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Georgia Aquarium 
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(29 votes, 20 reviews)
225 Baker Street | |
| 404.581.4000 | |
| visitorservi... aquarium.org | |
| http://www.g... aquarium.org | |
| Hours: Daily 10am-5pm; Check website for exceptions and special holiday hours | |
| Cost: Daily Tickets: Adults $24; Children (age 3-12) $18; Seniors (age 55+) $20. Parking $8. Annual passes are also available. | |
| Ages: All Ages |
The world's largest fishtank, the Georgia Aquarium, calls Atlanta home. The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest ...
The world's largest fishtank, the Georgia Aquarium, calls Atlanta home. The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best Museum for Teens in the Atlanta area, features over eight million gallons of fresh and marine water, and 100,000 animals representing 500 species from around the globe.
Among the highlights of any visit are an encounter with the whale sharks, the only resident ones of their kind in a North American aquarium, and the giant and graceful beluga whales.
The sections of the aquarium are divided by water types, and the living things that thrive in each environment:
Ocean Voyager houses the whale sharks, as well as cubarra snappers, trevally jacks, small and large stingrays, an enormous goliath grouper, and hammerhead sharks.
Cold Water Quest includes beluga whales, giant Pacific octopus, garibaldi damselfish, Japanese spider crabs, and California sea lions.
River Scout - Freshwater Mysteries features the world's largest freshwater fish, the arapaima, along with piranha, electric fishes, and otters. Several alligators were newly introduced in early 2008.
Georgia Explorer highlights animals of the Georgia coast with touch tanks housing horseshoe crabs, sea stars, stingrays, and shrimp. Kids can also crawl inside a large scale model of a Right whale, native to Georgia waters. This is the area to let off some steam - the play structure is good for smaller kids.
Tropical Diver displays tropical coral reefs teeming with eels, seahorses, fairy basslets, yellow-head jawfish, and other jewels of the sea, like jellyfish. The Pacific Coral Reef exhibit, with its wide-wall glimpse of the bright colored fish that roam through the reef, is a breathtaking, and soothing, display. Take a crying baby here to settle down - trust us, we've seen it work!
Cafe Aquaria: On site dining appeals to a broad range of tastes. Expect to find burgers, pizza, soups, sandwiches, kids' meals, and plenty of desserts. You can build a pretty healthy meal here, although it's pricier than dining at an off-property sandwich shop.
Birthday Parties are designed for children ages one to 12, with three themed 90-minute packages - Deepo, Island, and Pirate. Each package includes a party coordinator, a private room, an animal encounter, paper goods, cake & ice cream, goody bags, and games during the party. The birthday child gets a $10 gift card to spend in the Aquarium. Parties for ages six and under include a visit with the Deepo character. For parties with children age seven and older, guests tour the behind-the-scenes area at the top of the Tropical Diver gallery. Packages - for 15 children - are $560 for annual pass holders and $625 for non-annual pass holders. Each additional child is $35.
Strollers are permitted, although parking areas for them are outside each gallery, and parents are encouraged to leave them there. Particularly when it's crowded, if you must bring a stroller, go with the smallest version possible. Although the layout is wheel-friendly, you can get around more easily with less width in your kids' ride. Changing tables (bolted onto counters with clean disposable changing pads at hand!) and a nursing station are available near the Cafe.
The 4-D theater shows Deepo's Undersea Wondershow every 30 minutes, although it's best to reserve seats when purchasing general admission passes. It's a must-do on a first visit. A live actor kicks things off with marine life trivia and aquarium background, then visitors get 3D glasses and take in an animated musical 3D film with a message of environmental stewardship. In the theater, unique special effects make the film come to life with floating bubbles, light splashes of water, and seats that provide a puff of air or vibration to mimic the feel of a sea creature swimming by.
Behind the Scenes Tours are offered daily for ages 10 and up. The tours last one hour, and are $50 above general admission pricing. Two themes are available, at staggered times during the day. Advance reservations and comfortable shoes are required.
Sleepovers are offered for families and youth groups. Each program includes admission to the Aquarium, Deepo's Undersea 3D Wondershow, behind the scenes tour, a guided adventure through the galleries, a mattress to sleep on, activities, dinner, evening snack, and breakfast.
Check the website for current pricing and availability.
Plenty of photo opportunities are scattered throughout the building, from the fun fish and mermaid kids can sit on in the cafe area, to the plexiglass dome that lets you stand among the African penguins. And don't worry if you forgot a camera, they sell them there. There's also a good deal of souvenirs to wear, play with, or eat, and as you might expect, the exit route takes you right through the gift shop.
Among the highlights of any visit are an encounter with the whale sharks, the only resident ones of their kind in a North American aquarium, and the giant and graceful beluga whales.
