This $70 million attraction houses sea life from each of the world’s major oceans. Some of the most popular exhibits show off octopuses, jellyfish, piranhas, weedy-looking sea dragons, all kinds of colorful coral reef critters and the absolutely prehistoric-looking Japanese spider crab. In two huge tanks, Coral Reef and Stingray Bay, scuba divers hand feed marine creatures during regular dive shows. For most guests, the hands-down highlight is navigating Shark Lagoon via a 340-foot moving walkway through one of the world’s longest underwater acrylic tunnels. Here, several species of sharks live alongside sawfish, eels, and even sea turtles, giving visitors a real thrill when they glide directly overhead. Penguin Playhouse, the aquarium’s newest section, invites visitors to crawl through still more acrylic tunnels to explore a colony of playful African Blackfooted penguins. If that’s not quite close enough for your kids, they can pet stingrays at Touch-a-Ray Bay and hold horseshoe crabs at the Discovery Center.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
88 River Road, Gatlinburg, 37738, TN