You may book a tour online here. If you have questions please call 512-245-7540. Our office hours will vary depending on park traffic, so please leave a message and we will call you back.
We require two weeks advance notice for group tours. Please remember the days during March through August can fill up several months in advance, so please book your tour as soon as possible.
Maximum capacity varies seasonally. We have taken groups of up to 325 students from one school at a time. There is not a set maximum number of students per field trip, however, there are for certain activities. Your tour-booking agent will discuss the best activities for your groups size when you book your tour.
One teacher per class is sufficient for our tours. The one required adult should never leave the group alone with the tour guide. You may choose to bring additional teachers and parents if you wish (please check your tour confirmation for fee information). The boats will comfortably seat 25 people each, so additional adults may need to ride on a separate boat than the rest of the group.
All ages. We customize our programs for your group. Please call 512-245-7540 to discuss tour options.
We try our best to accommodate special requests, please call 512-245-7540 to discuss options for your group.
Yes, you will book a specific date and time for your tour. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time of your tour. We apologize that we are unable to push back the start times of tours. If your group is late we may need to cut a portion of your tour time. Please call 512-245-7570 to notify a gift shop staff member that you will be late.
If it rains on your tour date you will have the option to reschedule. Please call 512-245-7570 after 9am on the day of your tour and let a gift shop staff member know that your group will not be coming. The boats are enclosed and will still run unless there is lightning. We have limited indoor space so if you have a large group for one of our longer tours we recommend you reschedule if it rains.
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Please allow extra time for traffic and bus speeds when calculating your travel time.
To accomodate schools with different budgets we offer guided tours and self guided tours. If your school chooses a full length guided tour, your tour guide will lead you from station to station, the teacher will not be responsible for leading any portion of the tour. If your school chooses a self guided tour, you will only have a tour guide for the boat ride, all other parts of the tour will be guided by the teacher.
Aquarena staff will do our best to meet any special needs of your group. Please state the special needs of your group when you book your tour. The Wetlands Walk and Texas Rivers Center Exhibit (parking lot entrance) are all handicapped accessible. Our staff will help to lift a wheelchair participant onto the boat (wheelchairs must be left at the dock).
Aquarena Center is a non-profit organization. Unfortunately it is necessary to charge a fee for our programs in order to cover our overhead costs. Aquarena does offer a discount on our longer programs for title 1 schools during our slow season, call 512-245-7540 for details. Please see information about the FREE Groundwater Festival below.
Every Fall Aquarena Center hosts the Groundwater Festival. This festival brings 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from throughout the Austin-San Antonio Corridor to the beautiful San Marcos Springs for a FREE day of learning and fun! Local and state agencies will combine with Aquarena Center staff to present activities that stress the importance of groundwater. See pictures from past years below. For information on this year's festival click here.
We no longer offer the Ralph the Swimming Pig Show or Mermaid Show, but there are still lots of fun things to do at Aquarena Center. The Glass-Bottom Boat Tours remain along with many new exhibits such as the Wetlands Walk, and the Texas Rivers Center. We hope that you enjoy our new environmental education focus.
Yes! Visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7QBZ2ZH
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