Go behind the scenes with the National Aquarium's Tours & Experiences. Our expert guides will let you experience life at the Aquarium from an insider's perspective. You'll discover a fascinating world behind the glass.
Choose a Tour Category
Insider's Tour
Best For: Families with children over age 8, Teens, Adults, Scouts
Get the inside scoop on our animals and behind-the-scenes locations as you explore the Aquarium like never before!
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Animal Care Experience
Best For: Families with children over age 8, Teens, Adults, Scouts
Get an incredible peek behind-the-scenes as you experience how we care for some of the almost 20,000 animals that call the National Aquarium home.
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Daily Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Best For: Families with children over age 8, Teens, Adults
Step behind-the-scenes to see how we care for some of your favorite animals and exhibits at the National Aquarium!
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Shark Behind-the-Scenes Tour
Best For: Families with children over age 8, Teens, Adults, Scouts
Peer into the watery world of the shark and discover that there is more to them than just an impressive set of teeth!
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Icky, Creepy, Slimy, Cool Tour
Best For: Families with children over age 8, Teens, Adults, Scouts
Ditch the cute and cuddly to discover the world of the icky, creepy, slimy, and (of course) coolest animals you'll ever lay eyes on!
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Dolphin Encounter
Best For: Families with children over age 8, Teens, Adults
Discover the amazing world of the dolphin by becoming a part of our dolphin team and experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime encounter!
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Dolphin Sleepover
Best For: Families with children over age 8, Scouts, Teens
See the Aquarium in a way you never thought possible as you join our dolphin family for an unforgettable sleepover adventure!
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Shark! Ocean Predator Overnight
Best For: Families with children over age 8, Scouts, Teens
After a night of exploring, you’ll rest easy at this sleepover knowing that our sharks are keeping a close eye on you!
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Dolphin Explorer
Best For: Young Children, Families, Scouts, Kids, Adults, Teens
Team up with our dolphin staff and discover that there is more to these amazing animals than meets the eye!
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The Legend of Calypso's Gold
Best For: Young Children, Families, Scouts, Kids
Get ready for an incredible adventure as you set off in search of the hidden treasure of the great guardian, Calypso!
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Aquarium Explorers
Best For: Young Children, Families, Scouts, Kids
Join one of our expert naturalists to uncover the clues animals leave behind in nature and discover some of the aquarium's most elusive residents!
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The Animal Care and Rescue Center Tour
This tour is reserved for members only in 2018.
Experience our state-of-the-art Animal Care and Rescue Center through a one-of-a-kind tour that lets you travel behind the scenes and discover the unique journey of our animals.
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National Aquarium Customizable Experiences
Best For: Everyone
Let us help you create an experience that is uniquely yours! To schedule your custom experience, email tours@aqua.org or call 410-576-8822.
Custom Tours FAQ
Whether you choose to modify an existing program or create something entirely new, we'll help you plan an experience that meets your needs:
- Date and time of your program
- Areas visited in the Aquarium, including behind-the-scenes
- Featured animals or exhibits
- Animal encounters, expert guest speakers and more
Yes! We can accommodate most groups for your customized tour. Large groups may have to break into smaller groups for certain behind-the-scenes or animal experiences, but we'll always ensure your group has an amazing time. To make your experience truly engaging, we aim to have one guide per 12 guests.
The price of your tour will vary based on the customizations you choose. Our team will help create a program to fit your budget. To find out if a customized program is right for you, contact us at 410-576-8822 or at tours@aqua.org.
We require a minimum of two weeks to plan your customized experience. Reservations cannot be made more than 90 days in advance.
Yes! You're free to explore the Aquarium during our regular hours before or after your tour. To enter the building, please use the Pier 3 Staff Entrance located directly across from the U.S.S. Torsk submarine.