Welcome to the Hatfield Visitor Center!

We are operating on our regular season schedule and are open Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. -  4 p.m. Tickets ($5 for ages five and up) are available online and at the door.

 Buy a Ticket

Spring Break Whale Watching Week

We are open all week!

Join us for special activities

March 26-29

  • Sounds of the Sea - 11 a.m.
  • Assemble a Whale - 1 & 3 p.m.

Information for Visiting Groups

  • Pre K-12 and University Precollege Student Groups
    • Visitor Center Only - Cost is $5 per person, please pre-register your group here.  
    • Visitor Center + Lab and Field Experience - All K-12 and Precollege student groups that add a marine education lab and field experience to their visit receive complimentary time in the visitor center. 
  • University and Community Groups (i.e. Road Scholars, Scout Groups, family groups) please buy a ticket here.
    • If any group is interested in adding a class to their 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

Meet Our Volunteers!

We are blessed to have such an amazing group of volunteers at Hatfield. Watch this video and learn what inspires them to join our volunteer crew and share their time and talents with the community. Interested in joining them? Learn how here.

OCTOPUS UPDATE

We are grateful to the many local fishermen who have donated octopuses to the Visitor Center over the years so we may share them with the public in our main exhibit. While we wait for a new octopus, enjoy this close-up look at a past octopus on exhibit. This video has fascinating footage of the octopus and interesting facts about these amazing creatures.

And if you want to learn a little more about how this video was shot, check out this short. The octopus had a hand(s) in filming it.


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

Click on "More Options" to get directions from your location.