Membership account FAQs

Members and donors can visit the Aquarium without a reservation by presenting a digital member card upon arrival. We’re excited to launch digital member cards to provide convenience to our members and help us reduce plastic use.

Access your digital member and guest cards by logging in to your member account online. You are welcome to download them to your Apple Wallet, save them as an image on your phone, or print them out to keep with you.

When you arrive at the Aquarium, hop into our member express entry lane located at the entrance, and present your member cards and photo ID for quick and convenient entry.

When accompanied by a member, children ages four and under do not need a reservation to visit.

Our guest card program is back! Each guest card allows one guest per day to enter as long as the membership is active. This reusable plastic guest card allows your guest to enter the Aquarium when visiting with or without you. 

• If you currently have a membership that includes guest cards, your old cards will still work. If you need a replacement, please feel free to contact us at 831.648.4880. If you have never received guest cards, we will mail them to you soon. 
• You will also notice digital guest cards in your online member account. You’re able to use these only when you accompany your guests to the Aquarium. This helps us protect the integrity of our transferable guest card program—a unique benefit we're pleased to continue to offer.
• Guest cards are intended solely for friends and family. They may not be resold or used for commercial or promotional purposes. We reserve the right to deactivate the guest passes if they violate our policy. Commercial use includes the advertisement of cards for monetary gain (social media, vacation rentals, ad websites).

Yes! Member and guest cards issued in the past will work as long as the membership is currently active.

A printout of a digital guest card can be used only when you accompany your guests to the Aquarium. This helps us protect the integrity of our transferable guest card program—a unique benefit we're pleased to continue to offer.

Member cards are now digital! Access your digital member and guest cards by logging in to your member account online. Once logged in, select the "My Account" tab to view all available member cards. You can download them to your Apple Wallet, save them as an image on your phone, or print them out to keep with you. Please have your ID ready when presenting your member card.

Yes! Members enjoy express entry to the Aquarium. When you arrive, hop into our member express entry lane located at the entrance, and present your member cards and photo ID for quick and convenient entry.

To use one-time admission tickets, you may reserve their visit through your online account. Log in to your donor account on our website and complete the booking process to choose a date for your guests to visit. For assistance with booking, call the membership call line at 831.648.4880 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST except for holidays.

If you’re interested in bringing a guest, you may upgrade to a donor level with guest card benefits, or purchase a daily admissions ticket for them.

Digital cards are located in your online account. Please follow the directions provided by Apple Support on how to add your cards to your Apple Wallet.

When you make a purchase, you have to create an account. From your account you can save and manage your contact information, access tickets for admission, manage your membership, update your email subscriptions and more.

If you have a membership you can access your digital membership cards, check your expiration date, renew your membership and find your member discount code for our gift shop and online store all by logging in to your account. 

To log in, you must set up login credentials using an email address and password or connect your Facebook or Google account.

If you just want to make a donation, you can checkout as a guest and not create or log in to an account. You’ll have to enter all the same information as you would to create an account, but you won’t set up a password and we won’t save your information.

An account is required to purchase tickets or to purchase or renew a membership or gift membership.

Your password must be eight characters long.

You can use the forgot password link to set a new one. 

Please call us at 831.648.4800. Check the Contact page to see our hours.

You can choose to create an account with Facebook or Google on the create an account page.

If you already created an account with an email address and password, log in to your account and go to the my profile tab. From there, you can connect a Facebook or Google account to your profile and log in using those credentials in the future.

If you don’t see your membership details, we have a different email address on file for you. Please contact us at 831.648.4880 or membership@mbayaq.org (available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

We likely have a different email address on file for you. Please call us at 831.648.4880 or mailto:membership@mbayaq.org (available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

The Membership team needs one to two weeks to validate and update the information of children and secondary adults included on our backend database. For urgent changes, please contact our Membership office at 831.648.4880, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except holidays.

