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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

London Aquarium - value for money?

20 replies

timmette · 13/10/2009 12:25

Was thinking of taking my 3.6yr old - but it's quite expensive considering we have to pay child prices and two adults prices also. Is it worth going?

OP posts:
star6 · 13/10/2009 12:27

You can get 2 for 1 tickets online with national rail. Just google 2 for 1 london aquarium. We went with DS recently for his first birthday and it was a blast. he LOVES fishtanks, though.. was heaven for him. And he was free, so just £16 total for the 3 of us.

MrsJamin · 13/10/2009 12:28

If you go by train you can get 2 adult tickets for the price of one. I think it's pretty good but I would plan to do something else in the day just to make the most of being in london, like the science or natural history museum (both free I think).

MrsJamin · 13/10/2009 12:29

sorry x-posted with star6!

star6 · 13/10/2009 12:33

MrsJamin - your post was much more helpful, though - with the link included . Agree that the other museums would make it worth it and they are both free.
Science museum is WELL worth it. They have two hands - on play areas. "The Garden" downstairs (way downstairs) is a play area for 3-6's I think. We have brought our DS (just turned 1) there a lot and he LOVES it - there's a water table and just loads of really fun and intellectually stimulating stuff for small children. There's also the "pattern pod" which is fun, but not as much fun as "the garden" - both are inside play in the museum and FREE.

Original poster
timmette · 13/10/2009 12:33

Won't be going by train just tube - but good to know it is worth going. Thanks
We already have planned the natural history museum - or the dinosaur museum as he calls it.

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star6 · 13/10/2009 12:35

timmette - when we went, we just got the voucher online and presented it at the counter. They never asked to see our train tickets. We just had zone 1-6 day passes, in fact, so no proof if we took the train or not, really anyway. It might be worth just registering really quick and printing out the voucher online and bringing it with you - you don't ahve to buy a train ticket first or anything. Just a though to save you some money as it is expensive.

Original poster
timmette · 13/10/2009 12:37

Great idea star6 worth a try anyway. Will also have a look at the Science museum he loves hands on stuff.

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ramonaquimby · 13/10/2009 12:40

def not worth the price of admission - it's dirty and v overpriced. there's nowhere to stop if you want a snack (tho can go back in and out when get hand stamped) toilets were horrendous and unless you go as soon as you enter you have a long wait. I'll never ever go again!!

ja9 · 13/10/2009 12:42

dh took dc and was hugley disappointed.def not worth the cost when there is the science museum and history one free of charge...

star6 · 13/10/2009 12:52

I guess we're easily amused
It has been redone just recently - so if you went a while ago it may have been dirtier? It was nice when we went. DS ran all over the place and had a blast looking at all of the fish.

Original poster
timmette · 13/10/2009 12:58

Oh that's not good I will need the loo being almost 8 months pregnant then?
Does anyone know when halfterm is in the UK as I am living in Belgium at the moment and was hoping to avoid huge crowds - we were thinking of going 5th Nov.

OP posts:
mumblechum · 13/10/2009 13:16

Half term is 26th Oct for a week.

I took ds about 6 months ago and the only prob was it only took half an hour to get around so wasn't much value for money.

star6 · 13/10/2009 13:19

We were there for 1.5 hours - enjoyed every minute. We went a few weeks ago. Not sure when renovations were finished?

Original poster
timmette · 13/10/2009 13:23

Thanks mumblehcum that's good ours here is the week after - so shouldn't be as busy.

Star6 I did read lots of reviews written before the renovations that weren't great- hmm what to do - he loves fish etc.

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ChopsTheDuck · 13/10/2009 13:26

I really liked it, and that was before the renewals. I don't think you cna spend a full day there, but then you could go to science or history musuem for free after.

mumof2222222222222222boys · 13/10/2009 13:28

I have been to much better Aquaria for much less. It is ok (NB arrive as it opens to avoid queues), but not worth the money.

Sari · 13/10/2009 13:29

It is much better than it used to be. My children love it. We were there about a week ago and I thought the the loos were rather good. Also, I like the fact that you are through it in an hour or two because children that age start losing interest after much longer. It is expensive though but if it's a nice day you can have lots of fun pottering around on the south bank afterwards.

Original poster
timmette · 13/10/2009 13:41

Thanks everyone didn't want to spend a whole day there just an hour or two - that's about his attention span - lol.
I have decided if I can find cheap tickets we will go - so on a search of cheap tickets now.
But thanks so much for all the advice.

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ramonaquimby · 13/10/2009 13:41

nope - we went in the summer, renos def finished.

minimoonumbertwo · 13/10/2009 13:42

if you're anywhere near South london the Horniman museum in Forest Hill is fab, free and has a little aquariam in the basement

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