education group
toolkit
let’s go sea!
So much to SEA. So much to do.
• Featuring 60 unique habitats and 5,000 animals!
• Connect with Aquarium staff during daily interactive dive shows from the
tallest tank in North America.
• Feed the stingrays in the Saltmarsh Aviary, and visit the Touch Tank for a
hands-on encounter.
• Visit South Carolina’s only Sea Turtle Hospital for an exclusive
behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary care that is provided to rescued
sea turtles.
• Special air, motion and water effects make a 15-minute 4-D movie an
experience for all your senses!
• Come fingers to fins with sharks and rays at Shark Shallows, a
20,000-gallon touch tank overlooking the Charleston Harbor. (Opens May 9)
Save on admission with deeply
discounted School Group rates!
Your School Group Rate (10 or more students)
Pre-K through 8th Grade
$17.95
$9.00
9th through 12th Grade
$24.95
$12.50
Teachers and Included Chaperones (1:10 ratio)
$24.95
FREE!
Additional Chaperones
$24.95
$15.00
Hours:
September – February
March – August
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
100 Aquarium Wharf | Charleston, SC 29401 | scaquarium.org | (843) 577-FISH (3474)
Top ten tips to make your
field trip fin-tastic
1. Certified South Carolina teachers always receive free
admission to the Aquarium. Teachers do not need to be
included in the chaperone count for your trip.
2. The Aquarium provides complimentary admission for one
chaperone per ten students. Additional chaperones may join the
fun for $15 each. Please provide the Aquarium with a final student
and chaperone count at least one week before your visit.
3. Take advantage of the South Carolina standards-based
curriculum to enhance your field trip experience. Download
age-appropriate activities for your students at
curriculum.scaquarium.org.
4. The early bird gets the worm! Arrive at least 30 minutes before
your reservation time for restroom breaks and orientation. Restrooms
are available in the Aquarium Garage and the Fort Sumter Pavilion.
5. Print grade-specific scavenger hunts to keep your students actively
involved during their self-guided tour of the Aquarium at
scaquarium.org/teachers.
6. A little courtesy goes a long way toward a great visit. Please review our
Behavior Guidelines with your students and chaperones before your trip.
7. Don’t miss our Daily Programs. From up-close Animal Encounters to game
shows led by divers in the Great Ocean Tank, Daily Programs offer extra fun for
your students. Check out our Daily Program schedule at
scaquarium.org/calendar-2.
8. Encourage your students to look for fun, hands-on activities throughout the
building, including stamping their passports in Madagascar Journey, feeding the
rays in the Saltmarsh, and petting live marine animals in the Touch Tank.
9. In the weeks following your trip, plan a conservation-themed activity such as
a trash cleanup day, host a bake sale or read-a-thon to support the Sea Turtle
Rescue Program or Adopt-an-Animal as a classroom to remind your students that
protecting the environment is important 365 days a year.
10. We want to make sure your field trip to the South Carolina Aquarium exceeds
your expectations. Call our Customer Service Center at (843) 577-FISH (3474)
to speak with an Aquarium staff member about any questions or concerns.
100 Aquarium Wharf | Charleston, SC 29401 | scaquarium.org | (843) 577-FISH (3474)
add to your fun
Sea Turtle Hospital Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit South Carolina’s only hospital for
endangered and threatened sea turtles. A favorite for visitors of all ages, the
Sea Turtle Hospital Behind-the-Scenes Tour will inspire your students to
preserve and protect endangered species like our state reptile, the loggerhead
sea turtle.
Tours are offered daily at noon and 2 p.m. Add on this unforgettable experience
for only $5 per student and $10 per adult in your group.
4-D Theater Experience
Take a ride on the wild side as you view a 15-minute movie while
feeling special effects such as wind gusts, splashes of water and
movement under your feet.
Movies begin every 20 minutes, starting at 10 a.m. Add on a
thrilling 4-D Theater experience for each member of your group
for just $3 each.
Convenient Dining Options
The Sea Turtle Café offers affordable boxed lunch options
to satisfy your group’s appetite. Call (843) 329-0366 or
email [email protected] for more
information or to place an order.
Food trucks offer rotating dining options at the
Aquarium. Contact the Customer Service Center
at (843) 577-FISH (3474) for food truck
schedules and advance orders.
