CATEGORY · RAINY DAY APPROVED
Aquariums & Sea Life in Manchester
The big one here is SEA LIFE Manchester, the indoor aquarium at Trafford Palazzo next to the Trafford Centre, with an ocean tunnel, sharks, turtles and rays for tickets from £16. If you fancy something free, Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive sits right in the middle of Bolton with real Egyptian mummies alongside its tanks, and there's no charge to get in. Over in Hyde, Swell UK's aquatic supplies shop is a good five minutes if your kids just like looking at fish, reptiles and amphibians without any tickets involved. For toddlers, the free indoor options in Bolton are the easier outing, with baby change on site and no queueing for a big ticket price. Older kids will get more from the tunnel and sharks at SEA LIFE, and it's worth knowing there's free parking there too. If you're heading further out toward Rotherham anyway, Wentworth Garden Centre throws in a pets and aquatics centre alongside its farm and playground, free to wander round.
8 places 1 upcoming event 2 free to visit
What's on: aquariums & sea life
Places for aquariums & sea life
FreeBolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive
Bolton
Free museum with real Egyptian mummies, hands-on touch screens and local history, right in the middle of Bolton.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingGift shop+3 more
from £4Liverpool Boat Tour
Liverpool
A half hour cruise round Liverpool's dock system, past the yachts and working boats moored in the Marina.
Card onlyIndoor seatingFood on site
Pet Station
Rotherham
A pet shop where kids can wander past guinea pigs, hamsters, fish tanks and even iguanas for free.
Free parking
Royal Albert Dock Liverpool
Liverpool
A waterfront cluster of warehouses by the Mersey with cafés, restaurants and step-free paths for a wander, not one single attraction.
Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+3 more
from £13Royal Liver Building 360 Tour
Liverpool · ages 5+
Climb up above the clock face of the Royal Liver Building for 360 degree views and a close look at the Liver Birds on the roof terrace.
Accessible toiletGift shopToilets
from £16SEA LIFE Manchester
Manchester
Indoor aquarium at Trafford Palazzo - ocean tunnel, sharks, turtles and rays next to the Trafford Centre.
Free parkingParkingToiletsGift shop+6 more
Swell UK Ltd - Garden, Pond and Aquatic Supplies
Hyde
A garden and aquatic supplies shop where you can wander past tanks of tropical, coldwater and marine fish, plus reptiles and amphibians.
FreeWentworth Garden Centre
Rotherham
A free-to-wander garden centre day out with a family farm, an adventure playground and a pets and aquatics centre to nose round.
Baby changeCaféDog friendlyFree parking+6 more
Good to know: aquariums & sea life in Manchester
Are any of them free?
Yes, Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive and Wentworth Garden Centre are free to visit.
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £4 at Liverpool Boat Tour. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
Whereabouts are they?
You'll find aquariums & sea life in Bolton, Liverpool, Rotherham, Manchester and Hyde. Every place we list is in or around Manchester, and each listing has the full address and directions.
More ways to plan a day out
KEEP EXPLORING
Not a aquariums & sea life day? Try another lane
THE WEEKENDER
Next weekend, sorted. Every Thursday, free.
The best family things happening around Manchester, one hidden gem, and a rainy-day backup plan, from a dad who's been there with a bored seven-year-old.
Free forever. One brilliant email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.