During your Community Group Visit

Introduce chaperones to their groups before arriving at the Aquarium.

We recommend that groups are assigned prior to leaving for the Aquarium.

Please remember we require at least one chaperone for every 10 youth.

Review your plans, expectations, and schedule with every person in your group.

Inform your group of the meeting place for lunch and departure.

Exchange cell phone information among group leaders and chaperones.

Everyone in your group should know they can ask for help at the Information Desk or can ask anyone wearing a Monterey Bay Aquarium name badge or uniform for assistance.

If a child gets lost, go to the Information Desk near the entrance.

If a child gets injured, ask anyone wearing an Aquarium name badge to call Security and an Aquarium officer will report to the location of the injured person.

Group leaders are responsible for communicating with parents or guardians if a child is injured. 

In the rare event of an emergency requiring the evacuation of the Aquarium, everyone should exit the building at the closest available exit and meet on the Recreation Trail.

Please be prepared to follow all instructions from Emergency Response Team representatives while organizing your group.

You are expected to line up together. Account for all members of your group and confirm with an Emergency Response Team representative.

Chaperones are responsible for communicating with their organization and parents if an emergency significantly impacts Free to Learn visit timelines.

If you brought lunches, we recommend collecting your group's lunches and placing them in a large reusable bag for easy locker storage.

If you arrive by bus, please keep everyone on the bus while you check in with an Aquarium staff member. 

If you arrive by car, gather everyone in an orderly group near the main entrance. Restrooms are located nearby on Hovden Way. 

Please wait until all group members have arrived before checking in. 

If your lunch timeslot is prior to your Aquarium visit, please go directly to the picnic area when you arrive.

Please send the group leader to check in with a staff member at the main entrance.

Bring your reservation confirmation with the order number.

Please provide our staff with your final group count.

Staff will provide you with access to the lockers to store your lunches, if needed, and escort your group into the Aquarium.

Note: Anyone arriving after your group has entered will be required to pay full admission cost.

Please be sure that all group members get a hand stamp from a staff member prior to exiting. With this handstamp, group members are welcome to enter and exit the Aquarium throughout the day.

Please remember that children and youths must be accompanied by a parent or chaperone while shopping.

Please allow no more than ten youth per chaperone in the store at a time.

Parents or adult chaperones must stay with any youth or children at all times — inside the Aquarium, out on the deck, in all gift stores and in the lunch area.

Picnic area available for weekend visits

If your visit is during the school year on a weekend day, you will have a time assigned when you may utilize the Aquarium covered picnic area on the Recreation Trail. Please reference your confirmation email to find your designated lunch time. If you prefer to have lunch at a different time, we recommend planning a picnic lunch at one of the nearby parks or beaches.  Learn more at the City of Monterey website.

Lunch timing

Lunch times will be assigned based on your check-in time. Refer to your confirmation email to know your assigned lunch time.

Do not bring food or drink into the Aquarium

Groups are not allowed to picnic in the Aquarium, on the benches in front of the Great Tide Pool, or on any deck areas. This includes the Cafe and the seating areas outside our Cafe.

Gathering lunches

Please gather all lunches in large reusable or paper bags before arriving. When you arrive, an Aquarium staff member will direct you to the picnic area or to a locker where you can store your group’s lunches. 

Meeting for lunch

Groups are invited to use the covered picnic area along the Recreation Trail (directly behind the flag poles) to eat lunch during their assigned time. Any lunch materials can be stored in lockers inside the Aquarium during your visit.

The picnic area

There are no restrooms or drinking fountains at the picnic area. For the safety of your group and other visitors, please do not eat lunches, sit, or gather directly on the Recreation Trail. Other pedestrians and bicyclists utilize this pathway and collisions may occur.

Make lunch a learning experience

An excellent way to teach your group about having a direct impact on the environment is to challenge them to pack waste-free lunches! Consider using cloth bags or lunch boxes instead of paper bags. Choose reusable food containers, drink containers, utensils, and napkins as a wise environmental choice. And by using nearby recycling and trash containers you’ll prevent trash from entering the ocean or harming birds and wildlife.

Keep it clean

After lunch, inspire your students to care for our planet by reminding them to clean up after themselves. Feeding birds and wildlife is discouraged as this can be harmful to animals. Use trash cans and recycle containers to discard any leftover food or packaging.