional pictures taken. He’s the best.]
The aquarium has no endowment, as do most museums in Cleveland, and no tax money to back it up as the Zoo does, it being part of the Metroparks. That’s why the admission is so high. We are pretty spoiled here in Cleveland. Still, I agree it is underwhelming. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is fantastic, is $34.95 for adults and $21.95 for children. The Shedd Aquarium mentioned above, is $28.95 for adults and $19.95 for children for admission to the entire facility — the $8 admission is for only a small part of the aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium, described as the largest aquarium in the world, is $34.95. The impression I get is that aquariums, in general, are very expensive to operate!
— Squid
Another problem is that you also have to pay for parking! I went once and that’s all I will go. By the time four adult tickets, two children’s tickets and parking was paid for, I spent well over $100 for less than an hours enjoyment. If you could even call it enjoyment. More like pure boredom. Even the kids didn’t really enjoy it. I like the aquarium at the zoo better.
—Cheryl
Asking premium prices for something nice is fine…placing it in an area of urban desolation where the only other nearby attraction is a strip club seems somewhat short sighted. At least I know if I go the place will more than likely be all to myself.
— Michael Walsh
$20 is a bit much to walk through an oversized fish tank. $80 for a family of four? Pass.
— Tim Johnson
This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2013.
I went to the aquarium earlier this year and was completely disappointed in it. I am a salt water enthusiast and when traveling, if there is a aquarium around, I go to it. Cleveland is the third worst I have been to only to be topped by the National Aquarium in DC and the Honolulu Aquarium. I spent 25 minutes in Cleveland and that was with a 5 minute break. There is NOT one single REAL coral in any of the salt water tanks and being open only a few months some of the paint from the fake coral was all ready pealing off. I asked a employee about the fake corals and her response was”you have a good eye”. Of course I do. I had reef tanks in my house and grew up with family members that raised salt water fish and donated them to the old Cleveland Aquarium. I actually know a bit about them. This aquarium is way to small and they don’t use the small space they have in the correct manner. I have been to Monterey and the Georgia Aquariums which you can’t compare to Cleveland’s. Go to The Newport Aquarium near Cincinnati if you want to experience a FANTASTIC small scale aquarium. It is in the top three for me. Monterey and Georgia’s are the best in the US.
This self-entitlement with Clevelanders is getting out of hand. I saw the Eiffel Tower in Paris; how dare Cleveland not have one just like it!
Really, there’s still a grass roots effort in Cleveland for a serious destination aquarium. The one at the Powerhouse in the Flats is purposely boutiqe-scaled attraction, privately owned, without an endowment or government subsidy — either of which would simply evoke more wrath of never-happy Clevelanders.
You want a better one? Go out and start working on it. Anyone can complain, and there’s nothing profound or useful of bragging about seeing something bigger.
you’re right, Evan, Clevelanders are such assholes for demanding a decent product. we should be happy to spend $20 on whatever someone plops in front of us, because at least we have it!
maybe you should log offline and get back to your job at the aquarium.