Community

It's time for our annual party celebrating sea-star students and their school year successes! On two nights—Tuesday, June 11 and Thursday, June 13, 2024—we're opening the Aquarium for free for local students and their families.

This event is for students and their families from Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Capacity is limited, with a maximum number of six guests per group. Registration for timed entry is required. We have reached capacity for this event; reservations are now closed.

Dates: Tuesday, June 11 and Thursday, June 13, 2024
Time: 6-9 p.m.
Price: Free for each student and one adult chaperone. Additional family members/guests may attend for $5 each; children ages 4 and under are free.

Please sign up to receive information about future School Shell-ebration events.

Every Friday, Aquarium admission is half-price after 5 p.m.

Presented by M&T Bank

Show your state pride! Maryland residents can visit the Aquarium before noon Monday through Friday year-round for a reduced price. You must purchase tickets for Maryland Mornings on-site at the Aquarium; blackout dates apply. Visit our special offers page to learn more.

Free Fall Friday Night allows guests to explore the wonders of the aquatic world with free Aquarium admission as part of Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts' Free Fall Baltimore celebration. Tickets for this free event are only available online, must be reserved in advance and are limited to six per registration.

Because of the popularity of this event, no tickets will be available at the door on the evening of the event and the Aquarium will sell out.

Stay tuned for more community access events in 2025.

For two weeks in January, Maryland guests may explore the wonders of the aquatic world with free Aquarium admission as part of Downtown Partnership's Downtown Discovery Days. This initiative is designed to provide affordable access to Baltimore's cultural and arts institutions. Each year, the Aquarium distributes a minimum of 10,000 pre-reserved tickets through our timed reservation system over the course of the two-week promotion.

Our 2024 Downtown Discovery Days have concluded. Please explore our other community access events and check back in December 2024 for information about our 2025 Downtown Discovery Days celebration.

Baltimore-area children in fifth grade and younger with a valid Enoch Pratt Free Library card may receive a Read to Reef bookmark and record the five aquatic- or conservation-themed books they have read that are appropriate for their age levels. Children may receive one bookmark per program season.

Did you know your child can have their own library card? Visit the Enoch Pratt Free Library website to learn how to apply. Please note the child must be present with a parent, grandparent or legal guardian when registering.

Bookmarks for the fall 2024 season are available from Enoch Pratt Free Library locations throughout October 2024, or while supplies last.

You have until January 20, 2025, to complete your reading and visit the Aquarium.

The blackout date for the fall season is December 25, 2024.

• Bookmark must be completed in full with the titles of five books the child has read before arrival at the Aquarium.
• All Read to Reef guests must reserve their visit date and entry time in advance through our online ticket reservation portal. You will use the alphanumeric code printed on the bottom of your bookmark when reserving your tickets online. This code can only be used once for a maximum of four tickets. During the online reservation process, you will select the number of adult (12 years and older) and child (3 to 11 years old) tickets. Children 2 years and younger do not require tickets. If you do not use all four tickets in your transaction, they are forfeited and cannot be used on a separate day.
• Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis through our online ticket reservation portal.
• Guests will need to stop by the National Aquarium ticket center on the day of their visit to pick up their timed entry tickets.
• The bookmark is for one-time use and cannot be used for multiple visits.
• Bookmark is void if perforation is detached.
• The bookmark cannot be reproduced, is non-transferable, will not be replaced if lost and has no value.
• Tickets do not include 4D Immersion Films, special programs or events.
• Additional guests beyond the four admitted with the bookmark pay full admission rates.
• Bookmarks are subject to availability while supplies last and expire on January 20, 2025. Blackout dates for the fall season are December 25, 2024.

Throughout the month of October 2024, Baltimore-area children in fifth grade and younger may visit any Enoch Pratt Free Library location and show their library card to receive a Read to Reef bookmark, while supplies last.

Check out the aquatic- and conservation-themed booklist that Pratt Librarians and National Aquarium educators made just for you, or ask your librarian for suggestions. Borrow, read or listen to someone read any five of these books and record them on your Read to Reef bookmark.

Reserve your tickets before your visit through our online ticket reservation portal using the code found on your Read to Reef bookmark. You have until January 20, 2025, to complete your reading and visit the Aquarium.

We're excited to welcome Dan Deacon, a Baltimore-based recording artist and performer, as the featured artist for Voyages: Chapter 6! Check out our event listing to learn more about Dan's exploration of art and science on November 21, 2024.

Artist: Schaun Champion (lens-based artist)

Research Subject: Interconnectedness, with a focus on humanity's relationship to the web of life, explored through photography and floral installations. Inspired by featured scientist Angelo Villagomez, a senior fellow at American Progress.

Project: "Braided Streams and Dreams," an interdisciplinary exhibition, featuring photography, floral installations and interactive elements, that explores humanity's connection to the web of life.

