State Announces Free Children’s Admission to Connecticut Museums This Summer; Maritime Aquarium Joins the Program for Kids
Press Release, The Maritime AquariumAn immersive new 4D Theater and an enormous new seal habitat will highlight rediscoveries of The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk this summer, especially for families taking advantage of the “CT Summer at the Museum - Free Admission for Kids” offer.
The Maritime Aquarium is among the nearly 100 institutions participating in the state’s “CT Summer at the Museum" admission program, which offers free entry for all Connecticut residents 18 and under, along with one accompanying adult in each group.
“After the tumultuous 16 months we just experienced, the Governor has created an amazing opportunity to encourage all children in the state to make up for lost time and visit the state’s best attractions this summer,” said Jason Patlis, president and CEO of The Maritime Aquarium. “With price no longer a barrier, this initiative opens up the aquarium to anyone who’s a Connecticut resident,” Patlis said. “We’re particularly excited to invite families who might not otherwise visit us.”
Click to expand press release.
Through the admission deal, one adult with any number of kids = all free. Two kids with two adults = one paid adult admission ($28.95) while receiving three free tickets valued at $68.85.
The offer is open only to Connecticut residents. Guests planning to take advantage of the offer are strongly encouraged to make their reservations in advance online at www.maritimeaquarium.org. Proof of residency will be required at the door.
The program for free admissions was proposed by Gov. Lamont, and approved by the General Assembly, as a way to allocate a portion of the federal COVID-19 recovery funding that Connecticut is receiving from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“This program provides a unique opportunity for children to take advantage of the world-class museums and attractions offered in Connecticut, while having both a fun and educational experience,” Governor Lamont said. “Museums are centers of exploration, recreation, and learning, and will play an important role in helping provide social-emotional, mental health, and educational growth opportunities that were limited during the pandemic. It is my hope that families take advantage of this unique opportunity happening in Connecticut this summer.”
Anyone who hasn’t visited The Maritime Aquarium since the pandemic started will discover significant transformations. In January, the Aquarium debuted a 4D Theater to replace its IMAX Theater. This new cinematic experience sends the action visually spilling off the two-story screen and over audiences in 3D, in addition to such thrill-enhancing sensory special effects as bubbles, snow, wind, mists, scents and more. The 169-seat theater offers two films every hour: BBC Earth’s “Shark: A 4D Experience” and “Ice Age: No Time for Nuts 4D.”
The opening of the 4D theater also included a new main entrance, with a new Sound Bites café just inside featuring a full selection of hot and cold drinks from Starbucks, as well as pastries from a rotating lineup of local bakeries.
The Maritime Aquarium’s other major change was the June 8 debut of an enormous new seal habitat. At 160,000 gallons, it’s the largest display in The Maritime Aquarium’s 33-year history. Guests can watch from above and below the surface as the seals dive, twirl and bob in the 22-foot-deep exhibit, called “Pinniped Cove.” (The word pinniped means “fin- or flipper-footed” and is the scientific grouping for seals, sea lions and walruses.) The seals’ new home is more than eight times larger than their original exhibit, where they lived from 1988-2019.
Also new this year is a special exhibit called “A Slug’s Life: Facing the Climate Endgame,” a unique exhibit for the Aquarium in that it presents its message through a blending of live animals with sculpture and photography. Stars of the exhibit are a group of mollusks called nudibranchs known for their striking forms, brilliant colors and vulnerability in reef systems. In addition to live nudibranchs and other mollusks, “A Slug’s Life” features nudibranchs depicted in onyx and marble sculptures by Gar Waterman of New Haven, as well as nudibranch photographs by divers from all around the world.
“With COVID vaccinations increasing and cases falling, folks are itching to venture back out this summer, and we’re ready and excited to show off this fantastic seal habitat, the movies in our immersive 4D Theater, and all of the animals and exhibits here,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth. “If you haven’t visited The Maritime Aquarium in a while, come see how much we’ve changed. Certainly, the ‘CT Summer at the Museum’ offer serves as an incredible extra incentive.”
