About the Connections Program
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 and discounted memberships through community partner organizations.
The goal of the Seattle Aquarium Connections program 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 between the Aquarium and our partner communities and provide quality, culturally relevant marine conservation educational experiences to all.
Becoming a partner
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.
Once established as community partners through our Connections program, participating organizations have access to enjoy free general admission to the Aquarium, $35 Connections membership vouchers, outreach opportunities, programming through the Beach Naturalist and Cedar River Salmon Journey programs, on-site enhancements, special events and more.
What we ask for in exchange is that community partners designate one primary contact to represent their organization and act as a liaison between the Aquarium and any coworkers who may want to utilize the Connections program. (We understand that this may not be efficient for larger organizations; please contact us to make alternate arrangements if that’s the case.)
The primary contact is responsible for ordering and distributing all tickets and vouchers needed by the organization; and maintaining and returning distribution logs provided by the Aquarium to track basic demographics on the audiences receiving tickets and vouchers. We also ask the primary contact to inform others within their organization about opportunities at the Seattle Aquarium, so the whole organization can benefit from the Connections program. If the primary contact changes, it is the responsibility of the community partner to inform the Seattle Aquarium of this change.
Benefits of the Connections program
Free general admission
The Seattle Aquarium Connections program offers free general admission through two types of tickets distributed to our community partners.
- Group reservations: Online registration is required for groups of 10 or more people (including chaperones) who are coming to the Aquarium together and must be reserved at least two weeks in advance. You will receive an entrance confirmation to bring when entering the Aquarium; printed tickets are not required for group reservations. This option reduces costs and is more sustainable than 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.
*See note regarding COVID-19 below
$35 membership vouchers
These vouchers offer a full year of Aquarium membership, at a significant savings, to low-income families. Partners can distribute Connections membership vouchers to community members who would like to purchase an Aquarium Family Plus membership for $35. All standard membership benefits apply.
Note: We require that distribution logs be maintained for individual tickets and membership vouchers to track basic audience demographics.
Individual tickets and membership vouchers are valid for one year from the date they were printed and may be distributed to staff members of partner organizations if said staff qualify for services the organization provides.
Tickets and membership vouchers should never be used as rewards, incentives or donation items 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.
Outreach programming
The Seattle Aquarium provides multiple opportunities for programs in the community, including but not limited to:
- Beach Naturalist program: Schedule a time to join us on a local shoreline at low tide for a beach animal program.
- Cedar River Salmon Journey: Schedule a time to join us along the Cedar River or at the Ballard Locks as we watch sockeye, Chinook and coho salmon head upstream to spawn.
- Take a live, interactive, 45-minute virtual tour of the Seattle Aquarium with staff leading you through habitats in real time and answering your questions along the way.
For those interested in ocean conservation careers, we also have opportunities to enhance your group visit to the Seattle Aquarium. For more information on our outreach opportunities, please email connections@seattleaquarium.org.
**See note regarding COVID-19 below
How to join the Connections program
You can apply online to become a community partner through the Connections program. You’ll need to have the following information available:
- Organization name and address
- Contact information for the designated contact from your organization
- Website address
- An organization 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 anticipate requesting per year
If you have any questions about the Connections community partner application, please call (206) 693-6173 or email connections@seattleaquarium.org.
For information on our other discount programs, please see our discounts and group rates page.
For Current Connections Program Partners
To request Seattle Aquarium Connections tickets and vouchers, your organization must be a current partner in good standing. All Aquarium ticket requests must go through your designated primary contact to authorize free admission.
When distributing individual tickets and membership vouchers, you must complete the associated distribution log. 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 of improvement. To support our sustainability efforts, we encourage community partners to make group reservations when applicable. This option is for groups of 10 or more people visiting the Aquarium on the same day, at the same time.
All group reservations, printed individual tickets and membership vouchers can be requested by the designated primary contact using our Connections partner tickets or group visit request online form.
For more detailed instructions on how to use the online form, please see the following documents:
How to order Connections membership vouchers
How to make a group reservation and order printed individual tickets
2023 Program offerings for community partners through the Connections program
Live virtual tours
Take a live, interactive 45-minute virtual tour of the Seattle Aquarium with staff leading you through habitats in real time and answering your questions along the way. Explore the amazing marine animals that inhabit Puget Sound and our world’s one big ocean. Get up close and personal with some of your favorite marine life in a virtual setting.
Beach naturalist outreach program
Interested in having a program for your community group with our trained naturalists? We can meet you at one of the spots along the Cedar River where we offer programming for 90 minutes of exploration.
Offered June through August.
Cedar River Salmon Journey Outreach Program
Interested in having a program for your community group with our trained naturalists? We can meet you at one of the spots along the Cedar River where we offer programming for 90 minutes of exploration.
Offered June through October.
Community Days
The Seattle Aquarium hosts Community Day events to celebrate, honor and welcome the diverse communities of Puget Sound. These events center around cultural and awareness months, days of significance, holidays and much more. Each Community Day features meaningful enhancements designed to support the community being celebrated in fostering a sense of belonging and feeling welcomed. Check our events calendar to learn about upcoming events.
Interested in collaborating on a future Community Day event? Please email us at connections@seattleaquarium.org.
Fairs/outreach
Do you have a fair or festival coming up? Would you like the Seattle Aquarium to attend? We can share information on our local marine invertebrates or the importance of salmon to our watershed. We’re always happy to educate and inform.
At this time, you can order as many tickets as your organization can effectively distribute and record on the distribution logs. 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. 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 each year on December 25 (Christmas Day).
*Please note: Due to current health guidelines, we are requiring that all guests enter the Aquarium with a timed ticket. Currently, individual printed tickets distributed through the Connections program are not timed tickets and community members using these tickets will need to enter the Aquarium and follow signs for the non-timed-ticket line. Our guest services associates will then make a reservation for the next available slot. While the wait time typically doesn’t exceed 15 minutes, we can’t make any guarantees.
A membership voucher obtained through a community partner must be redeemed in person at the Aquarium. The name of the primary adult on the membership must be written on the voucher. Valid identification and payment of $35 are required to redeem the membership.
The membership provides unlimited admission for one or two named adults, up to six of their children/grandchildren (ages 18 and under), and one free guest every visit. See our Connections Membership page for a full list of benefits and policies.
For information on our discount programs for individuals, please see our discounts and group rates page.
The Seattle Aquarium has worked closely with local health experts to provide a safe and fun experience for visitors. Learn more about what the Aquarium is doing to protect the health of our animals, guests, staff and volunteers by visiting our Plan Your Visit page.
The Aquarium continues to offer virtual programming. If you are interested in learning more or registering for a virtual program please complete our virtual program registration form.
DreamNight 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.