San Diego · RedAwning

SeaWorld San Diego189 acres on Mission Bay, the original SeaWorld since 1964, and California's tallest dive coaster

The original SeaWorld park, opened March 21, 1964 on a 22-acre Mission Bay leasehold and grown to 189 acres — California's first marine-life and theme-park hybrid. Today it pairs the Orca Encounter performance, Penguin Encounter, and Shark Encounter with five major coasters: the 153-foot Emperor (California's tallest, longest, and fastest dive coaster, opened 2022), the 150-foot Electric Eel triple-launch coaster, the spinning Tidal Twister, the family Manta launched coaster, and the 1976 wooden classic Bayside Skyride aerial gondola.

Hours today10:00 AM – 9:00 PMSunday hours
TicketsFrom $89.99Single Day Ticket — Online
LocationSan Diego, California500 Sea World Drive
Official siteseaworld.comPlan your visit

189Acres
1964Opened
5Major coasters
153 ftTallest dive

SeaWorld opened on Mission Bay on March 21, 1964 — a 22-acre leasehold from the City of San Diego and the brainchild of four UCLA fraternity brothers (Milt Shedd, Ken Norris, David DeMott, George Millay) who pitched it as an underwater restaurant before it became a marine-life park. The park has grown to 189 acres and added a coaster portfolio over the past two decades while continuing to operate the largest marine-mammal collection in the western U.S. — orca, beluga, dolphin, sea lion, walrus, and a 280-animal penguin colony spanning five Antarctic species.

The current ride lineup is the strongest in the park's history. Emperor, opened March 12, 2022, is the West Coast's only floorless dive coaster — a 153-foot vertical drop, 60 mph top speed, 2,500 feet of track. Electric Eel (2018) is a 150-foot triple-launch with two inversions; Manta (2012) is a family launched coaster paired with a 100,000-gallon ray habitat; Tidal Twister (2019) is the world's only horizontal duel coaster. Behind the rides: the Orca Encounter educational performance (replaced the 2017 Shamu show retirement), the Penguin Encounter walk-through (5°F enclosure for 280 emperor, king, gentoo, Adélie, and macaroni penguins), the Shark Encounter underwater tunnel (57-foot acrylic tube), and Sesame Place San Diego (rebranded from Aquatica in 2022 — children's rides and Sesame Street character meet-and-greets).

Plan a full day; coaster lines peak 12:00–4:00 PM. Park free Tuesdays for Mission Bay residents do not exist here — general parking is $35. Closest hotels (Bahia Resort, Catamaran, Paradise Point) are walking distance across Mission Bay; the MTS Route 9 bus runs from Old Town. Avoid weekends in summer if possible — weekday off-season tickets drop to $69, and Howl-O-Scream October Friday/Saturday nights and Christmas Celebration mid-November–January 1 are the biggest attendance peaks.

Emperor — California's tallest dive coaster
A B&M floorless dive coaster opened March 12, 2022 — 153 feet tall, 60 mph, 2,500 feet of track, three inversions including a 45-foot Immelmann, an Inline Twist, and an Immelmann finale. The 90-degree vertical drop holds riders suspended at the apex for three seconds before release. Single-rider line cuts the standard wait roughly in half.
Orca Encounter
A 30-minute educational presentation in the 5,500-seat Shamu Stadium centered on natural orca behavior — pod hunting, vocalizations, and play — with no scripted choreographed tricks (the format replaced "One Ocean" in 2017 after the 2016 captive-breeding moratorium). Five live orcas perform; show times posted daily, typically 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM, and 4:00 PM.
Penguin Encounter
A walk-through cold-room habitat held at 5°F with a 280-bird colony spanning five species — emperor, king, gentoo, Adélie, and macaroni — and the only emperor penguin colony in North America. A moving walkway carries visitors past the 60-foot underwater viewing window where the birds porpoise at 15 mph; daily 10:30 AM keeper talk on the breeding program.
Electric Eel & Manta coasters
Electric Eel (2018) is a 150-foot Premier Rides triple-launch with two inversions and a 60 mph top speed — the tallest and fastest coaster in San Diego before Emperor. Manta (2012) is a smaller B&M family launched coaster paired with a 100,000-gallon walk-through ray habitat at the queue. Both run continuously; lines longest 1:00–4:00 PM.
Shark Encounter
A 280-foot acrylic tunnel through a 280,000-gallon shark habitat — sand tigers, blacktips, whitetips, nurse sharks, and bonnetheads — recently expanded to include the new "Reef Reservation" exhibit. The Open Ocean Shark Dive add-on ($199) puts certified divers in the tank with the sharks for 30 minutes, no cage.
Bayside Skyride
A 1976 aerial gondola — the only gondola of its kind on the West Coast — that loops over Perez Cove and the Mission Bay waterfront for six minutes. Six-passenger cars, included with admission, climbs to 100 feet over the bay with views of downtown San Diego and the SR-5 freeway approach. Closes in winds above 30 mph.
Sesame Place San Diego
The 17-acre Sesame Street-themed children's park inside SeaWorld, rebranded from Aquatica San Diego on March 26, 2022 — 11 family rides, daily 1:00 PM Sesame Street parade, character meet-and-greets at Big Bird's Tree House. Included with SeaWorld admission; same gate. Best for kids 2–10.
Dine With Orcas
A reservation-only buffet meal poolside at Shamu Stadium with the orcas swimming through the underwater viewing window beside the tables. $59 adult / $39 child, 60-minute seating, daily 11:30 AM and 5:00 PM; trainer Q&A during the meal. Book at least 48 hours ahead — capped at 80 guests.

Open hours

Hours vary by season — summer (mid-June through Labor Day) extends weekday close to 10:00 PM with Electric Ocean fireworks. Off-season weekday hours often shorten to 11:00 AM–6:00 PM. Always check seaworld.com the day of visit, especially November–February. Special events: Howl-O-Scream (October weekends), Christmas Celebration (mid-November through January 1).

Monday10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Thursday10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Saturday10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
SundayToday10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Note · Last entry one hour before close. Coasters and the Skyride stop loading 30 minutes before park close.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

Single Day Ticket — Online$89.99All-day admission; cheaper than gate price; valid any one day within window selected
Two-Park Ticket (SeaWorld + Aquatica)$134.99One visit to each within 14 consecutive days
Silver Annual Pass$132Unlimited visits, free general parking, ride preview events; some blockout dates
Child Under 3FreeFree admission; must be accompanied by a paid adult

All tickets are date-restricted online — "Any Day" tickets cost more than fixed-day tickets, and weekday off-season tickets can drop to $69. Quick Queue line-skip $50–$80 per person. General parking $35, preferred $45, RV $50. Animal Encounter add-ons (Beluga Interaction $250, Sea Lion Encounter $90, Dolphin Up-Close $79) require separate booking. Outside food and drink are not allowed; the park has restaurants and a Dine With Orcas option.

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