One of the most well-known attractions in the city of Atlanta is the Georgia Aquarium. The largest Aquarium in the world it offer larger than experiences and will make for a great family day trip.
The best piece of advice for any Atlantian before going to visit the Aquarium is to check with your employer! The Georgia Aquarium has partnerships with many schools and local businesses and offers great discounts. Check with your Human Resource Office to see if you are eligible for discounts or combination deals. If you know that you are going to make a weekend out of visiting attractions, I would also strongly recommend that you visit the aquariums website at http://www.georgiaaquarium.org. Sponsored by City Pass, you will find varying packages from the Aquariums partnerships with varying Atlanta staples including their neighbors World of Coca-Cola that can really save you some big bucks.
On the day of your visit be sure to take $7-10 in cash with you.

Georgia Aquarium

In the hustle and bustle of downtown Atlanta, parking is a major problem. The Aquarium is no exception. Parking is limited and usually buses only exacerbate this problem. Depending on how far you mind walking; there are plenty of smaller lots that will supply parking and usually an attendant to watch your car while you are away. The further the walk, the cheaper the price for parking. Don’t forget to take or hide your valuables as well.

One of the major considerations you need to factor into your trip to the aquarium is how much time you actually plan on spending there. Your ticket prices will vary quite dramatically depending on the activities that you participate in at the Aquarium. For example, if you extra adventurous you could try the Journey With The Gentle Giants. Under this visitation option you get to swim with whale sharks.

You also have the opportunity to visit the greater exhibits in the aquarium, watch the Dolphin Tales Show, Visit the 4D Theater, and you get a certificate, T-shirt, and souvenir Photo. The whole experience is going to run you about $300. On the other hand you could stand to just look at the marine life rather than swim with it, you might opt for the Deepo Combo. It’s a basic ticket, with access to all six permanent galleries, the Dolphin tales Show, and an under the sea theater. And at $28.00 it’s far more affordable! Regardless of how much time you spend at the Aquarium you are sure to have a jam packed day full of fun.

With some many different activities, there’s another obvious way to approach purchasing your ticket. Take into consider what you really want to do while at the Aquarium.
Are you interested in seeing Dolphin Tales? A Broadway style production featuring songs, dance, special effects, and obviously dolphins. Perhaps you’d like to take the Behind the Scenes tour and learn about how the Aquarium is run, who feeds, the animals, and the Georgia Aquariums Conservation efforts.

Are you interested in just one animal? Perhaps you just want to focus in on the Manta Rays. If so you will need a ticket that includes the Ocean Voyager option, which allows you to focus visit on the 4,574 square feet of viewing windows that are home to 4 manta rays. If whales are your animal choice, then you absolutely should opt for the Cold Water Quest where you will see Belgua whales, penguins, and more. There are many options to consider, so figure out what works best for you and your families needs.

A final option to take into consideration is sending the family without you. Who couldn’t go for a little extra free time or perhaps a spa/shopping trip? The Aquarium offers sleep overs, parties, lectures, and even a summer camp that are great ways for the kids to enjoy adventures under the sea, sans Mom and Dad. At Camp H20 they are broken up according to age and have the opportunity to do everything from observe how to test the water, prepare the food and train the animals as a junior marine biologist to traveling the world of Deepo (The Home Depot Sponsored Guide) and creating a travel scrapbook to document their new discoveries.

With so much to do, at some point you are bound to get a little hungry. The Aquarium has many restaurants surrounding the area as well as street vendors who sell primarily cheese steaks and hotdogs, however, I strongly recommend that you not leave the Aquarium once you’ve started touring until you are actually ready to go home. They do have on site food service, Café Aquaria. The Café features foods that appeal to a wide variety of taste. There’s a sandwich section, a pasta bar, and of course pizza. The menu features plenty of familiar items like Buffalo Chicken Wings, Hamburger, Chicken Tenders, and Hotdogs. The items are a little pricey, so be sure you’ve factored this cost into you day’s ledger. There’s also a limited amount of vegetarian options, such as veggie pizzas and veggie burgers.

While the Georgia Aquarium has plenty to fill a day or possibly even a week, don’t sell yourself short on the other activities in the immediate vicinity. If you are in the mood for the latest information, you could venture over to the CNN Center and take a tour. If all that saltwater made you thirst, the World of Coca Cola is also in the neighborhood. For those who enjoy the outdoors, the Centennial Olympic Park, home to the 1996 Olympics is with plain view of the Aquarium. If you want more information on what’s in close to the Aquarium, you can check out http://www.luckiemariettadistrict.com. This website is the central hub for the Luckie Marietta District, another name for the area.

Whether you decide to swim with the whale sharks or spend the night at oceanic sleepover, the Aquarium has lots of food, fun, and adventure to offer. Have a great time!