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DEL.ICIO.USFish fans go wild to get in
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The good news for the Georgia Aquarium — it’s the hottest ticket in town. That’s also the bad news.
Callers and computer users overwhelmed the aquarium’s call center and Web site Monday and Tuesday, stranding thousands of people trying to buy tickets to get a peek at the world’s biggest fish tank in downtown Atlanta.
“We’re taking calls all day, but the problem is the volume,” Jeff Swanagan, the aquarium’s executive director said Tueday morning. “You might have a better chance with a lottery ticket than trying to get in right now.”
By today, he said, officials plan to increase the call center’s capacity by adding a hired subcontractor. And they will quadruple the capacity of the Web site. The call center had already doubled its original capacity to 19 people for the opening, but that proved inadequate, Swanagan said.
“You can’t build your church for Easter Sunday,” he said. “But now I’m thinking that might have been a good idea.”
The overload hit Monday — the facility’s opening day for annual pass holders — after NBC’s “Today” show broadcast from the attraction. The Web site (www.georgiaaquarium.org) also was overwhelmed.
The crush abated Monday night, but resumed Tuesday.
The 8-million-gallon aquarium, which holds more than 100,000 fish and other animals, has been the focus of intense publicity on local, national and international stages. CNN and CBS will broadcast from the aquarium today, its official grand opening.
Mark Chute, a telecommunications worker from Dallas, Ga., — on the fringe of metro Atlanta — said Tuesday that he had tried for two days to buy tickets on the aquarium’s Web site for his wife and 12-year-old daughter.
“We’re looking forward to going,” Chute said. “We’re very proud of it. But we can’t get to the information we need to get inside.” Visitors who bought tickets before Monday apparently had little trouble, Swanagan said.
About 14,000 season pass holders toured the aquarium Monday and Tuesday as part of a controlled or so-called “soft opening” intended to work out kinks before today’s grand opening.
The aquarium is using a “time ticketing” system that requires visitors to book their visit in advance with a specific arrival time. They can stay as long as they like once they arrive.
General admission ticket holders can visit beginning today, but they, too, must book their visit ahead of time.
Swanagan said officials are surprised not only by the volume of ticket demand, but also by the geographical reach of the demand. “People are buying annual passes from Texas and Michigan,” he said. “It’s amazing.”
Aquarium spokesman Dave Santucci said the aquarium’s time slots are mostly booked through Thanksgiving weekend.
“We expect another huge number of calls after all the publicity with the grand opening,” he said. “We’re asking people to please be patient until all the media attention dies down a bit.”
Swanagan said it took him three tries Tuesday to get through to the aquarium’s Web site and four calls to get through to the call center.
Ticket demand had been building for weeks, he said. The $290 million aquarium had sold 80,000 annual passes by the time its doors opened. But it was the “Today” show broadcast Monday that blew the lid off, he said. The show reaches 6 million domestic viewers and millions more overseas.
“We’re going to start forwarding all foreign calls to Matt Lauer,” one of the “Today” hosts, Swanagan said.
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By Dexter
November 23, 2005 08:20 AM | Link to this
I am not impressed
By Nix
November 23, 2005 08:31 AM | Link to this
I think it’s wonderful that we georgians have this wonderful attraction. It will no only benefit our children, but many generations to come!!
By Nix
November 23, 2005 08:32 AM | Link to this
I think it’s great that we georgians have this wonderful attraction. It will no only benefit our children, but many generations to come!!
By kiimberly
November 23, 2005 09:04 AM | Link to this
i think this is way too overrated. it’s not even all that… been there yesterday already…. i still think it cost too much.
By Diver_dow
November 23, 2005 09:08 AM | Link to this
Our family bought annual passes several weeks ago and visited the aquarium on Tuesday. We went in the early afternoon and had no trouble parking in the garage. We had our bar-coded reservations printed out and only had to go through a security - wand scan (which took 30 seconds) and then went straight to and through the entrance. The crowd was large but it was easy to see and do anything we wanted to do in 2.5 hours we were there.
The only thing we didn’t do was wait in line for an hour to have our pictures taken for our annual passes. We’ll just wait until things die down a bit to take care of that.
Highly recommended.
By Michelle
November 23, 2005 09:10 AM | Link to this
Unfortunately the tickets are so high priced that many families, such as my own, won’t ever be able to see the aquarium. Perhaps it’s their way of keeping out the riff-raff. I hope in the coming years they will offer better prices and family discounts so that hardworking people who make less than others can enjoy the aquarium too. It’s a shame when you work hard (my husband is a cop) and still can’t afford to take your children to something touted as so amazing.
