12 Things to Do at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

Join penguins on a parade. Feed a sea turtle. Sleep next to a shark tank! Do it all, and more, at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg’s world-class aquarium. With adventures like these, you’ll want to return again and again! 

1. Touch a sleek stingray.

Don’t miss the touch pool where you can pet stingrays as they glide through the water.

2. Follow a penguin parade.

Every day, penguins stroll through the aquarium! Follow the penguins’ “enrichment walk” for unforgettable photos. 

3. See colorful “Nemo” and “Dory” fish and their friends.

In the daily Coral Reef Dive Show, divers feed dazzling fish including clownfish, blue tangs and more.  

4. Watch divers feed stingrays.

The aquarium’s divers go beneath the surface of Ray Bay to feed stingrays daily.

5. Paint with a penguin.

Learn about penguin species, then collaborate with a feathered friend to paint a picture you can take home.  

6. Ride a glass-bottomed boat in Shark Lagoon.

Just three inches of glass separate you from toothy terrors, as you glide atop an indoor lagoon filled with more than 8,000 creatures.  

7. Enjoy breakfast with a mermaid.

Early risers have a delicious breakfast, then meet a mermaid, all before the aquarium opens! See a private mermaid dive show and take home a special photo souvenir and a gift. 

8. Feed Sally the Sea Turtle a treat.

Learn about endangered sea turtles, see behind the scenes in the turtle habitat, and feed Sally her daily treat from your own hand! 

9. Eat pancakes with penguins.

Arrive before the aquarium opens, eat breakfast, then get to know the adorable penguins. You’ll take home a one-of-a-kind penguin painting and a photo of you with a penguin. 

10. Take a behind-the-scenes tour.

Meet the experts and discover how the aquarium cares for animals it protects. See where animals go when they aren’t on public display, and ask all your burning questions! 

11. Sleep with the sharks.

What happens in Shark Lagoon after the aquarium closes? Stick around for a sleepover and find out! Go on a scavenger hunt, and snooze next to circling sharks.

12. Meet out-of-this-world critters.

Poison dart frogs, cute axolotl salamanders, see-through “sea walnuts”-- discover all these surprising animals and many more.

Stay close to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies so you can spend more time with the animals and less time on the road. Browse our Gatlinburg cabin listings now.