Poulsbo Marine Science Center

Great place for kids of all ages to learn about & interact with marine life. Everything in the tank is hands on so kids can touch and pick up the aquatic animals. Best of all, it’s free! I just wish they’d expand their exhibits a bit more.

A few small aquariums but interesting to check out. They have a tank. Check for instructions on what you can touch. No fee, only a donation box.

If you’re looking for a cheap place to take the kids while in Poulsbo, then look no further. There’s no set price as it’s a donation based education center, so give what you see fit. Just don’t be that jerk that keeps walking and doesn’t contribute anything.
When you arrive, you’re met by a giant octopus near the marina. It’s a perfect place for a photo op as kids typically climb on it… plus — it’s a giant freakin’ octopus! I think that’s pretty cool on its own.
Through the main door is a water enclosure full of different marine life. The best part about it is that the kiddies (and adults) are able to reach in and touch everything that’s inside. Everything is safe, just make sure they’re being gentle and don’t actually pick anything up. Kids were getting a kick out of the hands on interactions and some had to be pried away by their parents so they could move on to whatever they had going on that day.
There are a few jellyfish and other sea creatures on display, including a giant skeleton of a whale that washed up on shore a few years back. It’s pretty cool and it’s interesting to see how big those creatures are up close. The center has docents on hand to answer any questions or to provide any other info you might want to know.
A big classroom sits in the back of the building that gets used for school field trips and other activities. I thought it was pretty cool. It didn’t take long to see it, but you could definitely kill some time and keep the little ones occupied if you have nothing else to do!

This is a pretty sweet little stop with kiddos if you need to burn a little bit of time. It’s a really cool FREE activity, but it is VERY small. And some of the tanks/​exhibits are empty or under repair. I will say that as of last weekend, there was not an octopus. So that is a bummer. I heard that there will be a new octopus within the next couple of months after the aquarium that holds him is repaired and cleaned.
This really is a neat place to see (and touch!) some cool ocean life. Don’t plan on spending an entire day though! Its perfect for 30 – 40 minutes after lunch activity when you and yours are hanging out in the cool town of poulsbo.

Teensy little marine science center/​aquarium, with knowledgeable docents, a touch tank, a little theater where they show BBC and National Geographic films regarding ocean life, an arts/​crafts room where the older kids can do little art projects without supervision, and some other small displays filled with jellies, fish, crabs, etc. A really nice place to spend an hour or so educating your kiddos about many of the critters which are native to the Puget Sound. And the young grey whale skeleton is an amazing and added bonus (was donated to the science center after it washed up on a nearby beach, was necropsied by local scientists, and then stripped naturally — via little crabs of course — so that it could be put on display)! The only bummer is they no long have their Pacific Octopus, as she got too big for her tank and was apparently of breeding age. But the good news is that she was released into the wild, so I like to think she laid a zillion little octopus eggs and her babies are having happy octopus lives.
Admission is FREE, but please do leave a donation of $ 10 (or more!) in their jar so they can keep the place up and running. There’s free parking outside the center as well, helpful on sunny busy summer days.

This small place is free and run by volunteers. And they wonder why it keeps closing down.. ..

The Poulsbo Marine Science Center is a great little detour to go into when you are downtown! The aquarium is free which is awesome! The place is pretty small but there is plenty of personality and attraction to stay here for a considerable amount of time! All of the species that are in this aquarium are native to the Puget Sound area except for the few tropical fish they have there. There are all kinds of crabs to look at, some that are very unusual looking! Jellyfish also are an exhibit here which they are always fun to look at!
There are two star performers here that would keep me here for a while. They have a pool which is near the entrance where you are allowed to reach in and touch whatever that is in there and in some cases, pick them up! This includes mostly starfish but there are also crabs and anemone that are apparently up for an occasional touch.
Even that pool was not the thing that garnered my attention. In one of the tanks to the right there is a tank with a fairly large octopus. It was a she and she was not bashful at all. At first she was stuck on the side of the aquarium, tired and she had a pale hue to her. By the time we left however she was a bright maroon color and was moving all around and swimming. I think she liked being the center of attention but the volunteers there said she was hungry. Whatever the case may be she was beautiful!
This aquarium is worth going back to for the octopus alone and it makes things much easier with that free admission!
Nice place to take kids! They would not get too bored!

