"Hands-on" and "interactive" are our middle names. Looking for something to do on the weekend, school breaks, or on holidays? We got the thing for you!
Our Family Programs and Lab Classes are a treat for anyone that has an interest in marine life. Design your own t-shirt, make a shrimp aquarium, or feed our fish; it's all possible.
Does science have your interest? We offer fun and exciting laboratory classes such as squid dissection, wet lab, and a plankton class.
Interested in our workshops and lab classes for your school, scouting troop, family gathering, or any other group? You may qualify for our group rates. Would like us to visit your school, child care center, or location? Most of our programs are also available as an outreach program.
There are hands-on enriching experiences as learning is the core of the center. Makai Ocean Lifestyle Magazine
The kids got to see all sorts of sea life (much like the aquarium) but they also got to go on a scavenger hunt, make a t-shirt, put together a puzzle, and watch videos. It was a fun outing. Momsinhawaii (...read more)
Oahu’s Living Art Marine Center a hidden gem. Nathan Kam (...read more)
Opae Ula - Hawaiian Super Shrimp
"Glass globe"*
"Mini Home"*
The 'Opae Ula is a shrimp found locally in Hawaiian waters.
This cute animal is ideal as a pet for all ages because our environments are developed to need no cleaning, no feeding, and no hassle! Learn more about these amazing creatures and make your own customized pet shrimp aquarium.
The 'Opae Ula workshop is a fun family program!
Cost: $15.00* (mini home) & $25.00* (glass globe)
Program duration: ~90 minutes.
Recommended ages: 4 years and upwith parent chaperone.
Online reservations are required to secure your spot.
Interested in a group program? Click here for information. Questions? Read the Opae Ula FAQ.
If standard aquariums are not your thing, then make your own!
Creativity has no limits. We put the "Art" in Living Art!
Create your own unique and one-of-a-kind pet shrimp aquarium and customize it with a multitude of options.
Elegant glass work will turn into your own Opae Ula aquarium that will beautify your home and impress your friends. How does it work?
- Bring in your own aquarium.
- Add in colorful rocks, Hawaiian sand, shells, black coral, or even shark teeth.
- Add our special Opae water and your new pet shrimp.
Cost: $12.50* per aquarium made.
Program duration: ~90 minutes.
Recommended ages: 4 years and upwith parent chaperone.
Online reservations are required to secure your spot. Questions? Read the Opae Ula FAQ.
Friendly and knowledgable tour guided will make your visit unforgetable.
The beautiful and colorful creatures of the ocean will delight any visitor.
This 90 minute visit of the Marine Center includes a guided tour of our tropical fish exhibits with one of our educators, Gyotaku fish print craft on paper, and a visit to our Discovery Zone to touch animals. In addition, there is a chance to do several craft activities such as t-shirt printing, shell carving, jewelry making, and shell box making. (Cost for craft materials not included in admission price.)
* Children 2-12 years old.
Admission prices do not include tax.
Reservations are required to visit the Living Art Marine Center.
Available dates:
Saturday May 11, 10:00 a.m.
Saturday May 25, 10:00 a.m.
Saturday June 8, 10:00 a.m.
Saturday June 22, 10:00 a.m.
Saturday July 13, 10:00 a.m.
Saturday July 27, 10:00 a.m.
booked
Keiki Pix - Photography Class
A brightly colored Clown Shrimp makes an excellent photo subject.
This critter of the Scorpionfish family sports beautiful colors.
The coral reef is home to millions of beautiful and exotic creatures sporting a wide array of colors and shapes.
How do you capture this beauty, these living pieces of art? We'll teach you!
Keiki Pix is a beginner's photography course where you will learn basic photo taking skills to get beautiful photos of underwater creatures in our Marine Center aquariums.
The beginners course includes:
- How to make a better photo by controlling exposure, focus and composition of your camera.
- How to get great shots quickly and effectively.
As part of this course, professional lighting will be used for easy photo making. There will also be free time to experiment and make photos of our animals.
Keiki Pix is best enjoyed by kids 7 and older with a
Digital (SLR) camera.
Introductory offer: $20.00 per keiki photographer.
A variety of pendants are available including the elegant Hawaiian sunrise shell.
Basic shell necklaces can be carved with your initial.
Make your own "Made in Hawaii" jewelry in this unique shell jewelry making workshop.
From elegant white and pink to bold blacks and browns, you create your own natural beach jewelry designs using beads, shells, and several customizable shell pendant options.
