When we first got there, we had to wait in a huge line to get our tickets and get in. It was a rainy day, so it seemed like everyone picked that day to go. They would only let so many be inside the gates at a time, so we actually had to wait until people came out before we were allowed to enter. This was by far the worst part; it was about a 45-minute wait. Also, my son wanted something to drink and there was no place to buy that until we were allowed though the gate. They did have machines out in front of the building, but they were all out of order and the gift shop we were allowed in did not sell drinks. When you first walk in the door, they also take your picture, and before you leave, you can view and purchase pictures if you’d like.

Once we were in the gate, the fun began. First we walked by some of the fish tanks on the way to see the dolphin and sea lion show. We saw several types shark swimming around in tanks and sea turtles and several other species of sea fish. They also had concession stands once inside where you could get snack and drinks, but they were pretty costly.

The dolphin and sea lion show was great. We all watched and never lost interest. The animals were really talented. The sea lion climbed a ladder, got on a platform like a diving board, and helped a fish into his mouth without eating it. They also told them different commands for different body parts and they would show us. It was really neat.

After this, we looked in the fish tanks some more before going to the dolphin show. This show was also great. They had three dolphins in this show, and they would jump all at the same time and hit balls hanging above them. Then they could just go through hula hoops. The trainer got on a platform really high up and held a fish in her mouth, and the dolphin jumped up and got the fish from her mouth. This is a place I would for sure like to visit again one day. It is really entertaining for all ages.

The Gulfarium is older than that "other" theme park chain, but it doesn’t have the beer bucks behind it. The dolphin and sea lion shows were nice, but not near as expansive or glitzy.

The individual shows were shorter, which was an advantage for our young children. They were also able to get close to the animals. A highlight of the 5-year-olds day was getting his picture taken with a sea lion flipper in his lap.

There are 4 shows of 20-25 minutes each, run back to back with the cycle repeating. You can cover all the exhibits, shows and gift shops in about 3 hours. The shows are a dolphin show, a sea lion show, a dolphin-and-sea lion show and a "Living Seas" show (which is an aquarium of Gulf species with a scuba diver). All the shows except the aquarium show are outside with shade, so dress for the heat.

There were some touch tanks available for limited periods of time to give the animals a rest. The alligator pond was kind of boring for our boys as the ‘gators didn’t move.

This was one of our combo trips: Anglers Beachside Grill is conveniently next door and the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier is also worth a stop.

Visit the Gulfarium on the web. Maybe you will be interested in their program where kids get to swim with dolphins.

The Gulfarium is older than that "other" theme park chain, but it doesn’t have the beer bucks behind it. The dolphin and sea lion shows were nice, but not near as expansive or glitzy.

The individual shows were shorter, which was an advantage for our young children. They were also able to get close to the animals. A highlight of the 5-year-olds day was getting his picture taken with a sea lion flipper in his lap.

There are 4 shows of 20-25 minutes each, run back to back with the cycle repeating. You can cover all the exhibits, shows and gift shops in about 3 hours. The shows are a dolphin show, a sea lion show, a dolphin-and-sea lion show and a "Living Seas" show (which is an aquarium of Gulf species with a scuba diver). All the shows except the aquarium show are outside with shade, so dress for the heat.

There were some touch tanks available for limited periods of time to give the animals a rest. The alligator pond was kind of boring for our boys as the ‘gators didn’t move.

This was one of our combo trips: Anglers Beachside Grill is conveniently next door and the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier is also worth a stop.

Visit the Gulfarium on the web. Maybe you will be interested in their program where kids get to swim with dolphins.