Jenkinson’s Aquarium

PENGUINS!
This aquarium is rather large for being right on the boardwalk, and there’s some cool sea-​critters here. However, it is not large enough for the high admission price. Further, they often charge for parking also! Okay, I get it. It’s Point Pleasant. People probably take advantage of the parking lot and use it to get to the beach. But seriously? Can’t they just make you buy tickets to the aquarium when you enter the lot, instead of hitting you with both the expensive parking fees and then the actual admission price? That said, I do enjoy the penguins and the seal feedings, and they also have a really cool collection of frogs in addition to a touch tank. If not for the price, this aquarium would get 4 stars.

Much appreciated thanks to «Sam» for sharing all her animal expertise with our very inquisitive 5 y/​o! She kindly and expertly responded to every animal question my daughter could muster! Way to go Jenks. Aquarium for hiring such professional and upcoming talent in the marine bio World! Sam’s expertise made our night a «10»!

Okay aquarium. My son enjoyed it but they seem to have overcrowded the tanks with big animals. Doesn’t seem right. In addition — both employees at the touch tank were very b*tchy. Hire some teenagers who actually like kids. These girls clearly didn’t. They seemed more interested in socializing than telling us the rules and then gave attitude when the rules for handling the animals weren’t being followed bc they never shared them. In addition you are only allowed to touch two items in the bins they have set up so it is not a real touch tank like Turtle Back Zoo where everyone can stand around and touch the animals as they swim by. Here everyone has to wait in line for the two Bins to become available.

This is a nice surprise along the boardwalk — not real big, but adds some variety to the beach itinerary. A great place to take the kids. Plan on spending about an hour — more if you bring younger kids. Worth checking out!

There is nothing wrong with the place being so so small. What is wrong is charging people like it is a real aquarium like Camden or Boston. That being said there is a nice tank with schools of fish and sharks. The penguins are cute but look like they need better care. There is a petting tank but not lots to pet. It is an enjoyable place for kids under 5.

Don’t not go expecting it to be the Camden aquarium. It’s a nice place to take your kid to… my daughter enjoys it thoroughly. They have nice, well maintained tanks with a large variety of fish. I would recommend going on the offseason though if you’re local.

I adore this aquarium! It is a lot bigger on the inside than you would think– and it is decorated very appropriately, very fun for the young and for the young at heart.
It can be a little crowded at times because of its closeness to the Boardwalk, and also because of its reasonable pricing– but you need only deal with the noise, or come at a slower time of the day/​time of the year to escape that if you so desire.
The exhibits are educational and fun; my only problem is I wish they had more «visiting» animals, to change up what they normally have to offer. One time they had an albino crocodile or alligator that was «visiting» for a month or so until it toured to another aquarium/​zoo, that was exciting. But aside from the general first floor tanks and cases there is also a second floor of even more opportunities, such as feeding viewing and a touch-​and-​learn section.
Also, of course, there is a gift shop. They have a small selection of items compared to most other gift shops but it is still very nice. The entire place is clean, and the staff is very friendly! And (I dunno if anyone else sometimes gets nervous at aquariums/​zoos just because you’re near so many animals and so much can go wrong– if you’re like me then this next sentence will make sense, bur if not then, well, it’s still important to say) I feel it should be said that I feel safe here. And it won’t break the bank, which is also good.
I highly recommend this aquarium if you are in the area and love animals and are in need of some air conditioning to escape the hot Boardwalk! My family has made/​shared some very nice memories here, I hope yours does the same!

Cute place to visit if you’re on the boardwalk. Penguins are adorable and there are a lot of sharks. Although place is pretty small for the $ 11 dollar entry fee since I was only there for about 30 minutes. Teenage staff working here are super nice but middle aged staff weren’t the friendliest.

