A. October through April all groups must check in at the main office. The Office is located up the stairs to the right of the ramp leading up to the boardwalk next to the Sweet Shop. Go up the stairs to the top and the Office door is to your right clearly labeled. May through September all Aquarium groups will check-in at the Aquarium Front Desk. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time (check your confirmation slip to see your scheduled arrival time). One representative from the group should go into the aquarium to check-in. Before leaving the bus, make sure you have the total number of children and a total number of adults. Bus drivers are admitted into the Aquarium free of charge, and should not be included in the count. In addition to the head count, the representative will need your confirmation slip, one payment for the entire group, and a signed copy of the ST-5 tax exempt form, if applicable. Groups that do not have the ST-5 tax exempt form will be charged 7% sales tax. If you have ordered pizza, you will pay for it along with your Aquarium fee. The Aquarium receptionist will give you a voucher to get your pizza at the restaurant.

B. Groups may pay by check (payable to Jenkinson’s Aquarium, only school, scout, church or camp checks please), credit card (American Express, MasterCard, Visa), or one cash payment (large bills are required; paying with small bills and change will prolong your entrance into the Aquarium due to the time it will take the receptionist to count out the money). If you are using a purchase order, the purchase order must be sent in advance to: Jenkinson’s Group Sales, 300 Ocean Ave, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742. Please allow enough time for the Group Sales Coordinator to sign and return the purchase order so that you will receive the check and can bring it with you on the day of the tour. You must bring a copy of the purchase order with you.

C. The group rate is only available for groups over 20 people who are paying in one payment. Any individual payments are charged our general admission rate. Anyone paying individually may have to enter the Aquarium a little later than the rest of the group. Scout groups, Retirement Homes and/or Handicapped Groups will be given the group rate. No refunds will be issued. No credits will be extended.

D. While one representative is checking in, the other chaperones should escort the children to the boardwalk. Please have the children and chaperones wait alongside the Aquarium (away from the doors). The receptionist will tell you how many tour guides your group will have; please have the chaperones divide the children into the appropriate amount of groups. Please keep these groups visibly separated, so that your tour guides can easily find you. Your tour guides will come outside to bring you in for your tour. Do not enter the Aquarium without your tour guide.

E. Due to scheduling and personnel constraints, groups that arrive late may not be allotted a full tour.

F. In the event of inclement weather, from September through April, children and chaperones may remain on the bus while the representative checks in. Approximately five minutes before the tour, everyone should proceed to the boardwalk and line up outside the Aquarium (away from the doors) in your separated groups. Due to parking procedures, from May through August, children must exit the bus immediately and walk up to the boardwalk to wait outside the Aquarium. If it is raining, please wait under the overhang of the public restrooms (yellow building across from Aquarium).

G. If you are bringing bag lunches, please bring them off the buses with the children. If they are all gathered in a large container (crate, cooler, etc.), they may be left at the front desk and picked up at the end of the tour. If children bring their lunches individually, they must carry them through the Aquarium during the tour.

H. You must eat lunch at your scheduled time. Each group is allotted a half-hour for lunch. If you are late for lunch, your time will be cut short. If you arrive at a different time, you may lose your lunch reservation.