Maui Ocean Center
The Maui Ocean Center is an aquarium and oceanography center located in Maalaea, Hawaii, on the island of Maui.
A zoo & aquarium inside Maalaea
You can stay in Maalaea
Maui Ocean Center is inside Maalaea, which has 5 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar and Dec
January, February, March and December are the mild months, with highs of 82–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 9 miles away
Kahului (OGG) has airline service, about 9 miles from Maui Ocean Center.
Established in 1998
Maui Ocean Center dates from 1998. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Maalaea. Green months are the mild ones.
Maui Ocean Center
The Maui Ocean Center is an aquarium and oceanography center located in Maalaea, Hawaii, on the island of Maui. Opened on March 13, 1998, by Coral World International, the 3-acre (1.2 ha) facility is the largest living tropical reef aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. Their exhibits include colorful displays of live coral reef habitats, diverse collections of endemic Hawaiian fish species, and up-close viewing of sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, and various sea creatures.
Maui Ocean Center is the only public aquarium on Maui and exclusively displays marine life found in Hawaiian waters. The SEASCAPE restaurant at the aquarium is unique in that the restaurant is the only restaurant in all of Hawaii to be platinum certified for sustainability due to the restaurant offering 100% sustainable dining.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Area
- 3 acres
- Established
- 1998
- Wikipedia readers
- 2.9K a year
Where to stay near Maui Ocean Center
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Maalaea (5) and Kihei (30).
- 1Haleakala
- 2Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
- 3Maui Nui Botanical Gardens
- 4Lahaina Heritage Museum
- 5Kula Botanical Garden
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Maui Ocean Center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maalaea 48% vacation homes | in town | — | 5 4 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 210 | $667K |
| Kihei 21% vacation homes | 5 mi east | 10 min | 30 25 hotels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 21,567 | $920K |
| Wailea 34% vacation homes | 9 mi southeast | 15 min | 37 32 hotels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 6,352 | $1,535K |
| Lahaina | 12 mi northwest | 20 min | 30 24 hotels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 hostel | 10,162 | $882K |
| Wailuku | 6 mi north | 10 min | 11 2 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 6 hostels | 16,926 | $856K |
| Kaanapali 49% vacation homes | 15 mi northwest | 20 min | 30 28 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 1,170 | $1,952K |
| Napili-Honokowai 28% vacation homes | 16 mi northwest | 25 min | 19 17 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs | 7,308 | $879K |
| Kahului | 5 mi northeast | 10 min | 5 4 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 28,288 | $863K |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Maui Ocean Center
Other well-known places within 70 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
124 mi National ParkHaleakala National Park854K visitors a year
39 mi National Historical ParkKalaupapa National Historical Park15K visitors a year
26 mi MuseumAlexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
69 mi National Historic SitePu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site22K visitors a year
31 mi GardenKahanu Garden
37 mi GardenMaui Nui Botanical Gardens412 mi MuseumLahaina Heritage Museum
513 mi GardenKula Botanical GardenPhoto credits
Haleakala National Park: Michael Oswald, Public domain · Kalaupapa National Historical Park: Jack Boucher, Public domain · Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum: Joel Bradshaw, Public domain · Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site: Bamse, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kahanu Garden: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 · Maui Nui Botanical Gardens: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us · Kula Botanical Garden: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Visiting Maui Ocean Center
Is Maui Ocean Center in Maalaea?
Yes. It’s inside Maalaea, HI.
When is the best time to visit Maui Ocean Center?
January, February, March and December, with highs of 82–83°.
How far is Maui Ocean Center from Urban Honolulu?
About 94 miles northwest of Urban Honolulu, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Maui Ocean Center?
Kahului (OGG), about 9 miles away.
Where should I stay near Maui Ocean Center?
Kihei (5 mi, 30 places to stay), Wailea (9 mi, 37 places to stay) and Lahaina (12 mi, 30 places to stay).
Tips from people in Maalaea
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Maalaea’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.