The Seattle Aquarium aims to be inclusive and welcoming to all, and believes that our audience should reflect the diversity of our region. Toward that end, the Seattle Aquarium Connections program provides complimentary admission tickets through community partner organizations.
The goal of Seattle Aquarium Connections is to provide opportunities to experience the Aquarium to those in our community who might otherwise experience barriers to engaging with us. To support our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, we hope to create authentic, mutually beneficial relationships that build trust among the Aquarium and our partner communities, and provide quality, culturally relevant marine conservation educational experiences to all.
Eligible partners include service-based nonprofit or governmental organizations that support members of marginalized communities including but not limited to: low-income families; communities of color; immigrant and refugee communities; people with disabilities; the deaf community; people who are blind; families or individuals experiencing homelessness; and others. If your organization is interested in becoming a partner, please apply here.
Connections partners must designate one main contact to order and distribute Aquarium tickets for the organization. The designated main contact will represent the organization and act as a liaison between the Aquarium and any coworkers who may want to use Seattle Aquarium Connections tickets.
The main contact will make all group reservations and order all individual tickets needed by the organization. They are also in charge of making sure that all tickets distributed are tracked on the distribution logs provided by the Aquarium and returning those distribution logs before ordering more tickets.
Further, the main contact is responsible for educating all programs and individuals within their agency about the Connections program. If the main contact changes, it is the responsibility of the Connections partner organization to inform the Seattle Aquarium of the change.
The Seattle Aquarium lists all Connections partner agencies and links the main contact on our website.
The Seattle Aquarium Connections program distributes two types of tickets to our partner organizations.
Group reservations: Advance, online registration is required for groups of 10 or more people (including chaperones) who are coming to the Aquarium together. You will receive an entrance confirmation to bring when entering the Aquarium. This helps keep down the cost and waste of printing paper tickets.
Individual tickets: Individual tickets are distributed to qualifying families and patrons of partner organizations who wish to visit the Aquarium on their own. Tickets must be recorded in the distribution log and are valid for six months from the date they were printed. If you are an organization bound by confidentiality laws, please make a note on your log and include all the information you are able to give. Aquarium tickets may only be distributed to staff members of partner organizations if said staff qualify for services that you provide.
Tickets should never be used as a reward, incentive or donation item for fundraising. They do not have a cash value, are nontransferable, should never be sold, and are not to be given to employees or non-qualifying individuals for personal use.
You must provide the following information:
- Agency name and address
- Main contact information (name, email, direct phone number)
- Website address
- An agency description and/or mission statement
- A description of the demographics and/or populations you serve, as well as the number of people you serve.
- Nonprofit federal tax ID number
- Estimated number of tickets you would request per year
Apply online here. If you have any questions about the online application, please call: (206) 693-6139 or email connections@seattleaquarium.org.
To order Seattle Aquarium Connections tickets, your organization must be a current partner in good standing. All Aquarium ticket requests must go through your agency’s designated main contact. Find a list of our current partners and their main contacts here.
To keep the program sustainable, we encourage group reservations be made when applicable. This helps keep down the cost and waste of printing paper tickets.
When visiting the Aquarium with a group of 10 or more people, you can make your reservation with at least two weeks’ notice (more lead time may be necessary in the summer). A great option for field trips!
a. Designated main contacts must make the reservation at least two weeks before the desired date.
c. Enter the organization and main contact’s information.
d. Select “community ticket partner” in the box asking you to “specify your intended form of payment.”
e. You will be asked for your agency code.
f. You will receive an automated email after submitting your request. If you do not receive this email, we may not have received your request.
g. Once your request has been approved by the Seattle Aquarium registrar, you will be emailed an entrance confirmation letter (this may take one to two business days).
h. You must print and present your entrance confirmation on the day of your visit.
i. For questions regarding registration call our registrar at (206) 693-6196, Monday–Friday, 7:30am–3:30pm, or email registration@seattleaquarium.org.
