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All 497 Devon Attractions »

Ilfracombe Aquarium

The Old Lifeboat House | The Pier Ilfracombe Devon, EX34 9EQ, England
01271 864533
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Ranked #244 of 380 attractions in Devon
4.0 of 5 stars 5 Reviews
Owner description: This exciting and award winning, all weather, educational attraction provides a fascinating insight into the watery world of North Devon. The aquarium...... more » Owner description: This exciting and award winning, all weather, educational attraction provides a fascinating insight into the watery world of North Devon. The aquarium houses a diverse collection of local aquatic life in beautifully recreated natural habitats. The exhibits provide visitors with a unique zoned journey experience starting from the source of an Exmoor stream, down river to an estuary, local rockpool, Ilfracombe Harbour to Lundy and its marine reserve. Complimentary children's quizzes following fun trails are offered on entry.The aquarium also has a funky fish gift shop and a cafe, selling locally sourced delicious items. « less
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5 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    3
    1
    0
    1
    0
Date Rating
London
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 May 2012

Why Tardis Aquarium you may ask, well they have packed so much into quite a small space without spoiling the experience! It tell a story of the different fish and water creatures from the source of the river to the sea. It is excellent value for money and is definately the best attraction in Ilfracombe. The staff are friendly and... More

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swansea, wales
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 April 2012

Enjoyable visit to the aquarium. There was a member of staff inside the aquarium when were were there who was very knowledgeable, ensuring that he provided information when necessary, but without encroaching on our visit. It is a small attraction, but if time is taken there is so much to see in the tanks - we were particularly taken with... More

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2 reviews
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 February 2012

Visited in October and found it cramped & poorly designed. The idea of local fish makes it a bit boring and we struggled to fill much time on a wet day with our 2 children. Felt rushed & therefore pour value for money. I'd hate to imagine what it would be like in busy school holidays! More

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Martha Raybone, Director of Sales at Ilfracombe Aquarium, responded to this review
22 February 2012

Dear Braunton Girl, I was sorry to receive a disappointing review from you after your visit in October last year. We value visitor reviews and would wish respond accordingly. As you know the aquarium is housed in an old lifeboat house which inevitably restricts available space. In it's design it was always going to be a case of accomodating as... More

Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 October 2011

We went on a rainy half term morning, along with plenty of other families. The aquarium is small but the staff were carefully monitoring how many people were entering so it didn't feel too packed. The highlight of this aquarium for me was that all 70 species of fish were found in the local rivers and sea. It was great... More

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Poole, United Kingdom
Top Contributor
60 reviews 60 reviews
Reviews in 29 cities Reviews in 29 cities
61 helpful votes 61 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 September 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We went to Ilfracombe aquarium with our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter. She is just starting to be at that discovery & question stage so we thought it would be a good place to take her for an hour or so. We were not disappointed. Although small the aquarium follows a theme that goes from the streams in the hills,... More

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