Mote Aquarium doesn’t list a discount for individual teachers. What it does list is a school field trip rate. The field trip page gives a total cost of $19 a student for Manatee and Sarasota County schools, $19 a student for Florida public schools, and $29 a student for other schools, with one chaperone free for every 10 paid students.
If you’re the teacher building the trip, you’re probably juggling a bus, a head count and a budget, and it helps to see the numbers and the rules in one place before you send in a request. Below is what the page says about the rate, the class size, the chaperones and the free classroom resources, plus the prices for a visit on your own.
How To Get The Mote Aquarium Teacher Discount
There’s no teacher discount to claim at the ticket window, so the way to pay less is to book as a school. The page says field trips can only be booked as a combined experience of aquarium admission and the Teaching Lab program, and its rate table lists the total cost per student: $19 for a Manatee/Sarasota County school, $19 for a Florida public school and $29 for any other school. It adds that, thanks to support from Sarasota and Manatee Counties, public schools in those two districts receive priority scheduling and reduced cost.
The page also says its field trip rates are offered at a discounted price to support accessibility for schools. Reservations go through the page itself, and questions go to educate@mote.org or 941-388-4441 ext. 351.
What A School Group Pays And Plans For
The page sets a minimum of 15 students, and a maximum of 216 across all reservations. One Teaching Lab reservation can accommodate up to 36 students, so a bigger class books more than one, and the page says it currently offers 6 reservations per weekday. Groups over 216 students need to contact educate@mote.org before placing a reservation.
A field trip includes a structured educational program in the Teaching Lab and a tour of the aquarium. The page says school groups aren’t able to continue touring the aquarium after their scheduled field trip concludes, and that the rates don’t include general admission beyond the structured program time. School and community groups also aren’t permitted to take part in the virtual reality cinema experience. There are no lunchrooms, and the page points groups to Nathan Benderson Park.
On chaperones, the page defines a chaperone as any adult attending the field trip, including teachers, school or organization staff, parents and guardians. It provides 1 complimentary chaperone admission for every 10 paid students, so a class of 30 students has three free chaperone spots and you’re one of the adults who counts toward them. Additional chaperones are $25 each, and if your school needs more because of accessibility needs or other special circumstances, the page says to email educate@mote.org with details before booking. It also asks you not to bring siblings or strollers.
If cost is the sticking point, the page says financial assistance requests must be made before placing your reservation, so ask first and book second.
Free Classroom Resources
The teachers page says Mote’s Classroom Kits are free educational resources. Its Google Classrooms give access to free lesson plans, videos, labs, data sets, games and class activities, which is a way to get your students ready before the trip or to keep the lesson going afterward. The page also says Mote Education offers professional development workshops for Florida teachers.
Visiting On Your Own
For a visit that isn’t a class trip, we couldn’t find anything aimed at teachers. The visitor information page lists adult tickets (13 and older) at $33 and youth tickets (ages 3-12) at $24, and says those are the lowest prices, available when you buy 60 days in advance. It adds that prices vary by date and time of visit, time of booking and other variables, so what you pay on a given day can be different.
The page’s list of discounts has no line for teachers or educators. It does list a group rate of 10% off for parties of 10 or more, booked 24 hours in advance, and the page says that once you have 10 paid tickets in your cart, a pop-up prompts you to the Group Rate page. For a staff outing or a group of friends, that’s the route. Active duty service members get free admission with a current active duty military ID, and that discount is only valid when purchased on-site and in-person. Mote’s membership FAQ says there are no monetary discounts on memberships.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The teachers page says Mote also offers a special student rate for Self-Guided Tours, but the pages we read don’t give that rate or say who qualifies, so we can’t tell you what it is. We also couldn’t see the Group Rate page that the 10% offer points to, or what financial assistance covers and how much it is. None of the pages we read describes a discount for a teacher visiting alone, or a free ticket for the teacher on a class trip. The field trip and visitor information we read is for the aquarium at 225 University Town Center Drive in Sarasota.
Q&A
Does Mote Aquarium give teachers a discount?
Not for individual teachers. The visitor information page’s list of discounts has no line for teachers or educators. School field trips have their own per-student rates.
How much is a school field trip?
The page lists a total cost of $19 a student for Manatee/Sarasota County schools and for Florida public schools, and $29 a student for other schools.
How many students do we need?
A minimum of 15 students and a maximum of 216 across all reservations.
Do chaperones pay?
The page provides 1 complimentary chaperone admission for every 10 paid students, and teachers count as chaperones. Additional chaperones are $25.
Can the class keep touring after the program?
No. The page says school groups aren’t able to continue touring the aquarium after their scheduled field trip concludes.
Are there free resources for my classroom?
Yes. The teachers page lists free Classroom Kits and free lesson plans, videos, labs, data sets, games and class activities in Google Classrooms.
What does a regular ticket cost?
The lowest prices on the visitor information page are $33 for adults (13 and older) and $24 for youth (ages 3-12), when bought 60 days in advance.
Is there a group rate for a staff outing?
Yes, 10% off for parties of 10 or more, booked 24 hours in advance.
More Information:
The details above come from Mote’s own field trip, teachers, visitor information and membership pages as they loaded when we checked, and rates and rules change. Check the field trip page before you build a budget. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.