Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

Today we went on a field trip with some HS friends to Ripley's Aquarium... It was a snowy day so we were practically the only ones there which made for some great hands on viewing without being rushed...

The kids got to take a class called "Life at the Poles" where they learned some interesting facts about the North and South Poles and made a cute little penguin bead craft...


The kids got lots of hands on experiences with horseshoe crabs, seeing the coral reef center, the rain forest area, shark lagoon and stingray bay...

  Touching the Sting Rays at "Sting Ray Bay" with the diver leading them along with a "snack"



            "A face only his mother could love"... The aerial view from the "Shark Tunnel"...

                                                           The Fossil Exhibit


                                                         My little Divers!!


I like this aquarium since it caters to the kid population (the kids in all of us that is)... They have information in easy to understand terms on every exhibit and lots of hands-on things... They also offer monthly home school class on Saturdays...I am grateful that we live in an area which has so many things to offer for the home school community... I look forward to going again in the spring when their new exhibit on the African Black Footed Penguin will be open... It sounds like it will be a wonderfull addition to the already great stuff there...
You can check it out here..