Lakes Aquarium

“Lakes Aquarium – A Wonderful Underwater Adventure for All Ages! The Lakes Aquarium, located at Lakeside near Windermere, is a fantastic experience that combines learning, fun, and the natural beauty of aquatic life. It’s not a huge place, but it’s incredibly well-designed — offering a fascinating journey from local Lake District waters to exotic rivers and oceans around the world. The exhibits are engaging, informative, and perfect for both children and adults. What makes the aquarium truly special is how it connects the story of Lake Windermere’s ecosystem with the wider world of marine life. You’ll find everything from local fish and otters to tropical species and turtles. The underwater tunnel is a real highlight — walking through it and seeing fish swimming gracefully all around you is a calming and magical experience. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly passionate about what they do. They take time to answer questions and ensure visitors have a memorable time. The aquarium also focuses on conservation and education, teaching visitors about the importance of protecting aquatic habitats, which adds real value to the visit. There’s a lovely gift shop with nature-themed souvenirs, and the location is ideal — right next to the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway and Windermere Lake Cruises, making it easy to combine several great attractions in one day. Whether you’re visiting with family, friends, or on your own, the Lakes Aquarium is a delightful stop — peaceful, educational, and full of wonder. A perfect way to experience the beauty of aquatic life in the heart of the Lake District! 🐠🌊🐢”

“So we had a nightmare of a day, any parent's worst nightmare, a poosplosion just as we pulled into the car park. We rushed inside, the staff pointed us to the baby change room, and I took to cleaning up the Little one whilst my husband bought tickets. It was bad. We're talking down to the ankles bad. Complete nappy failure (thanks pampers!). I get to cleaning up and realise I haven't restocked the nappy bag, like the eejit I am. No spare clothes. I tell my husband to go look in the gift shop, no baby clothes there, we start panicking. I send my husband the front desk to ask if they know of anywhere near-by. They didn't, but they went above and beyond. They found an old cropped tshirt for me to put on him (baby, not husband), whilst another member of staff went across the carpark to the hotel and got us a blanket. The staff were absolutely fantastic and I'd highly recommend this place just for that reason alone. Don't get me wrong, the otters are cute, and the fish tunnel is fun, as well as the new bit where you can stick your head under the tank. We'll be return customers because of just how caring the staff are. But this time, I'll have spare clothes. Photo of said very small child looking like yoda in my jumper, enjoying the aquatic life.”

“A wet day in the Lake District so an indoors venue was needed. The Aquarium was ideal. First stop was the cafe, adjacent to the aquarium. A lovely hot drink. The aquarium exceeded our expectations, the tunnel under the tank was jtst fantastic, the otter enclosure and talk by a member was staff was educational, she stayed much longer than her talk answering many questions. Apart from fish, lake and sea life there were exotic dangered species ie frogs, snakes and even harvest mice and an ant colony, intriguing to watch. We were inside much longer than we anticipated as it is only small in comparison to others but well worth a visit, another tank is presently being constructed so will have to visit in the future. Apart from the aquarium this is also the ferry port for Bowness and ( i think Ambleside ) the Lakeside Steam railway ( that sadly was closed untill February ) the cafe had a good choice of menu.”

“We visited in the middle of winter when it was very quiet; even so we got the last parking space out front - apparently there is more parking behind but this must be difficult in summer. The aquarium was very good, the kids were interested and enjoyed the experience. Prices seem very reasonable. Definitely recommend if you are looking for somewhere to shelter from the weather for an hour or two.”