The pics are gorgeous. But, really, $76 for a family of four??

The prices are quite reasonable compared to comparable aquariums around the country, Pamela. Considering it costs even more for a day at the amusement park,have no problem paying for this quality of educational outing in Cleveland!

I hope they can make it financially here. Our family loves studying sealife. The Cleveland Zoo is only $11 per adult, so this aquarium is a tough sell to some who are used to the lower zoo ticket price, but the zoo gets a lot of Cuyahoga County tax support and of course huge donations. Maybe in time this new aquarium can attract more private organizational donations in order to bring the ticket price down to where more can afford it. And, the economy will hopefully improve in the next couple years. I miss SeaWorld.

Debbie is right when she says the Cleveland Aquarium has similar pricing to other national aquariums. The Tennessee Aquarium costs $25 for an adult and Shedd Aquarium tickets can cost from $8 to $35, depending on what exhibits you want to visit. That having been said, both Tennessee and Shedd felt like larger facilities with more to see. (That's anecdotal. I don't have any numbers on square footage or number of exhibits.)

I'll be interested to see what sorts of deals will be made available if and when the newness of the aquarium rubs off.

I have been to several other aquariums around the country and visited Cleveland's last week. I was very disappointed and it was empty! I went on a Friday afternoon and there were 10 other people there. If ticket prices were $10-$15, I would say it was worth it. This aquarium pales in comparison to the others I have seen.

Overpriced. It would cost $88 for my family and that doesn't include transportation, parking, food and souvenirs.

I feel its overpriced. With parking its about $81 for 2 adult and 2 childrens tickets and the $5 parking fee for a weekend day. They suggest you set aside 90 minutes to visit the aquarium. Once you leave the aquarium for the day you cannot return.. so you cant like go have lunch and go back again. We are not a tourist spot so I dont think you can compare us to say Myrtle Beach. My understanding also is the tank/veiwing area of the Cleveland Aquarium is 30,000 square feet even though the facility is 70,000 because they have meeeting/party rooms etc.. thats not comparable in size to other places either. I feel they could have done something for the people of the area that would make this a regular place to go..perhaps a discount one day a month or a discount on season tickets, similar to what the zoo does. I wish that the metroparks had taken on this challenge. I think area residents would have benefitted more from that. We all need to remember this is a FOR PROFIT business. I was very excited when I heard we were getting an aqaurium. I remember the old one from when I was a child. I looked forward to many days wandering through with my grandchildren. I can tell you now if I go it will be a one time thing and a special occassion. I am a working class person and this is out of reach for me and my family members....and I's sad we won't be able to enjoy it the way I had hoped!!

My original calculation was wrong. For my family it would be $76 plus transportation, parking, food and souvenirs. Even if we want a magnet, it would cost at least $5 I bet.

I agree it can be expensive for a family no question. However if you plan on going more than once, as I do purchasing a family pass is very reasonable. If you go more than twice it will pay for itself. I think that it is on the small side compared to other aquariums around the country however if it does well I believe they have the room to expand in the future.

We would like to see more options available...perhaps a discount if you purchase tickets in advance or on a slow day, a Sr discount and maybe a student discount!