Welcome to the Hatfield Visitor Center!

We are now operating on our regular season schedule and are open Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. -  4 p.m. Tickets are available online and at the door.

 Buy a Ticket

What to expect when visiting

  • Fee: $5 for visitors ages five and up; good for the entire day; tickets available online or at the door.
  • Days/Hours: Now operating on our regular season schedule, open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • Visiting Groups: 
    • Pre K-12 and University Precollege student groups, please use this link to schedule your visit. During the registration process, you will select “Visitor Center Exploration - K-12 School and University Pre-College Programs."
    • General Public, University Groups, and Community Groups (i.e. Road Scholars, Scout Groups, family groups) please buy a ticket here. If you are interested in adding a class to your visit, please visit our Marine Education Program's lab and field experiences page to view the current class offerings. All registrations for lab and field classes AND visitor center exploration can be submitted together through their online registration system listed on their page.

Snap Shots from the VISITOR CENTER

The Augmented Reality Sandbox got a Facelift

Visitors of all ages are invited to play in our newly updated Sandbox.

How does it work? Move the sand and observe how the contour lines and colors projected onto the sand change. These contour lines and colors are similar to those found on maps and mark different elevations and terrain. Next, hold your hand over the landscape you create, and virtual rain will fall. Watch how rain affects the land and creates rivers and lakes.

octopus Grooming

Have you ever wondered how an octopus stays clean?

Watch this video of our resident octopus grooming by twirling her arms. This circular action pulls off the top layer of skin on their suction cups. Octopuses need their suction cups to be clean and fresh. Properly groomed suction cups are essential to help them sense their surroundings and get a good seal when grabbing onto surfaces or objects. Octopuses also shed this top layer as they grow.

This video was taken by Hatfield aquarist Jaimie Hart and edited by Oregon Sea Grant Summer Scholar Maia Norton.


Regional Class Research Vessel

This interactive simulator let's you experience what it feels like to be at the helm of a large research vessel and steer it through Yaquina Bay. 


Oregon Coast Crustaceans

This exhibit showcases crustaceans found along the Oregon coast. By displaying these animals in smaller interconnected tanks, it is possible to keep more than one species in harmony.

 

More Exhibits


Tide Pool Touch Tank

Gently pet fish, abalone and sea stars. Discover what happens when you stroke the sticky tentacles of a sea anemone. Friendly volunteers are on hand to answer questions and help visitors of all ages. Feeding time in the tidepool tanks - Fridays, at 11 a.m.

How many pipefish can you find?

Look closely as the camera pans through the eelgrass and see how many pipefish you can find. The video pans through the eelgrass a second time and shows you where these fish are hiding out.

Pipefish can be found around wharves, floating freely in tide lines, or camouflaging themselves in eelgrass beds and patches of seaweed in bays and estuaries. Fun fact: The female pipefish transfers eggs to the male's brood pouch, where he cares for developing young. Pipefish and seahorses belong to the same family, which is why their little faces are so similar.

Hours

Regular Season Hours (beginning Labor Day): Thursday through Monday 10 a.m. -  4 p.m.
Buy a ticket online before you visit.

Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day

Location

Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitor Center
2030 SE Marine Science Drive
Newport, OR  97365-5229

Phone: 541-867-0100; Option 2
Email

Map and Driving Directions

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