port townsend marine science center

Beautiful addition to the Port Townsend experience. Educational, entertaining, and always active. Blends very well with the community.

You would be hard pressed to find another educational experience in such a perfect place. The fully articulated skeleton of the orca named Hope is one of only two or three on the west coast. It is humbling to consider the size of this animal and to realize that her relatives are still swimming just offshore. The live exhibits on the dock provide some the best tide pool experiences in Puget Sound.

The story of "Hope" is great very informative. all the skeletons of the heads of the fish and other marine animals the volunteer was very informative.

The tanks and all the sea life , the OCTO! Very educational and interactive. A must if you have kids. Parking is easy but the gift shop is across the street.

The kids had a great time. Small but educational for the children. We enjoyed the staff and the touching pools. This place is right on the dock in the lower campground area. Great family thing to do.

Well informed staff and an excellent design made this a go-to attraction before taking in the rest of Port Townsend.

This is a quaint little museum that has several open tanks with sea life in them that you can touch. Star fish, anemones, urchins, etc. There is an exhibit of the reconstructed skeleton on an orca whale and the story behind it. Displays of pollution and its effects on wild life. Small and good for children. Staff are very nice.

An update to my earlier review:The Natural History Exhibit at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center is now open from noon to 4:00 pm on weekends in January!

The staff were very helpful and informative, the exhibits were interesting and there was lots of focus on ecology.

Two exhibit buildings for the price of one, both staffed by knowledgeable volunteers. One building has an orca skeleton hanging from the ceiling with lots of great interactive stuff for kids, the other building has touch tanks containing local flora and fauna. Children really like looking at all the critters, and in some cases, being able to touch them.

Some of the reviews here have inaccurate information. Perhaps this will clarify some.There are 2 exhibits that make up the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. The entry donation covers both exhibits when they are both open. It is $5.00 for adults over 17 and $3.00 for ages 6 - 17. Ages 5 and under are free. There are family memberships that make it much less expensive for 3 generations to enter any time of year as often as desired.HOURS:Spring:April thru Mid-JuneBoth exhibits open Fri, Sat, SunNoon - 4:00 p.mSummer:Mid-June thru Labor DayBoth exhibits open Wed - Mon11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Fall:Labor Day thru OctoberBoth exhibits open Fri, Sat, SunNoon - 4:00 p.m.Winter:November thru MarchNatural History Exhibit onlyopen Fri, Sat, SunNoon - 4:00 p.m.Marine Exhibit open by appointment for groups.Both exhibits are open Fri, Sat, and Sun on the weekends following Thanksgiving and Christmas.January:Both exhibits are closed.One of the two exhibits is the Marine Exhibit, which consists of 4 large touch tanks and many other view tanks containing marine animals from the Salish Sea. The other exhibit is the Natural History Exhibit containing a fully articulated skeleton of Hope, an Orca whale that washed up on a nearby shore not long ago. The exhibit interactively tells her story and helps all learn more about protecting the sea and environment around us. There are knowledgable docents at each exhibit to guide you and answer questions while helping to explore in often fun and surprising ways.

Gorgeous, educational and well-kept up. Great place for kids, families, or just friends looking for a fun activity. $5 suggested donation.

What a great city to visit near Anacortes WA north of Seattle in the San Juan Islands. A great little town with great shops and restaurants. Well worth the Washington State Ferry ride for the visit.

The interactive exhibits make this place especially entertaining. How many places let you stroke sea stars? The museum is small but has a collection that really showcases the diversity of marine life in the area. The staff members were knowledgeable and quite willing to take the time to talk.

Its small, but well done, and good information for kids.Great activity, especially on a less than perfect weather day