DAY TRIP Roundhouse Aquarium

Owned and produced by the nonprofit organization Oceanographic Teaching Stations Inc., the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium has been open to the public since 1979.

The organization’s goal is to promote educational opportunities and facilitate study and interest in the oceans, tidelands and beaches of Southern California as well as the effect the human population has on that environment.

Some of the exhibits the aquarium features are a tide pool touch tank, a 3,500-gallon shark tank and an arch way tank. The touch tank houses a ray and baby shark tank and, with supervision, guests may touch the various rays in the pool. The Seastar tank houses the largest sea star, the Sun Star, and the Pacific Northern Sea Star.

GETTING THERE

The bulk of the journey is on the 405 north for about 30 miles. Exit Inglewood Avenue, exit 42B, and turn left at Inglewood Avenue. Turn right at Manhattan Beach Boulevard. If you desire a more scenic route, travelers can always use Pacific Coast Highway to cruise along the beach. Pacific Coast Highway will become Sepulveda Boulevard, then take a left at Manhattan Beach Boulevard.

HOURS

The Roundhouse Aquarium is open from 3 p.m. to sunset Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to sunset Saturday and Sunday. Non-public hours are dedicated to teaching and maintenance.

ADMISSION

Admission to the Roundhouse Aquarium is free to the public, but donations help keep the facility up and running. The center suggests donations of $2 per person or $4 per family. Metered parking for the aquarium is available at the base of the Manhattan Beach Pier at the price of $1 per hour.

SEA STORY TIME

Kids can learn about the sea while being entertained at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Roundhouse Aquarium during Sea Story Time. Each Sunday, a special reader tells a story about sea life and children get to create a craft to take home. Located upstairs in the Kids Help Corner, Sea Story Time is free.

VOLUNTEERING

The aquarium encourages youths to volunteer to help teach children about the sea, as well as learn for themselves. To become a volunteer, one has to be 14 or older, complete an application, attend two mandatory volunteer training programs and be available to work two hours a week for a three-month period. Applications can be found on the organization’s website.

— Daniel Tedford