Families from or patrons of your organization may use printed tickets to visit the Aquarium on their own. Individual tickets are not to be sold, raffled, used as incentive items, or used as donations for fundraising. They have no cash value, are non-transferable between agencies, and are not to be given to employees or non-qualifying individuals.
Helpful tips:
a. Main contacts are responsible for ordering and distributing all tickets needed by their agency.
b. Individual tickets can be ordered twice a year per agency. Main contacts are responsible for coordinating orders among staff in their organization.
c. Tickets are valid for six months and have an expiration date printed on them.
d. Place your ticket order at least two to three weeks before you will need to use them—processing, printing and mailing of orders occurs in batches.
e. Children 3 years and under get free entry and do not need tickets.
To order:
a. The main contact must email registration@seattleaquarium.org with the agency code and number of tickets needed.
b. You must record all tickets you give out in a distribution log, which can be printed here. Please fill out as much information as you can, as this allows us to get a better understanding of which audiences we are reaching, and identifies areas for improvement. If bound by confidentiality laws, please fill out what you can.
c. Completed distribution logs must be returned to registration@seattleaquarium.org before placing your next order.
d. Organizations that regularly fail to return their distribution logs risk losing their good standing with Seattle Aquarium Connections.
At this time you can order as many tickets as your agency can effectively distribute and record. Please note that printing tickets does incur costs, and before your next order is filled we will look at your redemption rates and number of tickets distributed in your logs to evaluate if they are being used.
Seattle Aquarium Connections tickets are valid during all open hours at the Seattle Aquarium, including special events such as Deaf Community Day, Ocean Career Day, Discover Science Weekend, Family Science Weekend, Octopus Week and Fishtival. A calendar of all our events can be found here.
The Seattle Aquarium is open daily from 9:30am to 5pm. Last entry at 5pm; exhibits close at 6pm.
Exception: The Seattle Aquarium is closed two days each year year—December 25 (Christmas Day) and one Friday in June for our annual Splash! fundraising gala.
If you would like a quieter, more relaxed visit, plan to come
- In the spring after 2 pm
- In the summer after 4pm
- In the fall or winter seasons (not around holidays)
- Weekdays, which are generally slower than weekends
Spring and summer, weekends and around the holidays are our busiest times.
The Seattle Aquarium does not distribute tickets directly to individuals. There are three different ways you could possibly obtain Seattle Aquarium Connections tickets if you qualify.
1. Do you have a library card? The Seattle Aquarium participates in the Museum Pass program, which allows you to essentially “check out” a family pass to the Aquarium.
Go to the Seattle Public Library Museum Pass program page. Please check with your local librarian for more details.
2. If you live within the City of Seattle you can visit your local Department of Parks and Recreation community centers. All City of Seattle community centers have access to Aquarium tickets. If you are having a problem getting in touch with someone, please email connections@seattleaquarium.org.
3. If you are already a member of one of our partner organizations, you may be able to obtain tickets through them. You may only contact our partners if you are part of their programming.
The Seattle Aquarium is open daily from 9:30am to 5pm. Last entry at 5pm; exhibits close at 6pm.
Exception: The Seattle Aquarium is closed two days each year year—December 25 (Christmas Day) and one Friday in June for our annual Splash! fundraising gala.
If you would like a quieter, more relaxed visit, plan to come:
- In the spring after 2pm
- In the summer after 4pm
- In the fall or winter seasons (not around holidays)
- Weekdays, which are generally slower than weekends
Spring and summer, weekends and around the holidays are our busiest times.
Dream Night is a free evening welcoming children and adults with a disability or serious medical condition and their families. These families are able to explore the Aquarium and activities that are accessible to all their families and have told us how wonderful it was to not feel self-conscious being out in public.
Open House is a community event to welcome families through our Aquarium Connections partner organizations that work with immigrant and refugee families and low-income communities especially in South Seattle neighborhoods. Participants are able to fully experience the Aquarium in an engaging and culturally appropriate way with their community in a safe environment.