Bournemouth Holidays

Bournemouth Oceanarium tickets: 2026 prices and discounts

Oceanarium adult tickets are from £13.99 online or £17.50 at the gate, children 3 to 15 from £8.75. Family tickets, discounts and memberships compared.

Facts checked against official sources on 1 November 2026. How we research

Bournemouth Pier and the Pier Theatre at dusk
Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0

Bournemouth Oceanarium ticket prices

The Oceanarium publishes a "from" price online and a "from" price at the gate for each ticket. Its booking pages say prices vary by date, and the earlier the tickets are bought, the more is saved. All prices below were read on the Oceanarium’s own prices and booking pages on 30 October 2026.

Bournemouth Oceanarium day tickets, online and gate prices, checked 30 October 2026
Adult
Who it covers
Aged 16 to 59
Online from
£13.99
Gate from
£17.50
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Senior
Who it covers
Aged 60 and over
Online from
£11.99
Gate from
£15.50
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Student
Who it covers
Valid student ID required
Online from
£11.99
Gate from
£15.50
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Child
Who it covers
Aged 3 to 15, with a responsible adult
Online from
£8.75
Gate from
£12.50
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Family of three
Who it covers
Up to two adults
Online from
£28.99
Gate from
£36.50
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Family of four
Who it covers
Up to two adults
Online from
£32.99
Gate from
£39.99
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Family of five
Who it covers
Up to two adults
Online from
£36.99
Gate from
£44.99
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Registered carer
Who it covers
One per disabled visitor, with a paying ticket; proof needed for both
Online from
Free
Gate from
Free
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Accessibility
Under 3
Who it covers
No ticket needed
Online from
Free
Gate from
Free
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices

At the "from" prices, booking online saves £3.51 on an adult, £3.75 on a child and £7 on a family of four. A family of four ticket costs less than two adults and two children bought singly: £32.99 against £45.48 online, and £39.99 against £60 at the gate. The booking system sells a "Concession" ticket at the senior and student price.

Is it cheaper to book the Oceanarium in advance?

Yes, by a little, and only for a booking made more than a day ahead. On 30 October 2026, the Oceanarium’s online calendar priced an adult at £16.99 for that same day, £14.99 for the next day and £13.99 for every open date from 1 November 2026 to late May 2027. A child was £11.99, £9.99 and then £8.75; a family of four £39.50, £34.99 and then £32.99 (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Buy tickets).

Booked on the day, an online adult ticket saved 51p on the gate price. The booking page also warns that buying online does not guarantee fast-track entry: on wet days in school holidays and at weekends, ticket holders may still queue, partly outside without cover.

Every online ticket is valid only for the date chosen. The Oceanarium says tickets cannot be refunded or moved to another date once booked, and asks visitors to check the date before paying. In an emergency it asks for an email to info@oceanarium.co.uk with proof (Bournemouth Oceanarium: FAQs).

Open Day tickets for an undecided date

For a visit without a fixed date, the Oceanarium sells an Open Day ticket online at the gate price: £17.50 an adult, £12.50 a child, £15.50 a concession and £39.99 for a family of four. It is valid on any open day until 31 December 2027, but not on the day it is bought (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Open Day tickets).

Bournemouth Oceanarium discounts

There is no 2-for-1 offer on the Oceanarium’s prices or discounts pages. The discounts it does publish are below. The Blue Light, NHS, Blue Peter and Tesco Clubcard offers can only be used at the ticket desk, not online, and none of them can be combined with another offer.

Oceanarium discounts and offers, as published on 30 October 2026
£2 off
Who qualifies
Blue Light Card, Defence Discount Scheme card, NHS or MOD ID holders
Terms
Up to 4 single tickets or 1 family ticket
Where
Gate only
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Free child entry
Who qualifies
Blue Peter badge holders
Terms
One full-price gate adult ticket per badge holder
Where
Gate only
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Tesco Clubcard vouchers
Who qualifies
Clubcard members
Terms
Charged at the gate price; bring the second Tesco email; pay any balance by card
Where
Gate only
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices
Free carer ticket
Who qualifies
One registered carer per disabled visitor
Terms
Needs a paying ticket and proof of both carer status and disability, dated within 24 months
Where
Online or gate
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Accessibility
Online group ticket
Who qualifies
Groups of 10 or more paying visitors
Terms
£9.99 a person, online only, non-refundable
Where
Online
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Group bookings

The £2 gate discount is taken off the gate price, so an adult with a Blue Light Card pays £15.50 at the desk, still more than the £13.99 online price for a date booked ahead. The Blue Light and Blue Peter offers do not apply to a ticket that comes with a free carer.

