SCOTTSDALE/SALT RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY, AZ – (Nov. 23, 2020) – OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland give guests plenty of reasons to celebrate the season with new and original holiday programs that are sure to spark the wonder and magic in everyone! Visit these two Arizona Boardwalk anchor attractions as they headline a safe and enjoyable time for family and friends beginning on Black Friday and continuing through the New Year!
While there, remember Arizona Boardwalk offers great dining and shopping options – quite possibly the most ideal place to find unique presents for everyone on the shopping list! The entertainment destination is also home to seven interactive and engaging attractions that offer a real sense of escape for families on a ‘staycation’ during the long break this year. Let all be merry and bright with a visit to Arizona Boardwalk as the entire complex sparkles in festive décor and the sounds of holiday music.
Enjoy Winter Waterland® at OdySea Aquarium
Nov. 27 through Jan. 3
SeaTREK Santa Makes a Triumphant Return to OdySea Aquarium
Guests better watch out… jolly ol’ helmet-diving SeaTREK Santa is making a splash again at OdySea Aquarium this holiday season! Interact with this fun-loving underwater Santa through the Deep Ocean exhibit where he will make two daily appearances on select dates from Thanksgiving weekend through Christmas Eve.
Every SeaTREK Santa appearance kicks-off with a live reading of OdySea’s ever-popular oceanic original, “T’was the Night Before FISHmas” at the window of the Deep Ocean exhibit. Kids (and kids-at-heart) will enjoy the salt-water spin on the holiday classic as an OdySea Aquarium Elf reads it ‘loud and clear for all to hear’! And like magic – SeaTREK Santa makes his grand appearance right as it the story concludes!
SeaTREK Santa twice-daily appearances: Nov. 27-29; Dec. 5 & 6; Dec. 12 & 13; Dec. 19 – 24
NEW! OdySea Voyager Holiday “Ride-Thru” Experience
Ho, ho, ho – step inside the Voyager exhibit this season as OdySea Aquarium creates a memorable and truly exciting first-of-its-kind seated holiday ride-thru experience for guests. Voyager transforms from submarine mission to an underwater Christmas cruise hosted by OdySea Aquarium’s own SeaTREK Santa! See the ocean and its charismatic creatures through the eyes of OdySea’s own underwater Kris Kringle as he narrates the most magical oceanic adventure straight to Winter Waterland! Guests are transported deep into the blue for a full-on red & green good time while riding past peaceful stingrays, grinch-like sea turtles, playful reindogs—er, sea dogs—aka sea lions, and majestic, if not merry, sharks! This ride is complete with festive décor, twinkling lights and seasonal music that change and complement each rotation. This is a must-see, exclusive, limited-time, holiday experience for all ages!!!
NEW! SeaTREK Santa Scavenger Hunt
Fa la la la-find the SeaTREK Santas!! The challenge is ON as guests search for 25 SeaTREK Santa pictures throughout the aquarium!
NEW! SeaTREK Santa Professional Holiday Photos
Capture the magic of a visit to OdySea Aquarium this holiday season with a professional Magic Memories SeaTREK Santa photo! Taken with green screen technology upon entering the Aquarium, these photos make a wonderful keepsake or can be converted into photo holiday greeting cards at home when a digital package is purchased. Individual photos available as well.
NEW! *VIP SeaTREK Santa Experience
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- ONLY 16 VIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE!
Saturdays and Sundays at 12pm & 4pm: Nov. 28-29; Dec. 5 & 6; Dec. 12 & 13
$600
The SeaTREK Santa VIP Experience is the perfect way for families to celebrate the holidays in one of the most spectacular, unique, and safe environments. VIP Guests will have private use of OdySea Aquarium’s posh VIP Room, which provides spectacular views into the Deep Ocean exhibit. Just as VIP guests get used to the spectacular lux surroundings, a vision in red soon appears underwater alongside the majestic sea life. SeaTREK Santa joins the celebration to pose exclusively for pictures and wish everyone in the family Happy Holidays! SeaTREK Santa’s Elf will have something special for all who made the NICE LIST too!
This one-of-a-kind Holiday experience includes:
- Admission to OdySea Aquarium for up to 8 people
- Dedicated Elf Concierge/Room Host
- Access to our spectacular VIP Room for 1 hour
- Private 15-minute SeaTREK Santa appearance
- 3 Professional Photos with SeaTREK Santa (printed and packaged to take home)
- Holiday Gifts from SeaTREK Santa (for each guest)
- Winter Waterland® “Arts and Crafts” for Kids
- Light Food and Beverage
*Each VIP Experience is available for up to 8 members of the family or immediate bubble.
*Visit www.odyseaaquarium.com or contact [email protected] for details.
