Georgia Aquarium

Atlanta, Georgia

There are not too many places in the world where you can see the world‘s largest fish and the world‘s largest ray. At first glance, you wouldn’t think it would be in an inland city that’s hundreds of miles from the ocean. Still, the Georgia Aquarium offers visitors the chance to see Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, and all kinds of aquatic life. The Georgia Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world, containing over 11 million gallons of water and the aquatic life that lives within them. It’s fascinating to walk through the different stages of the aquarium to see everything available.

Henry, Wyatt, and I went to the Georgia Aquarium last August, and it was impressive to see the sheer number of aquatic species on display. During our visit, there was a special after-dark aquarium program featuring performers and artwork, a bonus to the aquarium experience. Still, we mostly entered then because it was cheaper to visit the aquarium after 4 PM. The latter entrance coincided nicely with our flight that arrived in Atlanta earlier that afternoon.

To me, the highlight of the trip was seeing the whale sharks again, and for Wyatt and the Henry to experience them for the first time. It was also neat to attend the dolphin show, as I am amazed by our ability to communicate with these extremely intelligent creatures. 

There’s a lot to see in the aquarium, and you can easily spend hours here. Concessions are available, and there’s a gift shop, too, but both are rather pricey. Admission to the aquarium is already rather pricey. Still, it takes a lot to maintain the species here and available, and a lot of personnel to control the crowds. Even though this is one of Atlanta’s most popular attractions, and there were a lot of people present on a Friday night, I never got the feeling that I could not see everything in the aquarium or that I could not take some moments to be able to look at a tank with just me or a few other people. The aquarium can be fun for people watching. I was not expecting folks swimming in the aquarium, but we saw some. Also, any place with a lot of adults with children can be a pretty fun place to hang out and watch other parenting styles in action. I know a few people were going a bit bonkers because their children were rather feral.

If you go, I recommend attending later in the day, when prices are lower. Some of Atlanta’s most popular attractions are sold together on a single pass. Still, unless you plan on going to the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and at least one other place on that pass, you’re better off purchasing separate tickets, as we did on our trip.

I like visiting aquariums, and I would consider the Georgia Aquarium one of the best I’ve been to, as visitors can see a collection of species unavailable in many places. The Georgia Aquarium is pretty easy to get to, as it is located right downtown, but if you’re driving, be sure to register for a parking ticket for the same day you purchase tickets.