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. 
Pre-registration is REQUIRED for each of these activities.

DAY PLANNER

Click on the calendar to use the Day Planner to see programs and activities available on any given day.
If you have questions or need help registering for a program you can call the registrar at
252-475-2314.


Day Planner

Special Activities

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.  Prepare food for the box turtles, make vegetable jello, create treats for the otters, and prep food for the largest tank in the Aquarium.  Once meals are prepared, watch the otters eat their snacks and 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."

 Closed toe shoes and a bag lunch are required.

Ages: 8 and up - Children ages 8-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

​9:00am to 2:00pm
October 5 & 19

Or, call to request a private program:  252-475-2327.
$52 per Person
$46.80 for NC Aquarium Members
Duration 5 Hours
Reserve

Shark Bites

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 will get an up close look as all of the fish and sharks feast on favorite food. 

Program begins at 12:30pm.  Aquarium admission purchased separately.

September 30
October 3, 7, 10, 17, 21 & 28
Closed toe shoes are required.

Ages: 6 and up - Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

$12, Plus Regular Admission
$10.80 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 1 1/2 Hours
Reserve

Aqua Tots

Bring your child to take advantage of a fun-filled toddler animal hour.  Each session encourages hands-on learning of a new animal topic or nature theme using stories, crafts, and occasionally free time in the Aquarium.  Parents can sit back and relax, as little ones play while accompanied by our education staff. 

Advanced registration is strongly recommended.

Ages: 2-5

11:00am
October 4 & 5 - Birds
October 10 & 11 - Harvesting Nature
October 18 & 19 - Deep Sea
October 24 & 25 - Creepy Crawly

$5 per child, Plus regular admission
No program fee for adults, but regular admission rates apply.
Duration 1 Hour
Reserve

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 feed the stingrays at the touch tank and then snack on a light breakfast of “people” food. 

Program begins at 8:30am.

Closed toe shoes are required.

October 5, 19 & 26

$19 Plus Regular Admission
$17.10 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 design an enrichment toy to share with these playful animals. Participants savor a true otter snack before seeing the otters enjoy their own treats and their newly designed "toys." The program concludes with a glance behind the river otter exhibit, while the river otters continue to play on the front side of the exhibit. 

Program begins at 2:00pm.

Closed toe shoes are required.

Ages: 6 and up - Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

October 4 & 25

$19 per Person
$17.10 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 1 1/2 Hours
Reserve

Behind the Scenes Tours

Shark Tank Tour

Take a short visit behind the 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic Exhibit.  Peek into the dive locker, learn about an out-of-site holding tank, and get an overhead view of the largest exhibit in the Aquarium.

Closed toe shoes are required.  Aquarium admission purchased separately.

Ages: 6 and up - Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

10:00am
September 8 & 20

11:00am
September 29
October 3, 6, 17, 20, 21, 24, 26, 27 & 31

2:00pm
September 30
October 7, 17, 18, 19, 21, 25 & 28

3:00pm
September 27, 28 & 29
October 4, 5, 10, 14, 20, 24 & 31


$8, Plus Regular Admission
$7.20 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 30 minutes
Reserve

Otter Quarters Tour

Where do the otters go when they are not on exhibit?  Step behind the scenes to see some of their enrichment toys, favorite snacks, and living quarters, while the otters continue to play in their exhibit.


Aquarium admission purchased separately.

Closed toe shoes are required.

Ages: 6 and up - Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

10:00am
September 30
October 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28 & 31

2:30pm
September 29
October 5, 6, 11, 13 & 20

$11, Plus Regular Admission
$9.90 for NC Aquarium Members
Duration 30 minutes
Reserve

Quarantine Tour

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.

Program begins at 3:00pm.

 Closed toe shoes are required.

Ages: 12 and up

$11, Plus Regular Admission
$9.90 for NC Aquarium Members
Duration 1 hours

Seafood Series

Seafood Series

Tantalize your taste buds with new recipes from the sea, presented by a local restaurant chef.  Different seafood will be featured at each session, with an emphasis on local Outer Banks seafood.  Class participants receive biological information, copies of all recipes, and a savory sample of each dish prepared. 

Ages: 12 and up

$25 per Person
$22.50 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 2 Hours

Crafts

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. 

Pre-registration is REQUIRED.

Ages: 6 and Up - Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

$19 per Person
$17.10 for NC Aquarium Society Members

Duration 2 Hours

Nautical Wreaths

Bring your creative ideas and incorporate natural items from the sea into a grapevine wreath for decorative use year round. We will provide one wreath per person, shells, moss, ribbon, dried flowers and other maritime castoffs. We encourage you to bring in special shells or other treasures to personalize your wreath. Use your masterpiece for year round decoration, create a special wreath for the holidays, or give a gift from the sea.

This program begins at 10:00am.

Ages: 8 and up - Children ages 8-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult.
$21 per Person
$17.00 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 2 Hours

Nautical Crafts

Bring your creative ideas and be inspired by the seashore, as you design a variety of nautical crafts.  Try your hand at decorating a grapevine wreath, a driftwood wind chime, or other seashell creation, as you incorporate natural items from the sea into these works of art.  The Aquarium provides one wreath or driftwood set, shells, moss, ribbon, and other maritime castoffs.  We also encourage you to bring in special shells or other treasures to personalize your crafts.

 Pre-registration is REQUIRED

Ages: 8 and Up - Children ages 8-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

$21 per Person
$17 for NC Aquarium Members

Duration 2 Hours

Test Info