The sections of the aquarium are divided by water types, and the living things that thrive in each environment:
Ocean Voyager houses the whale sharks, as well as cubarra snappers, trevally jacks, small and large stingrays, an enormous goliath grouper, and hammerhead sharks.
Cold Water Quest includes beluga whales, giant Pacific octopus, garibaldi damselfish, Japanese spider crabs, and California sea lions.
River Scout - Freshwater Mysteries features the world's largest freshwater fish, the arapaima, along with piranha, electric fishes, and otters. Several alligators were newly introduced in early 2008.
Georgia Explorer highlights animals of the Georgia coast with touch tanks housing horseshoe crabs, sea stars, stingrays, and shrimp. Kids can also crawl inside a large scale model of a Right whale, native to Georgia waters. This is the area to let off some steam - the play structure is good for smaller kids.
Tropical Diver displays tropical coral reefs teeming with eels, seahorses, fairy basslets, yellow-head jawfish, and other jewels of the sea, like jellyfish. The Pacific Coral Reef exhibit, with its wide-wall glimpse of the bright colored fish that roam through the reef, is a breathtaking, and soothing, display. Take a crying baby here to settle down - trust us, we've seen it work!
Cafe Aquaria: On site dining appeals to a broad range of tastes. Expect to find burgers, pizza, soups, sandwiches, kids' meals, and plenty of desserts. You can build a pretty healthy meal here, although it's pricier than dining at an off-property sandwich shop.
Birthday Parties are designed for children ages one to 12, with three themed 90-minute packages - Deepo, Island, and Pirate. Each package includes a party coordinator, a private room, an animal encounter, paper goods, cake & ice cream, goody bags, and games during the party. The birthday child gets a $10 gift card to spend in the Aquarium. Parties for ages six and under include a visit with the Deepo character. For parties with children age seven and older, guests tour the behind-the-scenes area at the top of the Tropical Diver gallery. Packages - for 15 children - are $560 for annual pass holders and $625 for non-annual pass holders. Each additional child is $35.
Strollers are permitted, although parking areas for them are outside each gallery, and parents are encouraged to leave them there. Particularly when it's crowded, if you must bring a stroller, go with the smallest version possible. Although the layout is wheel-friendly, you can get around more easily with less width in your kids' ride. Changing tables (bolted onto counters with clean disposable changing pads at hand!) and a nursing station are available near the Cafe.
The 4-D theater shows Deepo's Undersea Wondershow every 30 minutes, although it's best to reserve seats when purchasing general admission passes. It's a must-do on a first visit. A live actor kicks things off with marine life trivia and aquarium background, then visitors get 3D glasses and take in an animated musical 3D film with a message of environmental stewardship. In the theater, unique special effects make the film come to life with floating bubbles, light splashes of water, and seats that provide a puff of air or vibration to mimic the feel of a sea creature swimming by.
Behind the Scenes Tours are offered daily for ages 10 and up. The tours last one hour, and are $50 above general admission pricing. Two themes are available, at staggered times during the day. Advance reservations and comfortable shoes are required.
Sleepovers are offered for families and youth groups. Each program includes admission to the Aquarium, Deepo's Undersea 3D Wondershow, behind the scenes tour, a guided adventure through the galleries, a mattress to sleep on, activities, dinner, evening snack, and breakfast.
Check the website for current pricing and availability.
Plenty of photo opportunities are scattered throughout the building, from the fun fish and mermaid kids can sit on in the cafe area, to the plexiglass dome that lets you stand among the African penguins. And don't worry if you forgot a camera, they sell them there. There's also a good deal of souvenirs to wear, play with, or eat, and as you might expect, the exit route takes you right through the gift shop.
During the school year, go after 3:30pm on weekdays - it's less crowded then. Also, feed the kids before you go in if you don't want to pay cafe prices; snacks, gum, or drinks of any kind are not allowed. ...
During the school year, go after 3:30pm on weekdays - it's less crowded then. Also, feed the kids before you go in if you don't want to pay cafe prices; snacks, gum, or drinks of any kind are not allowed.
If you visit during the day, walk across the street to take in another Atlanta landmark, Centennial Olympic Park.
If you visit during the day, walk across the street to take in another Atlanta landmark, Centennial Olympic Park.
The Georgia Aquarium is a short walk from either the CNN Center MARTA stop on the East/West line or from the Peachtree Center stop on the North/South line. From I-85 South, exit 249C Williams Street. Turn ...
(20 reviews)
Average Parent Rating:
Rated by 29 parents
- Way too many people to enjoy. The viewing areas are just plain terrible, the noise was too much for me and my child. We went 4 times during the course of our annual membership and never found a time when there weren't too many people and too much noise.

