Learn about the ocean and take action to protect marine life in the heart of Hampton Beach at the Blue Ocean Discovery Center!

Blue Ocean Discovery Center logo featuring silhouettes of dolphins, a whale, and marine plants with the text 'BLUE OCEAN discovery center'.

180 Ocean Boulevard, Hampton, NH 03842

Tuesday-Sunday 10:30 AM-5:30 PM / Closed Mondays

Admission: $3 per person; groups of 4 are $10; 2 and under are free!

Open through Labor Day Weekend

A two-story house painted in light blue with white trim and a stone foundation. The house has multiple windows, with some having small decorative overhangs, and features a sign that says "Blue Ocean Discovery Center" hanging from the upper part of the building. There are a few people standing outside under a bright blue sky.

Check out the Discovery Center on Facebook!

Facebook logo with a white lowercase 'f' on a blue background
Person holding a small crab in their hand underwater, with fish and green aquatic plants in the background.
Children and women observing a fish tank with aquatic birds inside at an indoor exhibit.

Our Blue Ocean Discovery Center has two large touch tanks where you can learn about different species and how to safely handle them. Our knowledgeable educators will share fun facts about the species and lead you in hands-on activities and investigations! 

Our exhibits include:

  • Draw Alive activity

  • Atlantic white-sided dolphin skeleton

  • Giant fin whale vertebra

  • Two touch tanks with sea stars, crabs, and other marine life (selection varies!)

  • A 120-gallon observation tank

  • SmartScope showing magnification of marine animals

  • Marine debris exhibit and opportunity to join beach cleanups

  • Whale exhibit

Our knowledgeable educators will be on hand to answer your questions. You can also help the ocean during your visit by completing a beach cleanup! Ask us for more information. 

Sidewalk with pastel-colored chalk fish and seashell drawings leading toward a street with a signboard for the Blue Ocean Discovery Center.
A whale skeleton mounted on display against a blue and multicolored ceiling with textured panels.

Blue Ocean Discovery Center Major Sponsors

We greatly appreciate your donations at the Center or online. It costs approximately $30,000 per year to operate the Center, which includes license fees and other fees paid to the State of New Hampshire, staffing, tank maintenance and updating our displays each year.

Hampton Beach Village District logo featuring a heron standing by the water, a sailboat, sunset, and landscape.
Newburyport Bank logo with a sailboat icon and the slogan 'Journey Well'
Lions Club International logo with a blue and yellow color scheme, featuring a large yellow 'L' in the center and two lion heads on either side.