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Family Fun in Kentucky: Newport Aquarium

Family Fun in Kentucky: Newport Aquarium

Back at the end of May, my family and I spent three days in the Cincinnati area. In addition to visiting the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, we headed across the river into Newport, Kentucky to check out the Newport Aquarium. Located at Newport on the Levee, the aquarium currently offers 70 exhibits and 14 galleries that showcase thousands of aquatic animals from around the world. The facility is open to the public 365 days a year and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). General admission costs $24.99 for adults and $16.99 for children between the ages of 2 and 12.

African Fish at the Newport Aquarium Turtle Under Water at the Newport Aquarium

Pale Crustaceans at the Newport Aquarium Fish in Tank at the Newport Aquarium

Looking Up at Fish at the Newport Aquarium Swimming Turtle at the Newport Aquarium

My kiddos were super excited to visit the Newport Aquarium because of the Stingray Hideaway and the Shark Tank Overlook. In the Stingray Hideaway, you can get up-close and personal by touching three different species of stingrays in a huge touch tank. My young children also enjoyed crawling through the kid-friendly underwater tubes under the tank to watch the stingrays swim around in the water above. My son was too shy to reach into the 7,000-gallon touch pool but my daughter tried her best to pet a stingray. The rays were being too shy though!

Starfish at the Newport Aquarium Turtle Swimming at the Newport Aquarium

Horseshoe Crabs at the Newport Aquarium Small Tank at the Newport Aquarium

Reef Tank at the Newport Aquarium Ray Shark at the Newport Aquarium

In addition to the Stingray Hideaway, my daughter was most excited for the Shark Tank Overlook. Featuring a rope bridge, the Shark Tank Overlook allows aquarium visitors to walk across one of the largest open air tank displays in the country. The tank is home to over a dozen sharks, four exotic shark rays, three stingrays, more than 300 fish, and Denver the loggerhead sea turtle. The V-shaped rope bridge is 75-feet long and is suspended over the open water of the tank. My daughter wanted to cross the bridge multiple times! My son was apprehensive at first but managed to make his way across with a little help from his mama.

Yellow Sea Horses at the Newport Aquarium Aquatic Animal Hiding in Sand at the Newport Aquarium

Paddlefish at the Newport Aquarium Alligator at the Newport Aquarium

Albino Alligators at the Newport Aquarium Black and Green Frog at the Newport Aquarium

While I loved experiencing the stingray and shark exhibits, I also loved walking through the five seamless acrylic tunnels totaling over 200 feet in length. My kids also loved watching the aquatic creatures swimming over and around us. Other fun exhibits at the Newport Aquarium include the Rain Forest, Gator Alley, Amazon, Shark Central, Kroger Penguin Palooza, Frog Bog, Dangerous and Deadly, Bizarre and Beautiful, and Coral Reef. Each exhibit features aquatic creations from specific locations around the world. The aquarium is also home to the jellyfish gallery, which is the largest in the Midwest.

Stingrays at the Newport Aquarium Stingray Hideaway at the Newport Aquarium

Acrylic Tube at the Newport Aquarium Fish Swimming Above Tube at the Newport Aquarium

Penguins at the Newport Aquarium Shark Tank Overlook at the Newport Aquarium

If you ever find yourself in Cincinnati, Ohio or Newport, Kentucky with kids, I highly recommend spending a couple of hours at the Newport Aquarium. General admission is reasonable for such an amazing aquatic facility. My kiddos and I spent a few hours checking out the animals including stingrays, sharks, alligators, jellyfish, turtles, and fish with my mom. The Newport Aquarium is family time well spent!

For more information, visit the Newport Aquarium website.

Image Credits

Family Fun in Kentucky: Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
African Fish at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Turtle Under Water at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Pale Crustaceans at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Fish in Tank at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Looking Up at Fish at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Swimming Turtle at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Starfish at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Turtle Swimming at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Horseshoe Crabs at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Small Tank at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Reef Tank at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Ray Shark at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Yellow Sea Horses at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Aquatic Animal Hiding in Sand at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Paddlefish at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Alligator at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Albino Alligators at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Black and Green Frog at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Stingrays at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Stingray Hideaway at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Acrylic Tube at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Fish Swimming Above Tube at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Penguins at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson
Shark Tank Overlook at the Newport Aquarium © 2017 Heather Johnson

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