Opening Times

  • Monday: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)
  • Tuesday: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)
  • Wednesday: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)
  • Thursday: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)
  • Friday: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)
  • Saturday: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)
  • Sunday: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)

Merry Fish-mas!

There’s a fun-packed programme of festive themed events and activities taking place at Bristol Aquarium over the Christmas Holidays (Saturday, December 20th – Sunday, January 4th).
The Harbourside wildlife attraction will be staging 10 different daily talks, feeds and workshops throughout the festive period as part of their ‘Merry Fish-mas’ celebrations.
Visitors can enjoy a huge variety of events ranging from behind the scenes tours and craft workshops to fish feeding demonstrations, you can even see how their food is prepared – be warned though squid is on the menu!
For younger visitors there’s the chance to try and spot the aquarium’s giant cuddly costume character Charlie the Clownfish dressed in his Santa outfit and enjoy story time with a selection of Christmas inspired fishy-themed tales.
Bristol Aquarium’s Sarah Moore said: “Christmas is the perfect time of the year to visit and we’ve all been busy decorating the aquarium. There’s a giant Christmas tree in the foyer and we’ve put up a special Starfish Trail around the displays which is filled with fascinating facts.
“Younger visitors can also have their photographs taken with Charlie the Clownfish each afternoon (except Boxing Day) by the Christmas tree,” she added.
The aquarium showcases native and tropical marine and freshwater creatures from around the world in naturally themed habitats designed to inspire deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world.
Visitors embark on a fascinating journey from the British coast through warmer waters to exotic tropical seas.  Highlights include a life-size recreation of a sunken ship – home to native sharks, rays and  huge shoaling cod, a Bristol harbour scene – complete with stunning murals, a ‘walk-in’ seahorse display and a wooden footbridge, over the open-top giant coral seas display; home to tropical sharks and stingrays.
More than 40 other naturally-themed displays reveal the sheer variety of life in the deep from crabs and lobsters to the amazing giant Pacific octopus, moray eels, lionfish and clownfish.

  • The aquarium has a selection of annual passes for sale which are perfect Christmas gifts for fish-mad friends and family.
  • For a full list of Merry Fish-mas activities visit our EVENTS page found  on the headings above.

Issued by the Bristol Aquarium. For more information please contact Sarah Moore or David Waines on 0117 929 8929.

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