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About Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California

Located atop a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the college campus, Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography opened its doors and started greeting guests in 1992. Designed around a central lobby, the facility branches into three interpretive areas which include Hall of Fishes with 33 tanks, Hall of Oceanography and a demonstration tide pool and discovery station. Hall of Fishes sports a huge 70,000 gallon tank among its collection, but the aquarium is especially proud of its display on oceanographic sciences which is considered the largest in the United States.

Thanks to a $6 million donation from the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation and a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, the aquarium’s extensive facilities include two seawater-equipped classrooms adjoining the public display areas.

The hilltop site provides a spectacular overview of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus and the Pacific beyond. Exhibits in the greatly enhanced museum offer a window on global research projects being conducted in the SIO laboratories and at sea with the Scripps fleet. The aquarium also includes a gallery on tropical marine habitats.

Birch Aquarium is directly above Scripps Beach and near the more popular La Jolla Shores Beach.

Address
2300 Expedition Way
La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone
(858) 534-3474
Website
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La Jolla, US
1:31 am, March 28, 2024
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Sunset: 7:06 pm
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Nearby Beaches

Scripps Beach

0.2 miles away

Scripps Beach is adjacent to the UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus in northern La Jolla. The long concrete...

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South Blacks Beach

0.7 miles away

South Black’s Beach is a remote beach below high bluffs between La Jolla Shores and Black’s Beach. It’s a...

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