In the heart of Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium is a stunning escape into an underwater world. At the Aquarium, you will be able to view thousands of marine species, watch impressive shows, and view a whale shark! Here is what you should know before making your visit!
Purchasing Tickets
Tickets can be purchased for the Aquarium online and in person. To guarantee our spot and save time on the day we chose to buy ours online.
Timed Tickets
Tickets purchased online under the Plan & Save General Admission option are timed. The starting cost is roughly $44 per adult. You must arrive within one hour of your scheduled time slot, or you risk being turned away. We chose to enter at 10 am. We wanted to avoid the morning rush hour traffic and the initial surge of visitors, but avoid the crowds that form later in the day.
We entered at exactly 10 am on a fall Friday, and it was already extremely crowded. If you are planning to visit on a weekend, I would definitely consider getting the 9 am timeslot, though!
Parking
Parking is offered as part of a package with your ticket. It cost $25 to add on; however, at the time of our booking, parking was sold out for the day of our visit! Instead, we parked for free on a street nearby. I felt comfortable leaving my vehicle here, and it was a quick 6-minute walk to the Aquarium.
Discounts
Throughout the year, the Georgia Aquarium runs promotions and deals. The promotion running during our visit was a free child’s ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket! Another popular deal is the combo ticket, with the World of Coca-Cola located right next door. We unfortunately were not visiting at a time when this promotion was offered, but I would highly recommend taking advantage of this deal! You can check out my post on the World of Coca-Cola here!
What to See
There are multiple areas to see around the Aquarium. Be sure to utilize you map so that you don’t miss anything! It can be easy to get turned around!
The section include: Cold Water Quest, River Scout, Explorers Cove, Ocean Voyager (this is where the whale shark is!), Tropical Diver, and Sharks! Predators of the Deep.
The Dolphin and Sea Lion Show
I wasn’t able to find clear guidance while researching the Aquarium, so I wanted to be sure to provide some details on the experience here! Unlike other aquariums where visitors crowd into the small stadium to watch a sea lion or seal show, with first-come, first-served seating, the Georgia Aquarium requires you to sign up for shows in advance. Without a spot reserved, you are unable to watch the show. This concerned me, but the day of, the process was super easy.
When you arrive, you will see signs with QR codes advertising the shows. Use your phone’s camera app to scan the code, and sign up for your show time.
Keep in mind the Dolphin Presentation and Sea Lion Presentation are separate events!
Head over to the shows a minimum of 10 minutes before showtime or earlier if you want a good seat. (You can pay for better seating as part of your ticket, but we found that our seats were just fine and we had a great view without premier seating.)
I really enjoyed both shows, and think they are great for all ages! Be warned, there are splash zones for both shows. We found that folks in the dolphin show were DRENCHED in cold water. It is not a splash zone, it is a soak zone!
Food and Drinks
The fish aren’t the only ones getting fed at the Georgia Aquarium! We found the food situation to be unorganized and chaotic. If you have food allergies, do not eat here!!! They have allergies shown in pop-ups on the virtual screen, and I was so excited to see them. However, we quickly realized that there was conflicting information. An item that contained dairy did not list dairy as an allergy, and another listed dairy on one screen for a product, but not when it was listed as part of a combo.
There was a sign asking to ask for a manager to discuss allergies if there was a problem. When we asked the gentleman working the station if we could discuss allergies with a manager and explained our problem with the information on the self-service screen, he tossed us a sheet from behind the screen. We said that the information on the sheet also had conflicts, and he said, “I don’t know what to tell you, don’t order anything”.
I found this frankly shocking as they had signs up directing you to speak to a manager about allergies.
In addition to this issue, at 12 pm, the stand selling hot dogs had run out. When my husband asked if they would be getting any more, they said, “No clue. Maybe.”
Accessibility (Wheelchairs and Strollers)
The Aquarium does a good job of making the aquarium as accessible as possible. However, if you do have a wheelchair or stroller, you may find it incredibly difficult to navigate among the crowds. There were a lot of moments where it felt like we were in gridlock.
Are the tickets worth the cost?
I spent roughly 3.5 hours at the Aquarium. If you have small children, you will likely spend even more time there! Was it worth nearly $50? If you enjoy watching sea life, the rare opportunity to see a whale shark in the USA, and don’t mind heavy crowds, I would recommend a trip to the Georgia Aquarium.
What to do nearby
If you really want to make a day of it, consider visiting the World of Coca-Cola next door! Read about my experience here!