Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is consistently rated one of the top aquariums in the United States and is Gatlinburg's most visited attraction. Voted Best U.S. Aquarium by USA Today Readers and named one of the Top 5 Aquariums in the World by TripAdvisor, it's not just the best indoor attraction in Gatlinburg — it's one of the genuinely great aquariums in the country.
The aquarium houses over 10,000 exotic sea creatures in more than 1.4 million gallons of water across multiple themed galleries. From the thundering 12-foot sharks circling the 340-foot underwater tunnel to the waddling African penguins on their daily parade, there's something around every corner that earns a genuine gasp.
Here's everything you need to know before you go — with a full guide to exhibits, daily shows, special programs, and the tips that make a great visit even better.
Essential Information
📍 Address: 88 River Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 (at the Mass Transit Center in downtown Gatlinburg — trolley routes from across the city converge here)
🕐 Hours: Open 365 days a year. The aquarium typically opens at 9 AM and closes at 9 PM, with hours varying seasonally. Check the website before your visit during holiday periods.
🎟️ Tickets: Online tickets save about $3 per person versus buying at the gate. Always buy online before you leave your cabin. Children ages 0–1 enter free.
🚗 Parking: A paid parking garage is available directly behind the aquarium. It's the most convenient option — walk straight from your car to the entrance.
⏱️ How long does it take? Plan on 2 to 3 hours for a thorough visit. Families with young children sometimes stay up to 4 hours, especially if they attend a feeding show or stingray encounter.
♿ Accessibility: Fully wheelchair and stroller accessible. Stroller-wagons and oversized running strollers are not permitted.
1. Walk the 340-Foot Shark Tunnel
This is the centerpiece of the entire aquarium — and one of the most dramatic experiences in all of Gatlinburg. A 340-foot underwater tunnel with sharks and rays surrounds you on all sides as you ride a slow-moving glide path through the middle of Shark Lagoon. Twelve-foot sharks pass within arm's reach overhead. 'Sally,' a giant green sea turtle, drifts serenely through the water above you. Stingrays glide past at eye level.
The tunnel takes only a few minutes to walk, but most visitors ride it multiple times — standing still and letting the creatures come to them is just as mesmerizing as walking through.
Pro tip: Ride the glide path on the way in, then walk back through on your own on the way out for a completely different perspective.
2. Ride the Glass Bottom Boat over Shark Lagoon
Separate from the tunnel walkthrough, the Glass Bottom Boat Adventure takes you directly over Shark Lagoon in a boat with a transparent floor — a thrilling ride over the shark tank. Only three inches of glass separate you from the sharks circling below your feet.
This is a ticketed add-on experience not included in general admission. Worth every penny for anyone who wants the most immersive shark encounter the aquarium offers.
3. Watch the Penguin Parade at 1:15 PM Daily
Join the African penguins as they parade around the aquarium daily on their enrichment path, eager to meet you. The parade runs at 1:15 PM every day — put it in your schedule before you arrive. Keepers walk alongside the penguins through the aquarium hallways as the birds waddle past guests at close range, looking curiously in every direction.
It's one of those moments that sounds cute in description and is genuinely magical in person. Kids lose their minds. Adults aren't far behind.
4. Watch the Hourly Dive & Feeding Shows
The aquarium offers interactive hourly dive and feeding shows throughout the day. Divers enter the massive tanks to hand-feed sharks, rays, and sea turtles while narrating the experience over an underwater microphone. You watch from outside the glass as the feeding choreography unfolds at close range.
Watch Ripley's divers feed and interact with the stingrays they care for in a separate daily show at Stingray Bay. Check the daily schedule board at the entrance to time your visit around the shows you want to see most.
5. Touch Stingrays, Jellyfish & Horseshoe Crabs
Visitors can touch horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, and stingrays in the aquarium's hands-on touch areas. Touch-a-Ray Bay is the most popular — dip your hands into the shallow pool and feel stingrays glide smoothly past your palms. Their skin has a unique, almost velvety texture that surprises most first-time touchers.
The jellyfish touch tank is a separate experience — moon jellies drift under your fingertips in a zen-like encounter that works equally well for toddlers and adults.
6. Explore the All-New 'Dragons: Myths Made Real' Exhibit
The aquarium's newest exhibit — and one of the most talked-about additions in years. How did reptiles inspire dragon myths around the world? Find out and get to know fascinating basilisks, pythons, and monitors — today's real-life "dragons."
The exhibit explores the cultural history of dragon mythology across civilizations while showcasing the living reptiles that inspired those legends. It's educational, visually dramatic, and one of the few aquarium exhibits that genuinely surprises adults as much as kids.
7. Play in the 3-Story Discovery Treehouse
The three-story Discovery Treehouse Play Center is built specifically for younger visitors who want to do more than observe — they want to climb, crawl, and explore. Multiple levels of interactive play are built around marine and nature themes, and the structure is large enough that kids can spend a full hour working their way through it.
The Discovery Center is particularly excellent for younger children and includes touch tanks with starfish, sea urchins, and other hands-on specimens alongside the climbing structure. A great option if you need to tire out the little ones before the drive home.
8. Watch the Mermaids (June & July Only)
Mermaid sightings are a daily occurrence in June and July. Professional mermaids perform underwater acrobatics in the main tanks — a mesmerizing show that blends athleticism with theatrical storytelling. For families visiting during summer, this is a bucket-list Ripley's moment.