By Sean
November 23, 2005 09:14 AM | Link to this
What a joke! Like most “happenings” in Atlanta the Powers that Be find a way to screw it up! Some old rich guys spends $200 million of his own money for the world’s largest aquarium and then they promote the hell out it so people will want to go. But, of course, Marcus et. al doesn’t spend enough on the website or build a big enough to handle the volume of people who are trying to buy tickets to go. How does one double a call center capacity to 19? Did they have a half a person in there? I hope Swanagan Marcus is supposed to be some marketing genius, but most people make long-standing judgements on their first impressions of a product or service.
Our family really was excited to go, but after trying to get passes on the crappy website and after spending roughly 2 hours on hold only to be disconnected by the call center - My first impressions: I am going to save my money and not go. Its not worth the effort and aggravation. I hope the aquarium closes by 2007.
By B
November 23, 2005 09:25 AM | Link to this
People, has anything ever been easy in Atlanta? Get over yourself and stop whining like a kid. It’s better to keep those out that are only going to complain the entire time they are there and beforehand.
By RT
November 23, 2005 09:26 AM | Link to this
Quit whining. Some people are just unhappy and will find somethin to gripe about no matter what…ticket prices, lines, not making enough money, etc. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth!
By B
November 23, 2005 09:26 AM | Link to this
People, has anything ever been easy in Atlanta? Get over yourself and stop whining like a kid. It’s better to keep those out that are only going to complain the entire time they are there and beforehand. It’s the largest in the world, give them time to work things out.
By John
November 23, 2005 09:26 AM | Link to this
You don’t have to go this week. I don’t see this ticketing delay as a problem. You don’t want too many people crowding each other out at an attraction like this. Everyone will get a turn.
By A.C.
November 23, 2005 09:30 AM | Link to this
Thank you Mr. Marcus. What a wonderful gift to the people of Georgia. We spent about 4 hours at the aquarium yesterday (including closing time where we were the only people in front of the Beluga tank). It is a marvelous facility. To Michele, I am sorry that your family cannot afford to go; i did see inside the TBS and Publix are funding an educational program to help school classes go by keeping costs under $10 per student so perhaps your children will get the opportunity. To Sean, jeepers what an attitude. Had you planned ahead like many others did you would not have hit the rush on the call center. My guess is you will eventually get over it and go to this amazing site. Rest assured it will be there for you for many years to come.
By Sandy
November 23, 2005 09:33 AM | Link to this
I just want to let people know that I thoguht the whole experience was wonderful. I purchased my season pass back in October when they first came available. I have made 3 different resevations for days over the next 3 months and never had a problem with the web page. I was there at 9am on Monday and even though there was a line - we we in in less than 30 minutes. Once inside it was spacious enough that it did not seem too crowded. It is a WONDERFUL exhibit! Parents with small children will love the interactive Southern area. It has lots of things to climb on and slide down. I feel bad for those people who are trying to get tickets on Monday and Tuesday…but what did you expect? The first few weeks will probally be crazy but try again - it is worth the wait.
By T
November 23, 2005 09:34 AM | Link to this
I am thrilled that the aquarium is in Atlanta. The price to go into the aquarium is comparable to the prices of aquariums I have been to around the country. And this one….this is the biggest in the world!! In Atlanta…and people want to gripe about call centers and websites. I have known for months that it was coming and it WAS announced when ticket sales started. So if you wait till the last minute, expect to wait and be inconvenienced. If you go to other attractions around Atlanta…such as Six Flags…do you wait in line? Do you pay a great deal?
The great deal is a SEASON pass!! You can visit for as long as you want and as often as you want all year long. That is great. Oh, by the way….I TOO am a cop’s wife, I TOO have a family.
By Jason
November 23, 2005 09:37 AM | Link to this
I love people like Sean. Him and his cranky attitude will stay away and allow more room for those of us who will enjoy ourselves and have a good time. Who wants to be at an attraction with such a sourpuss?
