Sarasota
Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA)
A modern marine-science experience that makes an excellent Sarasota-area family stop.
Why Go
Mote SEA is Sarasota's new, purpose-built public aquarium at University Town Center — a much larger successor to Mote's former City Island aquarium, built for hands-on marine-science exhibits. It opened in October 2025, so this is genuinely new: the old City Island location has closed to walk-in visitors and now supports research and RSVP-only programs only. Mote's public aquarium experience lives here now.
What to Expect
A modern, much larger aquarium than the old City Island building, sitting right at University Town Center — easy to pair with UTC shopping and dining on the same Sarasota-area day.
MAX Insider Tip — Don't confuse this with the old Mote location on City Island — that site no longer admits general visitors. Mote SEA at University Town Center is the current public aquarium.
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