Thank you for your interest in Loveland Living Planet Aquarium’s unique educational Field Trip experiences! We are excited to welcome field trip groups and offer engaging EcoVenture classes for field trip students! Field trip visitation is subject to certain limitations, and EcoVenture classes are limited based on staff and classroom availability. Please thoroughly review policies and our FAQs page before planning your visit.
How do Field Trips at the Aquarium Work?
Qualifications
Our Field Trip programs are specifically designated for qualifying School Groups, including:
- Public Schools (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
- Charter Schools (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
- Accredited Private Schools (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
- Private Pre-Schools
- College Classes
- Residential Treatment Centers
- Post-High School Programs
- District-funded After School Programs, School Clubs, and Summer School Programs
A 15-person minimum is required to receive the discount. Exceptions can be made for groups of students with special needs.
The following are ineligible for the Field Trip rate.
Please call 801-355-3474 ex 225 for large group reservations at a discounted rate.
- Homeschool Groups
- Summer Camps
- Church Groups
- Communities Groups
- Day Care Programs
- Recreation Centers
- Assisted Living Centers
- Family Groups
Aquarium School Group Policies
Lunches
Due to limited indoor space and large numbers of school groups, lunches must be eaten outside on the plaza. This policy does not change during colder seasons or inclement weather. We ask that you plan ahead and apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. Individual groups may be able to store coolers or lunch boxes on a bus or on the plaza.
Indoor seating (including the café, patio, and upstairs tables) is reserved for non-school visitors. School groups eating in these areas will be asked to relocate. If you wish to purchase lunch from the Café, it must be ordered “To Go” and eaten outside. Large groups must email us ahead of time if they intend to purchase lunch in the Reef Café so our staff can be appropriately prepared.
Parking
Field Trips will enter at the Welcome Center. Busses will enter the parking lot through the main entrance (the one with our sign by the shrubbery) nearest to the student drop-off area. For the duration of the field trip visit, they will park on the far west end of the Aquarium parking lots. Chaperone vehicles must be parked in the guest parking areas. Aquarium parking is not permitted in the Northern lots between the Aquarium and the neighboring business offices.
Student pickup will be in front of the exit gates by the Welcome Center.
Chaperones
Although we do not require a certain number of chaperones, we do ask that every student is accompanied by an adult at all times. The Aquarium allows a designated ratio of parent chaperones to enter free with each school group (see below). Chaperones must be at least 18 years of age (high school students may not serve as chaperones). Teachers are free and not charged as chaperones for admission.
Free Parent Chaperone Ratio:
Pre-K – 6th Grade: One free parent chaperone for every five students.
7th – 12th Grade: One free parent chaperone for every 10 students.
Students with Special Needs: One free parent chaperone for every student.
Prepayment is an option, however we cannot issue a refund day of field trip. It is easiest to complete payment upon arrival, and if needed, we are able to take payments from your school’s office over the phone.
Field trip visits are available to be booked Monday-Friday, and are not available on holidays. If your group would like to visit on a weekend, please email schoolprograms@thelivingplanet.com
If you opt for a self-guided experience, you will have the freedom to explore the main Aquarium and the Rio Tinto Kennecott Plaza at a pace that works best for your group. We encourage you to interact with our educators throughout the Aquarium to further enhance your learning experience. -If you wish to enroll in a FREE EcoVenture class (availability is limited by staff and space), you will have the exciting opportunity to learn from our professionally trained educators in classes that support what students are learning at school. These interactive classes align with State and National Science Education standards by grade level and/or subject (as with high school). All classes include a live animal encounter specifically tailored to the class theme. Ecoventure classes are 30 minutes in length, start every 45 minutes, and limited to 35 people per session. -During Summer months, EcoVentures are unavailable and all field trip visits will be Self-Guided.
The indoor playground “Tuki’s Island” is unavailable to field trip groups. However, you are more than welcome to enjoy the outdoor Coral Playground and Microscope Slide out on the Plaza.
We will defer to the contact teacher as to whether your group will be going into the gift shop or not. If you would like to visit our gift shop, we allow one chaperone group at a time, and students must be supervised at all times. No backpacks are allowed in the gift shop. Any unsupervised students will be asked to leave.
Ready to Book Your Field Trip?
Please review all of the above information and have the necessary documents/information ready before you book your Field Trip. Thank you!
Field trip visits must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance. Spring is our busiest season, if you plan on visiting during this time, we recommend booking your visit as soon as possible since spots fill very quickly.
To complete the booking procedure, please have the following information prepared:
- School Name
- School District
- School Address
- School Phone Number
- Grade Level
- # of Teachers/Staff
- # of Free Chaperones
- # of Additional Paid Chaperones
- # of Students
- What mode of transportation you will use to travel to the Aquarium (Buses, Vans, or Personal Vehicles)
- Title 1 status (if applicable)
- Are you interested in taking an Ecoventure class?
Please contact us if your original number of attendees increases or decreases by more than 25% so our staff can plan accordingly.
If there is an unexpected and significant increase of patrons attending the field trip, additional attendees may be subject to pay full price admission or a wait time of up to 30 minutes.
Have a Question?
For questions, cancellations, or rescheduling, please email us at schoolprograms@thelivingplanet.com or call us at 801-355-FISH (3474) ex 257.
