My husband and I visited the Seymour Center and thoroughly enjoyed it. The 30-minute outside tour by a knowledgeable docent was a treat, combining fresh sea air and ocean vistas, while learning about native plants and local sea animals. You can even pet a shark!

Seymour Marine Discovery Center is exactly as it is described on their website. Great learning experience for kids and adults too. I recommend the tour as well. It is a great way to learn and contribute to conservation of marine animals and environment. Fantastic view on the backside of the museum. 2-2.5 hours should be good enough to tour this place.

The walk through the Younger Conservation was amazing and so beautiful! This conservatory is doing such meaningful work and does not receive the publicity it deserves. Well worth a visit!

Although we enjoyed the visit and the behind the scenes tour, it is definitely oriented towards kids. If you go, be sure to take the tour. Still entertained for an hour.

I recently went here with my kids (ages 8-12) as a morning outing when we were on a weekend trip near Santa Cruz. We had considered heading to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but many sources say it's crowded, which is not great for us. So this was our better option. This place is very manageable - parking is easy, it's not crowded, it's not large. There is an entry fee, but not a huge investment, and both times I've visited we could opt into a 30-minute guided tour, which makes the ticket feel worth the price to me. Most of the staff seems to be UCSC students, so I like that my kids might absorb an impression of science-minded college students. Don't expect that the docents you'll be interacting with are highly polished TV-ready marine science spokespeople, however, as they have varying levels of experience and public interaction skills.There is a shark you can pet, as well as a touch tank with sea stars, hermit crab, etc. Another hands-on exhibit is a powerful digital magnifying glass with interesting specimens; and a little wave tank; otter pelt and seal pelt to feel. In tanks there are interesting local sea creatures but I didn't have a chance to look at those much. There are nice posters that seem to be student-made that raise interesting points beyond what your kid probably already knows about sea life (e.g. breaking down the fear of sharks). On the tour, you might see sea mammals who are engaged in research. They make a big deal about how these animals are not engaged in entertainment, no photos allowed, so that's an interesting point to be exposed to.The center is perched on a cliff above the Monterey Bay. I think learning about the incredible characteristics of the Monterey Bay (via the 30 minute tour or signage) is one of the most valuable aspects of a visit here. It's also beautiful.