South - Questions to help me plan a trip to Atlanta to see the Georgia Aquarium

I'm going to use some frequent flier miles to go to Atlanta to see the Georgia Aquarium. I have never been to the South, and I have a few questions to help plan the trip.

What time of year is best to visit, considering weather, crowds (wanting to avoid tourist high season), and the possibility of drought affecting the aquarium? I recall that last year there were news stories about a severe drought which had some consequences for the aquarium. I don't like the heat, I was thinking either fall or spring (I am in no rush but want to go there sometime in the next year).

Also would the crowds at the aquarium be much better on a weekday rather than a weekend? A weekend is easier for me to get away but if it means terrible crowds at the aquarium then I would take an extra day off work to be there on a weekday.

I'm going to use some frequent flier miles to go to Atlanta to see the Georgia Aquarium. I have never been to the South, and I have a few questions to help plan the trip.

What time of year is best to visit, considering weather, crowds (wanting to avoid tourist high season), and the possibility of drought affecting the aquarium? I recall that last year there were news stories about a severe drought which had some consequences for the aquarium. I don't like the heat, I was thinking either fall or spring (I am in no rush but want to go there sometime in the next year).

Also would the crowds at the aquarium be much better on a weekday rather than a weekend? A weekend is easier for me to get away but if it means terrible crowds at the aquarium then I would take an extra day off work to be there on a weekday.


The drought doesn't effect the aquarium now. I don't remember ever hearing anything about that last year when it was bad. If there was something to that story, I guess it wasn't a big deal around here. Yes, we had a drought but we're fine now.

It's never terribly cold here, but it does get hot.

You best best is a weekday or a morning on the weekend. The aquarium does timed ticketing so it's never so packed you can't walk around. You buy your tickets in advance for a certain time and you are allowed in at that time. You can't just walk up and walk right in. You have to wait until the next timed entry opens up. I can't remember if it's every 30 minutes or an hour. You can see the times on the website.

We have a lot of tourists pretty much all of the time but not as many in the winter, which is common just about everywhere.

The first time I visited the aquarium, it was summer, a Saturday and it had only been open a few months and it really wasn't bad because of the limited number of tickets they sell.

I would suggest looking into the Behind the Scenes tour. We did this last year and it gives you the opportunity to see what occurs on the other side of the exhibits in a small group format. Our guide was excellent, and genuinely interested in everyone's questions.

I just took the family to see the Georgia Aquarium the 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, due to our schedule, we had no choice but to go on a Saturday. So we went as early as we could. I was still surprised at just how crowded that place gets. It was wall to wall people.

I would suggest that you go early on a weekday if you want the best chance at smaller crowds. And another thing, order your tickets online well BEFORE you get there. The lines for purchasing your tickets at the Aquarium were very long. It saved us a bit of time waiting in queues by ordering them. Plus we were sure we had tickets for the early morning time slot. Otherwise, if you wait, they may be sold out of the earliest times and you have to wait until your time slot.

I will say that while the Georgia Aquarium was nice and had some interesting things to see. (The Beluga whales were very "frisky" with each other while we were there. :eek:) But personally, I prefer the Chattanooga Aquarium. It was much less crowded, even on a weekend and laid out a little better. But that is just my opinion. (Note that the Chattanooga Aquarium is a fresh water aquarium.)

I guess it's all luck of the draw. We went to the Chattanooga Aquarium last summer and it was so packed we cold barely get in the door.

The safe bet seems to be to go on a weekday morning.


I wonder if the GA Aquarium has upped their ticket limit since I first visited.

OK I will try to make it a Friday or a Monday for the Georgia Aquarium. If there is a quick way to get to Chattanooga from Atlanta (without driving, I like to avoid U.S. driving) such as a cheap quick flight or scheduled decent bus service then maybe I should see both aquariums.

OK I will try to make it a Friday or a Monday for the Georgia Aquarium. If there is a quick way to get to Chattanooga from Atlanta (without driving, I like to avoid U.S. driving) such as a cheap quick flight or scheduled decent bus service then maybe I should see both aquariums.

Take the airport shuttle to CHA and have them drop you at one of the hotels close to the aquarium, then return you to ATL.

ditto the suggestion on booking tickets in advance online, and for an early time slot. Just gives you more chance to avoid the crowds. (And depending on when you're going, weekdays can be bad with school crowds, too!)

I was there at the Aquarium on a Friday last month and found it to be quite crowded. Granted, I didn't get there until 11am and by then it was quite busy already. Still, seeing the exhibits was worth it. I wrote a more detailed review of the place along with some pictures at my travel blog. (http://thetravellingadventurer.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/a-review-of-the-georgia-aquarium/)