Aquariums in United Kingdom

The heavyweight choices are spread across the country. SEA LIFE London Aquarium runs to 14 zones and reviewers suggest three hours to see them at a relaxed pace, with a walk-through tunnel as the highlight; the same reviewers keep flagging expensive food inside, so pack snacks. The Deep in Hull is the one a family roundup calls the UK's best shark experience, and buying at the desk rather than online gets you a year of free returns. National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth is ranked first by that same roundup, with a day ticket that also covers 12 months of return visits, and a Plymouth guide says it holds the deepest tank in the UK. National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham is credited by one UK aquarium list with the country's only 360-degree ocean tunnel, and the penguins are the other draw.

In London you can also spend nothing. National Maritime Museum in Greenwich is free, and its AHOY! gallery is aimed squarely at under-sevens, though weekend slots sell out and need booking. Horniman Museum and Gardens has free galleries with the aquarium and butterfly house as paid extras; the Horniman Aquarium itself is four rooms and 10 to 30 minutes, ideal for toddlers, brief for older children. Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive is free too.

Coastal sites are smaller and quicker. SEA LIFE Blackpool is praised for a calm atmosphere that suits babies, SEA LIFE Brighton has rockpools and a capped glass-bottom boat ride, and SEA LIFE Hunstanton takes around an hour. Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port is known for its shark diver talk but gets crowded in narrow corridors. Skegness Aquarium offers a novice-friendly diving experience for older children. Deep Sea World near Edinburgh delivers on its tunnel but is compact for the price, reviewers say.