Birch Aquarium facts for kids
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| Date opened | 1903 |
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| Location | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California |
| Coordinates | 32°51′57″N 117°15′2°W / 32.86583°N 117.25056°W |
| No. of animals | 3,000+ |
| No. of species | 380 |
| Volume of largest tank | 70,000 U.S. gal (260,000 L) |
| Annual visitors | 500,000+ |
| Memberships | AZA |
Birch Aquarium is a fantastic public aquarium located in La Jolla, a community within San Diego, California. It's the public face of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. More than half a million people visit this amazing place every year!
The aquarium is home to over 9,000 animals, representing more than 400 different species. From its spot on a hilltop, you can enjoy beautiful views of La Jolla Shores and the vast Pacific Ocean. Birch Aquarium is also a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which means it meets high standards for animal care and education.
Contents
Birch Aquarium's History
The aquarium started way back in 1903. It began when the Marine Biological Association of San Diego was formed. This group wanted to study the ocean waters near California. Later, the group changed its name to Scripps Institution of Oceanography. This was to honor its supporters, Ellen Browning Scripps and E.W. Scripps.
The founders built a small public aquarium and museum. They wanted to share their exciting discoveries with everyone. At first, the researchers worked in a small lab at the Hotel del Coronado. In 1905, they moved to a new lab at La Jolla Cove.
A few years later, the association bought 174 acres of land at La Jolla Shores. The first permanent building there, the Old Scripps Building, was built in 1910. Today, this building is a special historical landmark.
In 1915, the first building just for an aquarium was built on the Scripps campus. It was a small wooden building with 19 tanks. These tanks held between 96 and 228 gallons of water. The ocean museum was in another building nearby.
The Scripps Aquarium-Museum opened in 1951. It was named the Thomas Wayland Vaughan Aquarium after a former director. This three-story building served the institution for over 40 years. It had 18 tanks, with the largest holding 2,000 gallons. These tanks surrounded a museum area that showed Scripps' research. Within a month, visitors from all 48 states had come to see it!
In 1985, the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation helped start a new aquarium. They donated $6 million. UC San Diego gave the land for the new building. In 1992, the current $14 million aquarium opened. It was first called the Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum. Soon after, its name changed to Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
In March 1996, large bronze whale statues called "The Legacy" were put on display. They were made in memory of Ted Scripps II. In September 2012, Birch Aquarium celebrated its 20th birthday with a new look. There are plans to make the aquarium even bigger by 2028.
Amazing Exhibits
Birch Aquarium is a large place, covering 64,157 square feet. It's designed with a main lobby that leads to all the different exhibit areas. The display tanks hold a total of 175,000 gallons of seawater!
Adam R. Scripps Living Seas Gallery
The Adam R. Scripps Living Seas Gallery opened on May 22, 2025. This new exhibit replaced the popular Hall of Fishes. It takes visitors on an amazing journey to explore the wonders of our ocean. It's the biggest project in the aquarium's history!
In Living Seas, you can discover the secret world of the Giant Pacific Octopus. You can also see what life is like under the pier in a special Scripps Pier habitat. There's an Open Ocean habitat with schooling fish and the aquarium's rescued Loggerhead Sea Turtle. A huge Tropical Coral habitat, much bigger than before, is also a highlight. You'll even see Tropical Mangrove roots that look like they're growing right out of the walls. This vibrant new space truly brings the Pacific Ocean to life!
Past Exhibit: Hall of Fishes
The Hall of Fishes used to feature over 60 tanks. These tanks were home to Pacific fishes and invertebrates. The path through the Hall of Fishes showed the currents of the North Pacific Gyre. It started with animals from the Pacific Northwest, then California, then Mexico and Baja California, and finally the Indo-Pacific.
The largest habitat was a 70,000-gallon kelp forest tank. This tank is now part of the new Living Seas exhibit. You can even watch the kelp forest live online with the Kelp Cam! The Hall of Fishes closed in September 2024. This was to make way for the exciting new Living Seas attraction.
Tide-Pool Plaza
At Tide-Pool Plaza, you'll find three real tide pools. Here, visitors can gently touch and learn about tide-pool animals. Friendly guides, called docents, are there to help. Windows in the habitats let you get a close look at starfish, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, lobsters, and other animals. These creatures live in San Diego's local tide pools. The plaza also offers great views of La Jolla and the Pacific Ocean.
Seadragons & Seahorses
This exhibit is all about protecting amazing sea dragons. You'll see many fish from the seadragon family here. This includes seahorses, pipefish, and different kinds of sea dragons. Birch Aquarium works hard to help these species. They are affected by things like climate change and poaching in the ocean.
The exhibit features more than a dozen seahorse species and their relatives. There's even a special seahorse nursery! You can also enjoy hands-on activities to learn about seahorse biology. Birch Aquarium is a world leader in seahorse breeding. This helps other aquariums get seahorses without taking them from the wild.
In March 2023, the aquarium's seadragon program had a big success. They successfully bred 70 weedy seadragons! They had bred two seadragons in 2020, but this was the first time it happened inside an exhibit.
Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins
The Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins exhibit is named after the Beyster Family. They are long-time supporters who gave $1 million to Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Birch Aquarium. This exhibit features adorable little blue penguins. They live in an 18,000-gallon lagoon that looks like the coasts of Australia and New Zealand. That's where these penguins naturally live! The exhibit also has a small amphitheater where you can watch the penguins. There's a "discovery cove" for kids to get an even closer look.
Blue Beach
Blue Beach is a special outdoor area where people can connect with the ocean. It has a huge 4,500-square-foot floor mural. This mural shows the depth map of the underwater canyons off La Jolla Shores. You can also see sharks and rays, relax on comfy seats, and play fun outdoor games. All of this is surrounded by stunning ocean views!
Shark and Ray Habitat
Blue Beach is home to a cool shark and ray habitat. This outdoor exhibit has a sandy bottom, just like the seafloor off La Jolla. You can see various sharks and rays here. These include leopard sharks and pacific angelsharks.
Awards and Recognition
Birch Aquarium has received many awards for being a great place to visit and learn!
- Spring 2025 Newsweek Magazine's Readers Choice voted Birch Aquarium the Fourth Best Aquarium in the US.
- Winter 2025 US News & World Report listed Birch Aquarium as one of the 16 Best Aquariums in the United States.
- Summer 2014 San Diegans voted Birch Aquarium at Scripps the Best Museum in San Diego. This was for the fourth year in a row!
- Summer 2013 San Diegans voted Birch Aquarium at Scripps the Best Museum in San Diego. This was for the third year in a row!
- Summer 2012 San Diegans voted Birch Aquarium at Scripps the Best Museum in San Diego. This was for the second year in a row!
- Fall 2011 San Diegans voted Birch Aquarium at Scripps the Best Museum in San Diego in the 10News.com A-List poll. The aquarium was voted the #2 museum in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Gallery
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Entrance
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Diamond stingray (Hypanus dipterurus).
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Leafy seadragon (Phycodurus eques).
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Leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata).
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Little penguins (Eudyptula minor).
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Star III submersible on display.
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Seahorse
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Zebra bullhead sharks (Heterodontus zebra).
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Scripps Pier in front of the aquarium.
