Last year, my family and I discovered the Biomes Marine Biology Center. Since then, we have been back more times than I can count. What an amazing place for both children and adults.
About The Biomes Marine Biology Center
The Biomes Marine Biology Center is located in North Kingston, RI. It’s the only private marine education facility in New England. Biomes has been providing interactive marine biology programs for schools and families since 1989. They specialize in teaching children and adults about the marine animals of Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the programs the Biomes Marine Biology Center has to offer are private birthday parties, school field trips, preschool classes, homeschool classes and senior programs. You can find additional info on all of their programs here. Biomes is open daily from noon to 5. Visit their Walk-Ins page for more information on public hours.
What To See At The Biomes Marine Biology Center
Some of the animals you can expect to see at the Biomes Marine Biology Center include seahorses, skates, lionfish, lobsters, eels, snakes, sea urchins, spider crabs and many more. They also have a handful of rescued reptiles and a few amphibians too – Darwin the tortoise, an assortment of fresh water turtles, a boa constrictor, and 2 types of frogs. 
What I love the most about The Biomes Marine Biology Center is that it’s extremely hands-on. There are many “touch tanks” throughout the center, and the kids are encouraged to get up close and personal with the animals. The animals that you are able to touch include sting rays, skates, dogfish sharks, horseshoe crabs, star fish, and more. Petting the sharks is definitely my boys’ favorite part of our visit. Visiting Darwin the Tortoise is a close second!
Demonstrations At The Biomes Marine Biology Center
On Saturdays and Sundays, The Biomes Marine Biology Center holds demonstrations throughout the day. Some of the demonstrations include feeding the horseshoe crabs, sharks, seahorses, and skates. You can also watch an octopus open a jar to get to the food inside! Our favorite demonstration is watching the pufferfish fill up with water and then spit it all out! My boys really get a kick out of that one!
Photo taken by Biomes Marine Biology Center
The Biomes Marine Biology Center Play Areas
On top of all the amazing sea creatures at The Biomes Marine Biology Center, there are also few play areas available for little ones. There’s a large sandbox filled with lots of different shells. My boys love holding the shells up to their ears to listen to “the ocean”. There is also a sensory table filled with rice and sand toys, and a few other tables with different activities. Finally, there’s a gated section with lots of toys for the kids to play with. Puppets, figurines, books, a marble maze, etc. We always visit this area for a bit of fun before we leave. There is just so much to do at The Biomes Marine Biology Center. Whether it’s a cold rainy day, or too hot to play outside, Biomes is the perfect place to spend the afternoon. 
This Sunday, October 19th, The Biomes Marine Biology Center is hosting an event to celebrate all of their recent changes – The Biomes Bash.Throughout the day, there will be face painting, and lots of fun activities going on. There will also be prizes given away every half hour. Prizes include free passes and a grand price of a one year membership to Biomes! How exciting! If you haven’t been to The Biomes Marine Biology Center yet, Sunday is the day to check it out! I know I will definitely be there with my family!
