Connecticut residents participating in the federal SNAP food-assistance program can now enjoy deep discounts for admission to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.
Beginning Nov. 1, state residents showing their SNAP EBT card at the door can receive Aquarium admission for just $3 per person, for up to six people. (No more than two of the six can be adults). The offer is for an unlimited number of visits.
That’s a savings of $25.95 for an adult, $21.95 for a senior (65+), and $16.95 for a child (3-12). Put another way, by showing their EBT card to a cashier, a family of two adults and two kids will pay $12, instead of $97.80 – a discount of more than 87 percent.
“We feel it’s important that families and individuals should be able to take advantage of the educational and cultural experiences here at The Maritime Aquarium without the cost of admission being a barrier,” said Aquarium President & CEO Jason Patlis. “We were able to welcome many of these residents in July and August because of the ‘Connecticut Summer at the Museum - Free Admission for Kids’ program and, while that successful initiative has ended, we want to present an affordable opportunity for them to continue their discoveries here.”
Aquarium admission includes close encounters with harbor seals, sharks, sea turtles, river otters, jellies and 300 other species found in Long Island Sound, its watershed and the ocean beyond. Guests can touch intertidal creatures, sharks and rays, and even moon jellies. Current special exhibits include “A Slug’s Life: Facing the Climate Endgame” and “Think You Know Goldfish?”
The Maritime Aquarium’s SNAP EBT discount is available for “walk-up” sales only; not for online advance reservations. The offer does not include tickets to a 4D movie, which are an optional add-on at $7 per person, nor discounts in the Aquarium Gift Shop, Cascade Café or Sound Bites café.
Patlis said participating in the EBT admission program was an easy decision as the Aquarium works to incorporate an institutional emphasis on diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI).
In now offering the EBT discount, the Aquarium plans to become a participating organization in Museums for All, the only nationally coordinated financial-accessibility program in the museum field. An initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Museums for All encourages individuals of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. Learn more – and see the list of 700 participating organizations – at www.museums4all.org.
Patlis added that The Maritime Aquarium’s virtual programs offer an additional low- or no-cost opportunity to connect with Aquarium animals and educational resources. The lineup changes weekly for these programs, which include presentations geared toward various grade levels, as well as some for all ages, with only a request for a suggested donation.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, helps eligible individuals and families afford the cost of food at supermarkets, grocery stores and farmers’ markets.
Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, is a system that makes the issuance of state public assistance and federal food-stamp benefits faster and easier through the use of electronic transactions. With an EBT card, clients can access cash benefits through ATMs, and food and cash benefits at retailers authorized by USDA to accept food-stamp benefits.
Learn more about animals, exhibits and 4D movies – and the latest COVID-19 protocols – in the popular South Norwalk attraction this fall at www.maritimeaquarium.org.