San Antonio Aquarium

What San Antonio Aquarium does

San Antonio Aquarium is a privately held, locally owned family entertainment center founded in 2014 in Leon Valley, Texas (6320 Bandera Road). It operates a 50,000-square-foot facility housing over 8,000 living animals across 2,500+ species and 30+ exhibits, including sharks, stingrays, a 38,000-gallon saltwater touch tank, a rainforest reptile collection, lorikeet and parakeet aviaries, and mammals such as sloths, kinkajous, and ring-tailed and red-ruff lemurs. Its primary differentiator versus traditional aquariums is hands-on interaction: visitors can snorkel with stingrays, sleep overnight with sharks, participate in credit-based animal encounters, take behind-the-scenes Morning Rounds tours with an aquarist, and host birthday parties and private events on-site.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with multiple parallel revenue streams. Core monetization consists of $24.95 daily admission tickets (with a $3 USDA licensing fee at checkout) and a $49.95/year Annual Pass subscription that includes guest discounts and event pricing. Premium add-ons include four-tier birthday party packages ($18.95–$40.95 per person), snorkeling experiences ($32.42–$39.95), Sleep with Sharks overnight events ($389.50 for 10 people plus $35/additional person), animal outreach ($350/hour off-site), field trips ($6.95–$11.95 per student), and Pickle Dive pickleball court rentals ($20/hour). The venue also generates revenue from on-site food and beverage (Nathan's Hot Dogs, pizza, cotton candy, Dippin' Dots, alcoholic drinks), corporate sponsorships monetizing 600,000+ combined annual visitors, and private event rentals for groups of 30 to 1,500+.

Distribution is omnichannel: walk-in visitors at the single Leon Valley site, online ticket sales through the company website, group and field trip bookings, direct corporate outreach for sponsorships and private events, and a mobile animal outreach service. Marketing runs across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X, supplemented by email newsletters, blog content positioning the venue as a top San Antonio family destination, and community partnerships including the SA Texas Wildlife Rescue program. The company maintains a related presence in Austin, with combined annual visitorship across both locations exceeding 600,000. No external funding, M&A, or leadership changes are disclosed; operations are stable and ongoing, with daily hours of 10AM–8PM and after-hours events on weekends.

Name

San Antonio Aquarium

Legal name

store.sanantonioaquarium.net

Website

https://sanantonioaquarium.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family Entertainment Center / Public Aquarium

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE), Wildlife Watching & Encounters (Birding, Whale Watching, Primates) (THAJAIAC)

Keywords

• Public aquarium exhibits
• Interactive animal encounters
• Family entertainment center
• Birthday party venue
• Educational field trips

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales - Daily Admission: Revenue from daily general admission tickets for visitors of all ages. Adults and children ages 3+ pay $24.95 per ticket with a $3 USDA licensing fee added at checkout.
2. Annual Passes / Memberships: Recurring annual membership revenue offering free daily admission, complimentary day tickets, discounts on guest admissions, and special pricing on events and gift shop purchases. Requires 12-month commitment.
3. Birthday Party Packages: Revenue from four-tiered birthday party packages (Basic, Deluxe, Ultimate, VIP) ranging from $18.95-$40.95 per person depending on day of week and package tier. Includes venue access, party hosting, food options, and arcade credits.
4. Animal Encounters and Interactive Experiences: Revenue from credit-based animal encounters including feeding stingrays, lemur interactions, penguin experiences, and doctor fish spa services. Credits purchased in packages ranging from $10-$100.
5. Snorkeling with Stingrays: Revenue from snorkeling experiences in the 38,000 gallon salt water stingray tank. $39.95 per non-member, $32.42 per member, plus optional admission.
6. Private Events and Rentals: Revenue from renting the 50,000 square foot facility for private events accommodating 30 to 1,500+ guests. Also includes Sleep with Sharks overnight experiences at $389.50 for 10 people plus $35 per additional person.
7. Animal Outreach Program: Revenue from bringing animals to off-site events at schools, community gatherings, and private parties. Starting at $350/hour with additional mileage and service fees.
8. Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships: Revenue from corporate sponsors seeking brand visibility in a major tourism area with 600,000+ annual visitors. Includes in-park signage, sampling, couponing, video advertising, and social media co-branding opportunities.
9. Pickleball Courts and Entertainment: Revenue from pickleball court rentals at The Pickle Dive ($20/hour for up to 4 people) plus food, beverages, and entertainment including karaoke nights.
10. Food and Beverage: Revenue from on-site food service including Nathan's Hot Dogs, pizza, nachos, combos, snacks, cotton candy, ice cream, Dippin' Dots, and beverages including alcoholic options.
11. Field Trips and Educational Programs: Revenue from organized school field trips with special pricing for students and chaperones. Students $6.95-$11.95, Parent Chaperones $8.95-$24.95. Includes Title I school discounts and scholarship fund options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

