Summer Science Beach Camp
Roundhouse Aquarium at the Manhattan Beach Pier, 2 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
About
Summer Science Beach Camp includes ocean themed games, activities, and crafts. Campers take part in hands-on marine science, beach exploration, and other hands-on STEM activities. The program also includes family-friendly fun led by Summer Camp Counselors who help guide these activities for young learners.
• Ages: 4–10 years old
• Schedule: Public hours vary seasonally, with afternoon weekday and daytime weekend hours available throughout the year
• Price: The Roundhouse is FREE, with suggested donations of $5.00 per person, $10.00 per family, and $20.00 per group
Summer Science Beach Camp is part of the Roundhouse Aquarium, which features more than 100 marine animals from Southern California’s waters, including moon jellies, sharks, octopus, sheephead, moray eels, and lobsters. The aquarium includes a touch tank with sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and sea snails, and it describes itself as family oriented. The Summer Science Beach Camp is described as combining STEM learning, beachy vibes, and fun for ages 4–7 and 8–10, with each week offering a Group A for ages 4–7 and a Group B for ages 8–10.
The Roundhouse Aquarium is managed and operated by Oceanographic Teaching Stations, Inc., a nonprofit oceanic and environmental organization. Its mission statement describes an impact focused on connecting and engaging visitors and students to the oceans through hands-on interactive experiences with marine life and habitats of southern California, and inspiring them to become good stewards of the environment. The organization’s Board of Directors notes a long history of providing education equity for underserved children, including many from disadvantaged or low-income families or Title I schools, and it provides free marine science classes either at the aquarium or at schools through onsite and outreach classes. The Earth Day celebration “Keep It Green, Keep It Clean” focuses on ocean science, conservation, and community action. Eric works in conjunction with the Center for Whale Research on the orca project and with Cascadia Research on blue whale and humpback projects.
The leadership team connected to the Roundhouse Aquarium and its programs includes Richard “Dick” Fruin, founder of the Roundhouse Marine Teaching Center and Director and Officer of Oceanographic Teaching Stations, Inc.; Matt Friedman, former president of the Board of Directors for OTS/Roundhouse Aquarium; Lynne Gross, former President of the Board; John Roberts, a member of the Board of Directors of the Southern California Academy of Sciences and Roundhouse Board member; Val Hill (Valerie), Co-director of the Roundhouse Aquarium; Eric Martin, Co-director of the Roundhouse Aquarium; and Charles “Chuck” Milam, Treasurer on the Aquarium’s Board of Directors. Dick was one of the founders of the Roundhouse Marine Teaching Center in 1979. Chuck has served on the Aquarium’s Board of Directors as Treasurer since 2006. Eric has been with the Roundhouse Aquarium since 2000 and became Co-director in 2004. Val started as a volunteer in 2003, became a part-time employee in 2004, and moved to full-time staff as Co-director in 2007. The new Roundhouse Aquarium revitalization was completed through a $4 million capital project spearheaded by the Harrison Greenberg Foundation, and the new aquarium educates and inspires more than 300,000 visitors every year.
Staff connected with the Roundhouse Aquarium include Eric, who has nearly 30 years of teaching experience and was honored with the American Meteorological Society’s award for Outstanding Non-Formal Educator; Val, who has an M.S. in biology from Cal State Long Beach with research focused on phytoplankton; John, a retired Professor of Biology at California State University, Dominguez Hills and Co-founder and Director of the MS in Environmental Sciences Program; Lynne, who retired from a 45-year career in TV production, served as Vice Chair of the Communications Department at California State University, Fullerton and Director of Programming for Valley Cable TV, and has written 12 textbooks about media; and Dick, a graduate of UC Berkeley Law School who has served as a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court since 1995.
Visitors are asked not to enter the Roundhouse Aquarium if they are not feeling well, including having a fever within the last 24 hours, coughing, or vomiting within the last 48 hours, and anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days is asked not to enter. The aquarium asks that hand sanitizer is not used prior to touching animals in the touch tank, and recommends hand washing.
