Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den is an attraction for all ages located in Scranton, PA. This Scranton aquarium showcases land and sea critters with a focus on conservation and preserving wildlife for the future! After seeing some online buzz about the new aquarium, my sister and I took Mini on a road trip for a visit. Here’s a review of our thoughts and a quick recap of all you need to know!
Location
Address: 300 Lackawanna Ave Scranton, PA 18503
The Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den is located inside The Marketplace at Steamtown, a small shopping mall in the city of Scranton, PA. The Marketplace can be found along a main city street- Lackawanna Ave. If you’re from out of the area, you’ll want to look for the Marketplace sign on the building, NOT an aquarium sign. Be prepared for some multi-lane traffic and a small city feel.
Once inside The Marketplace at Steamtown, the aquarium is easy to find. Make your way to the first floor center atrium and it’s hard to miss. You pay before entering and there’s a fun photo op outside the entrance, as well.
Cost
Adult (ages 13 to 64): $18.95
Child (ages 2 to 12): $15.95
Senior (ages 65+): $16.95
*Note: College student, military, and police rates are available.
For what it’s worth, my sister and I found the price high for the size of the attraction. The three of us (two adults and a 2 year old) cost over $50.00 for about an hour’s worth of entertainment. Locals who enjoy the aquarium may want to look into the annual pass option. The price seems well worth it if you plan to visit even a few times in a year and comes with discounts on gift shop and birthday package purchases.
Find full, up to date information on cost and purchase tickets on the ELECTRIC CITY AQUARIUM SITE.
Appropriate ages
Sea creature and reptile lovers of all ages are welcome and encouraged! All things considered, I wouldn’t mind visiting with any age explorer.
Hours
Monday- Saturday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
*Note: Final admission is at 5:15 pm.
We’ve found that similar hours are pretty typical for animal attractions.
Check for updates and details on hours directly on the ELECTRIC CITY AQUARIUM SITE.
Parking
Plenty of parking is available in the area. The LOCATION AND PARKING page of the aquarium mentions a specific heated parking garage that they recommend, but I’m not a city driver so personally, we pulled into the first garage that was convenient. I don’t think I’d be comfortable walking through that particular garage alone with kids at night (I was uneasy in the middle of the day, especially in the stairwell after we got kind of stuck in the elevator), but as I mentioned, there are plenty of options in the area from different garages to metered street parking.
Atmosphere
This Scranton aquarium is a fun little PA attraction. Our visit was very calm and laid back and a nice nature experience. The rooms are all dim and fairly quiet besides the sounds of guests. It’s a decently new project and that can be seen and felt in the clean, modern construction.
Cleanliness
This is one point I could rave on. Everything was very fresh and clean, which is what I expected since it’s a pretty new facility. The animals seemed well taken care of and exhibits looked clean and appropriate through a guest’s eyes. All good things. No piles of dirt or dust. No worn or damaged furniture, decor, etc.
Service
Everyone was professional and polite. There wasn’t anyone that made me take notice either way, good OR bad, and I’ll take that with no complaints because it means we had a smooth experience.
Bathroom
Two bathrooms are available within the aquarium. Restrooms were clean, average bathrooms- one within the exhibits and the other in the gift shop. When we visited, only one had a changing table.
Food
There is no food and drink within the attraction but there’s plenty available nearby for before or after you exit. Inside The Marketplace at Steamtown is a full food court with some really unique and fun restaurants and stands (though a lot of the stands were closed when we were there). We enjoyed a pizza shop meal before we went in. Of course, being inside the city of Scranton, there are also plenty of restaurants and places to eat outside The Marketplace and the aquarium.
Activities
The main attraction here is pretty obvious: sea critters and reptiles! Enter first through the reptile den to visit slimy creatures such as snakes, frogs, and lizards. We most enjoyed the gator exhibit, where you can get down on the gator’s level and look him in the eyes. Move on to the aquarium beyond that and visit the sea creatures!. You’ll find sharks, catfish, piranhas, and more to view within cool exhibits. Mini loved running around and chasing the fish in the round tube aquariums.
Beyond the regular viewing of the animals, Electric City Aquarium offers two special features. There is a touch tank, where you can reach in and check out little critters like starfish and crabs, and the stingray bay tank. The touch tank was closed when we were there and Mini was too afraid to try the rays, but I loved reaching in and feeling the smooth skin of the stingrays. Additionally, the aquarium offers a SCHEDULE of feedings and educational shows to enhance your visit. The aquarium does an excellent job of providing multifaceted exhibits to give visitors different views and a more exciting experience.
If you’re local to the area or planning a visit ahead of time, make sure you also check out the EVENTS page. The aquarium offers specialty events, such as Wine Under the Waves and holiday dinners at certain times of year! (Pssst… They also do birthday parties if your kiddo is a lover of aquatic creatures!)
Souvenirs
Like any well-planned attraction, the Electric City Aquarium and Reptile Den has a gift shop at the end of the exhibits. I really appreciated the gift shop for its variety of price points and items available. Everything from candy and toys to science experiments and aquarium branded shirts and key chains.
Notably nearby
If you’re looking to turn your visit into a longer trip, there’s lots to do in the area. The easiest and most obvious place to find other things to do is within THE MARKETPLACE AT STEAMTOWN, where the aquarium is located. You can find all kinds of food, like I mentioned above, and a range of stores. Most notably for children, I spotted candy, video game, music, and book stores for kids, along with a really cool looking climb and play place for younger children called BEE’S BACKYARD.
There’s also fun to be found OUTSIDE the mall. Visit the SKY ZONE a few miles away, LACKAWANNA COUNTY CHILDREN’S LIBRARY, or LAHEY FAMILY FUN PARK to ramp up the trip!
final thoughts
Overall we found our trip to Electric City Aquarium and Reptile Den to be a pleasant experience. The attraction was a little small and pricey but it was top notch in quality and experience. We enjoyed our visit. I would definitely visit again if I was in the area, but I’m not sure that we would travel out of our way to visit again.
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