I brought my camera along with me when my family made the trip to the Georgia Aquarium. I figured Trevor would love the aquarium, and I might capture a cute portrait of him along the way.
Then we stepped into the most stunning and colossal aquarium (I later learned that the Georgia Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world!). And I found myself snapping photos left and right!
Trevor, meanwhile, couldn’t stop running around, staring in awe at all of the amazing sea creatures he saw, and pointing at everything he loved.
And so, with two-year-old Trevor as our guide, our family invites you to a complete photo tour of the incredible Georgia Aquarium:
Ocean Voyager
The first exhibit we checked out was definitely the most amazing.
It was Ocean Voyager, which begins with a ride on a moving walkway through a glass tunnel tank.
The views of the aquarium were all around us – to the sides, above, beyond, and behind us!
At the end of the moving walkway, we arrived at the most enormous floor-to-ceiling glass viewing window (it’s 23 feet tall and 61 feet high!)
There was plenty of seating space here. Lots of people just stopped to sit, relax and take in the incredible array of sea creatures.
We saw whale sharks (the largest fish in the world) and manta rays while we sat, taking it all in.
Tropical Diver
The tropical diver exhibit was a color explosion filled with a vast array of stunning sea creatures.
We loved watching the beautiful jellyfish, all lit up in luminous, vibrant color.
And the dazzling color show continued at the coral reef exhibit. It felt like a diving adventure through the Pacific coral reef, with waves crashing and hundreds or vividly colored tropical fish!
Cold Water Quest
The Cold Water Quest was a highlight for me because we had the opportunity to see so many of my favorites: beluga whales, harbor seals, sea otters, puffins, and a giant octopus!
Trevor completely loved the African penguin portion because it offered glass tunnels where he could actually pop his head up into the penguin exhibit. And get to see them up-close in their environment, just inches away!
Here’s Everything We Wanted To Know About The Georgia Aquarium, Plus the Answers We Learned After Visiting:
Baker Street Northwest, Atlanta, GA
Is Admission to Georgia Aquarium Expensive?
Tickets are expensive, but worth the price! One important thing we learned: you can get discounted tickets by purchasing your tickets ahead of time online and visiting the aquarium either first thing in the morning or later in the evening. For example, here were our ticket options (for one adult ticket) on the day that we visited. We purchased the early morning tickets:
- Before 11AM: $30.95
- 11AM – 4PM: $35.95
- After 4PM: $26.95
How Long Does It Take To See the Georgia Aquarium?
There are so many exhibits to see at the Georgia Aquarium (plus two shows are included with admission, see below). We spent about 2 1/2 hours at the aquarium. Chris and I probably would have spent 3 1/2 hours if we didn’t have a toddler in tow. There are also several “Animal Encounters” and “Behind the Seas Tours”, so you could spend even more time at the Georgia Aquarium if you purchased those additional experiences.
Are Any Shows Included With the Cost of Admission?
We thought the Dolphin Celebration show was amazing and definitely worth seeing! The show is included with the cost of admission. However, the shows fill up quickly, so people are advised to arrive 30 minutes ahead of time. It’s possible to pay an additional $5 per seat for Preferred Seating. The seats are the best seats in the theater (located front and center, just beyond the “splash zone” where it’s possible to get really wet). Since the seating is reserved, you can arrive just before show time. We thought that the extra $5 for Preferred Seating was definitely worth the cost for these benefits!
There is also an Under the Boardwalk sea lion presentation included with the general admission ticket. But we weren’t able to get to that because it was enough of a feat getting Trevor to sit through the entire dolphin show!
Will The Georgia Aquarium Be Crowded?
The Georgia Aquarium gets very crowded, for good reason! We arrived right when the aquarium opened and found that the first couple of hours were calm and quiet, with no big crowds. After we’d eaten an early lunch and were headed out of the aquarium, however, the crowds had definitely arrived! So we highly recommend checking online and arriving right when the aquarium opens for the day.
What About Food?
There was a large cafeteria (Cafe Aquaria) right inside of Georgia Aquarium, which we thought was very convenient for families! We grabbed an early lunch and loved it because there were so many options (enough to please both Chris and I, plus our picky eater, Tru!) The cafetaria offered a lot of healthy snacks, crackers, fresh fruit, peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, and pizza for kids. Plus burgers, wraps and salads for adults.
For More On Atlanta Travel, Check Out:
Ultimate Atlanta Bucket List For Families | Top 5 Sites
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