Press Release: 4/10/2026

Aquarium to welcome April school vacation week guests with whale-themed programming, animal presentations, beer garden opening

 



Aquarium open for extended hours April 20 to 24



wave



an atlantic harbor seal with it's head on a yellow rubber ducky



Atlantic harbor seal “Reggae” during an enrichment session. CREDIT: VANESSA KAHN/NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM



BOSTON, MASS. (April 2026) – The New England Aquarium is looking forward to welcoming guests during the upcoming April school vacation week with extended hours, special whale-themed programming, the reopening of its Dockside Beer Garden, and more.



The Aquarium will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily the week of April 19 when public schools in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and Vermont are on spring break. Guests can purchase tickets to reserve timed entry slots online at neaq.org. New England residents receive $5 off standard Aquarium admission or admission and movie combinations.



Highlights include:



Whale programming and animal presentations




  • Aquarium guests will have opportunities throughout the week to learn about North Atlantic right whales, a critically endangered species that spends much of the winter and spring in Massachusetts waters. Special programming includes up-close encounters with biofacts such as whale vertebrae, ribs, and baleen, plus whale-focused story time and activities in the Exploration Station, the Aquarium’s interactive educational space.

  • Guests can also enjoy daily presentations featuring the penguins, sea lions, harbor seals, and residents of the Giant Ocean Tank. Join an educator along the exhibit path to meet one of the Aquarium’s animal ambassadors: axolotls, dart frogs, and freshwater turtles. Full schedule available here.



Massachusetts Right Whale Day programming




  • On Friday, April 24, the Aquarium will offer expanded programming free of charge on its front plaza and inside the Harbor View Tent to mark Massachusetts Right Whale Day. Visitors can learn from scientists with the Aquarium’s research arm, the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, meet a life-size inflatable whale, and engage in hands-on educational activities. For those with an Aquarium admission ticket, programming indoors will include presentations by educators, kid-friendly right whale activities, and scientist talks at the top of the Giant Ocean Tank.



Behind-the-scenes experience with harbor seals




  • Guests can take advantage of an exclusive inside-the-exhibit experience during an Atlantic harbor seal training session for an additional fee. The daily programs provide the opportunity to interact with and learn about these marine mammals, including resident seal Reggae, who has become a local celebrity with his rubber duckie. More information and pricing are available here.



Film showings in Simons Theatre




  • The Aquarium’s Simons Theatre will offer daily showings of three films on its giant screen: Call of the Dolphins, Shark Kingdom, and Penguins: A Love Story. The newest documentary film, Penguins: A Love Story, recounts remarkable stories of penguin courtship, connection, and resiliency from South Africa to Australia.

  • Tickets and showtimes are available at all Aquarium ticketing locations by calling 617-973-5206 or by visiting neaq.org.



Dockside Beer Garden and Central Snack Bar reopening




  • Dockside Beer Garden on the Aquarium’s front plaza will reopen for the season just in time for school vacation week. Steps away from the most expansive views of Boston Harbor, the beer garden features a menu of snacks, salads, and sandwiches along with local craft brews, a variety of wines, freshly-created cocktails, and hard seltzers. Hours of operation are 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. from April 18 to 26 (weather permitting).

  • Central Snack Bar, the food truck-style outpost on the Aquarium’s front plaza, will operate throughout school vacation week from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Menu items include soft pretzels, hot dogs, and nachos.

  • Following school vacation week, both the beer garden and snack bar will be open weekends only until June.



Ben & Jerry’s and Boston Duck Tours return




  • Ben & Jerry’s returns this spring to the Aquarium’s front plaza. The kiosk will be open throughout school vacation week from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. as well as Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through May.

  • Boston Duck Tours, the city’s most popular sightseeing tour, has returned with a stop in front of the Aquarium. The tours depart hourly from Central Wharf. Duck Tours guests receive $3 off New England Aquarium standard price tickets at the Aquarium’s Box Office.



 



MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder—psnyder@neaq.org