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The Best Way to Experience Georgia Aquarium

February 14, 2024 By CityPASS

Georgia Aquarium is teeming with over 500 species of aquatic animals from around the world. Experience 10 million gallons of awe-inspiring wonders in more than 60 habitats. Learn about whale sharks, beluga whales, manta rays, penguins and sea lions, and don't forget to check out the Dolphin Celebration presentations. Georgia Aquarium offers accessibility, free wifi, and a unique app-guided experience to provide visitors with a magical visit.


Plan Ahead

The Georgia Aquarium is one of Atlanta's most popular attractions. Because of its prominence, planning ahead of your visit is important. Tickets to Georgia Aquarium are only available online and need to be purchased in advance of your visit.

Plan to spend about 3-4 hours to view the entire aquarium, including the sea lion and dolphin presentations. Weekends are the busiest times, so plan to arrive early.

Georgia Aquarium Ticket Prices

The Aquarium is open 365 days a year; you can find hours of operation and the events calendar here. A variety of ticket options are available on the Georgia Aquarium website, allowing you to reserve your time.

Planning to explore more of Atlanta's top attractions? Atlanta CityPASS® tickets combine admission to Georgia Aquarium and four other must-see attractions in Atlanta at a discount. Great for vacations or staycations, Atlanta CityPASS® tickets are the best way to make the most of your Atlanta adventure without overspending.


Georgia Aquarium App

The Georgia Aquarium app is available for free in the App Store and Google Play. The app includes audio tours and webcams, animal guides, and gallery content, along with show and presentation times. Mobile tickets as well as memberships can be purchased in the mobile app.

Presentations, Exhibits & Experiences

Exhibit galleries include Dolphin Coast, Tropical Diver, Aquanaut Adventure, Cold Water Coast, Ocean Voyager and Sun Trust Pier 225.

The Ocean Voyager exhibit, home to whale sharks, stingrays and sharks, is a 100-foot-long underwater tunnel with 4,574 feet of viewing windows.

Witness the beauty, athleticism and intelligence of the dolphins at the Dolphins in Depth presentation.

In Cold Water Coast, marvel at belugas, Australia weedy sea dragons and Japanese spider crabs among the rocky ledges and kelp forests.

Watch as California sea lions show off in a live presentation that demonstrates how the highly social pinnipeds and their trainers work together; you may even get splashed in the splash zone!

Discover Aquanaut Adventure, which allows children and parents to learn about aquatic life through an expedition in a variety of immersive environments. As aquanauts-in-training, participants will explore freshwater and marine habitats, learn about scientific research, see how animals thrive in extreme environments, and even catch a glimpse into what it's like to have a career in aquatic and marine sciences.


Special Experiences

For an additional fee, get up close to the aquarium animals with hands-on interaction.

  • Dolphin Encounter –– Adventure behind-the-scenes of the dolphin theater where you'll get to meet dolphins face to face.
  • Sea Otter Encounter –– Touch, feed & talk to sea otters behind the scenes in the Cold Water Quest gallery for 30 minutes. Enjoy a tour of the sea otter facility, help prepare a meal and participate in an exciting sea otter training session alongside Georgia Aquarium's own animal trainers.
  • Play with Penguins –– Go behind the scenes of the Cold Water Quest gallery for an up-close-and-personal penguin encounter.
  • Sea Lions Up Close –– Spend approximately 15 minutes learning about, watching training sessions and get a selfie with charismatic sea lions.
  • Help Train a Sea Lion –– Go behind the scenes and interact with Sea Lions for approximately 30 minutes alongside Georgia Aquarium animal trainers.
  • Help Train a Harbor Seal –– Enjoy 30 minutes with seals in the Cold Water Quest Gallery including an exclusive tour of the seal facility.
  • Swim with Whale Sharks, Rays & More –– Journey with Gentle Giants is the only opportunity in the world where you are guaranteed to swim with whale sharks, manta rays and more. Swim with a snorkel in the Ocean Voyager exhibit, built by The Home Depot, with thousands of amazing animals for the experience of a lifetime.

Behind the Scenes Tours

Get closer than ever before to the animal inhabitants with a Behind the Seas tour. The tour includes visits to the topside of the galleries as well as the Correll Center, commissary, and Ocean Voyager filtration room, which houses equipment that filters 6.3 million gallons of water for habitat at the aquarium. The Behind the Seas tours are only $15 and run every half hour starting at 10:30.


Aquarium Hours

Visit Georgia Aquarium's website to find current hours of operation and to book your time.

Parking and Directions

Georgia Aquarium is located in downtown Atlanta across from Centennial Olympic Park. If you're walking from hotels or attractions in Downtown Atlanta, use these walking directions.

If you're driving and planning to park onsite, use the following street address for a direct route to Georgia Aquarium parking: 357 Luckie Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30313.

Save by buying a pre-paid pass here.

Health and Safety

Georgia Aquarium requires that all guests age 3 years and older who are able to wear a mask do so. Masks will be available at the gate for those who might need one. All Georgia Aquarium team members are required to wear masks for the entirety of their shift.

Currently, Georgia Aquarium is limiting the number of guests allowed in the building at one time, and entry will be scheduled in 30-minute time slots.

Nearby Lodging

To get the most out of your stay in Atlanta, we recommend finding lodging near Atlanta's top attractions like Georgia Aquarium. Use this map to find the right lodging for you:

Booking.com

Header Image Courtesy of Georgia Aquarium

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