Policies

Great Lakes Aquarium is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all people.

Learn more about the Aquarium’s Amenities and Accessibility policies.

The following items are not allowed on Great Lakes Aquarium property:

• Weapons, including mace and/or pepper spray
• Clothing with offensive or vulgar language
• Marijuana
• Illegal drugs
• Laser pens and pointers
• Underwater cameras
• Noise-making devices (horns, whistles, etc.)
• Any other items deemed to be dangerous or inappropriate

Firearms: For the safety of staff, guests and animals, firearms and concealed weapons of any kind are prohibited on Great Lakes Aquarium property. 

Minnesota’s permit-to-carry law permits operators of private establishments that are generally open to the public to ban all firearms from their establishments, even when the firearm owner has a valid permit. 

Law enforcement officers, in clearly identifiable uniforms, are allowed to carry and display firearms on Aquarium property while on duty and performing their job. 

Policy subject to change upon revision of state laws.

Smoking: Great Lakes Aquarium is a non-smoking facility. Smoking is prohibited inside Great Lakes Aquarium or on its grounds.

Learn more about Great Lakes Aquarium’s COVID-19 policies.

On occasion, Aquarium staff or media representatives may photograph or record video of visitors for professional usage. Entry into the Aquarium grants permission for use of these images. If you would prefer not to be filmed, please let a staff member know.

This Privacy Policy explains Great Lakes Aquarium’s practices, defines our users’ (“you” or “your”) privacy options and describes how your information is collected and used by Lake Superior Center, a Minnesota non-profit corporation, doing business as Great Lakes Aquarium (“we,” “us,” “our,” or “GLA”).

By using the GLA website or any of our applications, products, services, features, tools, or resources you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use.

This Privacy Policy, along with our Terms of Use, governs your use of the GLA website at https://glaquarium.org (“Site”), and any information we may access through social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, we will refer to all of these access points as the GLA system (“System”).

We reserve the right to modify this policy from time to time and will mark new versions with a corresponding effective date. We recommend you visit the Site to review any changes in our practices. Your continued use of the Site constitutes your agreement to our then-current Privacy Policy.

Our System may contain links to other websites. These websites may have privacy policies different than our Privacy Policy. The System may also contain certain social media icons or widgets. Although you can view the material we have linked to, you may have to create an individual account or register to use these third-party social media sites to use interactive features. Any interaction on social media websites is governed by the terms of use and privacy policy of the particular platform.

What Information is Collected?

We may collect personal information from you on our System or through any other digital or personal communication with you in the System. Information collected by us is voluntarily provided by you and may include information such as your name, email address, phone number, physical address, and IP address. The System may also collect general information about your technology interface or preferences (such as the type of browser used or the files requested). Additionally, we may collect information regarding the websites you visit and other information, as described in this Privacy Policy.

The information we collect may include, but is not be limited to:

• Your contact information to register to receive our newsletter and other GLA-related updates, promotions and materials from us, such as your first name, last name, phone number, physical address, and email address;
• The names, addresses, and contact information of family members or other individuals that you provide for ticket purchases or GLA event participation;
• Any information you choose to provide to us through the System;
• Your transaction history relating to the use of our products and services;
• Information regarding your browser and other technical specifications required to use our Site;
• Computer data or files, often called “cookies,” which may be sent by your web browser and stored on an individual computer to allow our server to “recognize” you through the navigation of the Site and for us to credit your account for various online transactions;
• Computer data files, often called “web beacons” that are collected from emails or links on third-party sites that allow our server to evaluate the popularity of those links or the information contained in emails or on third-party sites; and
• Your IP address to measure our website traffic and to help provide a more personalized experience

Children Under the Age of 13

Our Site and System are not designed for children to purchase tickets or register for events on their own, and we do not knowingly collect information from any person under the age of 13.

How is User Information Used and Shared?

We collect information about you in order to provide you with services and products and also collect information that is necessary for the System to work properly. We use personal information about our users for a variety of purposes related to our business, including but not limited to:

• Allowing you to receive information from us regarding GLA products, services, and events;
• Allowing you to purchase tickets or participate in GLA-related or sponsored events;
• Tracking information about your visits to our Site or use of the System to allow us to provide better service;
• Using certain online preferences in the aggregate across all users to evaluate the System and develop additional products and services to offer;
• Sending or initiating direct marketing programs, such as newsletters or information about new products or services we are offering;
• Contacting you regarding an inquiry on the System that you have initiated;
• Using content from social media platforms where you discuss our products or use a hashtag related to our products;
• Providing information about your usage or preferences to our third-party vendors and providers; and
• Other purposes necessary to carry out our obligations under this Privacy Policy or our Terms of Use.

We may share information, in the aggregate, regarding your online browsing preferences to evaluate our products or allow third parties we work with to better serve our users. We will not share personally identifiable information in these instances, other than described in this Privacy Policy.