Once only worn by Hawaiian Royalty of days past, the rare Hawaiian Sunrise Shell is found only in the Hawaiian Islands in depths of no less than 150 ft.
It is believed that to find a sunrise shell is a blessing, and to wear it shows your Aloha.
Cost*: $10.00 per necklace (basic design).
Recommended ages: 4 years and upwith parent chaperone.
Online reservations are required to secure your spot. *Material fee only.
Have you never been to the Marine Center before or looking for something to do during school breaks or on holidays? Then the Splash Tour is for you.
This special 90 minute reduced admission guided tour of the Marine Center involves a tour of our exhibits and touching tide pool creatures at the Discovery Zone
Looking to do even more? Several craft options are available during this tour such as shell carving, shell box making, and t-shirt printing (basic design)*.
Cost:$6.50 (child 2 and up) & $6.50 (adult).
Recommended ages: 3 years and upwith parent chaperone.
Online reservations are required to secure your spot.
After the feeding, we'll touch animals at the Discovery Zone.
Omnivore? Carnivore? Herbivore? What do all the beautiful critters of the ocean eat? Tag along with our Aquarium Staff and find out yourself during this unique animal feeding tour. You’ll learn all there is to know about our animals’ diets, watch our animals eat, and you’ll even get to feed some of our animals yourself.
This fun family program includes a special visit to our new Moray Eels exhibit to watch these animals munch as well as a peak into the new Opae Ula exhibit to see these shrimp nibble on some algae.
Cost:$9.95 (child) and $5.00 (adult)
Recommended age: 5 years and upwith parent chaperone.
Program duration: 90 minutes.
Online reservations are required to secure your spot.
Available dates:
Summer Splash
Friday June 7, 1:00 p.m.
Monday July, 1:00 p.m.
T-shirt Printing - Design your own t-shirts and more
Explusive printing items may include a dolphin, shark, or eel.
Get creative: bring your own pillow case or bag to print on.
Have a creative mind and want to show it off?
Print your own t-shirt!
Create your own personalized t-shirt in this unique aquatic themed t-shirt designing workshop. Sharks, turtles, dolphins, and even an eel are among the choices exclusively available for this workshop. Our special printing technique makes this workshop fun and easy to do for the whole family.
Have you done our Gyotaku t-shirt printing before but you've always wanted to try more designs? This is your chance.
New: bring in your own fabric to print on like a pillow case, tank top, or canvas bag.
Cost:$12.50 per participant (summer special). (includes 1 free t-shirt and dedicated workstation)
Program duration: ~90 minutes.
Online reservations are required to secure your spot.
Who said science class is boring? Lab classes are filled with exiting demonstrations and hands-on experiments and may include a cool "make your own" take home gift like a squid ink card or a Gyotaku T-shirt.
Squid Dissection
Dissection is an important part of science discovery that can help us better understand how life works.
Professor Tako's students will dissect their own squid, learn about this animal, feed our fish, and write their name on a card with squid ink! And it's also a lot of fun!
Cost: $10.00 (Jr. Scientist) & $5.50 (adult chaperone)
Recommended ages: 5 years and upwith parent chaperone.Program duration: ~90 minutes.
Wacky Wild Wet Lab
Come join Professor Tako in the wet lab and perform cool science experiments while exploring the wonderful world of water!
"Mister Marshmallow" will appear for a special expansion and compression exercise.You've never seen this before!
Cost: $10.00 (Jr. Scientist) & $5.50 (adult chaperone)
Recommended ages: 4 years and upwith parent chaperone.Program duration: ~90 minutes.
Microbe Monsters Plankton Lab
Learn about the teeny, tiny plants and animals called microbes! Discover just how important these microscopic organisms are to our ocean's health and food web. Design your own Microbe Monster book mark or luggage tag to take home with you!
Cost: $10.00 (Junior Scientist) & $5.50 (adult chaperone).
Recommended ages: 5 years and upwith parent chaperone.
Available dates:
Summer Splash
Wednesday June 10, 1:00 p.m.
Squid Dissection
Wednesday July 24, 1:00 p.m.
Squid Dissection
Thursday June 14, 1:00 p.m.
Wet Lab
Tuesday July 23, 1:00 p.m.
Wet Lab
Tuesday June 11, 1:00 p.m.
Microbe Monsters
Thursday July 25, 1:00 p.m.
Microbe Monsters
Squid have arms as well as tentacles. Suction cups help to capture a prey.
Do you know what kind of body parts a squid has, outside and in?
