Summer vacation is such a fun time to reconnect with family and friends.  Although I love a good vacation as much as the next person, sometimes it’s nice to explore the areas around my home for entertainment.  Our family loves to head out on day trips then return home to sleep in our own beds.  It’s the best of both worlds!  This week we ventured to Gatlinburg, TN to visit the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.   Ripley’s provided us with tickets for our trip, and we were off.   I took some snacks to keep in the car because we left too early to have lunch in the aquarium food court.  We also enjoy getting the Dippin’ Dots from the stand outside the aquarium, so we made sure to save some room for that special treat!

The aquarium is a beautiful building right in the heart of Gatlinburg.  There’s a great parking garage right behind the aquarium where we always leave our car for the day. It’s affordable, safe, and so convenient.  After visiting the aquarium, we usually take a little stroll down through the shops and other Gatlinburg attractions.

Now, I know you’re expecting to see fish since, well, it’s an aquarium.  But the Ripley’s Aquarium offers so much more.  There’s something for everyone!  It’s also very handicapped-accessible.  There are ramps at the entrance and throughout the building.  Now, we arrived on a very rainy day in the middle of the summer tourist season.  Everyone else in Gatlinburg seemed to be headed to the Aquarium.  There was a long, long line of people standing outside the ticket window. The line ended at the bottom of the ramp!  If you head to the aquarium, I highly suggest that you purchase your tickets online before you get there just to save yourself this trouble.  I’ve also seen the tickets on sale at Food City, so that might be an option if you’re local.

Once we were inside the aquarium, the crowd wasn’t so bad.  The groups seemed to move through the building with efficiency.  I never felt that we were rushed or that we couldn’t see a tank.  One thing I love about the Ripley’s Aquarium is the attention to detail.  It’s not enough just to look at the fish tanks.  Fossils are imprinted on the walkway.  Whale skeletons hang from the ceiling.  The entire building is open and buzzing with excitement.  Be sure to look up, down, and all around.  There is so much in store for the eyes and ears!!

See that big tree-encased tank on the far right?  It spanned three levels and was so fun to come back to each time we encountered it.  There are many opportunities for sensory learning at the aquarium.  There’s one point in the tour where we walked behind a beautiful waterfall.  Then later in the tour we were in front of the waterfall.  The sight, sounds smell, and even the spray of the water were very engaging for my kids.  We also had the opportunity to touch some of the sea creatures in the Manta Ray Bay and Horseshoe Crab tanks.  One of my kids’ favorites is always the moving sidewalk that goes through a huge glass tunnel.  It’s really amazing to be in the middle of this tank.  As I said before, it’s so important to look all around because you never know who might be passing overhead!

Additional attractions within the aquarium included the Dinosaur exhibit and the Penguin Playhouse.  I wish the Penguin Playhouse were a bit bigger because this was the one area that felt a little cramped.  Everyone was just enamored by the penguins’ antics and wanted to watch directly in front of the glass.  There’s a fun little tunnel that the kids (and adults) can crawl through, then find themselves in the middle of the Penguin Playhouse!!  I couldn’t get a good photo of that because there was a constant flow of people coming in and out of it.  It was a very popular area.  When you visit, plan to spend a few minutes in the gift shop because there are some fun souvenirs to take home.

We’ve visited the aquarium in the past but my daughter wasn’t really interested in reading the signs until this trip.  She took the time to read the information about each creature. When we passed the area that shows kids how the filtration system works, she was very excited to see the steps in the process.  It’s always nice when an activity can appeal to a child even after seeing it several times.  It’s a new experience each time we visit.

If you’re an educator, be sure to take advantage of the wonderful resources provided by the Ripley’s Aquarium.  Moms, this is a great chance to have the coolest birthday party ever for your child….they can spend the night in the aquarium!  There’s even a section on their site dedicated to homeschooling curriculum.  I was impressed with all that Ripley’s offers to its visitors.   In total, we spent approximately 2 hours traveling through the aquarium at a leisurely pace.   If you’re looking for a way to spend a fun day in Gatlinburg, plan to visit the aquarium!