NEW! Gift a Virtual Animal Encounter and Create Lifetime Memories
Put a sloth or a penguin in their stocking! End 2020 on a high note by gifting a Virtual Animal Encounter! Go behind the scenes and get up-close-and-personal with some of the most beloved animals at OdySea Aquarium – all from the luxury of home via the Zoom online meeting platform. Each virtual session is highly interactive and includes plenty of time for Q&As, so it is the perfect gift for those inquiring minds – or the person who has everything.
Sign up for an open slot for $30 or reserve an entire encounter exclusively with friends & family for $150 (20 logins!). Virtual Animal Encounters at OdySea Aquarium are a fantastic way to get everyone together from across the miles to create lifetime memories.
OdySea Aquarium is currently offering Virtual Animal Encounters with African penguins or one of their Linnaeus’s two-toed sloths, with more animals such as sharks, otters, sea lions and octopus added to the line-up soon.
Virtual Penguin Encounter
Get face-to-beak – virtually – with some of OdySea Aquarium’s most adorable creatures, the loveable African penguins! Go behind-the-scenes at OdySea’s Penguin Point and make a penguin pal or two from the comfort of your own home in this special encounter! Participants will learn what life is like for our feathered friends at the aquarium and on the southern African coast. Let a penguin waddle into your Zoom today!
Virtual Sloth Encounter
Be the envy of all your friends when you ‘hang out’ with OdySea Aquarium’s irresistible resident sloths, Squidney or Barnacle (aka Barny)! Don’t miss a chance to learn all about these fascinating animals through a live virtual visit — #cutenessoverload!! Discover the art of ‘chilling out’ in the sloth world and learn why they do it so well! This virtual encounter is adult-tested and kid-approved – and one everyone will cherish for a lifetime!
Spots are limited for these popular Encounters, so reserve now or purchase as a gift for a future date at odyseaaquarium.com/virtual-animal-encounters.
**Virtual Animal Encounters are available through 2021—not just the holidays!
NEW! Giving Trees featuring Adopt-A-Student Program & Holiday Gift Store Items
In the spirt of giving back, guests can snag-a-tag from one of two giving trees at OdySea Aquarium to Adopt-A-Student for the holidays. A $15.00 donation provides an underserved student with an oceanic adventure that provides an educational, nature experience field trip through the OdySea Aquarium Foundation. Tags for other holiday gift store items are available for purchase as well!
OdySea Aquarium Holiday Gift Store
Give the gift of “experience” that creates adventure and memories with one (or more) of the following:
- OdySea Aquarium Gift Cards
- Annual Passes General
- Admission Tickets
Experience Christmas in the Rainforest
Nov. 27 through Dec. 25
9am – 5pm
Bring family and friends to a seasonal holiday experience, “Christmas in the Rainforest,” featuring an abundance of butterflies from the rainforests of Costa Rica, Africa, and Asia. See Butterfly Wonderland decked in festive décor and enjoy live music from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the butterfly conservatory by violinist Jonathan Levingston on Nov. 28, Dec. 5, and Dec. 12.
Don’t miss the weekly holiday specials in the Butterfly Treasures gift shop, the perfect place to find unique holiday gifts. Butterfly Treasures features fine jewelry, apparel, plush animals, and special holiday decorations to fill everyone’s wish-list.
NEW! “Puff on the Shelf” Scavenger Hunt
Puff, the Chinese Water Dragon, is a popular, lovable animal ambassador of Butterfly Wonderland and like the popular Elves that wreak havoc around the house, Puff is up to some holiday mischief as well! Guests are encouraged to have some festive fun trying to find the 10 hidden Puff (photos) throughout Butterfly Wonderland, and then pay a visit to the real deal himself in the Rainforest Reptiles exhibit to wish Puff a jolly holiday!
NEW! Giving Tree featuring Adopt-A-Student Program & Holiday Gift Store Items
In the spirt of giving back, guests can snag-a-tag from the Giving Tree at Butterfly Wonderland to Adopt-A-Student for the holidays. A $10.00 donation provides an underserved student with a rainforest adventure and provide an educational, nature experience field trip through the Butterfly Wonderland Foundation. Tags for other holiday gift store items are available for purchase as well!
Butterfly Wonderland Holiday Gift Store
Give the gift of “experience” that creates adventure and memories with one (or more) of the following:
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- Butterfly Wonderland Gift Cards
- Annual Passes
- General Admission Tickets
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Visit the Butterfly Wonderland online Holiday Gift Store and unwrap exciting, educational, and fun experiences all year long!
** From increased cleaning and disinfecting at the attractions, to updated health and safety policies, Butterfly Wonderland and OdySea Aquarium have reimagined their guest experience so everyone can enjoy the magic of the holidays responsibly. Both attractions are open with limited capacity to align with proper social distancing. Guests age 6 and up are required to wear a mask as are all team members.
To learn more about how the attractions are keeping guests visit here for Butterfly Wonderland and here for OdySea Aquarium.
