North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island offers free-with-admission daily programs that include hands-on experiences, animal ambassador interactions, an educational film, Shipwreck Stories, and other activities. Specific programs include Creature Feature, Story Time, Shipwreck Stories, Otter Enrichment, Shark Feed, Educator's Choice, Ray Feed, Movie of the Day, and special indoor and outdoor activities such as behind-the-scenes and animal-care experiences, fishing, crabbing, marsh wading, and kayaking.

Programs

• Daily Programs — Varies by day and season · A variety of exciting programs are offered free with admission. Includes hands-on experiences, animal ambassador interactions, educational film, Shipwreck Stories, and other activities.
• Creature Feature — Mon and Tue, Thu-Sat at 9:45 AM; daily at 2:15 PM · 15-minute encounter with an animal ambassador. Animal type changes; touch is not guaranteed.
• Story Time — Sun and Wed at 9:45 AM · 10–20 minute story time designed for young children with hands-on learning.
• Shipwreck Stories — Mon-Fri at 10:30 AM · 15 to 20-minute program at the Graveyard of the Atlantic habitat about shipwrecks as ecosystems and their animals.
• Otter Enrichment — Fri and Sat at 11:30 AM · 10-minute presentation about North American river otters and animal care.
• Shark Feed — Mon, Wed, and Fri at 1:00 PM · 10-minute presentation about sharks, feeding, and shark ecosystems.
• Educator's Choice — Sun-Thu at 11:30 AM, 1:15 PM, and 3:30 PM · Rotating activities including Discovery Carts, trivia games, movies, and children’s programs.
• Ray Feed — Sat and Thu at 3:00 PM · 10-minute presentation at the ray touch pool about stingrays and sharks in the touch pools.
• Movie of the Day — Sun-Wed and Fri at 3:00 PM · Educational movie, children's cartoon, or documentary related to nature and animals.
• Special Activities — Indoor and outdoor special activities are available; indoor programs are behind-the-scenes and animal-care experiences, and outdoor programs include fishing, crabbing, marsh wading, and kayaking.

At a glance

• General schedule: Daily programs are offered free with admission. Program schedules may vary by day and season.
• Facility hours: Open 9am to 5pm daily

About the provider

The facility was founded in 1976 as the North Carolina Marine Resources Center. It reopened in 2000 after a two-year expansion and was renovated again in 2016. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and received the AZA Quarter Century Award in 2015 for maintaining accreditation continuously for 25 years or more. Its mission is inspiring care and conservation of nature by connecting people with the aquatic world.

Program schedules may vary by day and season. Animal touch opportunities are not guaranteed and depend on the species and individual animal. Videotaping or photographing on Aquarium grounds for commercial use, for-profit purposes, not-for-profit organizations or enterprises, educational productions and student projects must be approved by the Public Relations department. Auxiliary lighting, power cords, cumbersome equipment or other trip hazards are not permitted during operating hours. Any casual photography is permitted, but flash should not be used when taking photos of animals.

Last updated September 25, 2026.