Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Attractions Review

My husband, 2 children, and I all went on an amazing vacation a few months ago to North Carolina and Tennessee. As a family who normally vacations in Orlando/DisneyWorld, we wanted to do something a little different this year. Not that there is anything wrong with DisneyWorld, we just wanted a different type of adventure this time! And boy did we get it!! We decided to do nature trails and state parks, and they did not disappoint, we even got to see a momma bear with her two baby bears foraging for food, something you do NOT get to see where we live in Florida! Along with the nature trails we wanted to do some things the kids would enjoy, so when we got the chance to work with Ripley's Attractions Tennessee we decided to visit the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies as well as some of their other attractions. I will break each one down for you in separate posts and let you know what we all thought, including my 8 and 7 year old!

First stop: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

This aquarium is such a fun break from the heat! There was so much to do inside, some included in your ticket and some you had to purchase separately. One of those things was the Glass Bottom Boat ride which takes you over the Shark Lagoon. We opted not to do this, but here is a look at a picture I snapped of it.

One of the things my kids loved was the Create a Jelly kiosk next to the Touch a Jellyfish area. They were too timid to touch one, but enjoyed creating their own digital one!

They did work up the courage to touch the Horseshoe Crabs and loved it!

Another favorite was the Penguin Play area. You are able to get up close to see them, and even go through a glass tunnel and poke your head up through the actual exhibit so that you feel like you are right in there with them! There is also a little penguin nursery area which was neat to see.

Along with all of the extras, even a giant playground, there are tons of amazing tanks with different sea creatures! Even a Shark Lagoon that gets you up close to these majestic and kind of terrifying creatures!!

There was also a snack bar as well as a gift shop, which had quite reasonably priced items!

Overall this was a great way to see some beautiful creatures and keep everyone in our family entertained and happy!

Although I received tickets in exchange for a review, all of the thoughts and opinions are all my own and completely true!!