Win free tickets to "Twilight: Eclipse" in IMAX

Whether you fall on the side of the vampires or the werewolves, everyone can agree that winning free tickets to see The Twilight Saga: Eclipse in IMAX is a stellar way to start the weekend! All you have to do is answer a trivia question pulled from the book Eclipse (The Twilight Saga). The best-selling book inspired the movie, after all!

Here's how to enter the contest:
1. Be sure you're following the Aquarium on facebook and twitter.
2. Tomorrow at noon, a trivia question about the book Eclipse (The Twilight Saga) will be posted on our facebook fan page. Then it's your turn to post! Comment with the correct answer to enter the drawing.
3. At 3:30 p.m., we'll randomly select the ticket winners from among the correct commenters and will contact them via message on facebook.

So look for the question on our facebook fan page at noon tomorrow. And good luck! Winners are in for a treat. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the first movie of the bewitching series to appear in huge IMAX format, with crystal clear imagery and crisp audio. The special effects are truly supernatural!

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse starts tonight, Thursday, June 29!

Penguing Pursuit Contest: Three times a charmer!

The friendly African penguin, Roast Beef, is on the move once again. On Wednesday, July 28, (that's today!) from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. you'll have another chance to get up close and personal with him – a real, living, breathing penguin – on the streets of Boston. This is a very special learning opportunity to meet an ambassador of an endangered species. So come armed with your camera and lots of questions about Roast Beef (like, where on Earth did he get his name?!)


Here's the trick: You have to find him! We're giving you all the clues you need in order to track him down. So on your mark, get set, GO!

Clue #1
In 1901 a favorite Boston sports team, known as the Somersets, began playing at the Huntington Avenue Grounds. In 1912 the team moved to this beloved Boston venue.

Clue #2
Opened on April 20, 1912, this park is the oldest venue currently in use by a professional sports team in the United States.

Clue #3
Located in the city of Boston, this venue includes many notable features, such as a lone red seat, Pesky’s Pole and the Triangle.

Clue #4
The Green Monster is the nickname of the 37-foot-tall wall located in this famous park.

Clue #5
The street we are on is named after the person who owned the Red Sox from 1933 until 1976.

That's it! Last clue. Hope to see you out there. For a glimpse of what's in store for you and your family, click here and here to to see some of the lucky folks who managed to snap a picture with this celebrity penguin. Earlier this month, sleuths followed clues to find this this famous New England Aquarium penguin right in the center of Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and later at the Children's Museum. Protected from the hot summer heat, he greeted visitors from inside a fully enclosed air-conditioned cart. He even brought a team of educators who were well equipped to answer any penguin question thrown at them.

Good luck. See you later, Roast Beef will be waiting for you!

The Edge: Win Tickets to see U2 in IMAX 3D!

The New England Aquarium is bringing back one of the most popular concert films ever to the biggest screen in New England! Last week we gave U2 fans a chance to win free tickets to U23D with the Bono Photo Lookalike Contest.

Here's this week's chance to win tickets, and all you have to do is answer a trivia question about The Edge on TODAY at noon.


Photo credit: Chris Sansenbach (Kurisu)

Here's how to play:
1. Be sure you're following the Aquarium on facebook and twitter.
2. Today at noon, a trivia question about guitar legend The Edge will be posted on those pages, and we'll randomly choose the ticket winners from the people who comment with the correct answer on facebook or reply with the correct answer to @neaq on twitter.
3. We will contact the winners via message on facebook or direct message on twitter.

So, have you got the fastest trivia-typing hands in Boston? The contest starts in a matter of hours! Get ready to answer that question and win!

Free Family Concert - Come sing along!

The Aquarium is thrilled to present a free family concert by Two of a Kind on the South Pier (right next to the Aquarium's Simons IMAX Theatre) on Sunday, July 25!


Two of a Kind

Bring the whole family down for this harbor-side show called Underneath the Deep Blue Sea, including songs, dancing, sign language, puppets and more. Interaction and participation encouraged! Audiences will sing and dance to songs about aquatic animals and their habitats, as well as songs touching on friendship, reading, diversity and conflict resolution.


