Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is a 115,000-square-foot aquarium in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at the doorstep of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Home to more than 10,000 sea creatures, the aquarium features the longest underwater tunnel in the United States, where visitors glide on a moving walkway beneath sharks, rays, and sea turtles.

The aquarium’s exhibits range from tropical coral reefs and Amazon rainforests to deep ocean habitats and penguin colonies. Its Shark Lagoon is one of the most impressive shark exhibits in the Southeast, and the Penguin Playhouse offers close encounters with African penguins in a climate-controlled habitat.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies holds AZA accreditation and welcomes over two million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited aquariums in the country.