Avila Bch Playground and Central Coast Aquarium
Avila Beach is a delightful town filled with bright pastel buildings. The playground is situated right across the street from the beach and just a few steps from the main strip, Front Street, where you can eat a meal. Right next door to the playground is the small Central Coast Aquarium which is lovely to explore.
Kids delight in Avila Beach's pirate-themed playground, while parents happily enjoy the views of the sea, colorful houses, flowers, and hills all around them. Usually there are a ton of friendly parents and kids at the playground so it's a good place to come if your kids need someone to play with. The play structure has a wooden bridge, dolphin sculptures to climb, ship with pirate holding a telescope, sand pit, play structure, bouncy horses, large rocks, swings, and baby swings. There's a nice atmosphere and kids can spend hours playing in the clean sand below the playground and jumping from boulder to boulder.
The Central Coast Aquarium is immaculate and offers tanks full of jellies, starfish, mermaid's purses, sting rays, baby sharks, an octopus, plus interesting exhibits to teach you about the abundant life under the sea in this region. There are some unusual creatures that camouflage themselves in the sandy bottom tank. Helpful volunteers fill you in on info and let you touch the sea urchins and starfish in the touch tank. There are feeding sessions at 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30, with the 1:30 shark feeding being the most fun! The gift shop has palm pal stuffies, squid beanies, and books. Summer camps, which take place over three different weeks in June and July, are expensive.
While near San Luis Obispo, don't miss out on the most amazing playground you'll ever see, at Sinsheimer Park.
If you're visiting Avila Beach on a Wednesday or Saturday, reserve at tour at Point San Luis Lighthouse, for a memorable two hours, with gorgeous views of the coast.
Play structure and bouncies, over lovely clean sand.
You can go straight from the beach to the playground!
Colorful pirate ship!
Basketball court by the playground, with view of the sea!
Colorful buildings by the playground.
Picnic tables by the playground.
Sting ray and pink starfish at the Central Coast Aquarium.
A volunteer introduces some children to the touch tank.
Baby leopard shark and amazing starfish at the Central Coast Aquarium.
Kelp tank.
Funny flat fish that camouflages himself by the sand, at the Central Coast Aquarium.
The playground is a ton of fun.
Picnic table by the playground, with a view!
Picnic table in the sand, near the playground.
A horseshoe crab chases a sting ray.
Little girl checks out a shark.
Spotted sharks.
Mural at the aquarium.
It's green at the basketball courts by the playground.
View of the beach, a cute mound, and yellow ice plant in April, from the promenade by the playground.
Baby swings at the playground.
If you tire of the playground, you can swing on swings in the sand at the beach below!
Pirate with telescope on the playground, at night in the fog!
Yellow flowers on the hills behind the Central Coast Aquarium.
Views from the playground in Avila.
The octopus hides in the corner!
A spotted shark!
Shark feeding time is very fun. It's at 1:30pm.
The tanks.
Kelp forest tank and pier piling tank.
Squid beanies, hanging jellies, turtle stuffies, and books, in the gift shop.
Pastel building with pretty balconies, and hills covered in yellow flowers, as seen from the playground.
Shaded bench with a view of the beach, at the Avila Beach Playground.
Description of coastal birds, at the boardwalk that runs past the Avila Beach Playground.
Kids can play at the shore after visiting the aquarium.
The aquarium has a Spanish building. I liked it better when it was white!
Puffy starfish in the touch tank.
Pretty coral in the touch tank.
Orange starfish, abalone shell, and sea urchin in the touch tank.
Starfish and sea urchins in the touch tank.
Camouflaging ray and fish, in the sandy bottom tank.
Baby sharks.
Mermaid's purses. Mother swell sharks lay two eggs per month in the purses. The egg cases are made of the same material as fingernails, protecting the eggs, which take a year to hatch!
Sea stars and orange fish.
Jellies in a circular glass tank.
Shark feeding time! The friendly volunteers make it fun for kids.
Sandy bottom tank with camouflaged creatures, and the octopus hiding in the right corner.
This is a Decorator Crab! It camouflages itself by attaching algae and sponges to its shell.
From Highway 101, follow the signs to Avila Beach Drive. Once you're on Avila Beach Drive, follow it for three miles and then turn left at the light on First Street. Pay for parking in the large lot on the left or else turn right on San Juan Street to see if you luck out and find free parking right next to the playground.
Central Coast Aquarium, 50 San Juan St, Avila Beach CA, call (805) 595-7280. Open daily 10-4. Cost is $10 for adults, $8 for children aged 3-12, $7 for seniors and military, and free for kids aged 2 and under.
Last Updated: Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:15:03 GMT
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