Special guests include the singers' sons Ari and Jason!

Publishers Weekly says, "Two of a Kind is a one-of-a-kind find!"

Underneath the Deep Blue Sea Family Concert by Two of a Kind
When: Sunday, July 25, 1:00 pm
Where: South Pier (adjacent to the Aquarium's IMAX Theatre)
In case of rain, the program will move to the Harborside Learning Lab.

Special thanks to the Lowell Institute for helping to make this concert possible. The Lowell Institute has been providing funding for free public lectures and activities at universities and museums since 1836.

Happy Birthday, Rose!

Join the Aquarium and the Greenway Conservancy in celebrating Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy's birthday this Thursday, July 22!



Events throughout the day center around the story Rose's Garden, by Peter H. Reynolds. Rose's Rolling Teapot, a replica of the illustration in Rose's Garden, will be stopping at various locations along the Greenway District from 11:30 am to 5 pm. Stops include the Aquarium, the Rings Fountain, the Farmer's Market near South Station and more!

The cart will start the day at the Children's Museum at 11:30 am. At 1 pm, come down to the Aquarium to make paper flowers to add to the teapot! The celebration will culminate in the North End Parks with family-friendly activities including a participatory art project, storybook reading, lawn games and food between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Can't join us on the Greenway? Peter Reynolds will also be reading Rose's Garden and signing the book from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the JFK Library and Museum.

Happy birthday, Rose!

Aquarium releases 10 sea turtles

There are 10 fewer mouths to feed at the Aquarium today, and the Marine Animal Rescue Team couldn’t be happier. Yesterday the team released 10 critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles at Dowses Beach in Osterville. They have been being rehabilitated at the Aquarium since they were rescued on Cape Cod beaches late last fall.



Each summer, Kemp’s ridleys migrate up the East Coast to Cape Cod Bay to feed, and each fall as the water cools they head south again. But each year, many of the sea turtles are trapped in the arm of the Cape; as the water gets colder, the sea turtles’ body temperature drops and they become lethargic and weak. The wind and waves wash many of these turtles onto the shore, where volunteers from Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary collect the animals and bring them to the Aquarium.

The sea turtles are usually suffering from hypothermia and pneumonia and sometimes also have cuts, abrasions and cracks in their shells caused by fishing gear or boat propellers.

Read about the treatments and procedures that the Marine Animal Rescue team and the veterinary staff perform when the turtles arrive at the Aquarium in this post and by browsing all of the posts on the Marine Animal Rescue blog.

You can read more about the release in this post.

See video of the turtles' release on NECN's website.

U23D returns to the biggest screen in New England with a Bono look-alike contest!

The New England Aquarium is bringing back one of the most popular concert films ever to the biggest screen in New England! This week we had a Bono look-alike photo contest to give out free tickets to the return of the band.

Congratulations to our winners!

(Photo Left: from Pavl Sfera and Right: from Angela)

And thanks to these Bono look-alikes for helping out!

(Photo Left: Pete Smith, Center: Lamplight Media, Right: Joy)


(Photo Left: Teri, Center: Mike, Right: Brandon Milner)


(Photo Left: Jessica, Center: Myrtle, Right: Noir)

The contest may be over but the show goes on!
Grab your online tickets now to see U23D at the New England Aquarium today.

Penguin Pursuit - Meet a penguin on the streets of Boston!

Get ready, the great Penguin Pursuit is back on! This Thursday at 12:30 is your second chance to find a penguin on the streets of Boston.

Where, you might ask? Well, check out these clever clues that points you in the direction of a very special Boston hot spot.

Clue #1
This family-favorite Boston location has been going green since the ‘70s! Their Recycle Shop has been selling a variety of reusable items to visitors since 1972, and their rooftop is literally alive with almost 6,000 square feet of living green roof; the plants help to insulate the building.