[Submitted by DS 7/23/08 - We took our toddler thinking that he would enjoy himself. There was so many people that you could not really see much. Then we almost got ran over multiple times with strollers. This was not a pleasant experience and we will not go back.

[Submitted by melissa 7/09/08 - This is the best aquarium in the country. It is definitely worth the trip. A few tips to beat the crowds--go early in the day or late in the day. Try to go on a weekday. I have been here many times and my kids love it.

[Submitted by Jamie 5/15/08 - I will never recommend anyone go here. It's waayyy too crowded to see anything. It was a complete waste of 2x $26 tickets. The food/drinks are waaayy over priced and not good at all. You will be lucky to get a glimpse of a fish or two due to the huge crowds they let in. This is my second trip, and it was just as bad as the first. Also, the lady talking on the loudspeaker about the Beluga Whales was talking about Sex and the whales having sex. This is a place with kids!

[Submitted by With Held 3/30/08 - I am glad we went and it was worth the experience once. I would love to go again, but that may never happen unless something is done about the crowds. My husband, daughter, and her cousins had a great time. I, however, missed a lot of fish because was trying to push a stroller with a sleeping baby throuh the enormous crowd. I would never try to take a stroller and a baby again.

[Submitted by Jill 8/12/07 - The exhibits are very nice IF you can get to see them. The price of admission is ridiculous and furthermore, they let too many people in, which causes misery for everyone.

[Submitted by Donna 7/28/07 - Nice aquarium, but not worth the $! We purchased an annual pass because we knew that it would be crowded and that we would need to come back, but the crowds were far beyond what we expected. I truly believe that it had to be a fire hazard to have that many people in a building. If there was a fire or bomb threat, I'm sure little children would be trampled. It's also an absolute travesty that they do not allow any food or drink in the building, since there are not many choices in the food court for people who may have dietary restrictions such as vegetarians, diabetics, and the like. We were left with eating a dry veggie burger and unhealthy,overcooked fries. It also is not great for handicapped accessibility for some of the exhibits because of the tiny walkways and stairs in some places which are not easily navigated with wheelchairs. Anyway, I don't think we'll be going back anymore in the near future.

[Submitted by Need to let food in 6/04/07 - Great place to go with the kids. We really enjoyed everything, from the otters to the whales and especially all the touch pools in the Georgia Explorer center. I greatly recommend packing a picnic lunch and eating across the street at Centennial Olympic Park before heading in to the aqaurium. You can also save a good bit by purchasing your tickets from AAA(if you're a member).

[Submitted by Ethel 3/21/07 - The chance to be within 2ft of a whale shark lured us to the Georgia Aquarium during February vacation. We arrived at approx 12:30pm and pd to park in the parking garage. I had prepurchased 1pm tix online so we were able to avoid the bottle neck of visitors at the "will call" and purchase windows - highly recommended until the novelty of this new facility wears off. It was crowded, but well worth the trip. Our children 11, 8, 4 are not strangers to the ocean or aquariums and they loved it! In education and entertainment presentation is everything, and that is where the Georgia Aquarium hits the mark. The hub style layout made it easy to navigate and although some viewing areas were small, the main viewing areas provided breathtaking opportunities for observation. The whale sharks were amazing! General family travel tip - no matter the city, visit zoos and aquariums in the afternoon when field trips and large groups tend to dissipate.

[Submitted by HaveKidsMustTravel 3/04/07 - In the fish ballroom (located above food court) there is a huge room with a wall of just fish, from ceiling to floor. My 19 month old son could have stayed hours staring at all the fish, sharks, and whales swimming by. It was a very nice aquarium. There was also a large tunnel play place located in one of the sections. It looked like fun, unfortunately my son is a bit on the short side.

[Submitted by missAmanda 2/22/07 - There's really nothing all that special about this aquarium except that it's just something new to see in Atlanta.

[Submitted by Anonymous 9/06/06 - I had read the reviews about the Aquarium being busy - so I was prepared. I went around 9:00 in the morning with my 16 month old. It was busy, but not too crowded. I could see that if it was a busy day, it would be hard to get around and see the fish. My son loved looking at the fish, but at his age, after an hour we had seen most of the fish and he was done. So for the price, it probably wasn't worth it. I think that children over three would love it! I really liked how the building was set up and it seemed to help trafic flow a little better. It was a pain that I couldn't bring any drink or snack in for him - it maybe would have helped him stay longer. Overall it was an OK time, but would have been more fun if my son was older.

