Gatlinburg, Tennessee – trip report part 6 – Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
After having a blast in Pigeon Forge and enjoying the Titanic and Alcatraz East museums, we had our sights set on Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the following day.
When we were planning this trip, the Gatlinburg attractions were the only ones that we officially planned on visiting. We went to the Ripley’s website and bought a combo ticket for the aquarium as well as three additional attractions. It was the best deal that we could find at the time, so we decided to splurge and see a few of new experiences.
Just like the previous morning, we got an early start at our hotel, enjoyed the continental breakfast, and then easily made the short drive from the middle of Pigeon Forge down to Gatlinburg. Traffic was next to nothing at 8:30 in the morning. 🙂 We parked at a parking deck on the north side of town, and after a quick walk, we were at our first stop of the day.
RIPLEY’S AQUARIUM OF THE SMOKIES
Gatlinburg, Tennessee – Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – 2018
One of the biggest attractions in Gatlinburg is Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. As soon as you approach the building it’s easy to see that this is going to be a fun and high-quality experience. It’s also very popular as well, so get there EARLY if you’d like to avoid most of the crowds.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – entrance area
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – iguana
The self-guided tour begins by taking you up a short ramp and past a skeleton of what was a gigantic sea turtle. After that the animal exhibits begin almost immediately, with a bunch of small displays containing a variety of fish as well as other marine life, including iguanas.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – sharks
Just past these displays there’s a chance to look down and into the main aquarium tank. Looking down into the water, you can see part of the underwater tunnel, and you’ll probably be able to see sharks as well. As we quickly noticed, there are LOTS of sharks in the main tank. And they were starting to look rather hungry . . .
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – fish
The ramp then descends and takes us to several larger tanks with, you guessed it, more fish. While fish are definitely the main theme in this attraction, don’t worry about it being too bland or boring. There are many tanks and aquariums, and you get to see a wide variety of fish and other marine life.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – underwater tunnel
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – underwater tunnel
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – shark
Up ahead is the underwater tunnel. This is the heart of Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. A lengthy glass tunnel takes guests underwater and through the main aquarium. Looking through the glass, you’ll be able to see many sharks as well as fish and an occasional sea turtle. The left side of the path is actually a moving sidewalk. You can just stand there and let it take you at a slow pace through the tunnel. Otherwise, you can stand on the right side and stop and look around. You can also walk along at your own pace as other pass you on the moving sidewalk.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – crab
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – penguins
After the underwater tunnel, the path splits off in several directions. There’s no general flow to the aquarium at this point, and it’s easy to wander around and see whatever exhibits you wish. One of the more popular exhibits in the aquarium has a bunch of penguins. There’s even a small tunnel kids (and agile adults) can crawl through and then pop up in the exhibit for a cool photo.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – sting ray
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – boat tour
The exit path slowly climbs back up to the main level of the building. Up there is a shallow tank where you can pet some friendly sting rays. There’s also another good upper-level view of the main tank, and (if you pay extra) a glass-bottom boat ride where you can learn more about the aquarium.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies ends with a trip through the gift shop. Then it’s out the door and back to the streets of Gatlinburg.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As a whole, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is a high-quality attraction that gives you a look into the fascinating world of marine life. However, while the aquarium is really nice, it also feels a little bit on the small size. I would have liked it if the aquarium was a little bit bigger and/or had more high-quality exhibits with other types of creatures. Since this attraction is part of the Ripley’s company, you’d like to think that it would have more of the unusual but still interesting creatures, or just something completely different and mind-blowing about it.
But it’s not.
Apart from the underwater tunnel, the vast majority of Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies looks and feels like a standard aquarium with a bunch of small exhibits. Don’t get me wrong here. This is a really good attraction. It just feels like it’s missing something special or unique to make it really stand out from the rest.
When we left a few hours later, there was a large line of people waiting outside to purchase tickets. Get there early to beat the crowds. Not only will you avoid the line outside, but it’ll also be a little more peaceful inside the aquarium as well. There were a few times when we stood off to the side to let LOUD families walk past us.
More importantly, go online to the Ripley’s website and purchase your tickets ahead of time. That’ll save you a couple of bucks. If you’re interested in seeing some of the other Ripley’s attractions as well, then be sure to check out the different combo tickets. Depending on what you want to do, that’ll save you quite a bit of money.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies was just the start of our day in Gatlinburg. We still had more attractions to explore.