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

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in downtown Gatlinburg houses more than 10,000 sea creatures across exhibits that range from a glass-bottomed boat ride over a shark lagoon to a daily penguin parade through the building. General admission covers most of the experience; a set of add-on encounters — some ticketed separately, some requiring advance booking — extends it further. Here's what's available.

Included with Admission

1. Touch a stingray. Touch A Ray Bay is the aquarium's open touch pool, where stingrays glide through shallow water close enough to reach. Staff are on hand to explain what you're feeling — the texture, the cartilaginous structure, the wing-like pectoral fins — which turns a tactile moment into a genuine learning experience. It's one of the few places in the Smokies where a visitor makes direct physical contact with a marine animal of this size, and it works for all ages.

2. Follow the penguin parade. Daily, the aquarium's penguins take an enrichment walk through the building — strolling through the main corridor at ground level while visitors photograph and follow along. The format is genuinely unusual: penguins moving through a crowd rather than penguins observed from the other side of glass. The walk happens on a daily schedule; check the aquarium's activity board on arrival for the day's timing.

3. Watch the Coral Reef Dive Show. Divers descend daily into the coral reef exhibit and hand-feed the inhabitants — clownfish, blue tangs, and dozens of other reef species — while narrating what's happening for the audience watching through the exhibit glass. The feeding interaction produces behavioral responses from the fish that static displays don't: fish surfacing toward hands, color changes, territorial responses. It's the best demonstration of fish behavior available in a controlled setting in the Smokies.

4. Watch divers feed stingrays. A separate daily dive show in Ray Bay has divers go beneath the surface to feed the stingrays from below rather than from the touch-pool level. The underwater angle gives a different view of stingray behavior and anatomy than the touch pool provides — watching them move and feed from underneath reveals how the animals actually function in open water.

5. Ride the glass-bottomed boat in Shark Lagoon. The glass-bottomed boat carries visitors across a lagoon containing more than 8,000 creatures — sharks circling below, separated from passengers by three inches of acrylic. The experience is specifically effective for the physical discomfort it produces: intellectually knowing the glass is adequate while viscerally reacting to sharks directly below your feet is the kind of response that photographs don't capture but experiences deliver. It's the aquarium's signature attraction and the one that earns the most post-visit description from visitors.

6. Meet poison dart frogs, axolotls, and unusual creatures. Beyond the marine exhibits, the aquarium houses terrestrial and freshwater species that most visitors don't expect: poison dart frogs in vivid color, axolotl salamanders with their distinctive external gills, comb jellies ("sea walnuts") that are nearly transparent. These exhibits reward visitors who slow down and look carefully rather than moving through at the pace of the main shark and stingray highlights.

7. Explore the full exhibit circuit. The aquarium's self-guided tour covers tropical reef environments, ocean zones, freshwater exhibits, and the shark and stingray galleries. Families with children across a wide age range should plan a minimum of two hours; the aquarium rewards slow visitors who read the exhibit panels and engage with the interactive elements rather than just the walk-through. It's an ideal rainy-day activity — fully climate-controlled and entertaining from start to finish regardless of weather.

Special Experiences (Separately Booked)

8. Paint with a penguin. A small-group encounter where participants learn about penguin species, then work alongside one of the aquarium's penguins to produce a collaborative painting — the penguin contributes footprints or marks, you contribute the rest — that you take home. The encounter gives extended close contact with the animals beyond the daily parade format. Requires advance booking; check ripleys.com/gatlinburg for current availability and scheduling.

9. Breakfast with penguins. An early-morning experience that begins before the aquarium opens to the public — breakfast in the aquarium followed by an up-close penguin encounter, a penguin painting to take home, and a photo with a penguin. The pre-opening timing means the building is quiet and uncrowded during the encounter. Requires advance booking; check ripleys.com/gatlinburg for current availability.

10. Breakfast with a mermaid. A morning experience with breakfast, a private mermaid dive show, a photo souvenir, and a gift — operating before general admission opens. Requires advance booking; check ripleys.com/gatlinburg for current scheduling and availability.

11. Feed Sally the sea turtle. A guided encounter in which participants learn about endangered sea turtle species, access the behind-the-scenes turtle habitat area, and hand-feed Sally — the aquarium's resident sea turtle — her daily meal. The behind-the-scenes access gives a different perspective on how the aquarium operates and what animal care looks like in practice. Requires advance booking; check ripleys.com/gatlinburg for current availability.

12. Sleep with the sharks. After the aquarium closes for the evening, sleepover guests remain inside for a scavenger hunt, exclusive programming, and sleeping bags set up adjacent to the Shark Lagoon — sharks circling through the night on the other side of the glass. It's the most distinctive overnight option in Gatlinburg, significantly more memorable than a standard hotel stay for children old enough to appreciate what they're doing. Gatlinburg cabin guests can pair the sleepover with a cabin stay for the surrounding nights. Requires advance booking well ahead — the sleepover fills quickly. Check ripleys.com/gatlinburg for current availability and requirements.

Planning Your Visit

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is at 88 River Road in downtown Gatlinburg — walkable from the Parkway, a short drive from any Gatlinburg cabin rental. The Gatlinburg Trolley (free, all routes) stops near the aquarium, making it accessible without driving into downtown. The aquarium is open daily year-round — one of the few Smokies attractions that operates 365 days a year and works in any weather. Parking in downtown Gatlinburg fills on peak weekends; the Park-and-Ride lots at the Welcome Center and City Hall are the practical alternatives to Parkway parking. For the special experiences, book as far in advance as possible — the penguin encounters and sleepover have limited capacity and fill well ahead of peak season. Check ripleys.com/gatlinburg for current admission pricing, hours, and special experience availability.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Ripley's Aquarium take?

Most visitors spend two to three hours on a standard general admission visit. Families with young children who engage thoroughly with the touch pool and the daily shows tend toward three hours. If you're adding a special experience like the penguin encounter or sea turtle feeding, add another 30–60 minutes.

Are the special experiences included with admission?

No — the penguin painting, penguin breakfast, mermaid breakfast, sea turtle feeding, and Shark Lagoon Sleepover are all separately ticketed and require advance booking in addition to general admission. Check ripleys.com/gatlinburg for current pricing and availability on each.

Is Ripley's Aquarium appropriate for all ages?

Yes — the touch pool and penguin parade work well for toddlers, while the shark lagoon boat ride and exhibit depth engage older children and adults equally. It's one of the most age-spanning attractions in Gatlinburg; a group ranging from grandparents to toddlers can all find something genuinely engaging within the same admission.