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Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Fifteen minutes north of downtown San Diego, Birch Aquarium nestles among the cliffs of La Jolla. As the public outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, Birch Aquarium’s hands-on exhibits explore the latest in oceanographic discovery, while introducing guests to a variety of amazing creatures.

San Diego CityPASS includes:

General Admission — Entry includes all exhibits, daily feedings and talks, select special events, and the Adam R. Scripps Living Seas Gallery.

Highlights

  1. 01.

    Experience stunning ocean views on Tide Pool Plaza while getting hands-on with local tide pool animals including sea stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers.

  2. 02.

    Get up close with local shark and ray species on Blue Beach.

  3. 03.

    Visit Seadragons & Seahorses, one of the largest seadragon habitats in the world.

Visit Birch Aquarium at Scripps with CityPASS®

CityPASS tickets offer a great way to see Birch Aquarium at Scripps while saving you time and money.

San Diego CityPASS

Advice for Visitors

Tips

Best Time to Visit

The aquarium is quietest right after opening and in the last hour before closing, so consider planning your day accordingly. A Little Blue Penguin feeding is offered daily at 10am and is a great opportunity to learn more about these gregarious animals and to see them at their most active.

More than just souvenirs, Birch Aquarium’s Gift Shop sells a variety of sustainable merchandise as well as gifts and accessories, and all sales support Birch Aquarium.

Learn more on the CityPASS Blog about what you'll see at Birch Aquarium at Scripps.

Attraction Features

Amenities

Dining: Blue Wave Bistro from Behind the Scenes Catering offers a fresh, flavorful menu, designed to fuel your aquarium adventures.

Gift Shops: The Gift Shop

Accessibility

Get information on accessibility.

Parking/Transportation

Birch Aquarium at Scripps offers free 3-hour parking in the lot. If you would like to extend your visit, parking permits are available at the Guest Services office for a small fee.

Offers & Upgrades

Outdoor Adventures

Birch Aquarium offers seasonal Outdoor Adventures including Pier Walks (fall) and Tidepooling (winter). Find details here.

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Birch Aquarium offers Behind-the-Scenes Tours daily. Find details here.

Contact Information & Hours

  • Birch Aquarium at Scripps
  • 2300 Expedition Way
  • La Jolla, CA 92037

Birch Aquarium opens daily at 9am. Closing time varies by day. Check the Daily Schedule for up-to-date details.

Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Read reviews from CityPASS® travelers.

San Diego CityPASS
Easy to Use
Took my kids to San Diego and got the City pass. Super easy to use the tickets on the phone. They scan them and you're in to the park; no trying to keep up with the tickets anymore. The CityPASS will save you money and time. I'll use it again when I go back next time.
Absolutely no regrets..!!!!
This is a great deal and was our 2nd CityPass experience. Highly recommended. Of course, we crunched all the numbers to make sure it was. Tickets on the app, worked every time, at everyplace we visited. Do it..!!!
Best family vacation we've ever had!
We bought a city pass for our recent trip to San Diego and it was the best decision. We bought the Legoland plus 3 and we used it fully. We chose the Zoo, Aquarium and the Midway Museum. The pass was so easy to use and we had no issues anywhere. We were able to enjoy so many attractions and we saved a lot compared to the regular prices and we were able to buy the city pass in our home currency which was also really nice. Will definitely buy a city pass again in the future.
Loved sunny California!
The citypass was a great deal and very easy to use. This is the second time I have used it and I would do it again. Thank you for making things so easy!
CityPASS was great!
We bought CityPASS on our recent trip to San Diego and it was great. We saved enough money to do something extra special while we were there that made the trip unforgettable. The tickets we received from CityPASS worked seamlessly at all the attractions. Super easy and convenient.
San Diego CityPASS is rated 4.7 out of 5 by 323.
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Revisiting SD The two of buses were timely and the bus drivers gave nice histories about the places that we saw. We appreciated being able to get back and get on and off and get back on the bus and to see so much. It was a fun trip.
Date published: 2026-03-16
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great value CityPASS was a great value for our family vacation to San Diego. We calculated that it cost less than half of what we would've paid buying everything separately. The app was easy to use and was accepted at all the locations we went to!
Date published: 2026-02-28
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great value Easy to use, great value, good attractions , saw things I would not have otherwise
Date published: 2026-02-23
Rated 5 out of 5 by from So great! cityPASS is super helpful for first time visitors so they can get to check out the most popular tourist attractions in the area.
Date published: 2026-02-15
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great Great experience, if you want to save money and make you’re visit easy get your CityPASS
Date published: 2026-02-11
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All images courtesy of Birch Aquarium at Scripps