Crescent City · On US-101 at the harbor · Aquarium
Ocean World
Touch tide-pool creatures, pet a real shark and catch a seal and sea lion show on a 45-minute guided tour, right on US-101 by Crescent City’s harbor.
Opens Ocean World’s guided tours page, which has a printable 10% coupon. You pay on arrival; tours start about every 20 minutes.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Aquarium
Guided tours with a seal and sea lion show
Admission
$16.95 adults
$10.95 ages 3–11; 2 and under free
Hours
Tours 9:15 am–4:30 pm
Daily; gift shop 9–6; call for the last tour
Time needed
40–45 minutes
Every visit is a guided tour
Parking
Private lot
Call ahead if you’re towing
Tank water
500,000+ gal
Water in the aquarium’s tanks
What you’ll see
Tide pools, sharks and a sea lion show
Every visit is a guided tour, so you’ll see everything in about 45 minutes.
Watch first
The guided tour
Your guide starts at the Touch and Feel Tide Pool, then leads you down into the aquarium to see sharks, bat rays, seals and sea lions. Next comes the chance to pet a real shark, and the tour wraps up with a show from the resident harbor seals and Cora the sea lion. Ocean World says tours take about 40 to 45 minutes.
RV tip: the tanks are lit by natural light, so tours run only in daylight. Come earlier in the day, especially in winter, and call ahead for the last tour time.
More to see
- Touch and Feel Tide PoolThe tour starts here, where you can see and touch creatures that live in the rocks along the Pacific Northwest shore.
- Sharks and bat raysDownstairs in the aquarium you’ll see sharks, bat rays, seals and sea lions, then get the chance to pet a real shark with your guide.
- Seal and sea lion showThe tour ends with a show from the resident Pacific harbor seals and Cora the sea lion, plus Pearl, who is still learning new behaviors.
- The gift shopOcean World calls its shop the best on the North Coast. It opens at 9 am, before the first tour.
Why go
A Crescent City aquarium since 1964
Ocean World began in 1964 as Under Sea Gardens, an aquarium barge built in Seattle and floated down to Crescent City’s small boat basin, where visitors watched sea life through underwater windows. In 1985 it moved onto dry land, and today its tanks hold more than half a million gallons of water.
It’s an easy stop for RVers. Ocean World sits right on US-101 South at the harbor, Yelp lists a private parking lot, and Lighthouse Cove and Sunset Harbor RV parks are two minutes or less away. Tours start at least every 20 minutes, so there’s no need to book ahead.
It also makes a good rainy-day plan. The aquarium is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, though tours run only in daylight because the tanks are naturally lit.
Photo: Jennifer Gaitan for NOAA’s National Ocean Service on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Why it made our list
- Pet a real shark with your guide
- A seal and sea lion show on every tour
- Guided tours about every 20 minutes
- Right on US-101 at the harbor
- Rated 4.6 on Google from 2,700+ reviews
For RVers
Visiting Ocean World with an RV
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Parking the rig
Ocean World is at 304 Highway 101 South, and Yelp lists a private lot. One Yelp reviewer says there’s room to park an RV, but Ocean World doesn’t say so itself, so call (707) 464-4900 if you’re towing or driving a big rig.
Go earlier in the day
The tanks are lit by natural light, so tours run only in daylight and the last tour time changes through the year. Ocean World asks visitors to call ahead for the last tour of the day.
Pets stay at camp
No dogs are allowed on the tour. Leave pets at camp, and on warm days don’t leave them in a parked rig.
Save 10% on admission
Ocean World’s Guided Tours page has a printable coupon for 10% off a guided tour. There’s no senior discount. Groups of 20 or more can call at least two weeks ahead for group rates, except on major holidays, holiday weekends and in peak summer season.
What visitors say about Ocean World
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 24, 2026.
Ocean World is more than just an aquarium; it is entertainment for the whole family.
Ocean World, describing its tours · oceanworldonline.com
What visitors often mention
Recurring topics in Google reviews
Sea lion showShark pettingStarfishLeopard shark
Google’s review topics point to the sea lion show (334 reviews), shark petting (204), starfish (73) and the leopard shark (47). Checked October 24, 2026.
Minutes from camp to Ocean World
Google Maps car drive times, checked October 24, 2026. From Sunset Harbor it’s also about an 8-minute walk.
Good to know
Ages 12 and up$16.95 guided tour
Ages 3–11$10.95 2 and under free
Tour length40–45 min about every 20 min
Tour includesTide pool touch tankShark pettingSeal & sea lion show
Prices and tour details from Ocean World’s website, checked October 24, 2026. There’s no senior discount, and a printable 10% coupon is on the Guided Tours page.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Ocean World
- Address304 Highway 101 South, Crescent City, CA 95531
- HoursTours 9:15 am–4:30 pm
Daily; gift shop 9–6; call for the last tour - Phone(707) 464-4900
- TicketsPay on arrival; print the 10% coupon
- Getting thereOn US-101 South at the Crescent City harbor, at 304 Highway 101 South.
- ParkingPrivate lot, per Yelp. A reviewer mentions room for RVs; call ahead with a big rig.
Ocean World is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because tours run on natural light, call (707) 464-4900 for the day’s last tour time.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Ocean World
These are the Crescent City parks we have written up, closest first. Times are Google Maps car drive times to Ocean World, checked October 24, 2026.
Lighthouse Cove RV Park
City-run oceanfront full-hookup sites by Battery Point Lighthouse, from $50 a night, a walk to downtown.
Sunset Harbor RV Park
Budget full hookups across US-101 from the harbor, from $35.70 a night or $153 a week; mostly long-term.
Village Camper Inn RV Park
135 full-hookup sites with free cable TV on 22 wooded acres, from $57 a night, two miles from downtown.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Tours 9:15 am–4:30 pm · Open daily
Ready to pet a shark?
Print the 10% coupon, bring the kids, and arrive well before the last tour of the day.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and videos. Please support them by giving their work a look. Videos: Doodle the Travel Bug on YouTube (aquarium visit) and Elementary Explorers on YouTube (shark petting). Photo: Jennifer Gaitan for NOAA’s National Ocean Service (harbor sea lions; CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons; the image was resized. RV park photos: Acroterion on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) and CampgroundViews on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Ocean World unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including Ocean World’s published materials and other public sources. Hours, prices, rules and other details are set by Ocean World and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm details at oceanworldonline.com or (707) 464-4900. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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