School groups may enjoy picnic-style lunch outside the Aquarium on
Liberty Square, under Fort Sumter Museum’s covered pavilions next to
the Aquarium, or in the arrival area of the Aquarium Garage.
Aquarium Gift Shop
The Aquarium Gift Shop offers a variety of inexpensive gifts that
students may purchase to remember their visit. Students may browse
the Aquarium Gift Shop in small groups with the supervision of a
chaperone or you may pre-order discounted souvenir kits two weeks
in advance using the included form.
Tourism Partners
Provide your students with even more excitement by arranging a
field trip to one of our educational partner attractions. Enjoy all
that Charleston has to offer at a discounted price. Contact
(843) 577-FISH (3474) or [email protected]
for a list of participating attractions and rates.
100 Aquarium Wharf | Charleston, SC 29401 | scaquarium.org | (843) 577-FISH (3474)
Getting to the South Carolina Aquarium
directions for buses
and motor coaches
These directions have been customized for buses that are
restricted in their use of city streets. In order to abide by
Charleston tourism laws, it is imperative that you follow
these directions.
•
•
•
•
From I-26 East
Take I-26 to the end and follow the signs to Exit 221B
(Meeting Street / Visitors Center / Downtown).
Merge right onto Meeting Street and travel approximately
10 blocks to Calhoun Street.
Turn left onto Calhoun Street and continue to Washington
Street.
Turn left onto Washington Street and follow the signs for
motor coach and bus pickup and drop-off area.
From Highway 17 North (West Ashley)
• Take US Highway 17 North across the Ashley River Bridge,
and follow the signs to Calhoun Street.
• Turn left onto Calhoun Street.
• Stay on Calhoun Street approximately 15 blocks to
Washington Street.
• Turn left onto Washington Street and follow the signs
for motor coach and bus pickup and drop-off area.
From Highway 17 South (Mount Pleasant)
• Follow US Highway 17 South across the Cooper River.
• Take the East Bay Street / South Carolina Aquarium exit.
• At the light, turn left onto East Bay Street and continue
to Calhoun Street.
• Turn left onto Calhoun Street and continue to
Washington Street.
• Turn left onto Washington Street, and follow the signs
for the motor coach and bus pickup and drop-off area.
Please be prepared for inclement weather. Your group will walk approximately 100 yards from the
drop-off area to the Aquarium.
Buses and motor coaches may park in the bus lane as directed by your Aquarium Guide. Vans may park
in the Aquarium Garage.
If the Aquarium is your first or only destination, no city bus permit is required.
100 Aquarium Wharf | Charleston, SC 29401 | scaquarium.org | (843) 577-FISH (3474)
Entry
The BBC and BBC Earth are trademarks of the British Broadcasting Corporation and
are used under license. BBC logo © BBC 1996
Photography: © Roger Horrocks · Photography: © Alexander Safonov
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs™ & © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
All rights reserved.
visitor map
Information
Desk
Shark Shallows
Come fingers to fins
with sharks and rays
at our newest exhibit,
featuring a 20,000gallon touch tank
overlooking the
Charleston Harbor.
Aquarium Artwork
From the terrazzo map
floor to the stainless
steel mobile on the
ceiling, look around for
art inspired by nature.
Opens May 9, 2015
100 Aquarium Wharf | Charleston, SC 29401 | scaquarium.org | (843) 577-FISH (3474)
school
group kits
Use this form to preorder and prepay for your group’s souvenir kits. Then simply pick up your souvenir
kits in the Aquarium Shop the day of your visit. All preorders must be received at least two weeks prior
to your visit.
3Kit 5Kit 10Kit
$
$
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$7.67 valu
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35% savin
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$16.96 va
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41% savin
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$4.98 valu
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40% sav
SCHOOL GROUP KITS ORDER FORM
Name of Group/School:
Contact Name:
Phone:
Please indicate quantity of kits:
Payment will be made by:
$3 Kit Qty.
$5 Kit Qty.
MC
Credit Card #
VISA
Exp. Date
Please fax or email form at least one week prior to visit
Fax: (843) 329-0367
$10 Kit Qty.
Pay at pickup (cash, credit card or check; one transaction)
Pre-pay
Credit Card Type:
Date of Visit:
Phone: (843) 329-0366
AMEX
Discover
Signature
Order Total ($)
Email: [email protected]