Groups booked at least a week ahead also get one free place for every 10 paying visitors. At weekends and in school holidays, groups are limited to 20 people and arrival from 3pm.

Oceanarium memberships: when they pay off

A membership gives unlimited entry, except on Christmas Day, until 31 December 2027 (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Memberships). Members no longer need to book; they show the card at admissions.

Oceanarium 2027 memberships, valid to 31 December 2027, checked 30 October 2026
Adult
Silver
£47.99
Gold
£57.99
Visits to beat online day tickets (Silver)
4th visit (3 at £13.99 = £41.97)
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Memberships
Child (3 to 15)
Silver
£27.99
Gold
£37.99
Visits to beat online day tickets (Silver)
4th visit (3 at £8.75 = £26.25)
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Memberships
Family of three (up to two adults)
Silver
£103.99
Gold
£123.99
Visits to beat online day tickets (Silver)
4th visit (3 at £28.99 = £86.97)
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Memberships
Family of four (up to two adults)
Silver
£116.99
Gold
£133.99
Visits to beat online day tickets (Silver)
4th visit (3 at £32.99 = £98.97)
Source
Bournemouth Oceanarium: Memberships

The visit counts compare Silver with the lowest online prices; against gate prices a Silver adult membership is cheaper from the third visit (£52.50). Silver adds 15% off in the cafés and shop and 10% off birthday parties. Gold adds 20% off food and shopping, 10% off animal experiences, 20% off birthday parties, one free guest ticket, 30% off for up to four friends per visit at the main gate, and half-price entry to Blackpool Zoo, Lakes Aquarium and Nickelodeon Adventure Lakeside.

A child membership has to be used with a paying adult on every visit. Forgetting the card costs £2.50 per member at reception, and a replacement card is £5 (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Membership terms). The same terms tell existing 2026 members to wait for a Black Friday sale to renew; its date and discount are not stated.

Bournemouth Oceanarium opening times

The Oceanarium opens every day from 10am except Christmas Day. Last entry is 4pm and it closes at 5pm, and its calendar says times vary through the year, with last admission always an hour before closing (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Opening hours). The Offshore Café opens 9am to 5.30pm.

  • Christmas Eve: 10am to 4pm, last entry 3pm
  • Christmas Day: closed
  • Boxing Day: 11am to 5pm, last entry 4pm
  • New Year’s Eve: 10am to 4pm, last entry 3pm
  • New Year’s Day: 11am to 5pm, last entry 4pm

Festive Nights in December

On 11 and 12 December 2026, the Oceanarium opens from 6pm to 8pm for Festive Nights, with hot chocolate and cake and a meet and greet with an elf included in the price: £18.50 an adult, £13.50 a child (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Christmas). These tickets are sold online in advance only, and Tesco vouchers, Kids Pass, Blue Peter and Blue Light offers do not apply, nor do tickets bought through GetYourGuide or Groupon. Some areas are closed off in the evening so the animals can sleep.

Talks, feeds and when it is quieter

Day tickets are valid all day, and the daily talks and feeds are included in the price (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Talk and feeding times): otters at 11am and 2.30pm at Otter Oasis, penguins at 12pm and 3.30pm at Penguin Beach, and the Ocean Tank feed at 1.30pm at Shark Wreck Reef. Penguin Beach is outdoors, so wet-weather clothing is suggested.

The Oceanarium’s accessibility page names Mondays and Fridays as usually less busy. For a quieter visit it suggests avoiding school holidays and coming on a weekday between 4pm and 6pm in summer, or 3pm and 5pm in winter. Calm at the Oceanarium sessions, for families with sensory needs, run on the last Thursday of each month outside school holidays (none in June or July), from 3.45pm with lower lighting, screens and music off, no talks and a silent otter feed at 4pm.

The Oceanarium does not publish how long a visit takes.

Animal experiences and birthday parties

Animal experiences are booked by phone on 01202 311993, option 2, and paid for when booking. Each includes Oceanarium entry for the people taking part only; anyone with them needs a day ticket (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Animal experiences).