We may provide user information to third-party service providers or vendors for purposes of, including without limitation, initiating direct marketing programs on our behalf, data tracking, maintenance or development of our System, development of online products and services or customer service or new product development, or other contracted promotional opportunities provided to our users. We will not share your information with third parties to directly market their products to you. We may share this information with any subsidiaries, licensees, suppliers, distributors, affiliates, assigns, successors, or other related entities and their respective owners. We may also share your personal information in connection with law enforcement requests or in response to investigations, subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims or as otherwise required by law.

Behavioral Advertising

We may also use third-party vendors, such as Google Analytics, to advertise to our users online. These third-party vendors may display GLA product advertisements on other websites based on your internet usage. More specifically, these vendors use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytic cookie) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) together to inform, optimize, and serve ads based on your past visits to the Site or another site affiliated with GLA products or services. Any information that these third parties collect via cookies is not linked to any personally identifiable information (name, address, email address, or phone number) we collect or you provide on the website. You can opt-out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising by using Google’s Ads Settings.

How is User Information Protected?

We maintain administrative, physical and technical safeguards for all user information collected in our System. We do not store any financial information, such as credit card data, within the System.  We use a third-party credit card processor, such as PayPal or Authorize.net, in our discretion, to process payments.

How Can Users Limit Information Collected?

By providing information to us or using our System, you are consenting to our use of your data as outlined in this Privacy Policy.

While we work hard to use and disclose our users’ personal information only for the purposes identified above, you can choose not to provide personal information or limit the personal information obtained by us as follows:

• You may have your contact information removed from our marketing lists to inform users of new or relevant products, services, and special offers by clicking on the unsubscribe link in any communication received from us or by emailing us at info@glaquarium.org;
• You may limit the collection of “cookies” through your browser settings. However, this may disable our ability to provide you with the most relevant products or information regarding the System; and
• You may limit the ability of Google Analytics to track your online activity, as outlined in the “Behavioral Advertising” section.

Your California Privacy Rights

California Civil Code § 1798.83 permits users that are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please contact us via the Site.

Contacting Us

For additional information pertaining to our Privacy Policy, please contact:

Great Lakes Aquarium
353 Harbor Drive
Duluth, MN 55802

info@glaquarium.org
(218) 740-3474

Welcome to glaquarium.org. This website is owned and operated by the Lake Superior Center dba Great Lakes Aquarium, a Minnesota non-profit corporation (“we,” “us,” “our,” or “GLA“). The following terms and conditions (together with any documents referred to in them) (collectively, these “Terms“) apply to your use of our website (“Site“), and any information we may access through social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter (collectively, our “System“), which is owned and operated by us.

Your use of the GLA website means that you accept and agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these Terms or our Privacy Policy, do not use or access the System.

We may revise and update these Terms of Use from time to time in our sole discretion, and will post any updates to the Terms of Use on the Site. Your continued use of our Site or System, or any other service provided through glaquarium.org, means that you accept and agree to the modified Terms of Use.

Use of Third Party Sites and Services

GLA uses third-party providers for e-commerce store services and credit card processing services.  Currently, GLA’s third-party providers are current WooCommerce (www.woocommerce.com) and Authorize.net (www.authorize.net) (collectively, the “Third-Party Providers”).  GLA reserves the right to change the identities of the Third Party Providers without notice or your consent.  By using the System to purchase tickets or other merchandise from GLA, you are agreeing to be bound by the policies of the Third-Party Providers. The terms of service for WooCommerce are available at www.woocommerce.com and for Authorize.net at www.authorize.net.

By using the System, you agree that you will indemnify, hold harmless, and defend GLA and its officers, affiliates, and assigns, from any claim based on your use or misuse of the Third-Party Providers systems and services.

Credit Card Policies and Access to Personal Data

GLA does not retain, store, or have access to your credit card information, which you submit to a Third-Party Provider as part of the ticket purchase process.  GLA’s Third-Party Service Providers may retain that data as part of the purchase process.

GLA does not have access to any passwords that you create when you use the System to purchase tickets or other merchandise. GLA’s Third-Party Service Providers may retain that data as part of the purchase process.

Ticket Purchase and Delivery

After you complete the purchase process, you will receive an email with the tickets attached as a PDF document. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in, available from www.adobe.com, to view and print your ticket(s). The PDF may be printed or saved on a mobile device for admission to GLA. GLA will not print and mail tickets to you.

Each ticket is unique and every visitor in your party must have an individual ticket, which is valid for a single use at GLA.  The exception is for children age 2 and under, who will receive free admission to the Aquarium.

Ticket Refunds

Refunds are available only for tickets purchased online via the System, and must be requested within 120 days of purchase.

Intellectual Property

You are granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the System. As a condition of your use of the System, you warrant that you will not use the System for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these Terms. You may not use the System in any manner which could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the System or interfere with any other party’s use and enjoyment of the System. You may not obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information through any means not intentionally made available or provided for through the System.

