Free Chaperone Ratios
- Pre-K and Kindergarten | 1:5 ratio of chaperones to students
- Grades 1-12 | 1:10 ratio of chaperones to students
- Additional Chaperones | $18
Scenic Overlook Closed for Renovations
The Scenic Overlook is closed for construction, with a new deck expected to reopen this fall. The Nature Trail between the buildings remains open.
Field Trips
School Admission Rates
Self-Guided
$12
- Admission
SOL-Based
$17
- Program & Admission
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
$12
- Plus $120 Flat Fee Per 30 Kids
How to Reserve
Order Lunch With Your Field Trip!
We offer lunches for school groups through our catering partners at Gourmet Gang.
Interested in Grant Funding?
Our Access Aquarium program offers grant funding to Title 1 schools which, if awarded, would cover 50% of your student cost for either a self-guided trip, Aquarium admission, or SOL program or outreach program. Please do not book a field trip until you are approved for grant funding if your field trip is contingent on this funding. Applications for this grant must be submitted at least 3 weeks before the desired program date.
School Year Onsite Programs
Our SOL-based onsite programs can easily be added to your field trip. Programs are available September 3, 2024 - June 1, 2025. If you would prefer a self guided field trip, please contact our guest services department at (757) 385-FISH ext. 3 to book. Only self guided trips are available if visiting through September 2, 2024. See below for more information about the programs available for your grade level.
T is for Turtle: Toddlers (20 Minutes)
Using senses and letter recognition, practice school readiness skills while learning about turtles through hands-on exploration and movement.
ELDS: ALP.1, ALP.3, CD.1
Turtle Talk: Pre-K – Kindergarten (30 Minutes)
Use models and movement to compare and contrast sea turtles, land turtles, and aquatic turtles. Brainstorm ways to help turtles thrive and discuss how we can all play a part in keeping our oceans clean.
ELDS and SOLs: ALP.1, ALP.3, CD.1, K.1, K.7, K.11
Mini Movers: Toddler– Kindergarten (30 Minutes)
Get your students moving while they learn about animal locomotion and why some animals don’t need to move to survive.
ELDS and SOLs: CD1.1, CD4.1, K.1, K.7
Water Wizards: Kindergarten (50 Minutes)
Use the scientific method to investigate the magic of water. Pour, stir, and build to examine the properties of water through experiments.
SOLs: K.1, K.4, K.11
Circle of Life: A Look into Animal Life Cycles: Kindergarten (50 Minutes)
Journey through animal life cycles with fun interactives and colorful visuals. Learn how living things grow and reproduce in the circle of life.
SOLs: K.7, K.10
Live Animal Encounters: Toddler– Kindergarten (20 Minutes)
Meet some of the Virginia Aquarium’s reptiles, amphibians, and mammals and learn about life history, conservation and animal care.
Water Wizards: Grades 1 – 3 (50 Minutes)
Use the scientific method to investigate the magic of water. Pour, stir, and build to examine the properties of water through experiments.
SOLs: 1.1, 1.5, 1.8, 2.1, 2.8, 3.1, 3.3
Sea Turtle Egg to Adult: Grades 1 - 2 (50 Minutes)
Learn how life begins and the dangers that threaten sea turtle survival. Play a game to explore its life cycle from nest to adult and brainstorm ways to help sea turtles survive.
SOLs: 1.5, 2.4, 2.5, 3.4
Circle of Life: A Look into Animal Life Cycles: Grades 1 – 3 (50 Minutes)
Journey through animal life cycles with fun interactives and colorful visuals. Learn how living things grow and reproduce in the circle of life.
SOLs: 1.5, 2.4 3.4
Life in the Chesapeake Bay: Grades 1 – 4 (50 Minutes)
Dive into hands-on activities to explore the Chesapeake Bay and the roles organisms play in estuarine habitats. Examine oysters, plankton, food webs, and water to understand why the Bay is such an important natural resource.
SOLs: 1.5, 1.8, 2.5, 2.8, 3.4, 3.5, 3.8, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.8
Out in the Ocean: Grades 3 – 4 (50 Minutes)
Go on an adventure through the zones of the ocean to discover what it takes to survive from the surface to the bottom. Engage in hands-on activities to learn how ocean properties, animal adaptations, and ocean geology change with depth.
SOLs: 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.8, 4.1, 4.2, 4.7
Bay Watch: Grades 6 – 7 (50 Minutes)
Get an in-depth look at the Chesapeake Bay and the organisms that make it a unique ecosystem. At activity stations, investigate factors that impact watersheds and the organisms that live there.
Sols: 6.1, 6.6, 6.8, 6.9, LS.1, LS.5, LS.6, LS.7, LS.8, LS.9
Wandering Through Wetlands: Grades 4 – 6 (50 Minutes)
Explore the value of wetlands to keeping our watersheds healthy. Students will use models to learn about the environments and processes that impact the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
SOLs: 4.1, 4.8, 6.1, 6.8, 6.9
Inside the Squid: Grades 6 – 12 (50 Minutes)
Investigate the classification of squid by looking its defining characteristics and compare it to other invertebrate phyla. Dissect squid to see what it has in common with other mollusks and discover its unique adaptations.
SOLs: LS.1, LS. 3, BIO.1, BIO.6
Behind the Scenes: Grades 7 – 12 (45 Minutes)
Visit behind-the-scenes to get a glimpse of public aquarium operations, animal care, and different career paths in the Aquarium industry.
NEW – Invertebrates: Grades 3 – 4 (50 Minutes)
At interactive stations, compare and contrast different invertebrates to discover their unique adaptations and the niches they occupy.
SOLs: 3.1, 3.4, 4.1, 4.3
Live Animal Encounters: Grades 1– 12 (30 Minutes)
Meet some of the Virginia Aquarium’s reptiles, amphibians, and mammals and learn about life history, conservation and animal care.
Circle of Life: A Look into Animal Life Cycles: Grades Kindergarten – 3 (50 Minutes)
Journey through animal life cycles with fun interactives and colorful visuals. Learn how living things grow and reproduce in the circle of life.
SOLs: K.7, K.10, 1.5, 2.4 3.4
Out in the Ocean Assembly: Grades 3 – 4 (50 Minutes)
Go on an adventure through the zones of the ocean to discover what it takes to survive from the surface to the bottom. Engage in hands-on activities to learn how ocean properties, animal adaptations, and ocean geology change with depth.
SOLs: 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.8, 4.1, 4.2, 4.7
Amazing Adaptations Assembly: Grades 1 – 4 (50 Minutes)
Discover how creatures use their adaptations to survive in different habitats. Engage in role play and examine biofacts to explore how changing seasons and environmental factors shape some amazing adaptations.
SOLs: 1.5, 2.5, 3.4, 4.2
Class Boat Tours
Dolphin Discoveries
Observe bottlenose dolphins, Virginia’s most common marine mammal, up close during this ocean excursion. Students will delve further into dolphin behaviors and marine mammal conservation. Biofacts and other visual aids add a hands-on element to the trip.
Whales & Wildlife
Did you know that large whales visit the coast of Virginia each winter? Educators will share three decades' worth of knowledge, research, and experience with our local whales and wildlife. During this incredible tour, students will search out whales, dolphins, seals, and seabirds highlighting the diversity just off our coastline.
We Welcome Field Trip Feedback!
Take the field trip survey to tell us how we're doing, and you'll be entered to win a free program, resource kit rental, or free chaperones for your visit.
Have Questions?
Contact our School & Youth Programs Coordinator at (757) 385-0278 or via email.
