While
visiting Dollywood, Gatlinburg. and the Smoky Mountains this past
weekend my wife and I decided to do something we have never done: check
out Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. This was the third year in a row
we have visited Gatlinburg and, although we’d taken pictures outside of
it every trip, we had never actually went inside the aquarium. Well, the
weather wasn’t that great and it was colder than usual out so we
figured it was the perfect time to see what the aquarium had to offer
(and it promised to be nice and warm inside)!
There
is a sign outside advertising it as “America’s #1 Aquarium.” I’ve never
been there but I’ve always assume the Georgia Aquarium to be the best,
followed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium (which we did visit last July and
it was awesome). I wouldn’t rate Ripleys the number one aquarium but it
was slightly better than I expected it to be and is a good option if
you’re looking for an hour or two of entertainment and discovery.
The
aquarium features many exhibits divided up into themed regions but the
main attraction is the Shark Lagoon. Guests stand on a motorized walkway
that carries them through a semi-circular tube in a U-shaped layout
through a giant tank filled with nurse sharks and sawfish. The cool
thing about it too is that not only do you get a great 180 degree
underwater, you can also go above the tank and appear straight down into
it from a variety of angles enabling you to watch the sharks fins
pierce the water ala jaws. There is also a creepy/mysterious soundtrack
playing in the background (all the background music is done really well
here).
While
the Shark Lagoon is an outstanding exhibit, the Aquarium of the Smokies
as a whole lacks that one unique, marquee animal that they can hang
their hat on. For example, Monterey Bay has sea otters and the Georgia
Aquarium has whale sharks. Beyond the Shark Lagoon, there are really no
imaginative tank designs (unlike Monterey Bay, which had several
stunning designs). As an adult I did find enjoyment in visiting the
Gatlinburg aquarium but it is really geared more towards kids. In the
end, the aquarium is slightly overpriced (AAA members get a $1 off
discount per ticket) but is a much better value than most of the other
overpriced tourist traps in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
