The Aquarium's Penguins Come Back Saturday. Monterey Locals Have a Better Window Than Opening Weekend.
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
Right now the African penguin page on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's website shows two words under the species name: "Not on exhibit." That changes this Saturday, Nov. 7. The aquarium opens Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar, a bilingual gallery with the penguins at its center in a much larger habitat. Members got their first look during the preview days that ran from Oct. 31 through Nov. 3. The aquarium's preview page called the opening "the return of African penguins, big-belly seahorses, and more of your favorite ocean animals."
Living a short drive away means you can pick your day. Opening weekend falls on a Saturday and Sunday. Ice skating starts at Custom House Plaza on Nov. 20, and Thanksgiving and the Cannery Row tree lighting follow in the next week. That leaves about two weeks of weekdays in between, and the aquarium's own crowd guidance points to the afternoons as the best time to go.
Ocean in Motion was designed for children ages 2 to 6, though the aquarium says it welcomes visitors of every age. The idea is to build empathy for ocean animals through movement. Kids copy how each animal moves, and the labels are written like a children's book with the animals as the main characters, so a parent or grandparent can read them aloud.
CEO Jenny Gray explained the thinking in the aquarium's announcement:
"The main theme of this exhibit is building empathy with ocean life in kids through movement, so we've selected endearing animals that move in fun ways."
The exhibits are set up as invitations to move. Here's what each one asks a child to do:
| Exhibit | What the animals do | What kids are invited to do |
|---|---|---|
| Big-belly seahorses | Wrap their tails around bright-green seagrass | Hold on to oversized seagrass towers that reach toward the ceiling |
| Leaping blennies | Hop and flop across wet rocks as water washes over | Hop from rock to rock on shapes in the floor, then watch an open-top exhibit at eye level |
| Coral community | Bluespotted ribbontail rays glide over a 20-foot reef while clownfish hide in anemones and a wave machine ripples the water | Climb up, over and through a coral-themed play area |
| African penguins | Dive, swim, preen and waddle on a rocky beach | Waddle, flap and shake a tail along with penguin silhouettes on digital interactives |
The aquarium says the main path through the coral area is fully accessible to visitors of all ages and abilities. It also describes the penguin habitat as the centerpiece of the gallery. The space has a history for longtime members, too. Hoodline, drawing on reporting from The Mercury News, reported that the new gallery replaces the aquarium's long-running Splash Zone.
A gallery made for hopping, climbing and waddling works best when there's room to move. That's why timing matters more here than at a tank you can watch from three rows back.
The aquarium lists summer, holidays and weekends as its busiest times. Here's how this month's dates line up against that:
December stays busy. Old Fisherman's Wharf decorates from Dec. 1, and its free Christmas on the Wharf programming runs on weekends from Dec. 4 to 20. The 42nd annual Christmas in the Adobes fills Historic Old Monterey on Dec. 11 and 12. The Nov. 9 to Nov. 19 stretch is the longest run of plain weekdays the gallery will have before the new year.
The aquarium's accessibility guide gives two timing tips. Together they point to one window. School groups usually visit until 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday during the school year. The building is quietest one to two hours before closing, especially in fall and winter.
So the window is a weekday afternoon after the school buses leave and before closing. The aquarium suggests three to four hours for a full visit. You don't need a full visit if you can come back. An afternoon spent mostly in Ocean in Motion is enough to watch the blennies hop and see the penguins swim. Its FAQ says visitors can arrive up to one hour before closing. Hours change by date, so check the aquarium's schedule before you go.
Members don't need reservations, so a free afternoon can turn into a visit on short notice. The previews are over, and nothing about the membership changes after opening day. The aquarium promotes membership as unlimited visits all year, which makes it easy to come back several times for a short stop.
General admission is $65 for adults and $50 for youth and seniors. Children four and under get in free. The aquarium's FAQ says it does not offer general discounts. The free admission days for Monterey County residents ran Sept. 8 to 20, so they won't help with this opening. Tickets are sold online only. The aquarium says same-day tickets are generally available but strongly recommends buying before you arrive.
The aquarium takes part in Museums for All. An adult with a SNAP/CalFresh EBT card and matching photo ID gets in free with up to three guests. Tickets are issued in person during regular hours, and the program has no end date. P-EBT and SUN Bucks cards are not accepted. Eligible visitors also get 10% off at the Aquarium Cafe.
For a sneak peek at home first, the aquarium runs Penguin and Coral Reef cams on its website and YouTube channel. A toddler who has watched the penguins waddle on a laptop arrives ready to copy them.
The aquarium has no public parking of its own. It points visitors to three nearby options:
On busy days, the aquarium warns, the closest open spot may be several blocks away. On weekend and holiday visits, that walk eats into the time a small child has left for climbing on a coral reef. A weekday afternoon in mid-November gives you a better shot at a closer space and a gallery with room to hop. With the 2 p.m. school-group tip and the quiet last hours before closing, a 3 p.m. arrival on a weekday between Nov. 9 and Nov. 19 lines up with the aquarium's own guidance.
I love it when something new comes to Cannery Row, and I keep a running Monterey calendar so my clients know what's happening around their homes all year. If the new penguin habitat has you thinking about where your family fits on the Peninsula, or what your home is worth in today's market, reach out to Kimberly Macias. Get your free home valuation, and I'll tell you which weekday I'm planning to go see the penguins.
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