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0For Joel’s birthday this past year, I sent him away to get his PADI certification for SCUBA diving. Each time he goes diving he comes back in awe of all of the things he has seen, from poisonous lionfish, scorpionfish, and giant angelfish, to giant lobster and sea slugs each time he excitedly tries to convince me of how much I would love SCUBA diving. However, each time I assure him that he is wrong. As much as I love looking at super cool fish, I have no desire to be that far down in the ocean! I love snorkeling but it is a close enough encounter to marine wildlife for me! However, when I am not near a great snorkeling locale, the Newport Aquarium, located in land-locked Newport, Kentucky (near Cincinnati, Ohio) offers an experience that is even better than SCUBA diving in my opinion!
Easily accessible by 1-75, I-71, and I-471, Newport Aquarium is the perfect day trip from anywhere in the Ohio Valley. There’s no better time than now to visit, when it is the hottest time of year in that part of the country. Escape the heat and enjoy the beauty of the deep inside comfortable air conditioning. However, they are open 365 days a year, so you can indulge the marine-biologist inside you at any time of the year!
Miss C loves fish and “Plaa” (the Thai word for fish) was one of her first words. She excitedly screamed “Plaa, plaa!!” and ran through the exhibits pointing and smiling. Her absolute favorite part was the glass flooring in the shark tank and alligator exhibit. Her constant yelling out of “plaa,” and shrieking when she saw an “Aw – ig – ate -or” through the floor below us was priceless.
Speaking of the shark tank, it is indeed impressive. While the shark tank is the highlight of most aquariums I’ve visited, this is one of the most impressive that I’ve seen. Since the last time I had visited, they have added the world’s first Shark Bridge. It is a v-shaped rope bridge, measuring 75 feet long and suspended above the shark tank. Being just inches above dozens of sharks and shark rays is an exhilerating experience! Miss C even walked across – she’s easily the bravest member of our family.
The aquarium offers several educational talks and feedings throughout the day, but I would suggest visiting earlier in the day if you want to catch all of them. Even though they are open extended hours during the summer, it seemed that most of the talks and feedings ended by 5:00 PM. During this talk at “Shark Ray Bay” the divers even answered questions!
Penguins seem to be a favorite among kids and adults. Being her first time seeing penguins, I wasn’t sure how Miss C would react. They have an awesome penguin viewing area where the entire wall is clear glass and you can see penguins above and below water. The penguins would dive in the water and swim from one side to the other. Miss C thought this was absolutely delightful and took off after them. Unfortunately I failed to get a photo or video of her chasing the penguins – it was so adorable! I did however catch her giving kisses to the penguin statues!
Adventure Family Tip: Check the calendar on their website if you are planning to visit with a stroller as they have restrictions on which days and times they are allowed.
Want to take your kids for free?! Now through September 2, 2016, take advantage of their Summer Family Hours. Up to two kids get in for free with each paying adult. This is only valid Sunday through Friday from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Check out their website for more information.
Lastly, if you are looking for a hotel in the Cincinnati area to book for your trip, check out these great deals on my Booking.com affiliate page.
Disclaimer: We received free passes to the Newport Aquarium. As always, all opinions are my own.
