Georgia Aquarium

About

Georgia Aquarium is in downtown Atlanta, across Baker Street from the north end of Centennial Olympic Park. It holds more than 11 million gallons of water and tens of thousands of animals, and its largest gallery, Ocean Voyager, is home to whale sharks, which you can watch through a long viewing window or from a walk-through tunnel.

General admission covers every gallery plus the dolphin and sea lion presentations. The presentations are free with a ticket but need a same-day reservation. Tickets are timed, so you pick an entry time and should arrive close to it. Prices change by day and by how far ahead you book. The Aquarium also sells animal encounters, including snorkel and scuba dives, for an extra fee.

The Aquarium is open 365 days a year, with entry ending half an hour before closing. Hours change through the season, so check the calendar for your date. Most guests spend two to four hours inside. Adding the presentations can stretch a visit to four to six hours.

The Aquarium's own parking deck is attached to the building, with entrances on Luckie Street and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. As of 2026, parking is $30 for non-members and $20 for members, and the deck is cashless. By MARTA, it is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Civic Center or Peachtree Center on the Red and Gold lines, or from the GWCC/CNN Center station on the Blue and Green lines. The World of Coca-Cola and the Centennial Olympic Park lawns are next door, so it is easy to pair the Aquarium with another stop.

Accessibility

Georgia Aquarium is wheelchair accessible, and it puts real effort into access for guests with sensory, vision and hearing needs as well.

Accessible parking is on Level 3 of the Aquarium parking deck. A few spaces on the first floor fit oversized vehicles up to 8 feet 2 inches, but the deck entrances have a 6 foot 8 inch clearance, so a tall van should confirm first. Golf carts carry guests between the deck and the Aquarium, first come, first served; ask an attendant on the first or second floor.

Wheelchairs are loaned free at the Guest Relations Desk in exchange for a photo ID. They cannot be reserved ahead. Inside, wheelchair symbols on the floor mark exhibit windows kept clear for seated viewing. Two family restrooms are in the second-level rotunda.

For guests with sensory needs, the Aquarium runs low-sensory hours every morning until 10, with lower lighting, less music and fewer announcements. Signs mark quiet areas and headphone zones throughout the building. A sensory room on the second floor near the Ray Touch Pool is available for up to 15 minutes at a time. Check in at the desk beside it. Sensory bags with headphones and fidgets are loaned at Guest Services with a photo ID, and a social story is online to help you prepare. Team members get ongoing training in helping guests with sensory needs.

Guests who are blind or have low vision can use online audio tours of the galleries, touch tactile elements at education stations in some galleries, and ask staff to describe exhibits. Closed captioning devices are available for both animal presentations, and ASL interpreting for some experiences can be arranged ahead through the Aquarium's accommodation request form. Service dogs are welcome, including dogs in training with school documentation. Emotional support animals are not.

Checked by Accessible America, September 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Georgia

• High Museum of Art (Atlanta)
• Fox Theatre (Atlanta)
• Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park (Atlanta)
• Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site (Atlanta)
• Atlanta Botanical Garden (Atlanta)
• The Battery Atlanta (Atlanta)

Photo credits

• The curved glass entrance of Georgia Aquarium with the building name above a wide plaza.: Diliff, CC BY 2.5 (source)
• A whale shark glides past the Ocean Voyager window as visitors watch in silhouette.: Zac Wolf, CC BY-SA 2.5 (source)
• The Ocean Voyager tunnel, with fish overhead and a visitor using a wheelchair on the walkway.: Diliff, CC BY 2.5 (source)