Georgia Aquarium holds more than 10 million gallons of water, which makes it one of the largest aquariums in the world and one of the most popular things to do in Atlanta. You'll find it downtown, directly across from Centennial Olympic Park, with whale sharks and manta rays gliding through Ocean Voyager and tiger sharks circling SHARKS! Predators of the Deep.
The sections below cover how Georgia Aquarium tickets and reservations work, which Georgia Aquarium exhibits deserve the most time, and how to handle parking, crowds, and lunch.
Planning Your Visit: Reservations and Georgia Aquarium Tickets
Georgia Aquarium uses a timed ticketing system. Weekends, holidays, and school breaks can cost more, and tickets bought ahead of time cost less than tickets bought on the day of your visit. Once you're inside, you can stay until closing.
Atlanta CityPASS® tickets work a little differently. They include Anytime General Admission to Georgia Aquarium, which covers every gallery plus a dolphin presentation and a sea lion presentation, and you don't need to book an entry time.
Must-See Exhibits and Iconic Marine Life
Every gallery deserves your attention, but two should be at the top of your list.
Ocean Voyager is the reason many people come. It houses whale sharks, the largest fish species in the world, and holds more than 6.3 million gallons of saltwater. You enter through a 100-foot acrylic tunnel where the water wraps over your head and down both sides. Manta rays sweep across the ceiling. Goliath grouper drift past at shoulder height, schools of trevally jacks flash silver, and Tank, the resident 450-pound green sea turtle, paddles by on a lazy loop. The tunnel opens onto one of the largest viewing windows in the world, 23 feet tall and 61 feet wide. Find a spot and stay awhile. When a whale shark crosses the full width of the glass, the room tends to go quiet.
Tropical Diver trades scale for color. The gallery recreates an Indo-Pacific reef with about 200 species of living coral and thousands of reef fish, complete with a wave that crashes overhead. Look for clownfish, seahorses, and garden eels poking up from the sand like blades of grass. Three jelly displays glow nearby.
Leave time for the other exhibits, too. SHARKS! Predators of the Deep puts you inches from tiger sharks and hammerheads, and Cold Water Quest is home to beluga whales, sea otters, and African penguins.
Animal Presentations and Interactive Experiences
Two live presentations are included with general admission.
The dolphin presentation takes place at Dolphin Coast on the second floor, and Saltwater Showdown, the sea lion presentation, is on the first floor. The first highlights the athleticism of bottlenose dolphins. The second pairs California sea lions with their trainers to show how they work together and why that training matters.
Both are included with your ticket, but both require a seat reservation, and reservations open only on the day of your visit. Seating is limited, so reserve online as early in the day as you can. If that doesn't work, you can reserve your time once you arrive at the aquarium. Presentations start on time. The aquarium asks you to be at the theater at least 15 minutes early, but lining up closer to 30 minutes ahead gives you a better choice of seats.
If you want to get closer, the aquarium sells add-on experiences, including animal encounters with belugas, penguins, sea otters, and harbor seals, Behind the Seas tours, and swim or dive programs in Ocean Voyager. These cost extra and have limited spots, so book them before your visit.
Essential Tips for a Smooth Aquarium Adventure
You need about three to four hours at the Georgia Aquarium to see all the galleries and both presentations. Two hours covers the highlights if you skip the shows, and an encounter or tour adds time.
Weekends, holidays, and school breaks draw the biggest crowds. For a quieter visit, go Monday through Thursday and arrive either right at opening or later in the afternoon.
The aquarium's parking deck is attached to the building, with about 1,600 covered and rooftop spaces and entrances on Luckie Street and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. Enter 357 Luckie Street NW in your GPS instead of the aquarium's street address. The deck is cashless and lets you prepay for a space online. If you'd rather not drive, the aquarium is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Peachtree Center and Civic Center MARTA stations.
For lunch, Coastline Café on the upper level serves burgers, pizza, and chicken tenders. Outside food and drinks aren't allowed, apart from small snacks for children or guests with food allergies, but you can bring a refillable water bottle and use the filling stations.
A few smaller things help. Download the Georgia Aquarium app for the map and daily schedule, since paper maps are no longer printed. There are no lockers, so pack light. You can leave and come back the same day if you get a hand stamp at guest relations first.
Maximize Your Atlanta Trip With CityPASS® Tickets
Atlanta CityPASS® tickets cover admission to five Atlanta attractions of your choice from a list that includes Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Zoo Atlanta, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, at up to off regular admission prices. They're valid for nine consecutive days starting with your first visit, and you don't have to pick your attractions before you buy.
Get your Atlanta CityPASS® tickets and plan an amazing Atlanta adventure!