Planning Your Trip

Field Trip Planning Guide

Our Field Trip Planning Guide helps you prepare for your visit, provides details about what to expect when you get here and helps ensure your students make the most of this opportunity. It includes helpful information about our field trip philosophy, lunch procedures and how to prepare your chaperones, as well as maps, directions and parking information.

Field Trip Orientation Video

Our Field Trip Orientation Video is also a useful planning aide. Share this with your students and chaperones before they arrive so they'll know what to expect.

Behavior Contract

Print out a copy of our Behavior Contract and review it with students and chaperones, then bring along a signed copy to the Aquarium.

Teacher Planning Ticket

Once your reservation is confirmed, you're eligible for a free pass to visit the Aquarium and plan your trip. Call (831) 647-6886 or toll-free (866) 963-9645, or e-mail School Programs.

Online Activities, Teaching Units and Teacher Resources

Our website offers many ways to help you plan your trip, choose a theme for it and customize learning activities to use before, during and after your visit.

• Classroom/Learning Resources: These include educational activities and standards-based teaching units. Activities are available in Spanish.
• Sea Searchers Handbook: Published by the Aquarium in 1996, the handbook provides a treasure of hands-on activities, from art to science, from math to language arts.
• Our Self-Guided Exploration Guides provide students with something fun and educational to do at the Aquarium. We've categorized these by grade level, but choose the one that will work best for your students!

Chaperones

Chaperones are the key to a successful visit. They play a big role in shaping students' experiences at the Aquarium, so select and prepare yours carefully.

• Chaperones are admitted free and must be at least 21 years of age.
• You must bring at least one chaperone for every 10 students in your group, but you're allowed to bring as many as one for every four students. (E.g., if you have 20 students, you must bring at least two chaperones, but you're allowed to bring as many as five.)
• Please review Chaperone Information (English, Spanish) with each of your chaperones before your visit. Print additional copies as needed, and make sure the chaperones understand their duties.

Gift & Bookstore Teacher Discount

Classroom teachers with school identification are eligible for a 10% discount in our book and gift stores. We offer a wealth of engaging resources to help bring ocean learning to life.

Tide Pool Etiquette

Visiting the rocky shore can provide you and your students with an exciting look at ocean plants and animals in their native habitat. Please follow our Tide Pool Etiquette tips to keep you, your students and the rocky shore animals safe and healthy.