Field Trips and Camp-Ins

Aquarium Programs

Self-Guided Tours - Grades Pre K-12

Set your own pace to explore galleries that interest you and your students the most. Trained Volunteer Interpretive Guides stationed throughout the Aquarium are eager to help answer questions.

$7.00 per student

Guided Tour* - Grades 3-12
Enjoy a guided overview of the Aquarium, led by our Education Staff. View highlights from the Living Shores to Dolphin Bay. Then you and your chaperones can lead a more in-depth exploration.
$9.50 per student
Maximum: 60 students
Time: 1.5 hours
*A special Guided Tour for the Visually Impaired is available on request for an additional fee.

Behind-the-Scenes - Grades 3-12
Join a member of our Education Staff and receive an up-close and personal look at how the Aquarium functions. All participants must wear closed-toe shoes. No one under 12 years old may go above Islands of Steel.
$9.50 per student (includes self-guided tour)
Maximum: 10 students
Time: 30 minutes

Explore Your Shore! - Grades 3-5
This exciting program offers a unique experience to become acquainted with our local shoreline. Students will explore habitats, and the life found in and around the shorelines of the Coastal Bend. Pollution awareness and conservation are key components in this program and students will engage in exploring the Aquarium's Wetland Walk, as well as aid in the preservation of our own local beach!
$9.50 per student
Maximum: 30 students
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Gallery Programs - Grades 6-12
Come join us in exploring the underwater world of Sensational Sharks and Terrific Sea Turtles! Each hour-long session will inform and engage students in identifying some key characteristics of these amazing sea creatures which help them to survive in an ocean habitat. Learn some exciting new facts and get your hands on a variety of biofacts; from shark jaws to the carapace of a green sea turtle!
$9.50 per student (includes self-guided tour)
Maximum: 60 students
Time: 45 minutes

SeaLab Programs

The SeaLab Education Center is located on Rincon Channel, 1.5 miles from the Aquarium. All programs are two hours in length unless otherwise noted. For an Aquarium visit and Self-Guided Tour, add $7.00 per student.

Fins, Tails, and Scales - Grades 2-5
Study the anatomy of fish and learn the importance of resource management. Students will wet a line and try their luck at fishing.
$6.00 per student
Maximum: 40 students

Birds of a Feather - Grades 3-5

Come fly with the feathered friends at the Texas State Aquarium! Take a closer look into the fascination flying world of birds! Students will learn about specific adaptations many birds use in order to survive in air and on land. This program also includes a special visit from one of our own animal ambassadors!

$11.50 per student (includes self-guided tour)

Maximum: 30 students

What is a Watershed? - Grades 4-5
Discover the in and outs and ups and downs of watersheds and the water cycle! Students will use a scale model of the Nueces River Basin and learn how humans impact habitats and ecosystems.
$6.00 per student
Maximum: 30 students

Float Your Boat - Grades 4-6
Join us and learn buoyancy principles. Students will discover what boats and fish have in common. You’ll learn to wear a personal flotation device and test the buoyancy of a canoe.
$6.00 per student
Maximum: 30 students

Bay Bytes - Grades 5-12
Is Nueces Bay a healthy place to live? To find out, students will become marine biologists, test the bay water, and even use computers to analyze their results!
$6.00 per student
Maximum: 30 students

The Wonderful Wetlands - Grades 6-12
* 3 hours
Students will enjoy this opportunity to study flora and fauna when they take a canoe trip into a wetland. Participants must wear closed-toe shoes and be prepared to get wet and muddy. An alternate, indoor program will be provided in case of foul weather.
$7.50 per student
Maximum: 20 students

Camp-in Programs

Sleep with the fishes of the deep blue sea! All camp-in programs include dinner and breakfast.

ZZZs Under the Seas - Ages 7-18[Leader Packet]
Experience the wonders of the deep as you spend the night in the Aquarium. Camp-in with the sharks, tarpon, and other creatures of the Gulf of Mexico! The program includes guided and behind-the-scenes tour, and games. Add a dive show or creature feature for an additional fee
$47.00 per person
Time: 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 a.m.
Minimum: 20 people
Maximum: 100 people

Scouting Under the Sea - Ages 7-10[Leader Packet]
Cub Scouts, this is for you! You can earn your Wildlife Conservation Belt Loop or Academic Pin. Learn about natural resources, endangered species, how animals protect themselves in the wild, and what we can do to protect them and their environments.
$47.00 per person
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 a.m.
Minimum: 20 people
Maximum: 75 people

Oceanography - Ages 11-18 [Leader Packet]
Learn about water properties, waves and tides, and much more during this program geared for secondary science classes and Boy Scouts interested in earning the Oceanography merit badge.
$55.00 per person
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Minimum: 20 people
Maximum: 35 students

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