by Tim V. on Like many folks, I've been to many aquariums around the country (to include Chicago, Baltimore and Monterey), so my overall rating in part reflects a relative comparison to those others. That said, this aquarium suffers from it's own problems even reviewing it on its own merits. Sure it's the biggest, but why does it feel so crowded? I think there are 2 main reasons: first, it is still a relatively new attraction to Atlanta. For such a large metro area, Atlanta truly doesn't have much to see/do for the average tourist, so the aquarium ends up becoming a "must-see" for all visitors. I think this issue will continue to improve slightly as the aquarium ages. The bigger problem, unfortunately, is intrinsic to the aquarium itself: it is horribly designed! Each of the exhibit wings force you down a narrow passage way to view the displays. The lines often extend in an unorganized and traffic-blocking manner into the main atrium. As you travel down each exhibit corridor, at each window you fight a crowd just to catch a brief glimpse of the aquatic life, since you feel too guilty to linger due to all the people now waiting on you. This repetitive process quickly becomes tedious and unenjoyable, with the anxiety about losing your kids and not stepping on someone's feet preventing you from enjoying the views and learning something about the animals. The only area where this is not a big concern, and thus I feel the most enjoyable and most impressive exhibit of the aquarium, are the ultra-large observation tank. They did a great job here of creating multiple viewing areas, including the main area where you can sit and just watch as long as you want without feeling rushed. Even with this exhibit, though, I think they could have done a much better job about providing some educational information about the animals in the tank, rather than just laminated cards to assist with identifying the animals. So overall, just 2 stars. Sure it's big, but it's so poorly designed, not well integrated into the natural environment as other metro aquariums around the country, little educational benefit, and way too expensive. Deepo, by the way, is a shameless rip-off of Nemo in every way except for the entertainment value.
by Grant Winther on Did I seriously just step into a Vegas club?? This place was the place to be on Feb 20th!! With Jay-Z, Beyonce, A-Rod, and all of Miami's hot social circuit regulars in tow, how could you want to be anywhere else? Just be ready to pay the price to be among these beautiful people. We got lucky and got to the front of the line and got in after a 30 min wait. $40 cover. Table service is $2000+ min. No thanks. Drinks were $20 a pop. Ouch. Talk about crazy town. I justify the $40 cover I paid to being a foot away from the King and Queen of hip-hop. If only for a second, too.
