Field Trips and Group Reservations

The Maine State Aquarium is a non-profit state facility that does not receive state taxpayer (general fund) money. We operate solely on awarded federal grant money through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Sportfish Restoration Fund, donations, and admissions. The past goodwill practice of allowing schools to visit for free has now been reevaluated and updated to reflect current economic changes and needs, and to more closely align ourselves with other state non-profit facilities within the state of Maine and the region.

Some of the links below are PDF files, and require Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader software (download here free) to view or print. Please contact Aimee Hayden-Roderiques if you need an alternate format.

Please scroll down the page, or select one of these links:

Schedule | School Field Trips to the Aquarium | Other Groups | Reservations | Burnt Island Lighthouse Trips

Schedule

2009 - The aquarium will be open Wednesdays through Sundays (closed Mondays and Tuesdays) through September 27; closing for the season September 28, 2009.
2010 - Open to school groups only, May 17 through May 28, 2010, Monday through Friday; then open to the public (and groups) May 29 through September 26, 2010.

School Field Trips

School Group Rate

Starting January 1, 2009 - school groups will no longer receive free admissions. We will be charging the group admission for students ($2.50pp) but teachers will still get in free at 1 per every 5 students, not to exceed 10 adults per group. Anyone over the allotted 10 chaperones per group will be charged the group rate. Homeschools will receive 1 free adult, but must have 5 or more students with them. Otherwise, standard rates will apply for the entire group.

To receive the group rate, schools must book at least 2 weeks in advance. If a reservation is less than 2 weeks, the standard admission rates will apply.

Schools wishing to participate in additional educational programs (beyond the basic aquarium tour) will need to add a fee of $0.50 per student (5-16) or $2.50 per paying adult. The Shark or Lobster Presentions are exempt from this fee and are considered part of the basic aquarium tour. For information on additional programs available, contact the Education Department at aquarium@maine.gov or call Aimee Hayden-Roderiques at (207) 633-9542.

Please note: Homeschool groups must have a copy of their Letter of Intent to Homeschool, or other documentation that supports homeschool recognition in the State of Maine. Without this supporting documentation, any discounted or free admissions will not apply.

Financial Assistance

As a way to assist schools in continuing to visit with us, we will be providing a field trip assistance waiver through our "Free To Visit" initiative to a designated number of schools each season. Schools may apply for this admissions waiver application and decisions will be based on the percentage of students eligible for the free federal or reduced lunch program. Homeschools, private care facilities (preschools, daycares, etc.) and recreational programs are not eligible for this waiver unless proof of federal funding and associated eligibility is determined.

Schools interested in this option must plan a visit between May 17 - June 25, 2010 or September 1 - 24, 2010. An application is available here (PDF, 67 kb, 1 page) and will be accepted through April 30, 2010 and starting again August 1st for September reservations.

School Field Trip Resources

Once accepted, teachers must follow the step-by-step Field Trip Planning Guide (PDF, 5 MB, 55 pages), which includes our admission and payment policies, chaperone policies, program planning and activities, check-in procedures and parking policies.
Field Trip Checklist (PDF, 50 kb, 1 page)
Teachers and Chaperones, please read our Chaperone Guide and Aquarium Rules (PDF, 148 kb, 2 pages) before coming on your field trip.
Our Teachers Guide to Gulf of Maine Marine Life (PDF, 2 MB, 110 pages) is also helpful.

Other Groups

Group Admissions

Groups of 10 or more people planning to visit the Maine State Aquarium should make a reservation at least 7 days in advance of their planned visit date. For those that make this pre-reservation, the Group Discount will apply at a rate of $2.50 pp. Without this pre-reservation, the standard admission rates will apply.

For Tour Groups with more than 25 people wishing to take advantage of this discounted Group Rate, we ask for a 2-week reservation notice. This is non-negotiable if planning to visit on a peak holiday due to small facility capacity and safety protocols. If an unplanned Tour Group arrives without this pre-reservation, you may be asked to wait until space is available in the facility before being allowed to enter. The standard admission will apply in this case with no exception.

Bus Drivers will receive a Free Admission into the facility as part of a Tour Group.

To Make Reservations

Download a reservation form here (PDF, 137 kb, 1 page), fill it out, and submit it. You may check our online aquarium schedule for available times, or to check the status of your request. The reservation phone line (207- 633-9674) and the aquarium email (aquarium@maine.gov) will serve for information regarding reservations, but will not be used to take reservations. Reservations must be made using the form above and submitted via fax, mail, or email. Fax is the preferred method.

Please remember to wait for an aquarium staff member to confirm your request before finalizing any visit plans. This will ensure that space is available, that we have received your request and can operate accordingly.

Burnt Island Lighthouse Trips

If you have any questions concerning any of this information, please call (207) 633-9542 to speak with the Natural Science Educator.

DEPT. OF MARINE RESOURCES