Norwalk Aquarium Offers Book-Drive Discounts and "Sensory-Friendly Morning"

From the Maritime Aquarium:

NORWALK, CT – The Maritime Museum invites the community to enjoy discounted admission with book donations and a "Sensory Friendly Morning" this weekend.

Book Drive

Inspire a child’s literacy and save some money too during the “Ocean Litera-‘Sea’ Weekend” book drive September 17-18 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

During “Ocean Litera-Sea’ Weekend,” donate a new or gently used children’s book and receive $5 off the regular child’s admission of $15.95.

You can bring more than one book per person, but the discount does not multiply per person.

The book drive is part of The Maritime Aquarium’s Closer to Our Community initiative, which engages the popular family attraction (and its visitors) in ways that benefit the local community.

Donated books will go to Norwalk Reads, an organization that encourages reading though the distribution of free books and that supports literacy programs for all Norwalk children, especially those at risk. Learn more at www.norwalkreads.com.

Also September 17-18, look for special story times, where invited guests will read a children’s book to young visitors.

Sensory Friendly Morning

For some, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is a place with too many stimuli. So on Sunday, September 18, the Aquarium is planning a special morning to give guests with sensory-processing differences a fun, comfortable and accepting environment.

On September 18 from 8 a.m. to noon, lights in the Aquarium will be lower, and music and other sounds will be turned down or off. The Aquarium also will show specially selected IMAX® movies with lower volume and the theater lights less dim.

Tom Naiman, director of education, said the Aquarium created “Sensory-Friendly Mornings” to be supportive of the children and adults with special needs who often visit.

“We recognize that some elements of our exhibits can present a challenge because the spaces may be seen as too bright or loud or crowded for some people,” Naiman said. “So we offer occasional ‘Sensory-Friendly Mornings’ to make the Aquarium more accessible and more enjoyable to them.”

Naiman noted that the first half of “Sensory-Friendly Morning” – between 8 and 10 a.m. – occurs prior to The Maritime Aquarium’s normal opening time. The advantages of that, he said, are twofold: Aquarium staff can focus on special-needs guests, and special-needs guests averse to crowds will be less likely to encounter them.

All Aquarium galleries and exhibits will be open. Plus, Aquarium eductors will offer bonus activities and take-home crafts.

In the Aquarium’s IMAX Theater, special film screenings will be presented with the volume lowered and the theater lights dimmed less than usual. The movies selected for their sensory-friendly content are: “Humpback Whales” at 9 a.m., “Born to Be Wild” at 10 a.m. and “Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean” at 11 a.m. (One IMAX movie is free with Aquarium admission.)

Images via the Maritime Aquarium.