  • Penguin feeding, about 30 minutes at 11.40am: £70 for one, £135 for two. Age 8 and over. An accessible version at 9am must be booked 14 days ahead.
  • Reef shark feeding, about 30 minutes at 1.10pm on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays: £55, one person per session, age 8 and over.
  • Otter enrichment, about 30 minutes at 2.10pm: £55 for one, £105 for two, age 8 and over.
  • Aquarist for the day, 9am to 4pm: £195 for one adult, £265 for a child and adult, £320 for two adults, with a £10 gift shop voucher and one free guest admission that day. Age 10 and over, booked 14 days ahead.

The Penguin Keeper experience (£150 for one, £220 for two) is on hold for breeding season, and the turtle feeding experience has ended because the loggerhead turtle has moved to a new home. Members with Gold get 10% off experiences.

Birthday parties cost £22.95 per child, for 10 to 15 children aged 3 to 10, and include entry, party food, party bags, a fish scatter feed for the birthday child and up to 10 adults free; more adults pay £8.99 (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Birthday parties). Parties last two hours, are not held in school holidays, and need two weeks’ notice and a 50% deposit.

Getting there and parking

The Oceanarium is on the seafront beside Bournemouth Pier, at Pier Approach, West Beach, BH2 5AA. It has no car park of its own and names Bath Road South, Bath Road North, the BH2 Centre and the BIC as the nearest pay and display car parks, with Blue Badge bays at both Bath Road car parks and a drop-off point behind Hot Rocks (Bournemouth Oceanarium: How to get here). Seafront tariffs, which drop for the winter from 1 November, are compared in Bournemouth beach parking, and cheaper car parks up the hill in Bournemouth town centre parking.

Hotels within walking distance of the pier, including those with family rooms, are compared in family hotels in Bournemouth.

Check prices for Bournemouth Oceanarium on GetYourGuide →The ticket prices on this page are the Oceanarium’s own; the price through this link may differ.

Pushchairs, accessibility and what you cannot bring

The Oceanarium says its buggy park is closed for maintenance and suggests leaving pushchairs at home; any pushchair brought in must stay with its owner throughout the visit. The buggy park also closes each winter, from the end of October half-term to the start of February half-term.

The displays are on two floors with a lift and stairs, and the accessible toilet, café and gift shop are on the ground floor. Some doors have to be pushed open, and some areas are narrower, with ramps. Trained assistance dogs are welcome (tell admissions on arrival); other dogs and emotional support animals are not allowed. Bikes, rollerblades, scooters, sit-on toys and footballs are banned inside, and children aged 3 to 15 must be with someone aged 16 or over.

Frequently asked questions

Can you pay cash at Bournemouth Oceanarium?

The booking page says the Oceanarium is cashless and takes card payments only on site. Its prices page, describing Tesco Clubcard vouchers, says a balance can be paid by card or cash, so carry a card.

Can you buy Oceanarium tickets as a gift?

Yes. Open-ended day tickets, memberships and animal experience vouchers are sold by phone on 01202 311993, option 2, or at the ticket desk (Bournemouth Oceanarium: Gift vouchers). Day ticket vouchers are charged at the gate price and are valid for 12 months, as are experience vouchers.

Is the Oceanarium indoors?

Mostly. Penguin Beach and a terrace are outdoors; the underwater tunnel, the other displays and the play zone are inside. Other indoor options by the pier and further afield, with prices, are in things to do in Bournemouth in the rain.

Related guides

Sources, checked 1 November 2026

  1. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Prices (oceanarium.co.uk)
  2. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Accessibility (oceanarium.co.uk)
  3. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Buy tickets (oceanarium.co.uk)
  4. Bournemouth Oceanarium: FAQs (oceanarium.co.uk)
  5. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Open Day tickets (oceanarium.co.uk)
  6. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Group bookings (oceanarium.co.uk)
  7. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Memberships (oceanarium.co.uk)
  8. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Membership terms (oceanarium.co.uk)
  9. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Opening hours (oceanarium.co.uk)
  10. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Christmas (oceanarium.co.uk)
  11. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Talk and feeding times (oceanarium.co.uk)
  12. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Animal experiences (oceanarium.co.uk)
  13. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Birthday parties (oceanarium.co.uk)
  14. Bournemouth Oceanarium: How to get here (oceanarium.co.uk)
  15. Bournemouth Oceanarium: Gift vouchers (oceanarium.co.uk)

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Prices, rules and policies change. Everything on this page was taken from the hotel, operator or council concerned and checked on 1 November 2026; check with them before you travel. Spotted something out of date? See how we research.