[Submitted by jennn 8/17/06 - I truly hate to give only one star for this facility. It is quite impressive. I'm sure the innovative people who conceived and designed it fully intended the Aquarium to be a place for education and enjoyment. However, the bean counters have completely destroyed any semblance of such by allowing two to three times too many people in it at any given time. This makes it a complete travesty that no one can truly enjoy. I would much rather be told beforehand that I'll have to schedule a visit later, than to be told to come on now, just to have the awful experience I had. It just leaves a bad taste for Atlanta in general and that's a shame. In addition to the absurd crowd, the outside was totally ill conceived for patrons waiting in the broiling southern sun. There was no cool place to sit. (Where are the misting fans, like at most other attractions that make you wait outside.) The outside was filthy. Trash pickup appeared to be non-existent. Garbage cans were overflowing. Restroom facilities were nowhere to be found. I will never return and this information will be passed on to all that I know. Don't waste your money, until someone in Atlanta wakes up.

[Submitted by Anonymous 8/11/06 - After reading all the reviews, I was expecting more areas to see the all the fish. Some of the windows are tiny and you have to wait and squeeze your way up to the windows to see things. It was very crowded when I went on a Friday morning-- overcrowded in fact. We were jammed into the exhibits, had trouble seeing everything. Every time we approached one of the many?- and I only saw about 4 touch tanks-- the animals were on a 15 minute touch break. The people at the touch tanks really didn't seem too knowledgeable or weren't sharing any information with people gathered around except how to properly touch the fish. There is no flow to this exhibit. That is my biggest complaint. You don't know where to go or which exhibit to see first. Everyone is at a loss as to where to go when entering. There is no direction or much explanation at any exhibit. We were jammed at every exhibit. The eating area is too small for the huge crowds. The food prices are outrageous!

[Submitted by morgant 8/06/06 - There are all sorts of cool animals, and the Aquarium is in sections that make it easy to find your favorite animals. They also have a camp in the summer that is lots of fun.

[Submitted by Anonymous 7/27/06 - The admission price is not worth what you get! I took my toddler on a Friday morning and had to park 3 blocks away (it cost $8). Once we got there,we had to have my diaper bag and my purse checked out -for food- and walk through a metal dector. I saw that they had a large platic bin under the table filled with bottled water/juices and snacks for kids that they had taken away from people. They are very picky about this, so if you go- make sure and don't pack anything to eat or drink. Then we had to wait in a huge line just to get in the door, people were pushing and nudging their way into the line ahead of everyone else- it was sad to see adults act this way. Once inside, it was so incredibly crowded that little children could not see any exhibits because of the adults. I was shocked to see how unwilling they were to move out of the way for the kids, so I had to unstrap my 2 year old and hold him on my shoulders or nudge him up just so he could see the exhibits. The exhibits themselves were nice, but nothing that we haven't seen at other aquariums. In the Tropical Fish exhibit, it was literally so crowded that we were at a standstill, not being able to move at all at some points, while people were having their pictures taken or video taping the fish. In most places, you had to park your stroller and carry your child. Half of the building is also a bunch of little places to eat, which is why they don't want you to bring anything in. There are also 2 gift shops, one of which you have to walk through to exit the building. I was really not impressed and was disheartened to see adults act like this- it's as if they've never seen a fish before. I think that if the crowds were not so large and people didn't act like they did, it would probably been okay. I would pass on this, and go to an aquarium somewhere else and find something else to do in Atlanta.

[Submitted by TN mom 6/30/06 - Too many people crowding around tiny viewing windows for me. Also, I found it very unhelpful that people were allowed to bring strollers everywhere. Hordes of people driving SUV size strollers left little or no room for myself and my daughter (who loves fish) to get a good look at anything. We barely glimpsed as many as half the exhibits. I checked my stroller and had a very difficult time finding the place the reclaim it. The security guard didn't even know where I should go. I found it difficult to figure out where I was going in some cases and the main atrium was absolute bedlam. My little one did not like it. Touch pools were okay but not well supervised. There was a boy of about 14 antagonizing a small shark until it tried to bite him and no one was nearby to put a stop to it. Bottom line, there are just too many people in there at one time and there is neither enough space nor enough employees on hand to manage the crowds. For the price, I expected a more pleasant experience. I will not be back.

[Submitted by Anonymous 6/13/06 - This is a wonderful attraction for kids and adults alike. I have season passes, and have taken children ranging from age 2 to 12. It has something for everyone. But, heed this warning: if it is a school holiday, or another foreseably busy day, DO NOT even consider going. When it is too crowded, it is miserable. If you get there and the line is around the corner, just walk away, there's no way you'll be able to enjoy it. Regular days -- one of the best places in the city, you'll have a blast too.

[Submitted by Anonymous 8/13/06 - We have been twice, and each time found it a terrific experience. The layout is excellent for strollers, and it's nice that each exhibit places you at the same central area - it's easy to get your bearings. The beluga whales were my daughter's favorite, and the coral reef wall is amazing. My only complaint is that they are very strict on bringing in outside food, which I understand,












