Connecting people to oceans.
For over 30 years, REEF has been helping people build meaningful connections with the oceans and empowering them to make a difference. Now, we are dreaming bigger in our pursuit of healthy, thriving oceans.
Opened in 2025, the REEF Ocean Exploration Center for Marine Conservation inspires curiosity and wonder for the oceans, fosters scientific research and collaboration, and serves as an immersive experience that helps everyone discover their unique role in protecting our blue planet. The education center brings together stories of science, history, and the arts. It is a celebration of community.
Located in Key Largo, at the gateway to the Florida Keys, the Ocean Exploration Center is free and open to all.
Operating Hours
Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 12pm - 8pm - Join us for Ocean After Hours every Tuesday evening
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday CLOSED
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm
CLOSED Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day,
Admission
Central to our 'Oceans for All' values, admission is free and all are welcome.
Location and Directions
98380 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida 33037
Located in the median at mile marker 98.3. Access along Bahama Road.
More than a museum or education center
The Ocean Exploration Center is a launchpad for inspiring future ocean stewards, pioneering research, fostering collaboration, and transforming marine conservation. Visitors - both in person and online - are empowered as citizen scientists, and become equipped with the knowledge, tools, and resources to act as guardians of our blue planet.
Discover how art transforms the Center into a vibrant space for inspiration and connection to the oceans. Click here to explore our art installations.
Explore the REEF Campus
The Ocean Exploration Center is the crown jewel of the REEF Campus, a vibrant hub for ocean conservation, citizen science, and marine education in the heart of Key Largo, Florida! As the home base for REEF's global ocean conservation programs, the Campus serves as a gateway to the underwater world, inspiring visitors of all ages to explore, discover, and make a difference.
Nestled in the historic and beautiful Florida Keys, the Campus features the Ocean Exploration Center, the Native Plants and Heritage Trail, the Reefscape Room, and our historic Campus Administration building.
REEF is taking meaningful steps to reduce our environmental impact. Click here to learn how we're making a difference.