DISCLOSURE: I received discounted admission in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
I love visiting aquariums. I've only been to a handful, including the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD, North Carolina Aquarium in Roanoke Island, Sea World San Diego, Sea World Orlando and the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ. But I think my favorite so far has been the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. I had a chance to visit during Spring Break this year and I loved it! There's so much to see and do at the Georgia Aquarium. But, to keep this post from getting too long, I'm just going to talk about my family's favorite things we saw and did.
Since we were visiting during Spring Break, we made sure to get there early. We used the aquarium's parking garage to make it easier to get to and from the aquarium. You can pre-pay for your parking online and save a $1.
We got to the aquarium about 15 minutes before its 9 AM opening and there was already a line outside. After passing through security and getting our tickets scanned, we made our way into the aquarium.
Ocean Voyager
This was my favorite section of the aquarium. I went back to it at the end to walk through it again!
My favorite part of the gallery was the walk through tunnel. I probably could've spent all day in that one section alone. I loved seeing the whale sharks (my kids kept calling them "Destiny," after the whale shark in "Finding Dory," sea turtles (I love turtles!) and rays swim around.
Ocean Voyager also features a huge acrylic viewing window, where you can watch the same fish swim by.
Cold Water Quest
This was the first area of the aquarium we explored. We were the first ones there and had the whole section to ourselves for a little while. We had fun checking out the beluga whales (my kids called them "Bailey," after the one in "Finding Dory"), penguins and the Japanese spider crabs.
The penguins exhibit was pretty cool. There are tunnels that run underneath that you can crawl through and little sections that you can stand up and have your face right next to the penguins.
I liked seeing all the starfish. My one son really liked the Japanese spider crab. He called him Tamatoa, after the character from Moana.
Tropical Diver
This section of the aquarium features one of the world's largest living reef exhibits. It was cool seeing all the different kinds of fish and coral.
This section also had some of my favorites, like jellyfish and clownfish!
Thimble Jelly |
Japanese Sea Nettle |
Nemo! |
River Scout
The River Scout features animals found in the rivers of Africa, South America, Asia and the state of Georgia. Our favorite exhibits included the turtles and the piranha!
Turtles! |
Piranha |
Georgia Aquarium also offers a Dolphin Celebration presentation throughout the day. Unfortunately, we missed the first show and the kids didn't want to wait around for the next one. But, we did go upstairs to take a look at the dolphins.
I think we learned this was a male dolphin. |
We also didn't get to see the sea lions show or the 4D show. We definitely need to make another visit to the Georgia Aquarium soon!
Planning to visit Georgia Aquarium? Here are some tips:
1. Buy your tickets ahead of time.
You can purchase your tickets online and bypass the ticket line. Plus, they offer an Early Bird Discount!
2. Pay for parking head of time.
Georgia Aquarium has its own dedicated parking garage. You can pre-pay for your parking online and save $1.
3. Arrive early.
Georgia Aquarium is very popular. We were lucky to visit on a day that wasn't very busy. I can imagine weekends and holidays being very crowded.
4. Be prepared for the Security Check.
According to the FAQ, "there are no guns, knives, matches, lighters, fishing poles, outside food, beverages or gum allowed inside the Aquarium." They searched our bags and waved a metal detector wand on everyone, including the kids. Though, my three-year-old freaked out, so they said it was fine if she didn't do it.
5. Take your time.
There's so much to see! Give yourself 2-4 hours to explore the aquarium.
Georgia Aquarium
225 Baker Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
Nice review and pictures love aquarium. This one is better than most I've been to looking forward to going one day.
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