Queensland · Attraction
Cairns Aquarium
Great Barrier Reef beneath one roof
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
Opened in 2017 in the Cairns CBD, the Cairns Aquarium is the largest regional aquarium in Australia and the only facility in the world dedicated entirely to the ecosystems of Tropical North Queensland. More than 15,000 animals live across 70 exhibits, including a walk-through coral reef tunnel, a living Great Barrier Reef display, and a freshwater rainforest zone fed by the Wet Tropics watershed.
The aquarium is fully climate-controlled, making it an ideal wet-season activity when outdoor plans can be disrupted by tropical downpours. Exhibits move through distinct ecosystems, from mountain streams and flooded rainforest to mangroves, tidal flats, and open-ocean reef, tracing the journey water makes from the Tablelands to the Coral Sea. Visitors can see sawfish, sea turtles, sharks, and hundreds of reef fish species up close.
Dive and snorkel experiences allow guests to enter certain exhibits with marine animals, bookable separately from general admission. The aquarium also runs a dedicated education program and collaborates with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority on research and conservation awareness.
The facility is open every day including all public holidays, with last admission in the afternoon. It sits one block from the Esplanade and is within easy walking distance of most Cairns CBD hotels.
Scenic views
