Newport Aquarium

About

Newport Aquarium is in Newport, Kentucky, on the south bank of the Ohio River directly across from downtown Cincinnati. It anchors the Newport on the Levee shopping and dining plaza, and the walk across the Purple People Bridge from Cincinnati ends a short stroll away.

Most of the aquarium sits one level below the entrance, in a loop of galleries with shark tanks, jellyfish, penguins, frogs and a coral reef. Touch experiences run all day at Stingray Hideaway, Shark Central and the Tide Pool in the Shore Gallery, and paid animal encounters, including penguin encounters, are offered on set dates. Shark Bridge, a rope bridge over the shark tank, is an optional thrill for those who can walk across it. Sharky's Café is on the lower level.

Once a month, on the third Sunday from 8 to 9 a.m., the aquarium holds Family Inclusive Sensory Hours, with fewer guests, softer music, lower lighting and calming areas. In 2026 those tickets cost $20 for adults and $16 for children 2 to 12. The aquarium posts regular hours and prices on its website, and members get discounts.

Park in the Newport on the Levee garage or nearby surface lots, and take the elevator to the plaza level; the aquarium's website lists current parking rates. The restaurants, shops and movie theater of Newport on the Levee surround the entrance, and the Cincinnati riverfront, Great American Ball Park and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center are just over the river.

Accessibility

Newport Aquarium is wheelchair accessible. The only exception is Shark Bridge, an optional rope bridge that guests must walk across on their own; a periscope gives a view into the shark tank for those who skip it.

Park in the Newport on the Levee garage, where many accessible spaces surround the central elevator column and the east elevator bay, and ride the elevator to the plaza (PL) level. Everyone enters at the main entrance on the east side of the building on the Levee plaza. Elevators just off the lobby go down to the exhibit level.

Manual wheelchairs are free at Guest Services in the lobby, first come, first served, with a photo ID as deposit. Every restroom has accessible stalls, and family and companion restrooms are on the lower level near the main elevator and Sharky's Café. Staff can arrange access to the Tide Pool animals for guests who cannot reach them; ask a Host.

For visitors with low vision, lighted magnifying glasses can be rented at Guest Services, and touch pools at Stingray Hideaway, Shark Central and the Tide Pool are open all day.

The aquarium is a KultureCity Certified Sensory Inclusive Venue and trains its Hosts on sensory needs. Free sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones, fidgets and cue cards, and a weighted lap pad, are lent at Guest Services with an ID. Signs mark louder Headphone Zones. Family Inclusive Sensory Hours run on the third Sunday of each month before opening.

Working service animals are welcome, but not at Penguin Encounters, and there is no relief area inside, so keep your ticket to step out and return. Emotional support animals and pets are not allowed. A paid personal care attendant gets in free; call 1-800-406-3474 to arrange tickets in advance.

Checked by Accessible America, September 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Kentucky

• Newport on the Levee (Newport)
• Kentucky Horse Park (Lexington)
• Kentucky Science Center (Louisville)
• Mammoth Cave National Park (Mammoth Cave)
• Muhammad Ali Center (Louisville)
• National Corvette Museum (Bowling Green)

Photo credits

• Visitors seated on benches watch divers and sharks through a large aquarium window.: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Davis Anderson, Public domain (source)
• African penguins on rocks behind glass, with the silhouettes of visitors in front.: Sorah Fukumori, CC BY 3.0 (source)
• A sandbar shark swims low over the sandy floor of a large tank at Newport Aquarium.: Jeff Kubina from Columbia, Maryland, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source)