By Kelly
November 23, 2005 09:45 AM | Link to this
I am shocked by all of the people who are so angry that the call center and the website were overwhelmed. With the publicity it received on cnn.com (front page, main story), the Today show, etc. I’m sure there are thousands of out of state visitors just hearing about it for the first time who want to learn more. Isn’t this part of what Brand Atlanta is all about?!?!? Drawing visitors to our city? And this is the attitude our residents come off with. Unbelievable. If you really wanted to go this week, you should have bought your tickets last month. If you want to go sometime, but not a specific date, wait a week, and then buy your tickets. Everything will be fine once some of the “newness” wears off. To hope that it “closes by 2007” because you can’t get through the website or the phone lines is just unbelievable. Buy your passes with the thousands that did so beforehand, or wait until the grand opening is over and some of the publicity dies down and I’m sure you wouldn’t have so much to complain about. Or perhaps having something to complain about is really what this is about? As for the family that cannot afford season passes (a legitimate concern) if you happen to know anyone employed at Home Depot, I heard that they had a “friends and family” discount coupon - maybe that would help?
By TG
November 23, 2005 09:45 AM | Link to this
To the family of the police officer….If you can prove to me that you have lived/live a responsible lifestyle…I will buy tickets for your family to attend. No Benz’s, diamonds all over your hands/neck/ears, Prada bags, exorbitant clothing….etc. You are right….this should not be out of the reach of hard working, honest, and humble people who have kids and do not have the means. If you can prove that you have lived within your means…I’ll pay!! I truly hope that you and your family do get to go when all the hype calms down!!!
By Peggy
November 23, 2005 09:46 AM | Link to this
It just never ceases to amaze me how many unhappy, bitter people there are in this world who always find someone else or something else to blame anything and everything on that does not go their way. To anyone who knew they wanted to visit the aquarium within the first few weeks of opening, but did not bother to purchase tickets and make reservations in advance, you have no one to blame but yourself! The tickets went on sale in October. And Sean, to wish the aquarium to close by 2007 just because you couldn’t get tickets at the last minute is completely childish and immature. Don’t blame everyone else for your lack of planning.
By Tommy
November 23, 2005 09:46 AM | Link to this
I struggle like most, but the season passes paid off on Tuesday when my two girls(5 and 2) eyes lit up everytime they saw an exhibit. No matter how much money, how much the wait, how much the crowds, their expressions alone made it worth while for me and we plan to go as many times as we can. It is a great place for families just to spend the day with each other and those moments are priceless. Thanks Georgia Aquarium!
By Mike
November 23, 2005 09:52 AM | Link to this
Hey Sean, They have been selling tickets for 6 months. I got mine in August. It’s not Bernie Marcus’s fault you were too dumb to plan ahead.
By Valerie Gourdine
November 23, 2005 09:54 AM | Link to this
Mr. Marcus, you are an amazing man for building the largest aquarium in the world in “Hot Atlanta”. I purchased a fish scale for myself and my daughter and I can’t wait view my name in lights. Excited to view over 100,000 fishes as well.
By Jenny
November 23, 2005 09:56 AM | Link to this
Wow. I am flabbergasted at the anger people have over something that does not affect their lives unless they let it. For those who couldn’t get through to buy tickets, who says you have to go right now? Wait until after the holidays when the hype dies down. If you really wanted to go so bad, you should have gotten your tickets over a month ago when they went on sale. I did and I’m excited to go this Saturday.
By samantha
November 23, 2005 09:58 AM | Link to this
i knew weeks ago that it was gonna be an insane opening..ill wait the month or two then get season passes when i have the cash after the first of the year when hopefully the crowds have calmed down alot…season passes defenetly seem worth it.and im glad that atlanta has a place for people of all ages to enjoy.
By Big P
November 23, 2005 09:58 AM | Link to this
The aquarium is freaking awesome. If you don’t like the aquarium, go to hell. Aquarium for life, hoe!
By pr
November 23, 2005 10:00 AM | Link to this
BRAVO! TO ALL THAT PLANNED AHEAD! TO THE UNHAPPY CAMPERS…. GET OVER IT!
By DKB
November 23, 2005 10:01 AM | Link to this
Why is everyone making it sound like this is a short time exhibit and if they don’t get in this week they will never, ever get to see it again? My family and I are definitely going. However, we look forward to visiting in a couple of months when the grand opening brouhaha has passed.
The ticket price is a bit steep for my budget, but everything I’ve seen and heard about the aquarium so far tells me it will be well worth it.
By april jackson
November 23, 2005 10:06 AM | Link to this
I am sooo excited about the new aquarium and all the hype surrounding it. I cannot wait to take my family but am waiting for the fevor to die down. I must say that I am also VERY disappointed that the costs are so HIGH. I am not whining I am simply stating a fact. Those of us who have good incomes but strive not to go into debt cannot get off of spending passes for a family of four. Why couldn’t they have a family pass like the CMA or the Zoo?
