Aquarium offering new exhibits, interactive programs, film premiere for February school vacation week

BOSTON, MASS. (February 2025) – The New England Aquarium will have new exhibits, a new film, a public art installation, and interactive programs for guests to enjoy during the upcoming February school vacation week.

The Aquarium is extending its hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from February 17 to 21 when Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine public school students have vacation weeks. Guests are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance at neaq.org, as timed ticket slots may sell out. New England residents receive $5 off standard Aquarium admission or admission and movie combinations.

Highlights for the week include:

New film premiering in Simons Theatre

• The Aquarium’s Simons Theatre is premiering Call of the Dolphins, a 40-minute film that takes viewers beneath the ocean’s surface for an up-close exploration of how dolphins live, play, and interact—both with each other and with us. Showings begin February 14.
• The Simons Theatre will also be showing two other films: Secrets of the Sea and Animal Kingdom
• Tickets and show times are available at all Aquarium ticketing locations by calling 617-973-5206 or by visiting neaq.org.

New exhibits

• Guests can experience “Healthy Corals, Healthy Reefs,” a 15-foot, nearly 5,000-gallon exhibit that is home to a variety of live coral species native to the Indo-Pacific region. The first-floor exhibit features species that are new to the Aquarium, such as angelfish, butterfly fish, wrasses, surgeonfish, and reef dwelling invertebrates. Interactive elements provide a variety of multi-sensory experiences for tactile and visually impaired learners.
• The new Ancestral Fishes exhibit explores the 500-million-year evolution of fishes and their ancestral traits highlighting their influence on modern species, including humans. This second-floor space showcases extraordinary species like longnose gar, shovelnose sturgeon, and Australian lungfish, highlighting their ancestral traits such as scales, lobed fins, and ability to breathe air.

WINTERACTIVE art installation

• The New England Aquarium is part of Boston’s public art experience WINTERACTIVE, hosting a light installation on its front plaza. “Nature’s Solace,” by artist Mike Geiger, symbolizes the balance between the spirit and nature. WINTERACTIVE runs through March 30, welcoming visitors 24/7 to view public art works at 17 locations across the city’s Downtown business district.

Daily presentations and interactive programs

• Join an educator for an up-close experience with one of the Aquarium’s animal ambassadors. Learn more about the secret world of dart frogs, lobsters, local turtle species, or axolotls during Animal Encounters happening daily at 10:45 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.
• Aquarium guests can enjoy daily presentations with the penguins, sea lions, and harbor seals, along with the residents of the Giant Ocean Tank. Full schedule available here.
• Guests can also stop by an interactive educational space on the third floor called the Exploration Station, which offers both guided and self-led themed activities. Families can engage with sensory activities, pretend to be an Aquarium veterinarian, and spend some down time reading books.

Newly renovated café and gift shop

• The Harbor View Café and gift shop have reopened after renovations this past fall. Guests can enjoy delicious new menu items and find the perfect souvenir or holiday gift. The café is open from 9:00 a.m. until one hour before closing, and the gift shop is open during regular Aquarium hours.

MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder—617-686-5068; psnyder@neaq.org