Seacoast Science Center

08/31/2026

✨ SSC Member Benefit: Enjoy FREE reciprocal visits to the Boat Museum this September! ✨

📣 Exciting News for 2026! We have partnered with the New Hampshire Boat Museum (NHBM) located in Moultonborough, NH to offer free reciprocal visits to our members throughout September. Find all the details on our membership page. Then, plan a day in our beautiful Lakes Region learning about the rich history and culture of boating on the lakes and rivers of the Granite State! 🛥

Not a member? Join us today to take advantage of this benefit and more!
https://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/membership

08/31/2026

🐌 It’s almost time for Seacoast Science Center’s 24th Annual BioBlitz! 🐚

🗓 Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 20th, and join us at Odiorne Point State Park. Together with our naturalists and expert guests, we’ll explore the park’s seven distinct habitats, uncovering the incredible biodiversity along our coast. Our goal? To find and catalog as many species as possible in one day! 🦀

🌊 No science degree is needed to enjoy BioBlitz—you don’t even need to know the difference between a blue mussel and a clam. Curiosity is all you need. Questions are encouraged, and every discovery, whether it’s a common snail or a rare species, is an opportunity to learn. Both children and adults quickly realize that scientific exploration isn’t limited to laboratories; it happens wherever people observe and ask questions! 🔬

🌱 Want to know more? Check out our latest blog about this event. At the end, you’ll find a button that will bring you to the BioBlitz web page with the schedule and ticket info ▶ https://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/discover-the-coast-one-species-at-a-time-during-bioblitz



Special thanks to our partners New Hampshire State Parks, and event sponsors Normandeau Associates, Inc. and St. Mary's Bank.

08/28/2026

🐢🎨 What a night last Friday, during Nature@Nite, co-hosted with our friends and corporate partners at Eversource NH. We are able to offer this program for free thanks to their support, and last week they brought the fun, the paint, and the big trucks! During the evening we found our inner artist through activities and painting, and learned about turtles with expert and illustrator Matt Patterson and our beloved eastern box turtle Raspberry! If you joined us, we'd love for you to share your work of art here, don't be shy! There were so many wonderful watercolor paintings! Thank you to Eversource for their continued support, to Matt Patterson for sharing his craft, for all our guests, our staff and volunteers that helped out, and to Raspberry for being Raspberry! 🐢🎨

08/24/2026

✨ This year’s New England Hot Sauce Fest turned up the heat, and we had a blast! ✨

We are thrilled to share that over $18,000 was raised for our SSC Marine Mammal Rescue and Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation, marking the largest fundraising total in the festival’s five-year history! 🔥

We are incredibly grateful to be selected as a beneficiary of this event. A Big SSC thank you goes out to The Spicy Shark, the amazing community that supported the event, and all the dedicated volunteers who helped make this event a success! 💙

🔥Thanks to YOU, we raised over $18K for Blue Ocean Society and Seacoast Science Center, two organizations safeguarding ocean treasures for future generations.

🌊 BLUE OCEAN SOCIETY: “We are incredibly grateful to the New England Hot Sauce Festival and everyone who attended for their generous support,” said Jennifer Kennedy, Executive Director of Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation. “Community support like this makes a real difference. These funds will have a meaningful impact on our research program, helping us study whales and other marine life while also supporting student interns who are gaining important hands-on experience in ocean research and education.”

🌊 SEACOAST SCIENCE CENTER: Ashley Stokes, Senior Director of Science & Administration at SSC, “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support and partnership that make this event such a meaningful part of our community. Bringing the community together while raising funds and awareness for our Marine Mammal Rescue Program is vital to advancing the health, conservation, and enjoyment of our coastline. We are proud to be part of this effort and look forward to continuing our partnership next year!”

🔥🦈GABE: “We couldn’t be more thankful for the spicy support from the greater Seacoast Community, helping us raise the most amount of funds we ever have in five years for Blue Ocean Society & Seacoast Science Center.”

🙌 The New England Hot Sauce Fest has now raised nearly $44,000 for its two beneficiaries over five years, with this year’s $18,546 contribution marking the largest combined fundraising total in the festival’s history.

