Hastings Aquarium

Voyage to the Native Zone where you can make friends beyond the glass with native UK fish and sea creatures. There are 200+ animals in this exhibit including the Ballan Wrasse!

If you head further downstream to the Nursery you'll find lots of budding baby sea creatures in their embryonic sacks. Ever seen a Big-bellied Seahorse? Native to Australia and New Zealand, these tiny creatures live in seagrass and it's in fact the dads, who birth hundreds of fully formed sear horses!

Meet other fascinating aquatic creatures in the Ray Tank! Stingrays love watching visitors come and see them as they are inquisitive creatures, just like us! Watch them flap and splash at the water's edge before gracefully swimming back down to the bottom of the tank. There are 40+ animals in this exhibit, that's a lot of eyes watching you...

Meet the most misunderstood creature of the ocean - the shark. Once you enter the gigantic Ocean Tank you'll be greeted by a plethora of tropical sharks and South Pacific sea life swimming over your head. Spot magnificent Blacktip Reef Sharks, tropical rays, vibrant fish, and smaller shark species. All these majestic creatures are native to the Indo-pacific oceans. See faraway ocean reefs up close in all their vibrant glory. Think of this as an underwater safari for aquatic animals!

Are we river-ready? Go with the flow in the Southeast Asian, Rivers & Estuaries exhibit to discover spitting Archerfish and cheeky turtles who bob on the surface. They are curious creatures so they'll be waiting to suss you out when you arrive! This enthralling exhibit highlights the interesting ideas of how animals can adapt to their surrounding nature. You can see up close how these aquatic creatures have thrived in freshwater rivers.

Hastings Aquarium is a great place for visitors of all ages to find all about the wonders of the deep. There's a full programme of entertaining and informative talks and feeding displays throughout the day as well as a busy calendar of events to keep the whole family entertained! Learn all about Archer Fish as well as all the beautiful exotic fish in the ocean display.

Bring along your mini marine biologists to daily talks, meet incredible animals, and have an all-round lovely time learning about the world around you in this stimulating experience. From colourful fish to cheeky turtles and mesmerising sharks, there's so much to explore!

Food & DrinkSink your gnashers into a hot cheesy pizza with a delicious frozen drink and healthy snack on the side. Pick from cold food selections too and enjoy a hearty flatbread. cosy up with a Lavazza coffee or hot chocolate while you chat about all the beautiful fish and Huge Reef Sharks you've seen during your day out.

Accessibility

• There are disabled toilet facilities, as well as baby changing facilities in addition to standard toilet facilities. These are available for both aquarium visitors and the general public to use.
• Everywhere is wheelchair accessible and mobility scooter accessible apart from the underwater tunnel.
• Some of the aquarium is purposefully darkened for the animals.
• Quieter times to visit the attraction would be 3pm onwards. This is important to know if you have children with neurodiverse conditions as it may benefit them more to visit during these times. The aquarium is busiest on wet weather days.
• One free carer admission per disabled visitor. You must bring proof of the carer's identity via carer's cards, DWP confirmation or ESCC igo cards.
• There are no designated parking spaces for disabled access to Hastings Aquarium as the car park serves the local public, not just the aquarium.
• There are accessible toilets

Travel & Parking for Visitors By car:Please use this postcode for any navigational device: TN34 3DW

Follow the brown tourism road signs, they have shark symbols on, so they’re easy to spot. You can follow these from whichever direction you enter Hastings.

Parking is available next to the aquarium in a pay-and-display council-operated car park. Rates vary at the council’s discretion.

For information regarding disabled access, please contact us prior to your visit on 01424 718776.

By train:Hastings Station is only 0.8 miles from us (approx. 20-minute walk). Hastings has excellent rail links throughout East and West Sussex, and London. For more information on train times, prices, and routes, please visit National Rail.By bus:You can find information about routes, prices, and bus stations at Stagecoach Bus.

• Daily feeding times and talks
• 15m underwater tunnel
• Fun filled events