Dive Deeper: "Voyages: Chapter 5 Sneak Peek with Featured Artist Schaun Champion"

Artist: Devon Vaow (drag artist)

Research Subject: Adaptation, with a focus on physical, behavioral and physiological adaptations, explored through the medium of drag. Inspired by featured environmentalist and community organizer Pattie Gonia.

Project: "Drag Me to Survival," an interdisciplinary exhibition, featuring drag techniques, performance art and interactive elements, that portrays the beauty of adaptation.

Dive Deeper: "Voyages: Chapter 4 Sneak Peek with Featured Artist Devon Vaow"

Artist: Nicoletta Daríta de la Brown (performance artist, sculptor and filmmaker)

Research Subject: Neutral buoyancy, with a focus on the restorative powers of water. Inspired by featured scientific content experts Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, marine biologist and author of "Blue Mind," and Bonnie Tsui, journalist and author of "Why We Swim."

Project: "Neutral Buoyancy," an interdisciplinary exhibition, featuring multiple experimental, non-narrative films, garments and performance art, that portrays the healing nature of water.

Dive Deeper: "Voyages: Chapter 3 Sneak Peek with Featured Artist Nicoletta de la Brown"

Artist: Jessica Keyes and Patrick McMinn (composers, brass and electronic musicians)

Research Subject: Biodiversity, with a focus on ecosystems, tides, filtering and schooling in the Chesapeake Bay. Inspired by featured scientist Imani Black, CEO and founder of Minorities in Aquaculture and shellfish aquaculture biologist.

Project: "Will the Great Water Remember," an audiovisual composition that portrays systems and processes that make up the Chesapeake Bay.

Dive Deeper: "Celebrating Art and Science at Voyages: Chapter 2"

Artist: Shodekeh (beatboxer, vocal percussionist, breath artist)

Research Subject: Biodiversity, with a focus on animal communication, bioacoustics and shared traits of musicality between animals and humans. Featuring Ashakur Rahaman of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics.

Project: "Vymatics," a musical composition of six movements and poetry inspired by animal vocal calls. Accompanied by cymatic projection videos by visual artist Erica Hansen.

Dive Deeper: "Embarking on an Epic Voyage"

The Aquarium receives hundreds of ticket donation requests each year from other community nonprofits for charitable or fundraising purposes. Thanks to the generosity of friends, corporate partners and foundations, we are able to help our fellow nonprofits by granting as many requests as we possibly can each year.

Please note: All ticket donation requests must be made via our online form at least two months in advance of your event for consideration.

Donation Criteria and Guidelines

• The Aquarium will consider ticket donation requests from other 501(c)(3) organization serving Maryland communities. Preference is given to those that have conservation-focused missions or activities, promote successful outcomes for youth or families and help build strong communities.
• We cannot grant requests involving animal interactions, memberships or behind-the-scenes tours.
• All donation requests must be received a minimum of two-months prior to the date of the event. If your organization misses this deadline, feel free to submit your request for the next year.
• While you are free to submit multiple requests for different events, the Aquarium will only fulfill one request per organization per year.

As part of our ongoing efforts to support fellow nonprofits, we also partner with wish-granting organizations, such as Make-A-Wish foundation. We also offer many affordable opportunities to visit, but do not make donations directly to individuals or individual families.

Thanks to the generous support of our corporate community, the Aquarium is able to provide complimentary Community Connections tickets to qualifying nonprofits organizations, allowing their members to experience the Aquarium as guests of our corporate family.

Please note: While all applications are thoughtfully reviewed and considered, applications from civic organizations or social clubs are generally not accepted.

Donation Criteria and Guidelines

• The Aquarium's Community Connections program will consider requests from Maryland-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status. We require inclusion of tax-exempt documentation upon submission of your application for verification purposes.
• Qualifying nonprofits must agree to assign a day-to-day administrator of ticket distribution or group booking.
• Qualifying nonprofits must agree to complete an annual evaluation to review ticket program effectiveness and use.
• Requests are accepted on a rolling basis. Please allow four-to-six weeks for review and response.
• Requests may be made for individual tickets to distribute to your organization's constituents as you deem appropriate, or for group visits.
• Once accepted, your application does not need to be resubmitted, but additional future ticket requests will be reviewed against new applications.

Thanks in part to Maryland State Department of Education grant funding, the National Aquarium is able to serve more than 100,000 schoolchildren annually. We offer free visits for all Maryland school groups, in addition to a variety of other free or discounted school programs. Therefore, requests for donations to schools are generally declined. To book your free field trip, please learn more here.

Exclusive Benefits for Nonprofits

The National Aquarium is committed to ensuring access for our community and is grateful for the support we receive from other businesses and organizations that choose to support us in achieving our mission. Though nonprofits are welcome to join at any level, we have established a special nonprofit membership level to engage as many qualifying organizations as possible. Make an impact by giving your colleagues and clients access to exclusive Aquarium member benefits and unforgettable experiences.