Last updated March 25, 2026.
• Ages: 4–10 years old
• Schedule: Public hours vary seasonally, with afternoon weekday and daytime weekend hours available throughout the year
• Price: The Roundhouse is FREE, with suggested donations of $5.00 per person, $10.00 per family, and $20.00 per group
Summer Science Beach Camp is part of the Roundhouse Aquarium, which features more than 100 marine animals from Southern California’s waters, including moon jellies, sharks, octopus, sheephead, moray eels, and lobsters. The aquarium includes a touch tank with sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and sea snails, and it describes itself as family oriented. The Summer Science Beach Camp is described as combining STEM learning, beachy vibes, and fun for ages 4–7 and 8–10, with each week offering a Group A for ages 4–7 and a Group B for ages 8–10.
The Roundhouse Aquarium is managed and operated by Oceanographic Teaching Stations, Inc., a nonprofit oceanic and environmental organization. Its mission statement describes an impact focused on connecting and engaging visitors and students to the oceans through hands-on interactive experiences with marine life and habitats of southern California, and inspiring them to become good stewards of the environment. The organization’s Board of Directors notes a long history of providing education equity for underserved children, including many from disadvantaged or low-income families or Title I schools, and it provides free marine science classes either at the aquarium or at schools through onsite and outreach classes. The Earth Day celebration “Keep It Green, Keep It Clean” focuses on ocean science, conservation, and community action. Eric works in conjunction with the Center for Whale Research on the orca project and with Cascadia Research on blue whale and humpback projects.
The leadership team connected to the Roundhouse Aquarium and its programs includes Richard “Dick” Fruin, founder of the Roundhouse Marine Teaching Center and Director and Officer of Oceanographic Teaching Stations, Inc.; Matt Friedman, former president of the Board of Directors for OTS/Roundhouse Aquarium; Lynne Gross, former President of the Board; John Roberts, a member of the Board of Directors of the Southern California Academy of Sciences and Roundhouse Board member; Val Hill (Valerie), Co-director of the Roundhouse Aquarium; Eric Martin, Co-director of the Roundhouse Aquarium; and Charles “Chuck” Milam, Treasurer on the Aquarium’s Board of Directors. Dick was one of the founders of the Roundhouse Marine Teaching Center in 1979. Chuck has served on the Aquarium’s Board of Directors as Treasurer since 2006. Eric has been with the Roundhouse Aquarium since 2000 and became Co-director in 2004. Val started as a volunteer in 2003, became a part-time employee in 2004, and moved to full-time staff as Co-director in 2007. The new Roundhouse Aquarium revitalization was completed through a $4 million capital project spearheaded by the Harrison Greenberg Foundation, and the new aquarium educates and inspires more than 300,000 visitors every year.
Staff connected with the Roundhouse Aquarium include Eric, who has nearly 30 years of teaching experience and was honored with the American Meteorological Society’s award for Outstanding Non-Formal Educator; Val, who has an M.S. in biology from Cal State Long Beach with research focused on phytoplankton; John, a retired Professor of Biology at California State University, Dominguez Hills and Co-founder and Director of the MS in Environmental Sciences Program; Lynne, who retired from a 45-year career in TV production, served as Vice Chair of the Communications Department at California State University, Fullerton and Director of Programming for Valley Cable TV, and has written 12 textbooks about media; and Dick, a graduate of UC Berkeley Law School who has served as a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court since 1995.
Visitors are asked not to enter the Roundhouse Aquarium if they are not feeling well, including having a fever within the last 24 hours, coughing, or vomiting within the last 48 hours, and anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days is asked not to enter. The aquarium asks that hand sanitizer is not used prior to touching animals in the touch tank, and recommends hand washing.
Last updated March 25, 2026.
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