Each group of 10 students or more must always be accompanied by a teacher or a chaperone. The minimum age for chaperones is 18. For high school groups, chaperones may not be a currently enrolled high school student. Bus drivers receive complimentary admission. Please have your bus driver check-in at the ticket booth if they wish to tour the facility. Any additional teachers, chaperones, or parents arriving with the group will be charged the Self-Guided Adult discount group rate.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled check-in time. Upon arrival, please send only the Group Leader to the Aquarium Ticket Booth located in the Plaza of the Whales. The Group Leader will check-in at
the ticket booth. Please provide us with a final count of attendees 1 day before your visit. Payment on the date you confirm your attendance count will assist with making your entry smoother. All paying chaperones will need to pay at the ticket booth area.

The Bus Driver must follow directions provided by the Aquarium staff for parking your school bus.

Assemble your group at the Bus Loading and Unloading Zone located at the Plaza of the Whales.

Please bring your confirmation letter.

The Group Leader is expected to make one payment for the entire group and is responsible for collecting and counting any cash should you pay on the day of your visit. Preferably, your payment will be made 1 day before your visit. There will be no refunds due to changes in student participants on the day of your visit.

Please make your school or organization check payable to the Texas State Aquarium. Credit cards accepted with proper ID: VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. No school purchase orders, or personal checks will be accepted.

*No additional coupons, passes, or other discount offers can be applied to the Education Group Discount or Aquarium Self-Guided Adult discount. No Corporate Partner or Personal Membership privileges can be applied to the Education Group Discount.

Buses, after unloading the students, will be directed to park underneath the Harbor Bridge. Parking for buses is free. Please let us know when you are leaving to allow us adequate time to have someone let your bus out of the parking lot.

For parents following the students: There is a parking fee of $5.00 per vehicle at the Texas State Aquarium.

No outside food is permitted inside the Aquarium gates.

The Aquarium front lawn is available for picnic-style lunching. However, the area does not have any seating or cover from the elements. Refrigerators and storage are not available for ice chests or boxes.

For groups who choose to purchase lunch from the Pepsi Shoreline Grill, we offer a student meal package available by pre-order only. Orders must be placed two weeks in advance and prepaid. Your payment is non-refundable. For groups who preorder lunch; seating is limited and available on a first-come first-served basis.

The Aquarium does not have storage space. Please leave coolers, lunches, and personal belongings on the bus.

Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate groups in the H-E-B Splash Park area. It is not part of the educational experience.

Absolutely! However, we cannot accommodate reserved seating for any of our animal presentations.

Chaperones must accompany students in the Gift shop. Our Gift Shop does not have plastic bags for the safety of our animals and the environment, you may purchase a reusable bag if you need one or bring your own.

Late Arrival/Cancellation Policy: Groups are responsible for their arrival time. If you will be arriving late or need to cancel your reservation, please call M-F: (361) 881-1250 or on the weekend: (361) 881-1230. Please provide a two-week notice of any cancellation or change in your reservation. No shows and cancellations made less than 2 business days prior to the scheduled visit will be billed 50% of the admission amount.

The Texas State Aquarium is a place of learning, fun, and discovery! To make sure that all visitors have a great time at the Aquarium, it is important to abide by these behavior expectations:

1. Stay with your group. Students of all ages must always stay with their chaperones. One chaperone for every 10 students is required. Chaperones must be at least 18 years old and wear a Chaperone ID. For high school groups, chaperones may not be a currently enrolled high school student.

2. Be courteous and respectful of other visitors. Talk quietly and walk through the Aquarium. Running is not permitted at any time. Please use the stairs, leaving the elevator available for people in wheelchairs or parents with strollers.

3. Be respectful of the Aquarium exhibits and building. Please do not touch the exhibits, they are made of acrylic, not glass, and scratch easily. Please do not climb on exhibits or railings.

4. Help care for the animals and plants. We have 3 touch exhibits throughout the Aquarium where you are permitted to touch with 2 fingers only.

5. Keep food, drinks, and gum outside the Aquarium. Outside food and drinks are not permitted in the Aquarium. The Aquarium front lawn is available for picnic-style lunching. However, the area does not have any seating or cover from the elements. For groups who choose to purchase lunch from Shoreline Grill, we offer a student meal package available by pre-order only. Orders must be placed two weeks in advance. 

7. If time permits, shop for souvenirs in the Texas State Aquarium Gift Shop. Chaperones must accompany students in the gift shop. 

8. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate groups in the Splash Park area. It is not part of the educational experience.

9. We are unable to reserve seating/space during any of our animal presentations.

• Check out our daily presentation schedule and map to plan your visit.
• Arrive early for DOLPHINS! presentations.
• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Check the weather, as some of our presentations and exhibits are outdoors.
• To avoid large groups during the summer months, try visiting during the week. The busiest times to visit are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.