National Aquarium education programs provide students from the Baltimore area and beyond with opportunities to encounter, understand and connect with the natural world, building the STEAM-powered skills they need to become future superstars! From pre-K through high school, our education programs inspire respect for the natural world and prepare students to act as informed, empowered members of a global community of hopeful conservationists.
Plan a Field Trip
National Aquarium school field trips are your students' passport to a world of aquatic wonder! Spending a day with us provides an up-close look at the animals, habitats and careers that make science exciting, while bringing conservation education and STEAM concepts from your curriculum to life.
Education Programs Bringing STEAM Concepts to Life
The National Aquarium's expert education team brings the wonder of the aquatic world to life with a diverse array of programs for students of all ages, from pre-K through grade 12!
Homeschool Programs
The National Aquarium welcomes homeschool families and groups to visit, explore and get hands-on with our aquatic world. Specially themed experiences and thoughtful programs for students of all ages make the Aquarium's homeschool programs the perfect complement to any science curriculum.
To initiate a National Aquarium homeschool program reservation request, please contact our reservation specialists at reserve@aqua.org or 410-576-3833. Due to exceptionally heavy request volume, we suggest that you begin your reservation request via email and allow several days for a response from our team. Hold times may be significant. All requests will be processed in the order they are received, and your patience is appreciated.
Inclement Weather Policy
Homeschool programs will be conducted as scheduled unless either the National Aquarium or Baltimore City Public Schools are closed. If a program is canceled for any reason, the National Aquarium will do its best to reschedule it for later in the year. In the event the program cannot be rescheduled, all participants will receive a refund.
Homeschool Days
Homeschool Days are open to pre-K through high school students and are designed as family learning days. The learning stations are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. The daily capacity is 150 students.
Program prices, themes and schedule are subject to change.
Homeschool Days Program and Chaperone Fees
| Group | Price |
|---|---|
| Maryland homeschool groups | $15 per student per day |
| Out-of-state homeschool groups | $42.95 per student per day |
Each reservation includes one free adult chaperone admission for each group of up to five students. Additional chaperones are welcome at $34.95 per person (Aquarium admission only).
Homeschool Days Schedule
Three themed Homeschool Days sessions will take place throughout the 2026-27 school year. Check-in for families and students begins at 10 a.m. daily. Participants may stay later, but learning stations are only open between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Join the National Aquarium this September to delve into some of the aquatic realm's ecosystem engineers! Through a self-guided Aquarium tour, students and their families (with learning passports from stamping in tow) will visit discovery stations and learn more about the animals that create habitats for other living creatures.
In this Homeschool Days session, we will put our super senses to the test and learn about how some animals experience the world! Participants will go on a self-guided tour, stopping at discovery stations (collecting stamps along the way) to learn how animal senses are similar to and different from our own.
Interested in learning more about the little trinkets that wash up on the beach? Join us to investigate the medley of natural and human histories you can find while beachcombing. On this self-guided, stamp-collecting tour, students will visit hands-on discovery stations focused on how one can safely collect and identify beach treasures.
Exploration Activities
Exploration activities are structured classroom programs hosted either at the Aquarium's main building or at our Animal Care and Rescue Center, one of our off-site locations.
Each educational activity in the 2026-27 school year, except for the Squid Lab, is designed as a three-part series. Participants must sign up for the whole series.
Date: November 4, 11, and 18, 2026
Location: National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center; 901 E. Fayette St., Baltimore, MD 21202
Price: $60 per student
Capacity: 24 students
Schedule:
| Grade | Time Slot |
|---|---|
| Grades 6-8 | 10 a.m. to noon |
| Grades 9-12 | 1 to 3 p.m. |
Join the National Aquarium as an Earth Explorer! We will learn about animals and plants, and the abiotic and biotic factors that affect their survival. This is a drop-off program that will take place indoors and outdoors. Parents will drop off and pick up their student(s) at the Animal Care Rescue Center. Please note, parents/guardians are not able to stay at the facility during the program.
Date: December 2, 9, and 16, 2026
Time: 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.
Location: National Aquarium Main Building
Price: $30 per student
Capacity: 24 students
Become an Earth Explorer at the National Aquarium! Here, you'll learn all about animals, plants, and the things they need to survive and thrive. This is a drop-off program that will take place indoors and outdoors. Parents will drop off and pick up their student(s) at the Pier 4 classrooms.
Participants will be split into two groups by grade.
Students in kindergarten through second grade will learn about the Earth's habitats and where they're located. We'll explore deserts, rain forests, and our own backyard: the Chesapeake Bay! Look sharp; we'll be making lots of observations on how these habitats are similar and different.
