“Best Aquarium in North America” by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Award
Gatlinburg, TN (May 3, 2019) – USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice 2019 named Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies the #1 Aquarium in North America! This award comes on the heels of several years of awards for the Gatlinburg based aquarium.
In 2018, USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice named Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies the #2 Aquarium in North America. In 2017, the Aquarium was voted Best U.S Aquarium by USA Today 10Best and ranked 5th in the Top 10 Aquariums in the World by 2017 TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice.
Between 2014 and 2018, the aquarium received numerous other voters’ choice awards:
- 2015: 3rd – Best Aquariums in the U.S. by TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice | 5th – Best Aquariums in the World by TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice
- 2014: 3rd– Best Aquariums in the U.S. by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice | 4th Best Aquariums in the U.S. by TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice | 5th – Best Aquariums in the World by TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice
- 2017: 5th in the Top 10 Aquariums in the World by 2017 TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice | Best U.S. Aquarium by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice
“This award is so meaningful because it was decided by the public, our guests who visit our aquarium and make us a part of their family vacation. We work hard to offer our guests the best customer service at one of the world’s finest aquariums in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, and we cannot thank our guests and community enough for voting Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies the Best Aquarium in North America.” – Ryan DeSear, Regional Manager, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.
DeSear also noted that one of the reasons for their high visitor return is because the aquarium is always adding something new, including changeable shows.
The newest exhibit at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is Savage Seas.
Savage Seas is an all-new exhibit, but life on the savage seas isn’t for everyone! Find out what it takes to survive on the open waters.
It’s a Pirate’s Life For Me!
- Learn about daily Pirate life- what they nibbled on after a good plunder, their weapons of choice, and what they did when they weren’t causing trouble..
- What did Pirates do for fun? Play a quiz game to find out what kind of Pirate you are.
- Turn yourself into a pirate or parrot, but beware the kraken!
Pillage and Plunder
- Dispel common myths.
- Learn what job you’re cut out for.
- Dig through magical sand to uncover buried treasure.
Sea Monsters Past and Present
- Use a 16th century map to determine where the sea creatures live. You’ll need to avoid them at all costs!
- Quiz yourself on your sea monster knowledge. Can you correctly identify the most infamous?
- Take your picture with our resident sea monster.
Discovery and Ruin
- Hop aboard the S.S. Nose Dive and examine Pacific sea life.
- Climb beneath an ancient shipwreck and explore the treasures she hides.
- Experience how divers work to uncover buried vessels using special diving gloves.
- Take part in a discovery mission to expose rare artifacts in a giant fish tank.
Mysteries and Tall Tales
- Learn about mysterious ships and shipwrecks-can you discern what is fact or fiction?
- Grab a friend and use your sharp mind and steady hands to navigate the Map Maze.
- Repair Billy the Skeleton as fast as you can before he disintegrates.
- Test your knowledge on ghost ships and stories.
Mother Nature
A force of destiny, destruction, and discovery, the sea has the power to control the fate of those who brave her waters.
- Brave hurricane-force winds in a mighty storm simulation.
- Learn about a small little worm with a big, destructive past.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Dee Lundy
Media
Ripley Attractions – Gatlinburg
lundy@ripleys.com
Office: (865) 755-2128
Suzanne Smagala-Potts
Public Relations Manager
Ripley Entertainment
smagala@ripleys.com
Office: 407-345-8010 Cell: 727-439-0136
About Ripley Entertainment
Ripley Aquariums is part of the Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com) family of worldwide attractions, the global leader in location-based entertainment. More than 14 million people visit its 100-plus attractions in 10 countries each year. In addition to its 30 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in countries around the world. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the second-largest privately held company in Canada.