San Antonio Aquarium operates a family entertainment center and interactive aquarium where visitors observe and physically interact with more than 8,000 animals across 30+ exhibits, including sharks, stingrays, sloths, lemurs, penguins, reptiles, and tropical fish. The core offer centers on daily admission tickets and an annual pass, with premium paid experiences such as Animal Encounters, Snorkeling with Stingrays, Sleep with Sharks, and Morning Rounds behind-the-scenes tours, plus birthday party packages, field trip programs, and corporate/private event venue rentals.

Product overview

San Antonio Aquarium is a family entertainment center offering a unified visitor experience combining marine life exhibits with interactive animal encounters. The core offering centers on daily admission tickets ($24.95) and annual passes ($49.95), supported by a credits system for purchasing add-on experiences. Premium add-ons include Animal Encounters, Snorkeling With Stingrays, and Sleep With Sharks overnight experiences. The aquarium also provides event services including Birthday Party Packages (Basic through VIP tiers), Private Events venue rental, Field Trips, and Animal Outreach programs. Additional entertainment includes Pickleball at The Pickle Dive, an Arcade, and Mermaids At The Aquarium experiences. The facility also operates a Wildlife Rescue Program and Corporate Partnership opportunities, all within a 50,000 square foot space hosting over 8,000 animals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600,000 combined visitors annually between San Antonio and Austin Aquarium locations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Corporate Sponsors (Brands visible in parks)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple corporate brand partners receive marketing exposure through in-park signage, video monitor advertising, sampling, couponing, featured business booth space, online and social media co-branding, and giveaways. These partnerships provide brand visibility to the aquarium's 600,000+ annual visitors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies: Mid-sized tourist-region aquarium offering hands-on encounters, sleepovers, and interactive exhibits. Highly comparable operating model and scale to San Antonio Aquarium.
• Aquarium of Niagara: Mid-sized regional aquarium offering family programming, animal encounters, and educational tours. Comparable scale and visitor experience focus.
• Dallas World Aquarium: Inland, interactive aquarium featuring diverse species, animal encounters, and educational programming in another major Texas metro. Most directly comparable mid-sized independent aquarium operator.
• Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk: Regional aquarium emphasizing marine life exhibits, educational programs, and family encounters. Comparable mid-sized aquarium operator with similar programming mix.
• SEA LIFE San Antonio (in shops at Rivercenter): Compact aquarium located in the same San Antonio metro, part of a global branded chain. Competes directly for tourist and family visits with a more standardized but lower-cost offering.
• Austin Aquarium: Closest peer—same brand family, similar interactive aquarium model with animal encounters, birthday parties, and field trips. Combined visitor counts are aggregated between the two locations, indicating shared ownership or operating partnership.
• Newport Aquarium: Regional family-focused aquarium with interactive exhibits, animal encounters, and overnight programs. Comparable mid-market scale and visitor experience offering.

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Aquarium: Large regional aquarium with immersive exhibits, animal encounters, and educational programming. Comparable visitor model though larger scale and non-profit structure.
• Shedd Aquarium: Large, established aquarium with extensive educational programming, animal encounters, and overnight experiences. Comparable visitor experience offerings though at significantly larger scale and not-for-profit structure.
• SeaWorld San Antonio: Major regional theme park and aquarium operator in the same Texas market. Competes for family tourism, group events, and educational field trip dollars at significantly larger scale and budget.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SAAquarium
• Facebookfacebook.com/sanantonioaquarium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-antonio-aquarium-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/sanantonioaquarium/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Antonio Aquarium