Yes. The primary account holder can log in and add email addresses for other household members on the profile tab. Then, those additional members can use the claim account feature to set up their own accounts and passwords, and log in to access their membership benefits.

You can purchase a membership online, at the Aquarium or over the phone. Visit our become a member page to purchase a membership online and gain immediate access to all member benefits, including reserving free member tickets and digital membership cards. Once you find a membership or donor circle level that’s best for you, set up an account and provide a secure payment. You can reserve member tickets immediately! 

You can also give our membership office a call at 831.648.4880, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except holidays. Our staff is excited to answer any questions you have and help you find the best way to support the ocean and get access to member benefits.

Yes, you can apply your paid admission toward a membership level of your choice on the day of your visit.

You can only apply the tickets of the individuals listed on the membership. If you purchase an Ocean Advocate level member, you can apply two additional tickets. Complimentary tickets cannot be applied toward a membership.

Absolutely! Thank you for sharing the Aquarium and support of the ocean with those you love. You can purchase gift memberships online or by calling our office at 831.648.4880, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except holidays.

The best way to renew your membership is through your account. You can also renew at a different level, including a donor circle. Log in to your account.

If you don’t have an account, but wish to renew online, please claim your account with your email address on file. We can also send you an email to do this by calling our office requesting a password: 831.648.4880, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except holidays.

You can also renew over the phone at the same number above, or renew at your next visit by visiting our Membership and Tours Center.

You can renew or upgrade your membership at any time. We start sending renewal notices via mail and email three months prior to the membership expiring, and you can either renew at your current level or another level.

If you would like to upgrade your membership during the course of the year, please contact our team at 831.648.4880, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except holidays.

If you wish to increase your gift and join a donor circle mid-year, you’ll receive a new expiration date. The best way to do this is to call our office and we’ll make sure you get the benefits and level you want. 

Your membership begins immediately at the time of purchase. If you wish to purchase a membership for a later date, it’s best to wait until your planned visit or you can purchase a Gift Membership and the recipient can redeem the card whenever they’re ready.

The best way to find your expiration date is to log in to your account. Your expiration date will show on the first page as well as on your digital membership cards. You can claim your account or log in now. 

If you don’t have an account or wish to set one up, the best way is to call our office at 831.648.4880, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except holidays.

All memberships are valid for one full year from the date of purchase and extends through the end of that month. For instance, if you purchase your membership on January 2, 2023, your membership will be valid until January 31, 2024.

Your membership gift and our renewal notice likely crossed paths in the mail or digital channels. Your account will update within one to two weeks of your renewal — thank you! If you have concerns, please contact our Membership Office at 831.648.4880, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except holidays.

All members get the following benefits:

• Free admission for one year. (The number of people receiving free admission varies with the membership level you select. See all member levels and benefits.)
• Exclusive member-only hours and events, including Aquarium Live virtual member nights.
• A 10 percent discount on dining and shopping at the Aquarium and for merchandise purchased in our online store.
• A free subscription to our member magazine, Shorelines, and exclusive member updates

The designated adults and children listed on your membership are non-transferable. If you are interested in bringing guests, you may join or renew at one of our Ocean Advocate levels or Donor Circle levels, which includes transferable guest passes for friends and family to use.

Each designated adult on the membership can include all their children or grandchildren between the ages of 5 and 21 years old. This includes any foster or foreign exchange students under the care of the adult members. Please note: Disabled children can stay on the membership beyond the age of 21.

We don’t have parking for members or guests, but there is plenty of street parking and paid lots operated by the City and County of Monterey. You can find more information on the City of Monterey’s website. Also, be sure to look out for Monterey Salinas Transit bus routes and their free trolley to reduce your carbon footprint!

There are no discounts on admission tickets for members.

No. We don’t have any reciprocity with any other zoos or aquariums.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 94-2487469). Membership contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law. You'll receive an acknowledgment stating the value of any tangible benefits received that you can then take to your tax professional. 

We don’t offer any discounts on new memberships.