Booking

Indoor Programs

Thank you for choosing the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island!  Please scroll through the list below to check out the wide variety of tours and indoor programs offered throughout the year for you and your family.  Program availability is subject to change.

Please note that portions of our behind-the-scenes experiences may not be fully accessible to wheelchairs or other mobility assistance devices.

We require participants to secure their tickets online in advance, as sellouts do happen. Admission tickets must be purchased separately online [EXCEPT "Aquarist for a Day" program]. Buy tickets here.

DAY PLANNER

Click on the calendar to use the Day Planner to see programs and activities available on any given day. *Dates and times WILL VARY, please click on reserve buttons to check availability

For more program information, contact 252-475-2332. For registration questions, contact the Group Liaison at jennifer.thomas@ncaquariums.com or 252-475-2314.


Day Planner

Special Activities

Breakfast with the Rays

Get an exciting start to your day at the Aquarium as you assist our staff with a morning feeding, while learning about a few of the resident species. Participants will visit a behind the scenes prep kitchen, broadcast feed the stingrays at the touch pool, and then snack on a light breakfast of “people” food in our classroom while learning a little more about stingrays!  


Ages 6 & up- Children under 13 must be accompanied by a paying participating adult. We are not able to accommodate infants, even if they are in a carrier. Closed toe shoes are required.

Some Tuesdays at 8:30 am. *click reserve button to see available dates

 

Registration closes at 2:00pm, the day prior to program, if there are no reservations.

$25 per person, Plus Regular Aquarium Admission
$22.50 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 1 1/2 Hours
Reserve

Happy Otter Hour

The river otters at the Aquarium have fun most anytime of the day!  Learn more about otter behavior and biology as you prepare an enrichment treat to share with these active animals.  Participants will savor a true otter snack before seeing their enrichment contributions go on exhibit with the otters.  Help us enhance the well-being of our river otters with a daily treat challenge.

Ages: 6 and up - Children under 13 must be accompanied by a paying participating adult.

Some Mondays and Thursdays at 2:00 pm. *click reserve button to see available dates

Registration closes 11am, prior to program, if there are no reservations.
$25 per Person, Plus regular Aquarium admission
$22.50 for NC Aquarium Member

Duration 1 1/2 Hours
Reserve

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Aquarist For A Day

Experience what it is like to work as an Aquarist as you spend a few hours of your day working with our staff behind the scenes.  Learn about water quality, visit and interact with animal ambassadors, and prep food for a few animals who live in the Aquarium. Lastly, observe the fish and sharks feast in the 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic exhibit.  Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get a little "fishy."

Ages: 8 and up. Children 8-12 must be accompanied by a paying participating adult. We are not able to accommodate infants, even if they are in a carrier. 

Some Wednesdays 9:00am-2:00pm. *click reserve button to see available dates

Closed toe shoes and a bag lunch are required. This program utilizes 2 sets of stairs or elevator is available.

Registration closes at 12:00pm, the day prior to program, if there are no reservations.

Admission ticket IS included in the price, please check-in with the instructor out front at the Admission Gatehouse upon arrival. 

$55 per Person
$49.50 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 5 Hours
Reserve

Behind-the-Scenes: Shark Feeding

Venture behind the scenes of the Aquarium’s 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic exhibit to observe one of the weekly shark feedings.  Participants will not be able to assist with the shark feeding, but can help broadcast feed the fish and watch the sharks and fish feast on their favorite food. 

Ages: 8 and up - Children 8-12 must be accompanied by a paying participating adult. We are not able to accommodate infants, even if they are in a carrier. 

Some Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 12:00pm. *click reserve button to see available dates 

Closed toe shoes are required. This tour utilizes 2 sets of stairs or an elevator is available.   

Registration closes 15mins prior to program, if there are no reservations.

Admission tickets must be purchased online prior to date of program. 

Buy tickets here. Please check in with the instructor in the lobby.

