Only one place can boast as the world’s largest aquarium and have a months-long waiting list for one of its exhibits- and that’s the Georgia Aquarium. Safe to say it’s one of Atlanta’s most popular destinations, pulling in millions of sightseers from around the world, and drawing even the likes of celebrities to its 550,000 square feet facility. It boasts a whopping eight million gallons of aquatic life, including over 100,000 exotic mammals from 500 different species.
Local visitors and tourists alike are overcome with wonder and excitement when exploring the scenic paths of more than 60 exhibits – with the main attraction being the Ocean Voyager. The Ocean Voyager exhibit houses thousands of fish including whale sharks, zebra sharks, sawfish, bowmouth guitarfish and humphead wrasses. Offering a swim and dive program, novice guests can take a dip with these gentle giants as their voyage with the largest fish in the world comes complete with mask, fins, booties and wet suit to round out your scuba gear. Skilled water enthusiasts can take an even bigger plunge as certified divers can journey underwater. If being hands-on isn’t your thing, watch all the action through a picturesque window.
Such an adventure is bound to work up an appetite for Café Aquaria – the resident eatery – which serves up traditional classics like burgers and fries, pizza and ice cream, or onsite catering from Wolfgang Puck, where you can gaze into an eye-popping backdrop of fish. It also hosts special events from weddings to Mother’s Day brunches. What other restaurant allows you to swim or just eat Wolfgang Puck in the company of sharks?