florida oceanographic coastal center

We went here with our 4 and 6 year olds. They loved it!! They got to feed the stingrays, touch some others in the touch tank, see the sea turtles, and the large fish/shark exhibit is so neat!! We went on the mangrove trails and investigated the plants. Bring water and wear sunscreen!! Many parts are shaded. The employees are very knowledgeable and excellent with the children!! This was a a cheap activity for a family. A non profit place to visit and support local projects.

Indoor displays were nice, but the real treats were the two outdoor "touch" tanks. The larger one contains several sting rays, some of which seemed to enjoy being gently stroked, or petted. the smaller one contains various tidal pool animals that can be gently handled. The young high-schooler working there was very knowledgeable and fun to talk to. Plan to spend an hour or two, especially if you have elementary or middle school children along.

We went to the center today, my boys ages 8 and 6 had a fantastic time. They were never board, which really says a lot about what the center has to offer. There are fish tanks inside, a stingray feeding area, a touch tank, a 750,000 gallon fish area and nature trails. We spent time at them all! You can go in and out once you have paid admission. Publix is adjacent to the center so you could pick up lunch or an afternoon snack and then head back for some more adventure!

Loved the trails and such a variety of fish and other sea life. The trails are fun and long. You could easily spend a couple hours at the place. They had talks going on all day that were very informative. It was shaded enough around the sea life and the trails. I highly recommend visiting this place.

Excellent for kids upto 12yrs for 2 or 3 hrs. They want to go there everytime the come to visit grandma and grandpa

Took our grandchildren here and they loved it. We also enjoyed it too. There is a pool and the children can touch the fish. Other pools have various fish, including sharks and turtles. There are displays inside that are interesting and also a gift shop. It's worth the visit.

This was a great experience, mostly because the volunteers there are full of information and are really helpful in every way. Loved feeding the Rays! We will go back again the next time we are in the area.

This is a nice little place to visit with your middle school children. For younger kids there are an awful lot of rules, for instance no running. My three-year-old couldn't quite grasp of that rule. There's a lot of information to be gained by visiting. The staff and volunteers are very knowledgeable. Just not somewhere my little ones would really enjoy going again.

If you want to see what's out there that you don't often see from the shore - or even a boat - this is the place. Excellent learning experience and great for kids.

We could have picked a better day, as the weather was crap (cloudy and cold), but the staff was very friendly and we learned a lot about the habits and habitats of local fish and fowl.

To be able to pet and then feed Sting Rays was a great experience, and only $12.00, wish we could have seen the turtles but the weather was cold, saw birds, sharks, fish and lots of Rays. Cool place run by volunteers !

Wonderful place to learn about the local sea life. Very helpful and informative staff. Well worth the visit.

Especially great place to take the kids but very interesting for Adults as well. The staff were very helpful in explaining all the things at the center and as volunteers they do a fabulous job. The admission fee helps top pay to preserve and feed the reptiles and fish so it's money well spent !

I've lived in Stuart for 30 years & didn't realize about this little gem until my employer took us there for the day. Awesome nature walk & learned alot more about our environment. Was also able to participate in a sea turtle nesting visit one night. Best experience ever!

We went during the week. I thought the cost to get in was a bit high considering what they have there. They really put a lot of emphasis on the various feedings they do during the course of the day where you can watch fish, turtles and rays being fed at separate times. Don't get me wrong it is interesting, but that's about it. Then they have a pretty cool nature walk through the back of the property which would be great for kids. Overall they do a good job with what they have to work with. The people they have working there are very nice.