newport aquarium

We have been to many aquariums, but none so horrible as this one! The ONLY thing that was pretty cool were the tunnels of water to walk under. The problems...too many loud and very obnoxious school kids were everywhere. There was no control, not by parents, teachers or employees of the aquarium, which we never even saw! The tunnels are LOUD and the glass is filthy so everything looks dirty. They do not have many larger fish/mammals...no dolphins, seals, sea lions, whales etc. It was mostly small sharks, sting rays and smaller fish. Endless small tanks were in the beginning of the place, and you had to wait to get even close enough to see them. The shows were not good, and when we went to sit down to look at the larger tank, kids were running, jumping and screaming in front ON the seats, so you couldn't see anyway. It was just an overall awful experience!!! VERY disappointed, and what a rip-off because of the high price! We will never go back, which is sad since we are locals. I'd rather travel far to see a decent aquarium.

Too crowed half was closed off for remolding price was too pricey when u couldnt see everything first time there wasnt what I thought it would be

We had a great time at Newport Aquarium. My wife and I are aquarium geeks. We go to a lot of aquariums and are often disappointed with the offerings. This was not the case here. My wife and I love sharks and have dove with sharks on several occasions but this was the first time we have had the opportunity see shark rays. They are amazing creatures. The divers in the water delivering the talks about ocean conservation as the sharks circled them would be very cool to most younger kids and those people not familiar with sharks. The aquarium is well laid out and the prices in the gift shop are reasonable. We went on a friday afternoon and there was no line to get in. I read somewhaer that you should allow 2 hours, but it took us 3.5. I would say to give yourself the extra time to avoid feeling rushed and enjoy all this aquarium has to offer.

We may have made the mistake of going during the last winter family day, because it was beyond busy. The aquarium was fantastic, the only issue was the large and noisy crowd. We will definitely go again when there isn't any type of event going on.

Make sure you get there early! We booked tickets for open and ha! Almost an hour to ourselves b3fore the masses arrived. There are a lot of fun things to do and learn with special mention to the shark ray bay theatre. Get there early enough and the penguin parade at the entrance is probably worth doing over the penguin Palooza. Despite the mass crowd flowing like a river through the entire facility, there is still enough time to enjoy each exhibit. We paid extra for the behind the scenes tour which ended our time there nicely. Our guide Hannah was fun, knowledgable & enthusiastic.

Have you ever wanted to get "up close and personal" with an alligator? While you can't touch them, there are some big gators along with a glass bridge you walk over and if you're lucky, an albino gator, or even two, will be meandering along under you. The Newport Aquarium has something for everyone. There are fish all the way from tiny fish you see in home aquariums up to big, big sharks, fresh water and salt water. There are several "touch" pools where you can pet rays and starfish and even spiny sea urchins. Of course, there is the friendly photographer waiting to take your picture, too. The turtle room has several varieties of turtles and tortoises, including ones you can touch, but they think that their mission in life is to try to escape! They can't, of course, but somehow that doesn't stop them from trying! There are several tunnels to walk through where the fish swim over your head. My favorite room is the jellyfish room. It's dark and quiet and peaceful and I could sit and knit all day in there! The stars of the aquarium, though, are the penguins. If you have young children, the Penguin Palooza show is geared toward them. VERY geared toward the sticky-finger set! There are several restrooms and a snack bar to ward off the ravages of hunger. As you exit, you'll see the main tank from the top. The maintenance equipment is on display and you can see the fish and sharks swimming while you're looking down at them. And, of course, you can't leave the aquarium without making your way through the gift shop, where you can purchase paintings done by....the penguins! Lots of friendly staff are around to answer questions. When driving, follow the signs to Newport on the Levee and park in the garage. Parking is only $2.00. There are machines around the elevators where you can pay for parking and you're issued a ticket that you put in the gate machine to get out. Be aware that there is NO cashier at the exits, so you cannot exit the garage with cash. Cash is accepted at the payment machines, though. Besides the aquarium, the complex has several stores, including a two-floor bookstore and a Coldstone Creamery ice cream parlor. There is also a movie theater. If you really want to do something different, take a walk over the Ohio River on the Purple People Bridge. There is no motorized traffic on this bridge so keep in mind that if you walk over to the Ohio side, the only way back to the Levee is to walk, and when you're on foot, that river is a lot bigger than it looks. Depending upon how crowded the aquarium is, strollers may or may not be allowed, so be prepared to carry your little ones in a backpack if necessary. This is definitely an attraction that the whole family can enjoy - even those "know-it-all" teens!

What a great place, kids, adults, teens dating etc. clean. Lots of knowledgeable folks around to answer questions or give information. The fish are beautiful. The tanks for them are cool Bad thing... Walking thru gift shop as the only exit. Lol

A fun place to visit. Lots of interactions with marine life. Very energetic staff. Tip: but the season pass, much cheaper in the long run that a one day ticket.

Took my daughter for her birthday, she wanted to see the penguins. Although it cost extra she loved getting to see and touch the penguins. My husband and I had fun as well. All in all worth the price. Staff very nice. Pictures kind of expensive.

Not at all what I had expected. Upon entry you file though a maze of window boxes. There is no guide offering education until you arrive at a theater center. The seats for the shows were filled and staggered show times did not allow for traffic to flow pleasantly. The bright spot was the tortoise exhibit but sadly he is moving on to another facility. For small children there are plenty of fish to see, a jungle gym, and buttons to push. Based on the photos I had expected a larger facility with a focus on education.

WOW...this aquarium is AMAZING. So many varieties from so many locations. And if you want a deeper experience than just watching fish swim you can really learn a ton about so many different aquatic creatures.

For a smaller aquarium, this one has just about everything you'd want to see. The sharks and penguins are the best, along with the Caribbean Sea animals. There is something for everyone of all ages. The price is reasonable, and they often offer discounts through local Kroger stores. A great way to spend a dreary day in February.

What a fun experience! This was well worth the money, as it's pretty cheap. It is an additonal expense beyone the price of admission to Newport Aquarium, but we still found it to be worth the money. My 14-year old daughter has always wanted to do it, so I got this for her for Christmas. We had a small group of about 15 in our encounter. The tour guides were informative, and their (sometimes weak) attempts at humor were appreciated. We got to pet a penguin a few times (they led one around using a rubber snake so everyone got a change to touch it), and then we had some photo ops. I highly recommend this for all animal lovers!

Great place to stop by if you're visiting Kentucky or Cincinnati. Aquarium is easy to navigate through. They have a wide range of sea animals, from rivers to the ocean. It's fun for the family to spend their afternoon here, your trip will definitely be worth the price!

The Newport Aquarium is a fun, family friendly environment. It one of the best family activities in the Cincinnati area.