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.
Homeschool Days are open to pre-K through high school students and are designed to be family learning days. Each day, the learning stations are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Program prices, themes and schedule are subject to changes.
Program Fees
Maryland Homeschool Groups: Grades Pre–K to 12:
$15 per student per day
Out-of-State Homeschool Groups: Grades Pre–K to 12:
$42.95 per student per day
Chaperone Fees
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).
Inclement Weather Policy
Homeschool programs will be conducted as scheduled unless either the National Aquarium or Baltimore City Public Schools are closed. If for any reason the program is cancelled, the National Aquarium will do its best to reschedule the program for March. In the event the program cannot be rescheduled, all participants will receive a refund.
Schedule
Maryland: Mountains to the Sea
Dates: September 10-12, 2024
Join the National Aquarium this September for the first installment of our 2024–25 Homeschool Days. Students and their families will learn about Maryland: Mountains to the Sea through a self-guided tour of the National Aquarium with a learning passport in hand. Participants will have the opportunity to visit hands-on discovery stations that focus on a few unique sites and why they are so important.
Biomes
Dates: January 14-16, 2025
Join the National Aquarium for the second installment of our 2024–25 Homeschool Days. Students and their families will learn all about biomes around the world. Through a self-guided tour of the National Aquarium, families will have the opportunity to visit hands-on discovery stations to learn about the desert, tropical rain forest, freshwater marine biome, and boreal forest.
Aquarium Careers
Dates: March 11-13, 2025
Join the National Aquarium for the final Homeschool Days session of 2024–25! During this session, students and their families will learn about careers in the aquarium field and what these jobs entail. Participants will have the opportunity to visit hands-on discovery stations that focus on animal care and welfare, life support, and more!
Monthly homeschool programs begin in October and run through February. The minimum age to participate is 5 years old. Programs are held twice a month for students in kindergarten through grade 5, and once a month for students in grades 6 through 8. Capacity is 24 students per grade-level class.
The monthly homeschool program is a drop-off class. Classes are held in one of the Aquarium classrooms and last one hour. We ask that homeschool teachers wait outside the classroom or explore the Aquarium at their leisure during the class time.
Program Fees
Maryland Homeschool Groups: Grades K to 8:
$15 per student per program
Out-of-State Homeschool Groups: Grades K to 8:
$42.95 per student per program
Chaperone Fees
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).
Inclement Weather Policy
Homeschool programs will be conducted as scheduled unless either the National Aquarium or Baltimore City Public Schools are closed. If for any reason the program is cancelled, the National Aquarium will do its best to reschedule the program for March. In the event the program cannot be rescheduled, all participants will receive a refund.
Schedule
Mammal Mania
Grades K-2 (ages 5-7): October 1 and 15, 2024; 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Grades 3-5 (ages 8-10): October 1 and 15, 2024; 1 to 2 p.m.
Grades 6-8 (ages 11+): October 1, 2024; 3 to 4 p.m.
What animals are warm-blooded and have fur all over? Mammals of course! Join the National Aquarium for the first installment of the 2024-2025 Homeschool Series this October. We are going to be learning about mammals from all over the world and the characteristics that group them all together.
Fish Frenzy
Grades K-2 (ages 5-7): November 5 and 19, 2024; 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Grades 3-5 (ages 8-10): November 5 and 19, 2024; 1 to 2 p.m.
Grades 6-8 (ages 11+): November 5, 2024; 3 to 4 p.m.
Is a dolphin a fish? What about a shark? Join the National Aquarium this November for the second installment of the 2024-25 Homeschool Series. During this class, we will talk about what makes a fish a fish and the characteristics that group them together.
Bird Bonanza
Grades K-2 (ages 5-7): December 3 and 17, 2024; 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Grades 3-5 (ages 8-10): December 3 and 17, 2024; 1 to 2 p.m.
Grades 6-8 (ages 11+): December 3, 2024; 3 to 4 p.m.
