FORT PIERCE — Not everything goes to sleep when the lights go out and the Smithsonian is offering an opportunity to see just how different the night life at the St. Lucie County Aquarium is.
On Friday, Jan. 23, join Smithsonian education staff for a pizza dinner and brief presentation before venturing into the Aquarium to explore the tanks with special flashlights. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. and the program will begin promptly at 6 p.m.
Aquarium After Dark is recommended for adults and children ages 5 and up. The cost is $10 for adults and $8 for children for Aquarium members; nonmember prices are $12 for adults and $10 for children.
“The underwater world looks very different at night,” said Cristin Ryan, Marine Biology Educator at the Aquarium. “Aquarium After Dark provides a unique opportunity for visitors to observe animals and behaviors that they wouldn’t otherwise see.”
Advance registration is required as space is limited. Those unable to make the January event, the final Aquarium After Dark program for the season is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. To register for either program date, please call (772) 465-3271 or email smseducation@si.edu.
The Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit, located in the St. Lucie County Aquarium at 420 Seaway Drive on South Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce, is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and seasonally (January through March) on Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. Annual memberships are available, starting from $15.
The Smithsonian Marine Station has teamed with St. Lucie County and other community partners to create this unique educational facility. The Ecosystems Exhibit is an outreach effort of the Smithsonian Marine Station, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. A fixture in the Fort Pierce community for more than 40 years, the Marine Station is dedicated to understanding the character and diversity of the marine and estuarine habitats of Florida. For more information about the Exhibit, or to learn about volunteering opportunities, call (772) 465-3271.