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Penguin-Palooza

March 22 |

Sat., March 22 – Sun., March 23  | 10:30 am – 4 pm | Included with General Admission

Waddle on over to the National Aviary and celebrate everyone’s favorite flightless feathered friends: penguins! Meet the colony of African Penguins in Penguin Point, watch a fun feeding and chat with National Aviary experts, find out what makes penguins so unique, make your own penguin craft, and more. Learn how you can help penguins and other marine life every day.

Penguin-Palooza Schedule of Activities:

10:30 am: African Penguin Feeding | Penguin Point

11 am – 3 pm: Penguins and Friends Scavenger Hunt | Full Facility 

11 am – 3 pm: Penguin Discovery Zone | Learning Center

  • Explore Penguin Adaptations
  • Learn about Artificial Nest Burrows 
  • Play a Sustainable Seafood Fishing Game
  • Uncover a Day in the Life of a Penguin Park Ranger
  • Test Your Penguin Knowledge during Trivia
  • Create Your Very Own Penguin Puppet Craft
  • Read a Story in our Penguin Book Nook 

11 am – 3 pm: See How You Compare to the World’s 18 Penguin Species | Penguin Point

11:45 am and 3:15 pm: Chick Talk | Helen M. Schmidt FliteZone™ Theater

  • Meet our African Penguin chicks and chat with an Aviary expert! 

1 pm: Penguin Parade* | The Charity Randall Foundation Eagle Hall

  • Watch as our African Penguin Animal Ambassadors waddle right in front of you during a special Penguin-Palooza-only event!
  • Stick around near Penguin Point to chat about penguins with an Aviary expert.

1:15 pm: Hedgehog Meet-Cute | Helen M. Schmidt FliteZone™ Theater

  • Meet another adorable animal with a distinct appearance: a Four-toed Hedgehog! While penguins have dense tuxedo-esque feathers, hedgehogs are loved for their tiny quills!

4 pm: African Penguin Feeding | Penguin Point

*At the National Aviary, we give our penguins the choice to participate in experiences!

Keep the Penguin Fun Going!

Thurs., June 12 | 5:30 – 8 pm | Members: $40; Non-Members: $45 | 21+ | All Materials Included

Paint your very own portrait of this aerodynamic waddling wonder! Join Maria DeSimone Prascak of Maria’s Ideas (MariasIdeas.com) in person for a creative and colorful class in painting your own fine and feathered masterpiece. In this course, designed for painters of all painting abilities, follow Maria’s step-by-step instructions to paint a portrait of a well-loved National Aviary bird: the African Penguin!

Prior to class, relax with friends and meet a National Aviary Animal Ambassador! Enjoy a glass of wine, beer, signature cocktail, or non-alcoholic beverage and scrumptious bites, available for purchase from Atria’s.

Register for Brushes & Birds

Can’t get enough of these waddling wonders? Book a Penguin Encounter, Penguin Feeding Encounter, or Jr. Penguin Encounter for the little ones! 

Eat like the penguins do at the National Aviary (aka sustainably sourced fish)! Use the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch to help find sustainably sourced seafood during your next shopping trip.

In The News

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