Those in third through fifth grade will learn about some of the world's amazing animals and the habitats in which they're found. We will be investigating how these creatures survive and what sets their habitats apart.
This program takes place within the main Aquarium building. Group admission rates apply to all non-Maryland participants. Maryland students are covered by the Maryland State Department of Education.
Date: February 10, 17, and 24, 2027
Location: National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center; 901 E. Fayette St., Baltimore, MD 21202
Price: $60 per student
Capacity: 24 students
Schedule:
| Grade | Time Slot |
|---|---|
| Grades 6-8 | 10 a.m. to noon |
| Grades 9-12 | 1 to 3 p.m. |
Join us for a riveting series all about a unique animal group: the reptiles! What makes them different from other groups? What challenges do they face, and how can we protect them? Learn all this and more over these three sessions. Parents will drop off and pick up their student(s) at the Animal Care and Rescue Center. Please note, parents/guardians cannot stay at the facility during the program.
Students in sixth through eighth grade will investigate the extraordinary adaptations reptiles use to claw their way through life. We will cover topics ranging from venom to tail autonomy, heat-sensing pits, and much more!
For ninth through 12th graders, this program focuses on reptile research; students will learn about data collection, field methods, and reptile conservation. At the end, they'll use their new knowledge to create their very own species spotlight plan.
Date: March 23, 2027
Time: 10 a.m. to noon
Location: National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center; 901 E. Fayette St., Baltimore, MD 21202
Price: $15 per student
Capacity: 24 students
Discover the unusual, otherworldly squid through discussion and lab activities. Watch as Aquarium experts dissect this fascinating animal and learn how the form and function of the squid's anatomy help this efficient predator survive in the ocean. Students will need to be dropped off and picked up at the Animal Care and Rescue Center. Please note that parents/guardians cannot stay at the facility during the program.
Homeschool Outdoors
Our Homeschool Outdoors programming turns nature into your student's classroom! Join Aquarium educators at locations around Baltimore and Annapolis for fantastic field experiences.
Date: October 7, 2026
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Harbor Wetland and National Aquarium Main Building
Ages: All ages; families welcome
Price: $15 per student
Capacity: 100 students
Join us on Harbor Wetland to explore what is living just below the surface. Discover the whole thriving ecosystem that's waiting to be explored! Students and families are welcome to join in, stopping at exploration stations that look at what it takes for a wetland to support our region's wildlife.
All participants ages 3 and over must be registered for the program; ages 2 and under can participate with their families but don't need to pay registration fees. One adult per five registered students will be admitted to the program at no cost. Additional adults may participate for $15 per person.
This program takes place in part within the main Aquarium building. Group admission rates apply to all non-Maryland participants. Maryland students are covered by the Maryland State Department of Education.
Date: April 14, 2027
Time: 10 to 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Location: Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine; 2400 E. Fort Ave., Baltimore, MD 21230
Ages: 8 and over; students only
Price: $20 per student
Capacity: 32 students
Join us for a special program for homeschool students at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. We will explore the wetlands (not accessible to the general public) to learn all about tides! By the end, you'll know what tides are, how they change, how they affect coastal wetlands and more. This is a drop-off program for students; parents are welcome to remain at Fort McHenry while their student participates in the class.
Date: May 12, 2027
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Sandy Point State Park
Ages: All ages; families welcome
Price: $15 per student
Capacity: 100 people
Join us at Sandy Point State Park! We will have fun stations set up so you can learn all about different fish adaptations, water quality and more. You can even try fishing with a seine net! There will be educational activities for all ages, so why not make it an experience for the whole family? Park entry fees of $4 per person will apply.
All participants ages 3 and over must be registered for the program; ages 2 and under can participate with their families, but don't need to pay registration fees. One adult per five registered students will be admitted at no cost. Additional adults may participate for the $15 registration fee.
Professional Development
National Aquarium professional development workshops provide instructors from pre-K through grade 12 with the knowledge, curriculum resources and inspiration needed to bring science to life in your classrooms. Professional development workshops are scheduled at regular intervals throughout the year and are a perfect complement to your science curriculum. Some workshops award MSDE continuing professional development (CPD) credits. These workshops are designed to be affordable; registration is required.
Education Programs Extracurricular Experiences
The National Aquarium offers students in middle and high school unique immersive opportunities that allow them to explore their interests in aquatic sciences beyond the classroom while preparing for college, careers in STEAM fields and a world that is waiting for their insight!