The Monterey Bay Aquarium is regarded as one of the best aquariums in the world. One of the perks of going to school at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is getting free tickets to the beloved aquarium.
With a brand new exhibit opening to the public on April 9 and the school year coming to an end, it is the perfect time to plan a trip to the aquarium, especially for students who haven’t used their free tickets yet.
CSUMB students can pick up their free aquarium tickets at the Otter Student Union.
Those with memberships to the aquarium were able to get a sneak peek of the exhibit, with member previews starting on April 2.
On March 29, the Monterey Bay Aquarium hosted a livestream on Instagram and TikTok, giving viewers a sneak peek into their new exhibit: Into the Deep. After their Instagram and TikTok livestreams concluded, Pat Webster and Emily Simpson headed over to the aquarium’s Discord server to give a further look into the upcoming exhibit.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Monterey Bay Aquarium was fully shut down. After reopening to all guests on May 15, 2021, the aquarium has been changing their COVID protocols in accordance with the state.
Previously, people could only visit the aquarium by reserving tickets ahead of time online. Now, members will be able to visit the aquarium at any time, without making reservations. Members just need to provide an ID and proof of vaccination to enter the aquarium.
Non-members will still need to reserve tickets in advance, as the aquarium is not selling tickets at the door.
With the Into the Deep exhibit on the horizon, there will be so much more to do at the aquarium. Especially for people who may not have been to the aquarium before, having a few tips to plan around can be handy. Here are five tips to make the most out of your day at the aquarium.
- Bring snacks from home
There is a cafe in the aquarium, but bringing a snack or two from home is great for if you get hungry far away from the cafe. Make sure to throw away the trash or recycling in the appropriate places. - Grab a map
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is huge and has a ton of exhibits to see. To help keep you from getting lost and make sure you see all of the exhibits you want to, grab a map from the information kiosk located to the right when first entering the aquarium. - Go to interactive exhibits
There are a few exhibits with interactive aspects to them, such as a bat ray touch pool or the Seafood Watch installment, which teaches people about the effects of their dining choices. - Talk to the employees
The aquarium employees always have fun facts about the exhibits or animals in them – make sure to talk to them, and you might learn something new. - Take the behind-the-scenes tour
For an additional $20, you can get a behind-the-scenes tour, which shows off a whole new aspect to the aquarium. You can sign up for the tour at the membership kiosk, located to the left of the entrance.
For more information about the aquarium, to become a member or reserve a ticket, head to https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is also on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr YouTube, Twitch and TikTok – you can find them at @montereybayaquarium across all their socials, or @MontereyAq on Twitter and TikTok.