Malden High School Senior Prom goes ‘Swimmingly’ at New England Aquarium

By Steve Freker

There’s a first for everything. Judging from the experience the Malden High School students had at Senior Prom 2026 on Friday night, May 29, the choice of venue might not be the last. The evening went “Swimmingly,” to coin a phrase, since, for the first time the signature event was held at — of all places — the New England Aquarium.

“We kept our fingers crossed, since we were taking a chance on a new venue,” said Malden High Senior Class of 2026 Advisor Nancy Wentworth, “and everything turned out fantastic.”

“It was a wonderful night and everything went so well, without a hitch,” Wentworth added. “All the kids had a really, really nice time and made a lot of memories.”

One of the larger Senior Prom “rosters” in recent years — just over 400 — participated in this year’s event.

According to Malden High School Principal Chris Mastrangelo, the evening could not have gone any smoother. “From the start of the night at the ‘Red Carpet,’ until we dropped them off at the end of the night, it was a great event,” Mastrangelo said. “The site director at the Aquarium told me he has had many student events such as proms and other celebrations there in the past few years, but noted our kids were the most well-behaved he had seen. That was great to hear.”

The evening began at Malden High School, where hundreds of promgoers were greeted by a large throng of family, friends and other well-wishers at the popular “Red Carpet” event. There they walked down the steps to the courtyard after being dropped off on Salem Street, to the cheers and screams of delight from the large group of welcomers. When all the promgoers had arrived, they boarded coach buses to whisk them right to the New England Aquarium, where a full function hall in a unique venue awaited. There they were treated to a full-course dinner, followed by the main event — dancing and celebration — in one of the most memorable evenings of their high school lives. All promgoers then were transported back to Malden High from Boston at the end of the evening’s festivities, where they were picked up by caregivers.

“It was a night they will never forget, that is how it is supposed to be for our students,” Class Advisor Wentworth said, noting that all of the Class of 2026 fundraising for four years culminates in the Senior Prom, making it affordable to all.

“The smiles and laughter from the students make the night so special,” said MHS Principal Mastrangelo. “It was truly a night to remember.”