$25 per Person, Plus Regular Aquarium Admission
$22.50 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 1 1/2 Hours
Reserve

Behind-the-Scenes: Animal Ambassadors

Accompany an Aquarium educator to sneak a peek behind the scenes where our animal ambassadors live. Learn the importance of animal ambassadors and how we take care of them through proper diet, life support systems, enrichment, target training and more!

Ages: 6 and up - Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying participating adult. We are not able to accommodate infants, even if they are in a carrier.  Closed toe shoes are required. This tour utilizes a few stairs.

Some Mondays, Tuesdays at 10:00am

Some Thursdays at 1:00pm

Some Fridays at 10:00am and 2:00pm.

*click reserve button to see available dates

Admission tickets must be purchased online prior to date of program. 

Buy tickets here. 

Registration closes 15 mins prior to program, if there are no reservations.

$18 per Person, Plus Regular Aquarium Admission
$16.20 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 45 minutes
Reserve

Behind-the-Scenes: Sharks

Take a short visit behind the 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic Exhibit.  Walk over and check out some dive equipment, learn about an out-of-sight holding area, and get an overhead view of the largest exhibit in the Aquarium.

Ages: 6 and up - Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying participating adult. We are not able to accommodate infants, even if they are in a carrier. Closed toe shoes are required. This tour utilizes 2 sets of stairs or an elevator is available.

Some Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 3:00pm

Some Tuesdays, Thursdays at 11:00am 

*click reserve button to see available dates

Registration closes 15 mins prior to program, if there are no reservations.

Admission tickets must be purchased online prior to date of program. 

Buy tickets here. 

$20 per Person, Plus Regular Aquarium Admission
$18 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 45 minutes
Reserve

Behind-the-Scenes: Health Center

Stroll through our quarantine building to see where our animals come from and how they move into the Aquarium. This exclusive behind-the-scenes opportunity exposes visitors to our animal hospital and holding area - the first stop for our animals upon their arrival to the Aquarium. 

Ages 12 and up- Children, age 12, must be accompanied by a paying participating adult. We are not able to accommodate infants, even if they are in a carrier.  Closed toe shoes are required.

Some Mondays at 11:00am

Some Tuesdays at 1:00pm

Some Thursdays at 10:00am

*click reserve button to see available dates

Registration closes 45mins prior to program, if there are no reservations.

Admission tickets must be purchased online prior to date of program. 

Buy tickets here. Please check in with instructor in the lobby.

$18 per Person, Plus Regular Aquarium Admission
$16.20 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 1 hour
Reserve

Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center Tour

Come check out our sea turtle patients in the Sea Turtle Assistance & Rehabilitation (STAR) Center and join us for an in-depth look at our sea turtle hospital. Engage in an educational discussion about sea turtle species, learn what the sea turtles eat, visit the treatment room, and discover how you can help these endangered species.  

Ages: 8 and up - Children ages 8-12 must be accompanied by a paying participating adult. We are not able to accommodate infants, even if they are in a carrier. 

Closed toe shoes are required.

Some Wednesdays & Thursdays at 10:00am. *click reserve button to see available dates

Registration closes 30 minutes prior to program, if there are no reservations.

Admission tickets must be purchased online prior to date of program. 

Buy tickets here. Please check in with the instructor in the lobby.

$20 per Person, Plus Regular Aquarium Admission
$18 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 45 minutes
Reserve

Crafts

Gyotaku - Fish Printing

Test your skills with the ancient art form of Gyotaku, Japanese fish printing.  Discover how this art form originated and learn a thing or two about fish anatomy while you create your very own Gyotaku t-shirt to take home.  All supplies, including one t-shirt per person, are provided. 
Ages: 6 and Up - Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult. We are not able to accommodate infants, even if they are in a carrier.  

Some Fridays at 10:00am. *click reserve button to see available dates

Registration closes 1 hour prior to program, if there are no reservations.

Admission tickets must be purchased online prior to date of program.

Buy tickets here.  Please check in with the instructor in the lobby.


$21 per Person, Plus Regular Aquarium Admission
$18.90 for NC Aquarium Society Members

Duration 2 Hours
Reserve