Ripley Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg Ranked One of the Nation's Best
The Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, located in downtown Gatlinburg, has recently been honored as one of the 10 best aquariums in the country. National newspaper USA Today listed this attraction, as well as another one in Tennessee, among its 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards.
This poll is based on the nominations of experts and voted on by readers. According to the website, they “represent the best in the country for their high-quality exhibits and visitor interactions.
Gatlinburg’s favorite animals of the sea attraction (sorry, no bears in here) ranked as the second favorite aquarium in this poll. The reasons are plenty: there are more than 350 species among the 10,000 or so sea creatures in the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies; Shark Lagoon is a moving ride through underwater tunnels; also, the penguin encounters give guests an up-close-and-personal interaction with the endangered African penguins.
A special mention goes out to another one in East Tennessee, and that’s the Tennessee Aquarium in the great city of Chattanooga. They came in at #6 on the list. Guests will be encased in various ecosystems in their self-guided tour. The River and Ocean Journey buildings are filled with discoveries featuring animals who reside in the sea, and those who trek the land as well as swim in rivers and streams.
In case you want to know the full list of aquariums, here’s the list you can put on your own checklist to visit:
Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium: Springfield, MO
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies: Gatlinburg, TN
Texas State Aquarium: Corpus Christi, TX
St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station: St. Louis, MO
Mystic Aquarium: Mystic, CT
Tennessee Aquarium: Chattanooga, TN
Adventure Aquarium: Camden, NJ
The Florida Aquarium: Tampa, FL
OdySea Aquarium: Scottsdale, AZ
The Maritime Aquarium - Norwalk, CT
This is a great honor bestowed upon the popular Gatlinburg attraction. The Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is open 365 days, and they are not only super family-friendly, it’s also one of the better things to do in this tourist town when it rains. Enjoy the fun!
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