In her occasional series, Worth the Drive, arts writer Meredith Moss takes you to places in our region that are worth your time and money.
If you have a spot you’d like to suggest, contact Meredith: MMoss@coxohio.com
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How to Go:
What: Newport Aquarium
Where: One Aquarium Way, Newport, Ky., just across the river from Cincinnati at Newport on the Levee
Hours: Open 365 days a year. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Extended summer hours are 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Check the website for extended hours on other dates.
Parking: Newport on the Levee Parking garages plus additional lots.
Accessibility: The entire facility is wheelchair accessible. The Zquarium offers free use of wheelchairs.
Stroller policy: Strollers are restricted on busy days, ccheck the website for daily policy. Stroler check and child carrier backpacks are available free of charge.
Tickets: $23 for adults ages 13 and up; $15 for kids ages 2-12. Through August 31, two kids get in free with each adult paying full price from 4-7 p.m., Sunday through Friday. (Available online only).
To save $2 on up to four tickets, visit www.newportaquarium.com, enter promo code TC1639. There are also discounts for AAA members, AARP, military, and at some Kroger stores. Annual passes are $45 for adults; $29 for children and $40 for seniors.
For information: Visit NewportAquarium.com or call toll free 800-406-FISH (3474).
VIDEO: For an inside look at the Newport Aquarium, visit MyDaytonDailyNews.com
It can be challenging to find an entertaining outing that appeals to folks of all ages but an aquarium definitely qualifies. Whether you’re a grandpa, a teenager or a two-year-old, aquatic animals are fascinating.
We’re fortunate in our region to have an outstanding aquarium nearby that’s open 365 days a year. Kentucky’s Newport Aquarium boasts nearly 13,000 individual animals in more than 90 exhibits. We visited recently with our four-year-old grandson and everyone had a terrific time and learned a lot.
The destination was voted the No. 1 aquarium in the country by USA Today’s 10Best.com in 2012, was named a top U.S. aquarium by US City Traveler and Destinations Travel Magazine in 2014, and also by Travel Channel in 2013. Last year, the Aquarium welcomed 711,000 visitors.
We’d advise spending a minimum of three hours.
Here’s what’s new
The big news at the moment is the world's first Shark Bridge, a a 75-foot-long rope bridge that hangs just inches above nearly two dozen sharks, four shark rays, two stingrays and more than 300 fish.
If you plan to take the walk, you’ll experience some side-to-side motion and uneven footing. It’s recommended that you wear closed-toe shoes and secure all of your items — those that fall may not be able to be retrieved!
This shark exhibit also features one of North America’s largest group of scalloped hammerhead sharks. Each was born last summer near Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii, one of the most the most stable breeding grounds for the endangered species. Over time, these young sharks will triple in size: adult scalloped hammerhead sharks can grow up to 14 feet in length and weigh more than 300 pounds.
If you’re apprehensive about walking directly above the open waters of the tank, you can also view the exhibit by walking through an 85-foot-long acrylic tunnel or viewing the 385,000-gallon tank from the Shark Tank Overlook which allows you to look down into the shark tank from outside the tank
Time your visit to include the Shark Ray Feed at 1:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Canyon Falls is also relatively new, it opened in March. You'll meet Asian small-clawed otters, panther chameleon lizards and Thunder, the 100-year-old alligator snapping turtle.
Other highlights
- Gator Alley features six crocodilian species from four continents. Don't miss Mighty Mike — the "biggest and baddest" alligator in the country outside of Florida — he is 14 feet long and weighs 800 pounds. Snowball and Snowflake are two of the 100 white alligators remaining in the world.
- Kroger Penguin Palooza hosts five different sub-Antarctic penguin species totaling 50 birds.
- Frog Bog is the largest exhibit of its kind in the Midwest with nearly 20 species of exotic frogs. Children can find secret frog tanks visible only when they climb through tunnels and tubes in the kids-only Frog Bog jungle gym.
- Jellyfish Gallery has more than 100 jellyfish on display. They're really cool.
- Take advantage of the touch experiences. Kids can touch sea stars, horseshoe crabs and spider crabs in the Shore Gallery Tide Pool and touch a variety of turtles from three different continents at the Canyon Falls Turtle Corral.
- The Dangerous and Deadly Gallery includes a Piranha Tank. Did you know that a piranha's jaws are so strong it can bite through a steel hook? And there's a Bizarre and Beautiful Gallery where you'll see Japanese spider crabs, a Giant Pacific octopus, paddlefish, live coral, Anemones, sea cucumbers and clown fish.
- Check out an Otter Talk. You'll learn about an otter's third eyelid — a waterproof barrier. Be sure and arrive in time for the Penguin Parade. It takes place every morning at 9:15 a.m. in the summer, 10:15 a.m. the rest of the year. It's held in the front lobby and includes some fascinating introductory information about penguins.
“Our penguins eat the most of any animal at the Aquarium,” explained Jeff Geiser, the Aquarium’s public relations manager. “One penguin eats the equivalent of 100 cheeseburgers a day. They have a supercharged metabolism.”
Added attractions
You can also sign up for additional experiences. The Backstage Animal Experience is a 45-minute tour where you'll go behind-the-scenes to see how the pros care for the marine animals. The tour includes a "hands-on" meeting with one of the animals and allows you to see the giant Shark Tank, Coral Reef Tank and Amazon River Tank from the top down. There's a visit to the jellyfish nursery, the quarantine tanks, and you'll learn how animals are fed, prepared for travel and moved from tank to tank.
Cost is $15 per person, and the tour times are 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 1 and 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
The Penguin Encounter takes you to the Penguin House, the backstage home of the African penguins. It lasts 20 minutes and is $25. It takes place at noon, 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily. A portion of Penguin Encounter sales is donated to the WAVE Foundation, a nonprofit in partnership with Newport Aquarium, for penguin conservation programs.
The Overnight Adventure Program allows families to bring sleeping bags and spend the night at the Aquarium. Upcoming overnights include a Sharks after Dark overnight on Saturday, Aug. 29; a Girl Scout overnight on Friday, Oct. 16 and a Boy Scout Overnight on Friday, Oct. 23.
On the morning we visited, we chatted with the Bills family of Beavercreek — a mom with four kids ages 4 through 14. Family members agreed that the aquarium was clean and well-organized and that the exhibits were “displayed with impact.”
"What they say is in the tank is actually in the tank," said daughter Savannah. "It's all pretty cool!"
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