Homeschool Families

Homeschool Families

Homeschool families are invited to visit Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies at special rates, offered only at the ticket counter.

Homeschooling at the Aquarium

Ripley’s Aquarium offers special programs for all home education students along with discounts at any time with appropriate documentation! For everyday homeschool discounts, pre-registration is required!

Click here to fill out the homeschool discount ticket form!

The link above is for reserving homeschool discount tickets only. All homeschool program inquiries should fill out the Request Program Information form.

Need to Know Info

Experiences

Classroom Programs

September 17, 2025 – Pirates

Ahoy! This program explores the history of famous pirates such as Blackbeard and John Ward! Set sail with us to explore the escapades of some well-known pirates!

October 15, 2025 – Shipwrecks & Sunken Cities

With millions of shipwrecks on the ocean floor, we have a lot to discover! For this program, we will learn about famous shipwrecks, conditions that cause ships to sink, and sunken cities along the ocean floor.

November 19, 2025 – History of Sea Monsters

Imagination or real life? We will explore stories on ancient sea monsters from around the world.

January 21, 2026 – Midnight Zone

Dive into this lightless universe with us! Learn about what the midnight zone looks like and what life inhabits this area.

February 18, 2026 – Night Lights: Bioluminescent Animals

Glow in the dark animals lurk in the depths of the ocean. Where does this glow come from? What is it used for? You will find the answers in this enlightening program!

*Glow in the Dark lab component – see lab requirements.

March 18, 2026 – Creepy Ocean Animals

Have you ever seen an anglerfish? We will learn about some of the strangest looking animals in the ocean!

April 15, 2026 – Species Highlight: Cephalopods!

Squid, Octopi, and Cuttlefish, oh my! In this program, we will learn about animals that fall within the class Cephalopoda.

*Cephalopod lab component – see lab requirements.

May 20, 2026 – Newly discovered species

The ocean is a vast expanse! More than 80% of the ocean remains unexplored and uncharted! Unknown species lurk in these areas. This program focuses on new discoveries as ocean charting proceeds!

Program Times

Virtual-Grade K-8: 10:30 a.m.

In Person-Grade K-8: 12:00 p.m.