Join the National Aquarium for the third installment of the 2024-25 Homeschool Series, Bird Bonanza. This December, we will be talking about our flying friends and how they are similar to and different from other animal families.
Hoppin' Herps
Grades K-2 (ages 5-7): January 7 and 21, 2025; 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Grades 3-5 (ages 8-10): January 7 and 21, 2025; 1 to 2 p.m.
Grades 6-8 (ages 11+): January 7, 2025; 3 to 4 p.m.
Hop with us to the fourth installment of the 2024-25 Homeschool Series! We will talk about reptiles and amphibians. Join us as we learn more about herpetology and the animals that make up the hoppin' herp family.
Interesting Inverts
Grades K-2 (ages 5-7): February 4 and 18, 2025; 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Grades 3-5 (ages 8-10): February 4 and 18, 2025; 1 to 2 p.m.
Grades 6-8 (ages 11+): February 4, 2025; 3 to 4 p.m.
Did you know there is a whole group of animals that don't have backbones? Join us for our final installment of the 2024-25 Homeschool Series and learn about interesting invertebrates and the characteristics that make them unique.
Intro to ROVs
Date: October 21, 2024; 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: National Aquarium Pier 4
Ages: 13-18; students only
Price: $15 per student
Capacity: 24 students
Are you interested in deep sea exploration? How about engineering? Homeschool students between the ages of 13 and 18 can join us on October 21 to learn about remote-operated vehicles, or ROVs. We will dive into why ROVs are important, what they are capable of, and even build and test one for ourselves! 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 National Aquarium Pier 4 classrooms.
Sharks 101
Date: November 1, 2024; 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Location: National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center (901 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202)
Ages: 13-18; students only
Price: $15 per student
Capacity: 24 students
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work with sharks? Or what research is being done on sharks? Or how scientists collect data from sharks? Homeschool students between the ages of 13 and 18 can join us on November 1 at our Animal Care and Rescue Center where we will learn all about sharks and why researching them is so important. Students will need to be dropped off and picked up from the National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center. Parents are not able to stay at the facility during the program.
Crab Lab
Date: February 10, 2025; 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Location: National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center (901 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202)
Ages: 13-18; students only
Price: $15 per student
Capacity: 24 students
As our state crustacean and largest commercial fishery, the blue crab is one of Maryland's greatest aquatic treasures! Take on the role of a marine biologist with the National Aquarium as we investigate the form and function of the anatomy of the blue crab by participating in a dissection. This lab experience gives homeschool students between the ages of 13 and 18 the opportunity to learn and apply laboratory techniques, vocabulary and concepts used by professionals in STEM fields. Students will need to be dropped off and picked up from the National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center. Parents are not able to stay at the facility during the program.
Tides, Trash, and Treasure
Date: April 11, 2025; 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. pm
Location: Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (2400 E. Fort Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230)
Ages: 8 and over; students only
Price: $17 per student
Capacity: 30 students
Join us for a special program for homeschool students at the wetlands at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. We will explore the wetlands, which are not accessible to the general public, to learn about tides! Questions we'll answer will include: What are tides? How do they change? How do they affect coastal wetlands? This is a drop-off class for students; parents are welcome to remain at Fort McHenry while their student participates in the class.
Beach Exploration at Sandy Point State Park
Date: May 12, 2025; 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Sandy Point State Park (1100 E. College Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21409)
Ages: All ages; families welcome
Price: $10 per student
Capacity: 100 people
Join us at Sandy Point State Park where we will have fun stations set up so you can learn about fish adaptations, fishing with seine nets, water quality and more! Bring the family for an experience you don't want to miss. There will be educational activities for all ages. State park entry fees of $4 per person will apply.
All participants ages 3 and over must be registered for the program; children under age 2 can participate with their families for free. One adult per five registered students will be admitted for free; the cost for each additional adult is $10 per person.
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!