All content included as part of the System, such as text, graphics, logos, images, as well as the compilation thereof, and any software used on the System, is our property or the property of our suppliers and protected by copyright and other laws that protect intellectual property and proprietary rights. You agree to observe and abide by all copyright and other proprietary notices, legends or other restrictions contained in any such content and will not make any changes thereto.

You will not modify, publish, transmit, reverse engineer, participate in the transfer or sale, create derivative works, or in any way exploit any of the content, in whole or in part, found on the System. Our content is not for resale. Your use of the System does not entitle you to make any unauthorized use of any protected content, and in particular you will not delete or alter any proprietary rights or attribution notices in any content. You will use System content solely for your personal use, and will make no other use of the content without our express written permission. You agree that you do not acquire any ownership rights in any System content. We do not grant you any licenses, express or implied, to our intellectual property or our licensors except as expressly authorized by these Terms.

Links to Other Websites and Connecting through Social Media

The System may contain hyperlinks to websites operated by third parties. We do not control such websites and will not be responsible for their content or for any breach of contract or any intentional or negligent action on the part of such third parties, which results in any loss, damage, delay or injury to you or your companions. Inclusion of any linked website on the System does not imply or constitute approval or endorsement of the linked website by us. If you decide to leave the System to access these third-party sites, you do so at your own risk. All rules, policies (including privacy policies) and operating procedures of websites operated by third parties will apply to you while on such sites. We are not responsible for information provided by you to third parties.

Indemnification

YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND AND HOLD HARMLESS GLA, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS AND THIRD PARTIES, FOR ANY LOSSES, COSTS, LIABILITIES AND EXPENSES (INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES) RELATING TO OR ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SYSTEM, ANY CLAIM THAT YOUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH US OR ANY CONTENT YOU PROVIDE TO THE SYSTEM OR POST ON THE SYSTEM, IF SUCH POSTING IS POSSIBLE, VIOLATES THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF A THIRD PARTY, YOUR VIOLATION OF THESE TERMS OR YOUR VIOLATION OF ANY RIGHTS OF A THIRD PARTY OR YOUR VIOLATION OF ANY APPLICABLE LAWS, RULES OR REGULATIONS. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT, AT OUR OWN COST, TO ASSUME THE EXCLUSIVE DEFENSE AND CONTROL OF ANY MATTER OTHERWISE SUBJECT TO INDEMNIFICATION BY YOU, IN WHICH EVENT YOU WILL FULLY COOPERATE WITH US IN ASSERTING ANY AVAILABLE DEFENSES.

Electronic Communications

Visiting the Site, using the System, or sending emails to us constitutes electronic communications. You consent to receive electronic communications and you agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications that we provide to you electronically, via email and on the System, satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing. To opt out of receiving marketing emails from us follow the “unsubscribe” link on the email to change your user preferences. There are certain system-generated and legal notices that you cannot opt out of without deactivating your account.

Your electronic communications and data submitted to us as part of your use of the System may not always be encrypted.  You acknowledge that there is a risk that data, including email,  electronic communications, and personal data, may be accessed by unauthorized third parties when communicated between you and us or between you and other parties using the System.  GLA is not responsible for securing your electronic communications or the devices you use to access the System.  We will have no liability for any damages of any kind caused by a breach of the System that results in a loss of your data.

Warranty and Limitation of Liability

GLA AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES OR SUPPLIERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SUITABILITY, RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY, TIMELINESS, AND ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS CONTAINED ON THE SYSTEM FOR ANY PURPOSE. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ALL SUCH INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF ANY KIND. GLA AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO THE SYSTEM AND RELATED INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL GLA AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES OR SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE SYSTEM, WITH THE DELAY OR INABILITY TO USE THE SYSTEM, THE PROVISION OF OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE SERVICES, OR FOR ANY INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS OBTAINED THROUGH THE SYSTEM, THE APPLICATION OR OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE SYSTEM, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF GLA OR ANY OF ITS SUPPLIERS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME STATES/JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH ANY PORTION OF THE SYSTEM, OR WITH ANY OF THESE TERMS OF USE, YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM.

Governing Law, Venue and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be treated as though they were executed and performed in Duluth, Minnesota, and shall be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota and the laws of the United States without regard to conflict of law principles. Any claim or dispute related to the System or under these Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy, and any legal notices on this System must be instituted within one (1) year after the claim arose (if multiple claims, from the date the first claim arose) or be forever waived and barred. You agree that you will bring any claims in, and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of, the state and federal courts located in the County of St. Louis, in the State of Minnesota.

Miscellaneous Terms

These Terms of Use, together with our Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and us related to your use of the System.

Contact Information

For additional information pertaining to GLA or these Terms, please contact us at:

Great Lakes Aquarium
353 Harbor Drive
Duluth, MN 55802
Info@glaquarium.org
(218) 740-3474