Tips for the Georgia Aquarium

Justin and I received an annual pass to the Georgia Aquarium from my parents for Christmas. We have already been once and it is worth the trip! The whale sharks are larger than any picture in a magazine can show you! My favorites were the buluga whales-they seem to want to entertain their audience and have a smile on their faces!

But for those of you who want to visit but haven't been yet-here are some tips for your visit:

Make a reservation or go either when they first open, or the last 2 hours slot before they close. Even during the weekdays it starts getting packed after 10:00. We went at 11:00 and it was too crowded.

Check the weather. You will be outside in uncovered lines (long ones) to get in. You don't want to be stuck in the rain!

No lighters, matches, etc. They do go thru your purse and pockets and scan you-it's like the Atlanta airport. So, don't lose your special hunting knife or the zippo with your name engraved!

If you plan to eat there, eat early or eat late. They have pizza, chicken fingers, hamburgers etc. But the line at 11:30 and 12:00 was huge and there are not enough places to sit. A good number of folks were eating their lunches while sitting on the floor-not a good memory from your trip.

Be prepared to spend 2 hours there. Some spend more if you see the halls more than once, eat, have kids who will play in the kids section etc. We also sped thru some of the halls because they were too crowded and knowing that we have a pass, we did not feel the need to wait in a line of 10 people to look at a seahorse!

Beware of the strollers. I think there might have been more strollers than fish. These new moms and their Hummer size strollers will run you over, and they are a big factor in the aquarium being too crowded. One stroller = 3-4 people in line, so you can see why it's hard to get up to the small window displays.

Think about a tour. We have not done one yet-as soon as we do we will post our reviews. They have tours you can purchase that take you behind the scenes. It was obvious during our trip that what the vistors can see is only a small fraction of what they have. For example, the whale sharks would swim in close view and would then swim off-returning about 5 minutes later-where did they go? From the aquarium map, you can see that there is a lot more to this aquarium than meets the eye. It might be fun to see what it all entails.

And finally-have fun! Fish are fun and exciting and a lot of work has been put into the Georgia Aquarium. Know ahead of time what to expect, relax, and you will enjoy your trip!