Maui Ocean Center

A trip to the Maui Ocean Center, located in Ma‘alaea, is a great way to take a break from the sun and get a close look at Maui marine life. The three-acre marine park hosts more than 60 interactive exhibits, an outdoor central courtyard, two restaurants and the Maui Ocean Center Store.

It is also home to the largest collection of live coral displays in the nation.

Our last trip (in 2004) included my mom and dad, 4 siblings, 3 spouses and 5 children under age 5. We had a blast! While a few of the guys were in a scuba certification class we took everyone else to the Maui Ocean Center for some cultural enlightenment.

The trip from Lahaina took us between 30-40 minutes which was not too long to make all the kids unhappy but long enough to see some great scenery. Because a lot of the Maui Ocean Center is hands-on the older kids were completely enraptured by everything to see and touch. I didn't think we'd ever get out of the "petting pond."


There is a nearly 360 degree glass tunnel to walk through, which is a little unnerving to be honest. When you see a shark and other marine life swimming right above you and you're in a lapa lapa and flip flops you just hope the engineers knew what they were doing when they built it. Our visit to the Maui Ocean Center ended with taking a lunch break at one of the two eateries there. The food was great and I think the kids talked Grandpa into buying them whatever treat they wanted. Gotta love Grandparents!

The Maui Ocean Center is open all year from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. In July and August they extend their hours until 6:00 pm. Tickets are $21 for adults, $14 for children ages 3-12, and $18 for seniors 65 and older. They also have group sales rates available. Our kids could not get enough of the "ocean world" and we will definitely go back during our 2006 trip. Don't miss this opportunity--you'll never look at marine life the same again.

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