Want more mermaid time? Book "Breakfast With a Mermaid" and arrive early for activities, food, and "shell-fie" photos — a dedicated morning program that gives kids extended one-on-one time with the aquarium's performers.
Note: Mermaid shows are a seasonal program running June through July only. If this is a priority for your family, plan your visit accordingly.
9. Sleep with the Sharks
Experience Sleeping with the Sharks — the aquarium's legendary overnight program where your group sleeps directly beneath the shark tank in the Shark Lagoon tunnel. It is, without question, the most memorable thing you can do in all of Gatlinburg if you have kids between the ages of 6 and 16.
The sleepover includes admission, a shark tunnel walking tour, educational programming, evening snacks, and breakfast the next morning. Spots are extremely limited and book far in advance — especially during summer and school holidays.
Also available: PJ Party with the Penguins — a sleepover-style evening in the Penguin Playhouse for families who want the overnight magic with a gentler, more kid-friendly backdrop.
10. Book a Penguin Encounter or Penguin Painting
Aquarium staff offer Penguin Encounter and Penguin Painting programs as ticketed add-on experiences. The Penguin Encounter takes you behind the scenes into the Penguin Playhouse for a guided meet-and-greet with the African penguin colony — up close, personal, and genuinely unforgettable.
The Penguin Painting program lets you take home a one-of-a-kind piece of art made by one of the penguins themselves — pressed directly onto canvas. It's one of the most distinctive souvenirs in the Smokies and a perennial favorite.
Both programs book up fast. Reserve in advance at ripleys.com.
11. Explore the Gallery of the Seas and Poison Arrow Frog Exhibit
Some of the most visually striking moments at Ripley's Aquarium aren't in the main exhibits — they're in the smaller galleries where unusual and brilliantly colored creatures command your full attention.
The Gallery of the Seas features pink sea anemones, electric-yellow tang fish, deep orange octopus, and creatures that look like something out of a fever dream. The Poison Arrow Frog exhibit showcases some of the most colorful — and most toxic — animals on Earth in vivid close-up displays that explain how and why nature evolved such extreme camouflage and warning systems.
12. Enjoy Summer Plaza Events (June 14 – August 2)
Brand new for 2026: free summer events on the Plaza from June 14 through August 2, including Critter Close-ups, Dance Party days, and Ocean Bluegrass Nights. These outdoor events are included with aquarium admission and add a completely new dimension to a summer visit — think live music with a Smoky Mountain twist and close encounters with the aquarium's traveling animal ambassadors.
If your visit falls within this window, plan to stay into the evening to catch an Ocean Bluegrass Night on the Plaza.
Practical Tips for Your Visit
Buy tickets online. Online tickets save about $3 per person versus the gate. It also means you skip the ticket line — go straight to entry.
Arrive at opening. The aquarium typically opens at 9 AM. The first hour is the least crowded, the penguins are most active in the morning, and you'll have the shark tunnel largely to yourself before the midday rush arrives.
Check the daily schedule board at entry. Feeding shows, the penguin parade (1:15 PM), and any special events are posted at the entrance. Build your visit around the shows you most want to see.
Eat at Feeding Frenzy Cafe. The Feeding Frenzy Cafe is on the lower level near the ramp to the gift shop. No outside food or drinks are permitted inside, so plan to grab a snack or meal here if you're spending the full 2–4 hours.
Perfect rainy day option. The aquarium's completely indoor setting makes it the perfect attraction for rainy days or summer heat. It's our go-to recommendation when the weather turns in the Smokies.
Book overnight programs far in advance. Sleeping with the Sharks and PJ Party with the Penguins are extremely popular and book up months ahead during peak season. Plan accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the #1 thing to do in Gatlinburg? Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is the number one thing to do in Gatlinburg, Tennessee — a title it has consistently held for years based on visitor volume and review ratings.
How long should I plan for Ripley's Aquarium? Plan on 2 to 3 hours for a thorough visit. Families with young children sometimes stay up to 4 hours, especially if they attend a feeding show or stingray encounter.
Are mermaid shows available year-round? No — mermaid sightings are a daily occurrence in June and July only. If mermaids are a priority for your family, plan your visit during these months.
What age is Ripley's Aquarium good for? Ripley's Aquarium is great for all ages — infants 1 and under get in free. The 3-Story Discovery Treehouse and touch tanks are ideal for toddlers; the shark tunnel and feeding shows work for every age; and the special overnight programs are perfect for school-age kids.
Is there parking at Ripley's Aquarium? A paid parking garage is available directly behind the aquarium. Alternatively, the aquarium is located at the Mass Transit Center in downtown Gatlinburg, so the Fun Time Trolley also stops here from multiple routes across the city.
Can I visit Ripley's Aquarium on a rainy day? Absolutely — it's the ideal rainy day activity. The entire experience is indoors and generally takes 2–4 hours, making it one of the best ways to fill an overcast Smoky Mountain day.
Stay Close to the Action
Ripley's Aquarium is right in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg — minutes from our Gatlinburg cabin rentals across the area. Come home after a full day of sharks and penguins to a private hot tub, a mountain view deck, and a kitchen stocked with whatever you need for a cozy evening in.
Colonial Properties has cabin options for every group size — from romantic 1-bedroom cabins for couples to large group lodges for family reunions. Many are just minutes from the Gatlinburg Parkway.
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