Georgia Aquarium

About this place

Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, about 1.7 km in a straight line north-west of the city centre. It shows thousands of animals from hundreds of species across seven main galleries holding more than 42,000 cubic metres of water, and it is the largest aquarium in the United States. It was the largest aquarium in the world from its opening in 2005 until 2012. A donation of 250 million dollars from the foundation of Bernard Marcus, a co-founder of The Home Depot, paid for most of its construction, and he visited 56 aquariums in 13 countries before shaping the project. The centrepiece is the whale shark gallery, holding about 24,000 cubic metres of water, where whale sharks and manta rays glide among shoals of fish, seen through a long tunnel and huge viewing windows. Other galleries show beluga whales, sea lions, dolphins, sea otters, sharks and alligators. Entry is paid with timed tickets, best booked online. Weekdays are quieter than weekends and holidays, and you should allow about three hours.