Based on guidelines of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the state of Connecticut. unvaccinated guests – and all children age 2-11 – must continue to wear masks in The Maritime Aquarium. Vaccinated guests are strongly encouraged to continue to wear their masks too.
Learn more about the Aquarium’s exhibits, programs and public cruises this summer at www.maritimeaquarium.org.
Sandbar Romp
A family took advantage of the sandbars off of Cockenoe Island this evening as the sun set over Peck Ledge Lighthouse in the distance.
Curtains Open in Time for the 90th Anniversary of the Westport Country Playhouse
The Westport Country Playhouse opened their doors Tuesday night for the first time since before the pandemic - celebrating the return of the world class theatre house on it's 90th birthday. The Playhouse began this year’s live season with a virtual showing of the film Tiny House, by Michael Gotch and produced by Mark Lamos. The entire film was shot remotely, with the cast filming themselves in their own homes - then sending in the footage to the Editor Dan Scully. Scully then used green screen and digital technologies to blend all of the characters together to make the appearance that they were all in the same place at the same time, all while remaining safe and completely distant.
Cribari Bridge: Open and Closed in Less than Ten Minutes
The Cribari Bridge over the Saugatuck opened at 3:00 today for two vessels’ passage at high tide. The system, albeit over 100 years old and now aided with a motor, took less than 10 minutes to complete.
Historic Cribari Bridge Scheduled to Open Today at 3:00 PM; Expect Minor Delays
Westport’s William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge, carrying Bridge Street over the Saugatuck River, is scheduled to open today at 3:00 PM for boat traffic. The bridge is one of the oldest operational swing bridges in the Country, and sometimes opens several times each week during the summer months. Operated by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Bridge opening requires Bridge Street to be closed by Westport Police officers while DoT personnel operate the small engine on the bridge’s Western access - which rotates the bridge on a circular track beneath the deck. Although 137 years old, the bridge opening usually takes less than fifteen minutes.
Full Lot for “The Breakfast Club”
Tonight’s showing of The Breakfast Club brought a full crowd to the Remarkable Theater’s Imperial Avenue Drive-in.
Power Outage Strikes 142 Westporters; Eversource Gives 5:30 PM Restoration Estimate on Nearly 100 Degree Afternoon
Eversource has released that at least 142 Westporters are without power this afternoon, and that over two thousand Norwalk residents have joined them. Across the State, 2,308 customers are without service - making the two towns the overwhelming majority of those suffering without air conditioning as the heat index stays just two degrees below 100 this afternoon. The outage is contained to the northwestern portion of the community, surrounding the Cranbury Road and Old Hill neighborhoods. No reason for the outage has been released yet.
Remarkable Monday Night Movie: The Breakfast Club
Tonight at the Drive In:
Today, June 28th:
The Breakfast Club | 8:45 PM
Click Here to Purchase Tickets
Next Week:
Monday, July 5th:
Dirty Dancing | 9:00 PM
About The Remarkable Theater
Starting in Summer of 2020, the Remarkable Drive-in Theater began as a safe way to get families back to the movies in Westport. The Remarkable Theater is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization run by volunteers, whose mission is to “build a first class art house movie theater in downtown Westport, CT that provides purposeful employment to individuals with disabilities.”
The theater is tucked along the Saugatuck River at 50 Imperial Avenue, Westport, Connecticut.
Heavy Traffic Over the Bridge, Free Flowing Underneath; No Accidents or Construction to Blame
Traffic over the Cribari Bridge was at a standstill getting into Saugatuck this evening, while traffic underneath was easy flowing. The Connecticut DoT had no indications of any roadwork or southbound motor vehicle accidents this evening, although traffic jams could be felt all the way through Greenwich this evening. Becoming a usual evening occurrence, traffic heading south brings local roads to a standstill many evenings as some avoid the highway altogether, crowding the less-traveled streets and clogging the few river crossings available.
Mindful Moment: The Sounds of Gulls Surround Cockenoe Island Lagoon
Take a moment to breathe during this week’s Mindful Moment: the sights and sounds of gulls on a crowded Sunday afternoon in the Cockenoe Island Lagoon.