Welcome to the Hatfield Visitor Center!

Open 10 am to 4 pm. You can buy a ticket online before you visit or when you arrive at the door.

Starting Memorial Day, the Visitor Center will switch to summer hours and be open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.

 Buy a Ticket

What to expect when visiting

  • Buy a ticket online before you visit.
  • Fee: $5 for visitors ages five and up; payment can be made online or at the door.
  • Fee change: On February 1, we adjusted our entrance fee to $5 for visitors five years old and over. We have had to make this adjustment to continue providing our visitors with a high-quality and fun educational experience while meeting increased costs. Thank you for your support as we make this change.
  • Tickets are good for the whole day.
  • Days/Hours: Open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • 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, 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.

Buy a Gift Certificate to the Visitor Center

Snap Shots from the VISITOR CENTER

A tank with four ropes with oyster shells attached at different points. The tank is a demonstration of how oysters are raised commercially.

An oyster line in a tank. On the oyster shells are a gunnel and crab.Have you ever wondered how oysters are commercially raised?

Stop by our oyster tank next time you are in for a close-up underwater view.

Also, oysters aren't the only thing to flourish in this tank. Oyster farms are home to gunnels, crabs, sea stars and more. Look closely and see how many creatures you can find.

Special thanks to the Oregon Oyster Farm, which provides oysters for this tank.

octopus NEWS

Giant pacific octopus presses against the glass on a tank. Its underside and tenticles are on display.A new octopus has taken up residence at the Visitor Center’s main tank. This female octopus currently weighs in at 4.5 pounds. She was caught by a local fisherman and brought in a month ago.

So far, she is a curious creature and will gain a lot of enrichment by simply being in the Visitor Center. As we do with all our octopuses, the exhibit will have curtains covering the sides of the tank. The curtains will be removed slow to help her transition into the busy environment that is the Visitor Center. Thank you all for being so patient!

Using a simulator, a child steers a research ship through Yaquina Bay in an exhibit at the Hatfield Visitor Center. His father stands near him and points to the screen in front of them.

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. 

A close up view of a crab. Its eye stalks peer straight ahead. Also, its massive front claws are in view.

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

Children and their moms gather around the augmented reality sandbox at Hatfield Visitor Center. A light projects a topographic image on sand below. The map shifts as the sand shifts in the sandbox.

Augmented Reality Sandbox

Visitors of all ages are welcome to play in this sandbox. At this exhibit, you move the sand in the sandbox and watch how the contour lines, projected on the sand, change.

What is this creature?


Moonglow anemones live in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones throughout the Pacific Northwest. They are often found partially or fully buried in the sand with their body column stretched down into the sand to find a solid place to attach themselves. They can also be found in holes in rocks carved out by boring clams or urchins. Unlike their more common cousins green anemones, moonglows are often found singly or in small groups.

It's a Moonglow AnEMONE


While they look delicate, any animal that lives in the intertidal zone has to be hardy to survive in the ever-changing conditions. You can see these incredible animals in their natural habitat at local beaches like Seal Rock State Park, and in the Visitor Center, currently residing with the Northern Kelp Crab in the Crustacean exhibit!

This text is based on an article by Emily Bjornsgard for our March volunteer newsletter (pdf).

Hours

Open: 10 AM - 4 PM Thursday through Monday
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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