SUNDAYS- Venice Beach Pier
Venice Oceanarium EVERY SUNDAY, 11am – 2pm. @ Venice Pier. A Museum without Walls teaches kids about Marine Biology & the Santa Monica Bay!
Our oceanographic display includes rare specimens, shark jaws, and historical artifacts. Be a Citizen Scientist and help us gather ocean data from our water testing kits. Observe grains of sand and seawater samples under our microscopes. Read ocean-inspired poetry, draw, and learn about the sea life just beneath the pier. We have new enlightening programs every week.
The pier juts 1000 feet out over the open sea, with saltwater breezes and spectacular coastline views! Besides our marine specimens, you’ll see migratory birds perched on the pilings, dolphins, interesting catches reeled in, and local surfer species.
The Venice Oceanarium is a non-profit based in Venice Beach, California. Just steps away from the world-famous Venice Boardwalk, there are ecosystems teeming with wildlife waiting to be explored. Since 1995, countless people have enjoyed our outdoor classrooms through hands-on learning.
OUR MISSION is to ignite a passion for the abundance, diversity, and significance of the web of life in our ocean and its shores. The Venice Oceanarium emphasizes the powerful and enduring emotional and aesthetic influences of the oceans on human culture.
OUR VISION is to build a permanent exhibit on the Venice Pier that educates and inspires visitors about the unique and wondrous life forms in our local ocean.
About Venice Oceanarium
Back in 1995 our founder, Tim Rudnick, organized a weekend-long marathon reading of Moby-Dick at the Venice Beach breakwater. Reliving life aboard a whaling ship and Melville’s soul-searching journey while the group huddled for warmth on the sand was a transformative experience. Tim realized the importance of learning outside of the traditional classroom and founded the Venice Oceanarium, a Museum Without Walls.
This concept of blending the arts and sciences is the core of our programming. We believe that our integrative curriculum inspires kids of all ages to be stewards of our precious oceans.
Over the years we’ve expanded our outreach to include our highly anticipated annual grunion party, weekly Marine Biology pop-up labs at the end of the Venice Pier, classes at local schools and youth centers, tidepool talks, wetland walks, and other excursions.
Venice Beach: An Urban Coastal Park
Venice Beach is a wonderful juxtaposition of urban life and natural wonder. Just steps from the world-famous Venice Beach Boardwalk’s street artists and performers are miles of beautiful shoreline to explore. Wide sandy beaches, crashing waves, shells, seaweed, birds, and other wildlife coexist with surfers, sunbathers, and sandcastles.
The tidepools at the Venice Beach Breakwater are teeming with wildlife (to be enjoyed with your eyes only) as the iconic and colorful Venice graffiti walls loom in the background. There’s a secret reef, and beautiful wetlands, and on a clear day, you can see Malibu and Catalina Island.
Millions of locals and visitors enjoy our beaches. Few stop to really appreciate the rare treasures it has to offer. Our mission is to excite, engage and inspire kids of all ages to appreciate our unique urban coast.
Experiential Learning
The Venice Oceanarium is a Museum Without Walls. Our programs combine science with the arts to encourage kids (of all ages) to appreciate the environment and therefore become stewards of our oceans. We believe that this integrative curriculum of poetry, literature, music, drawing, and performance arts teaches by experiencing the world around us on a more profound level than books and classrooms alone provide.
We design our events and activities to raise awareness of the natural wonders of Venice Beach. Join us on our learning expedition!
For additional information, visit the website @
www.veniceoceanarium.org/programs
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