After closing down for several years as a result of losing funding, the marine center is open again and free to the public. If you are ever in the small, charming, waterfront town of poulsbo, make sure you come into the marine center located right off the main touristy street and explore the native sea life of the area. Yes it is quite small but the 5 – 6 tanks that they do have are filled with the most interesting crustaceans, sea anemones, and fish that you could easily get absorbed for a long time watching the life in those tanks. At the entrance of the center is a large shallow tank for anemones and starfish that you can touch. Be careful though because the water is kept so cold that your hand will go numb after a couple of seconds!
The volunteers who staff the center are very friendly and eager to tell you about the life and biology of some of these interesting sea life. I came out of it having learned many interesting facts!

This place is a great stop in while you are in downtown Poulsbo. It is free but they would like your donations.
It is a very small place and really would only take about 30 min to see and do everything there. You can touch things in the tide pool and you might get lucky enough to see the octopus feeding. The octopus here is among the most active I have seen in any aquarium. In another tank they have a wolf eel… which isn’t really an eel but has the name. He is particularly hard to get a glimpse of.
I’ve been here for several school field trips as well. Some well organized, others not so much. In the back there are a few rooms to ‘learn’, they give presentations to the class and also allow for art projects. In addition there is a screening room where they show short films about sea life.
I take my daughter here during the rainy season and it leaves her wanting more but she has fun.

This was a nice break from the norm on a cold, rainy day. But, it was small and not a whole lot to do. I do like the media room and my kids enjoyed coloring a picture. But, we were done with everything in about 25 minutes. Would have liked a little more to do and see. I greatly appreciate those who volunteer there.

We spend a day exploring Poulsbo. We loved this place. My kid spent a few hours just touching the animals. One of the volunteers and her son (who is also a volunteer) spent a lot of time showing off the start fish, crabs, etc. It was a great place to visit. We would go there again since the kids had a blast looking and touching the marine life.

The Marine Science center has undergone massive re-​construction since 2010 due to flooding in a later snow storm. The reviews prior I feel are rated so poorly despite the great comments. Please, do not let those keep you from visiting the MSC!
Cradled in the setting of beautiful Downtown Poulsbo is the MSC right on the waterfront. Even before you enter the building you are greeted by a well designed mosaic making the entrance very pleasing. Once inside you may notice multiple things at once; the adolescent whale skeleton floating above, the octopus tank, and my favorite of course, the tide pool tank. They try to refrain from calling it the «touch tank» but so long as you wash your hands without soap you are able to carefully touch and explore the tank with your own two appendages! (hands!)
They have a great amount of staff on board at all times, none of which are paid. As a non profit organization the entrance is free but please consider donating a dollar or two for the time and effort the whole crew puts into it. If you have any questions most are able to answer them respectfully, or direct you to any information that will be of use to you and your family.
The MSC is particularly favorable with children of all ages. They frequently hold field trips for many schools in the area, all of which are ecstatic and bouncy when they walk through the doors. There’s tons for them to do, including arts and crafts and a neat microscope in the back.
There may not be a lot on display if compared to any major marine center such as the Seattle Aquarium, but I must express how different the two are in every way shape or form. The Marine Science Center is motivated by the belief that as a resident of the Puget Sound it is pertinent to educate those around us of the beauty and wonder that is only inches away. It is not a show, nor is it not entertaining. It is a balance of entertainment and education that you will not get from any aquarium.
Please visit!

A very cute little aquarium within walking distance of downtown Poulsbo. The price is perfect at FREE but I suggest a donation of some kind since this is such a nice place.
The staff seemed helpful though they were pretty busy, but that’s what happens when you’re only open on the weekends. The hours are listed as Thursday — Sunday 11 am — 4 pm, but opening at 11 am really seems like more of a suggestion. I would wait until about Noon to go, they should be open by then.