For $ 11 a person it was a nice afternoon date. They offer to stamp your hand so if you want to return throughout the day you can. The aquarium is small but clean. They have a couple tanks with various fish. Our favorite was the shark tank. They have a tank with penguins which had a concave observation window near the water which was pretty neat, especially if you have young children. The window is around their height and they can sit in it and see the penguins while they are in the water. One penguin was hanging out in the water near the window which was cute. Upstairs they have a small touch tank with a sting ray and star fish. The staff is very knowledgeable and pleasant. We were there for the shark feeding which was pretty cool. I would definitely recommend checking this place out and seeing one of the feedings.

3 stars is generous. The issue is that it is so small for $ 11. Only a few exhibits to see (sharks, penguins, fish, touch tank plus a few more). I just don’t think it is worth the price of admission. It was clean and the staff was friendly. Just needs more to make it worth the price. You will be there for only 30 min or so, 45 min if you are lucky.

I’ve been going to Jenkinson’s Boardwalk for two decades, and the aquarium has always been my favorite spot there. As aquariums go it’s a bit small, but what it lacks in size it makes up for with charm. Between the general quiet, the low lighting, and the rippling reflections from the tanks, it’s easy to feel like you’re in a special getaway under the sea. The staff is knowledgeable and ALWAYS friendly… you know that they genuinely care about the animals and love where they work.
I was sad to see that only one of the two harbor seals remaining there was present in the tank today; one passed away a couple of months ago (at 23 she was pretty old for a seal) and I hope the absent seal is okay. I grew up with Coral, Seaquin and Luseal!

For 11 bucks my girlfriend and I enjoyed it. They had seals, sharks, and penguins! A small touch tank was good too. Good value

Friendly staff, clean facility, and overall good time. This is not a day trip. Do not expect to spend hours upon hours here like you would at larger aquariums. It’s small but does not pretend to be anything it isn’t.
If you are looking for a nice educational experience for you and your family, this is worth visiting.

What I really loved about the aquarium was that you can go in and out for the whole day once your hand was stamped. Definitely a great management strategy as there are busloads of school kids who visit and it gets crowded in there. I don’t know if this is the policy all year round but during our visit it was.
I loved the shark tank and the penguins. We were there during feeding time so my son was fascinated by that. There’s more fish and some monkeys and macaws on the second floor, as well as a touch tank when you can touch starfish and crabs. There was also an activity room with benches for weary legs when not in use by the school children for lectures. We enjoyed it very much.

Jenkinson’s Aqaurium is sort of an institution on the Jersey Shore. Everyone knows it’s there and has likely been there at some point.
Although I grew up in NJ and have been to Point Pleasantamy times, I’ve never beem to the aquarium. I took my kids here but really didn’t expect much. They have the usual sharks, penguins and touch tank filled with manta rays and star fish.
Having been to huge aquariums like the ones in Baltimore and Camden, NJ, I would classify this one as more of a boardwalk diversion that takes 45 – 60 minutes to go through.
If your kids really like the arcade then save your money and let them spend it in the arcade across the way on the boardwalk.
I’d like to give it 3 stars but just can’t get that excited about it.

Perfect for what it is. Reasonably priced aquarium and a great spot to kill an hour or two. The aquarium has a variety of sea creatures (sharks, sea horses, seals, penguins) and it’s easy to walk around and see everything. Most of the sea creatures are downstairs while upstairs they have touch tanks for the kids. Our 13-​month-​old didn’t love the darkness downstairs but she did enjoy crawling around upstairs. I think we’ll be making numerous trips here in the future.

SHARK!
Seriously though, there are a bunch of incredible shark in this little aquarium and I had a great time here with my nieces. It’s a surprisingly nice, roomy, and well stocked aquarium for such a location and the prices were very reasonable for entry.
My nieces loved the penguins and sea lions. I loved the large fish and (obviously) the many breeds of shark (some quite large). We laughed and joked the whole time we were there and the staff were all too happy to laugh and joke with us in return.
If you have a free afternoon, I really suggest visiting this small aquarium, I think you’ll be surprised by it’s diversity and the wonderful sea life.

