Austin Aquarium in Austin, TX

Located in a small difficult to get to strip mall. Really not an aquarium as there are birds, lizards, snakes and lemurs with scattered fish displays which are uniformally very poorly labeled. The labels are electronic, tiny and either too low or too high to read. Also don't fit the frame so part of the name and description is not visible. A number turn over so fast you don't get a chance to read them. a few were blank. A number of fish displays are not described at all, for example, the sharks, the rays, the reef tanks. Did not learn much. There are too many lemurs to a cage, the birds have more space. Although encouraged to wash hands often we found one wash basin and hand sanitizers were difficult to find. if there were more basins, they were not obvious. Fine for small children but otherwise don't waste your money; it's not an aquarium.

This is a must-see destination for Austin animal lovers. For my money, the interactive mammal exhibits are the star of the show. It was fun watching ring-tailed lemurs crawl all over my kids. :-)

Spent a whole afternoon here. Enjoyed the interactions. The staff was amazingly friendly and helpful. They shared facts and stories about the animals.

Update January 2020: Had a marvelous visit with 3 young grandkids. Misty at the front was exceptionally nice to us and the kids when we went in. The parakeet room was amazing too. You sit with a small cup of millet in an aviary of about 100 parakeets. They land all over you and squabble for feeding rights some time. This is the first time either of these kids ever touched a bird and they loved the experience. The attendant, Mark, is obviously a bird lover and was nice, helpful and informative. January 2018: This place is amazing. Although a bit small, and not perfectly maintained (I'm sure the staff get paid the big-bucks), the interactivity of this place sets it apart from any aquarium I've ever visited. It's not cheap, but we bought tickets online and might have saved a little. Went with 2 adults, a 15 year old, a 6 and 8 year old. The amazing thing about this place is that you can touch and feed a lot of different animals. The Manta Rays came right up to you and almost climbed out of their tank for krill. The Kois splashed us they were so eager for feeding. The 8 year old only threw the food at the small sharks, he didn't want to get too close. For myself and the 15 year old, the birds were the best. We first bought (with tokens) food for Lorikeets. These beautiful, rainbow colored birds, are about twice the size of a parakeet. The very helpful handler brought out a small cup of a nectar-like liquid that they apparently love, with a bird on each hand. When she handed us each a bird and food, others quickly landed on our arms to feed. These birds were surprisingly heavy, but relatively polite to us and each other. One stood on my shoulder and screeched in my ear. Both of us were really fascinated with this experience. I didn't even mind getting pooped on (on both knees). The handler got me paper towels to wipe it off. Then we went into the parakeet cage with my 6 year old. The parakeets were not nearly as polite as the bigger birds. Once we each had a cup of seed, they were all over us, buzzing right in front of our faces and climbing all over our arms and occasionally my head. The 6 year old couldn't take it and dropped her food immediately. I got another cup from the handler and had two hands full of birds. The 6 year old was scared but managed to stay for a while. The birds weren't bothering her, she didn't have any food for them. They would fight each other for sole possession of the cup of food. One white guy was fearless in protecting his cup. The 15 year old and I loved the feeling of having these birds all over us. At one point, a spectator called a "real birdman" when I had birds all over me. That experience was really fun. The little ones had snacks and small toys for a nice gift shop. Although the hand washing stations were often out of paper towels, the floor was wet in some areas, and the place was far from perfect. It was also really fun. The staff were very young, but exceptionally nice. Although the outing was a bit on the expensive side, it was well worth it and I'd highly recommend this for anyone, any age.

I have been here multiple times with my young children. They have a great time every time we come. It is great that they can interact with the animals by touching and feeding them. The people that work there are also very friendly and helpful and encourage interactions between the children and the animals. I highly recommend this as a family activity.