If you are planning to vacation in the Smoky Mountains, a visit to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg is a must. The 1.4 million gallon aquarium features twelve foot sharks and over 10,000 exotic sea creatures from around the world.

You enter the atrium of the aquarium, and you are immediately overwhelmed with the sights and sounds. Below you’ll see the Discovery Center where children are playing in the exhibits and holding horseshoe crabs. Above you’ll see the ancient remains of dinosaurs and massive turtles that lurked in the oceans many years ago. A large cylindrical aquarium gives you a taste of the exotic fish you’ll see inside.Your journey begins in the Tropical Rain Forest, where you’ll see piranhas, iguanas, frogs, and a variety of other fishes and creatures native to the rain forest. From there you’ll enter the Coral Reef and discover a colorful array of indo-pacific fish. You can witness divers feeding the fish at specific times throughout the day.

You’ll move on to the highlight of the aquarium, Shark Lagoon, where you’ll travel through the world’s longest underwater aquarium tunnel on a 345 foot glide path. This is truly an amazing adventure. The sharks, saw fish, hammerheads, barracudas, and a multitude of others are swimming all around you. You truly feel like you are under the sea. The sharks are close enough for you to see every detail, their eyes, teeth, and large dorsal fin. There is even a spot on the tunnel where a shark attack occurred several years ago. Fortunately the plexiglass is impenetrable. Moving on to the Discovery Center, you can pet the horseshoe crabs and the children can play with all of the interactive exhibits featuring fun facts about sea life.Check out the auditorium that features educational films on the ocean and sea life. Move on to the Gallery of the Seas, where you’ll meet a giant Pacific Octopus, venomous fish, jelly fish, crabs and sea dragons, and a multitude of other creatures.

The featured exhibit is “Lethal Weapons”, highlighting the poisonous and venomous fish of the sea. The videos are extremely interesting, and the electric eel exhibit is extremely fascinating. Sting Ray Bay is your final destination, where you can touch a sting ray and see hourly dive shows. You’ll exit through the gift shop, so you’ll have the opportunity to pick up any souvenirs to commemorate your visit.

The visit will take at least one hour and half, and could take much longer if you watch the feedings or participate in any of the classroom presentations. There are also a couple of restaurants, if you need a bite to eat before you depart.

You can purchase tickets online. Prices are as follows: Adults: $22.29; Children 6-11: $12.29; and Children 2-5: $5.56 (prices include tax). The aquarium is definitely worth the price!