really more like a 3.5, but we all had a fun time so I’ll round up!
with spotty weather in the forecast for Sunday, but our determination to reconquer Point Pleasant as strong as ever, we opted for doing an indoor activity with our rented kids (my nephews) for a bit.
Jenks’ aquarium is clean, modern, and inviting for all. it’s two floors. there’s sharks, jellyfish, frogs, snakes, sting rays, a penguin exhibit, and some vibrantly-​colored tropical birds. plus, as you’d expect, a ton of fish. the tanks/​exhibits all seem well-​maintained.
viewing panes for most exhibits are fairly large, so don’t worry about not getting a good vantage point.
there are multiple feedings during the day, so the odds are pretty good you’ll catch those. or, even better — go right after, and see the seals loafing around for a bit because they’ve just eaten (give them a half hour, they’ll spring back to life and get real active). hey, I can relate to that!
$ 10 for adults and $ 6 for kids isn’t that bad, especially since the place is in pretty good shape AND you get your hand stamped (we got a chameleon!) for all-​day access, PLUS they’re open late. and, despite being mid-​afternoon on Labor Day Sunday, it wasn’t that packed.
expect to Exit Through The Gift Shop (but with no Banksy in sight), where the usual museum/​aquarium knickknacks can be found. my 4-​year-​old godson wanted a plush seal, and who am I to say no?
yeah, I’d go back.

Jenkinson’s Aquarium a quaint place for kids to take your kids to look at animals up close and personal. The entrance fee for adults is $ 10, free for kids under 2, and $ 6 senior citizens and children over 3. The price is fair especially when they stamp your hand so you can re-​enter throughout the day.
During our first visit, there weren’t that many people. My two year old nephew was able to explore the shark and fish tanks with ease without anyone blocking his view. The seals, sharks and penguins tend to be the main attractions. There was a touch tank on the second floor where kids can touch starfish and such but this wasn’t a popular exhibit for my nephew. Surprisingly, he was a little nervous to touch things! After exploring the aquarium in an hour, we decided to walk around the boardwalk for a while and come back when the seal’s were ready for their feeding. Children were able to sit close to the glass and watch seal’s as they were being fed and trained by the staff. Sometimes one of the seals would jump up by the window and kids would get excited.
It’s a nice place to take your young kids. Overall I enjoyed it. If I’m at Point Pleasant with children, I’d come to Jenkinson’s Aquarium again.

Listen, it’s not the Baltimore one and heck, it’s not even the Coney Island one but it’s still a cool little aquarium and makes for a nice visit.
All in all it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to see and experience the place which is the perfect time. In the large main room, they have tons of freshwater and saltwater fish, starfish, jellyfish, sharks, and one really cool thing right now that they are exhibiting is shark embryos that are gestating in their cases. If you actually take the time to read all the information they provide, it’s a worthwhile learning experience. Feeding times are posted for the sharks (cue screaming children) — try to catch a view by the stairs, you can see just as well and won’t have to wade through a mosh pit of kids thirsty for blood.
They also have a large penguin tank with interactive shows on the main level as well as tank where the seals are kept. On the downside, the tank for the seals is too small and any observer can easily see this is true. I’m seriously hoping they decide to revamp and expand the tank in the future, it makes you sad to see them. Upstairs, they have more plantlife and fish tanks as well as the see and touch exhibit. I prefer to eat my eels and sea urchins in finely prepared restaurants, but I guess I can make friends and pet them, too. Except for the eels. I’ve swam in enough lakes in my life with those bastards. We don’t get along.
One thing that is missing temporarily while they renovate the «African» exhibit is the alligator. That’s fine with me. There’s only two things i’m afraid of life, they are large fires and large, carnivorous animals and this alligator definitely falls in the latter. I’ve seen him before on a previous visit and he’s huge.
During the summer season, it gets too packed on the weekends. Try to go during the weekday. If you’re looking for more boardwalk activity, the pay lobby at the aquarium has a deal for around $ 20 for aquarium pass, game of mini golf, and a trip through the funhouse. Go embrace some youth.