🙏 The festival’s 2026 success was made possible by the support of its sponsors, vendors, volunteers, entertainers, participating food trucks and hot sauce makers, and the thousands of attendees who came out to enjoy the event and support its mission.

📣 GOOD WORK EVERYONE! Stay tuned for our 2027 New England Hot Sauce Fest announcement later this year!

Follow for more:
New England Hot Sauce Fest
New England Hot Sauce Fest
New England Hot Sauce Fest

08/22/2026

Exciting news for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers! Due to popular demand, we’ve added an additional date for our popular Isles of Shoals Excursions. Mark your calendars for September 5th, from 1 to 6 PM, and make the most of your Labor Day with an unforgettable journey. Set sail and explore the stunning beauty of the Isles of Shoals, where history, wildlife, and breathtaking vistas await. Whether you're a seasoned explorer or a first-time visitor, this is an opportunity you won't want to miss to learn, explore and unwind with family, friends and our experts. Book your spot today and embark on a Labor Day adventure like no other! Learn more and get tickets ➡ www.seacoastsciencecenter.org?isles-of-shoals-excursions

08/21/2026

⭐️ Meet SSC Marine Mammal Rescue's 2026 summer interns! They've been a great addition to the team here at the Center. Thank you to Kristin and John for all their hard work this season. We appreciated having you on board! 🦭

08/19/2026

🚍 Field Trip Update from Seacoast Science Center 🚍

On Thursday, August 20th we'll have a wave of summer groups coming to visit the Center. During these summer visits, groups explore the tide pools in Odiorne Point State Park with our naturalists and visit the Center.

For your planning convenience:
–Mornings tend to be busier with walk-ins subject to availability.
–We strongly advise making reservations online in advance.
–If you’d like to enjoy our aquariums and exhibits during a quieter time, consider making afternoon reservations.

Plan your visit online ▶ www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/visit

08/18/2026

📣 We are excited to share that we have once again been nominated by our community for Seacoastonline.com's Best of the Seacoast 2026 Community’s Choice Awards in the category of Best Tourist/Seasonal Attraction. Voting is open until August 31st, and we deeply appreciate every vote!

🗳 Cast your vote here ▶ https://yourchoiceawards.com/seacoast/
Category: Entertainment & Leisure ▶ Best Tourist/Seasonal Attraction (Local) ▶ Seacoast Science Center

🌊 Situated within Odiorne Point State Park along Route 1A in Rye, the Center provides a gateway to New Hampshire's coastline for visitors from near and far. Here, guests can engage with marine life through our touch tank, aquariums, interactive exhibits, and programs that highlight the rich habitat and wildlife present within the Park's coastal campus.

🌟 Thank you for being part of our coastal community and for voting to help us educate and inspire more visitors to cherish and protect our coastal home!

08/16/2026

What could be better than a summer celebration, especially one centered around turtles? 🐢

Join us this Friday, August 21st, for a special Nature@Nite, with our co-hosts Eversource and local illustrator and turtle enthusiast Matt Patterson, as we explore the fascinating turtle species that dwell both on land and in water.

⭐ Meet Raspberry, our very own eastern box turtle.
🖌 Unleash your creativity by crafting a unique piece of art during our guided program with Patterson at 5 PM!

🌊 Nature@Nite is FREE, thanks to the generous support from Eversource NH, and registration is encouraged. The event runs from 4-6 PM, with sign-up for the 5 PM guided program beginning at 4 PM at the Center. Learn more and reserve your spot at nature@nite" rel="ugc" target="_blank">www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/nature@nite

08/15/2026

📣 Exciting Opportunity for High School Students

Do you know a high school student eager for a learning experience beyond the classroom?

Take a look at our Marine Science Fellowship designed for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. This full-semester hands-on course offers an opportunity to explore marine science in both fieldwork and classroom settings. Students will:

🌊 Discuss various marine science topics and career paths
🤝 Meet scientists and researchers in the field
📊 Develop and present their own research projects

The fall semester kicks off on Sunday, September 20th, during our annual BioBlitz, where students will meet their instructor and engage in a day of community science activities in Odiorne Point State Park. The application deadline is September 14th. For more information, including how students can earn credit ▶ www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/marine-science-fellowship

Thank you to our sponsors, Northeast Delta Dental, for supporting this program and helping us foster the future stewards of our coast!