Clue #2
First opened in 1913 by a group of science teachers from Jamaica Plain, this place was designed to educate people about the world they live in by using a new hands-on approach.

Clue #3
This fun and exciting family venue has been open to the public for more then 90 years. Its mission is to help children learn about and understand the world in which we live.

Clue #4
Designed for children and their families, this fun Museum, located in Boston, offers exhibits that focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health and fitness, and the arts.

Clue #5
Outside of this unique Museum in Boston, a giant milk bottle is on display that could hold 58,620 gallons of milk. There’s also a 20-foot Arthur character sitting atop the main entrance.

Still don't know? Here's some photos from the event posted by Twitter user @msparksays!

If you found the penguin, post your photos online and let us know where they are on facebook and twitter.

You'll definitely want to find the penguin, because when you do you'll have a chance at your very own photo opp with him and you'll have an opportunity to win Aquarium passes and more! Check out these photos that were taken last time visitors found our penguin in his fully enclosed air-conditioned cart.



See all of the photos on the Aquarium's facebook page here and here.

So are you ready? Do you have your thinking cap on? If you think you know where the penguin will be, get yourself to that location on Thursday between 12:30 and 1:30 pm.

This is your second chance to find the penguin in Boston, but it isn't your last. There will be many more chances to keep up with the Penguin Pursuit as we celebrate this summer's exciting theme program—Penguin Power. So stay tuned, more clues are still to come!

Penguin Pursuit Contest - Clues for the first appearance!

Get ready, the great Penguin Pursuit is on! At 12:30 pm today, folks finding the right place at the right time will have a chance to see a real penguin on the streets of Boston.

Where, you might ask? Well, you'll just have to check out the clever clues that point you in the direction of this very special Boston hot spot. Find the clues on Boston.com! (You can also scroll down for the latest clues.)

You'll definitely want to find the penguin, not only because they're handsome and fascinating birds, but also because you'll have a chance to win Aquarium passes and more! Successful sleuths may also have a chance to get their picture taken with a live penguin who will be sightseeing in a fully enclosed air-conditioned cart, or with the newest Aquarium character. (Hint: The character will be the cuddly fellow dressed in black and white!) Educators will also be on the scene doling out interesting facts about penguins and handy bookmarks to everyone. Visitors will even have a chance to join our social networks on the spot.

So are you ready? Do you have your thinking cap on? Here are all the clues that should help point you towards the penguin's location today.

Clue #1

A gilded grasshopper weathervane sits atop this famous Boston building. A time capsule labeled "food for the grasshopper" was deposited inside of the grasshopper's stomach and includes historical newspapers, coins and messages from mayors.

Clue #2

Because of protests here during the 1760's against British taxation policies, the meeting hall is dubbed the Cradle of Liberty.

Clue #3

To better accommodate the merchants and shoppers, this hall was expanded in 1826 to include Quincy Market, named after Boston Mayor Josiah Quincy.

Clue #4

This area was built by Boston’s wealthiest merchant, Peter Faneuil, as a gift to the city in 1742 as a central marketplace for crops and livestock.

If you think you know where the penguin will be, get yourself to that location TODAY between 12:30 and 1:30 pm. Of course, you'll want to snap a photo of yourself and your family with the penguin. If you're the first person to send your picture to thingstodo@boston.com you have a chance to win four tickets to the Aquarium and Simon IMAX Theatre. But wait, there's more...your photo could also be displayed on Boston.com!

With your photo, Boston.com asks that you include:

• Your full name
• Your phone number and e-mail address (for confirmation purposes only)
• Your town
• Full names and hometowns of any other people featured in the photo
• Any additional info you want to add

One submission per person. Visit the Penguin Pursuit Contest page on Boston.com for more information on submitting!

If you can't spot the penguin in Boston today, do not despair! After today, there will be many more chances to keep up with the Penguin Pursuit throughout Boston as we celebrate this summer's exciting theme program—Penguin Power. So stay tuned, those clues are still to come!