Photo: Vanbasten 23 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · editedCairns Aquarium
- Visit: 90–180 min
- Step-free access
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Opening hours
Today09:30 – 15:30Show all
Shorts
Why go
- Australia’s only 10-metre Deep Reef Tank.
- A 20-metre underwater tunnel and a 360-degree Oceanarium.
- Australia’s largest freshwater aquarium, holding 400,000 litres.
With kids
- Look for crustaceans, jellyfish and reptiles on the upper floor.
- Visit the upper-floor Marine Touch Tank for marine touch tank shows.
- Watch animal presentations, habitat talks and daily shark and ray feeds.
Tips for your visit
- Turtle Rehabilitation Centre tours run twice daily.
- A behind-the-scenes tour visits the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre and includes a chance to hand-feed Cownose Rays.
- An after-hours guided tour with a wildlife educator explores nocturnal animal behaviour.
Know before you go
- Open daily, 09:30–15:30.
Interesting facts4
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Since Reef HQ closed, this is the only aquarium worldwide exhibiting captive-bred olive sea snakes.
Cairns Aquarium - Wikipedia -
Rarely seen residents include emerald tree monitors and Jardine River turtles.
Cairns Aquarium - Wikipedia -
The exhibits follow water from mountain waterfalls through rivers, rainforest, mangroves and lagoons to the Coral Sea.
Cairns Aquarium | Marine Life Encounters & More in Cairns - Australia -
Two displays use replicas rather than live animals: the Riversleigh Fossil Trail, including Diprotodon, and the Deep Sea exhibit.
Cairns Aquarium - Wikipedia
History
The three-level aquarium cost $54 million to build.
- 2017Cairns Aquarium opened in September after six years of planning initiated by Daniel Leipnik and Andrew Preston.
- 2018The aquarium won Queensland Master Builder awards for Project of the Year and Leisure Facilities over $10 million.
Don't miss
- Coral Sea OceanariumLook for sharks, rays and large fish in a recreation of a Coral Sea ribbon reef.Ground floor
- Mangrove boardwalkExplore the aquarium’s recreated mangrove habitat.Aquarium
- Great Barrier Reef exhibitSee live corals and sea anemones among reef animals.Aquarium
- Rainforest exhibitLook for reptiles, amphibians and insects from North Queensland rainforests and arid country.Aquarium
- Billabong AmphitheatreSee a recreation of an ephemeral billabong in Queensland’s Gulf Country.Aquarium
Accessibility
- Lift Lifts are available throughout the aquarium.
- Wheelchair hire Wheelchair hire is free.
- Turtle viewing window Visitors unable to walk onto the viewing deck can see the turtles through a tank viewing window.
Sources: Cairns Aquarium - Wikipedia · Cairns - Wikivoyage (see) · Cairns Aquarium | Marine Life Encounters & More… · Self-Guided General Admission | Cairns Aquarium · General Admission & Turtle Hospital Tour | Cair… · Cairns Aquarium - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026
- Website
- cairnsaquarium.com.au/
- Phone
- ++61740447300
Questions and answers
How long is the Cairns Aquarium turtle hospital tour?
About 30 minutes. It introduces rescued turtles and the dangers facing Australia’s six sea turtle species.
How large is Cairns Aquarium?
It covers about 10,000 square metres and contains 71 exhibits.
Are there live animals in every Cairns Aquarium display?
No. The Riversleigh Fossil Trail and Deep Sea exhibit use replicas.
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