By ida
November 23, 2005 10:13 AM | Link to this
Where did they get the idea that 19 peoples were needed in the call center. A maximun of at least 40 peolple were needed and additional telephone lines. They did ask nor hire someone with knowledge of the tye of work experience. A person with a degree is not always the answer in most cases experience is your answer. Everdently they didn’t know what to expect.
By Caye
November 23, 2005 10:20 AM | Link to this
My daughter’s school always took the Pre-K classes to Tennessee to visit the aquarium during Spring Break. Since the aquarium is in Atlanta, they have been afforded the opportunity to explore other avenues and visit Disney World for their Pre-K trip. The staff, parents, and children are excited about having another fine exhibit to enhance their minds without having to leave the state. I am thankful that we have the aquarium. Truth be told, it is not going anywhere and there are 365 days in a year and plenty of chances to visit it. My daughters and I are just waiting our turn to visit. We have been waiting for years for the aquarium to arrive, what’s a few more months to wait until the crowd dies down. Thank you Mr. Marcus!
By Don
November 23, 2005 10:24 AM | Link to this
I agree that the price for a Childs Ticket is too high. I have no kids so it doesn’t affect me but for a family with say 3 kids a day at the aquarium will easily be over $100. There is imense value in getting children to appreciate wildlife early in their life but unfortunately the Aqaurium will be out of reach for many of them. Also the price for a childs ticket at the Monterey Aquarium which is also considered one of the best in the world is less than $11.
By Mark
November 23, 2005 10:33 AM | Link to this
Whats with you people? Calm down. The aquarium isn’t going anywhere—it will be there next week, next month, next year.
By Lucinda Ballard
November 23, 2005 10:35 AM | Link to this
What a wonderful addition to the landscape of downtown Atlanta and to Georgia’s array of attractions. I work right around the corner near Centennial Olympic Park, so many days I go walking in that area on lunch. Once the hype dies down, I will definitely be visiting the aquarium from time to time.
Now, I don’t want to add to band of gripers here, but I hope that Marcus and Blank will also take an active role in the bigger scheme of things when it comes to downtown Atlanta’s landscape. Without some better transportation planning, better solutions to homelessness and a continued effort toward crime reduction, the downtown revitalization efforts may continue to be hampered. We need more diversity in Atlanta/Fulton government, a MARTA overhaul, a new sheriff and a commitment to stop being so soft on crime. Atlanta is a great city, but things and other drawbacks will effect our ability to truly be a “world class city.” These are things - in my opinion - that the ‘branding’ money should have been spent on. (Translated: clean up your house, THEN invite your friends over to stay…not vice versa!)
I’m proud of Marcus and I feel a lot of gratitude for his gift to the state, but we want to be able to enjoy the downtown experience at large - without being constantly badgered to “spare some change” or worrying about a killer running loose first thing on a Tuesday morning. We should be able to get to and from the aquarium without being hemmed up in traffic all day. PEACHTREE CENTER STATION, folks!! The walk is only 3 or 4 blocks.
Lucinda
P.S. TG - That is sooo admirable of you to offer to provide the wherewithal for the cop wife & family. I hope she can get you the proof you need.
By David
November 23, 2005 10:37 AM | Link to this
After two days or dialing an redialing and clicking and hitting back, refresh, etc., I was finally able to buy tickets. Now the Aquarium has my money ($205) but the Web Site crashed again before I could make a reservation. Now I have tickets, but can’t get a reservation. I still can’t get through to the call center and the web site still doesn’t work. FYI, if you want to call and complain, Swanagan’s home phone is available on Yahoo People Search.
By Thaddeus H. Charleston, IV
November 23, 2005 10:40 AM | Link to this
The aquarium is by far the most disappointing venue in the Atlanta area. I have lived here for several years and I must say that if your choice for fun involves looking at a bunch of imprisoned sea creatures then perhaps the level of excitement you enjoy is on par with watching a silent movie blindfolded. This will rank next to the disappointment of Stone Mountain and the World of Coke. I will definetly move my annual visit to Six Flags up on the calendar so as to avoid the unfulfilling nothingness that has once again exposed Atlanta as the virulent waste of entertainment dollar.
By Sandra
November 23, 2005 10:42 AM | Link to this
Working for one of the major contractors, I and a friend went Friday night(18th). I cannot remember going anywhere when there was a perputual smile on my face for the entire evening. I also purchased my annual pass in October. How wonderful of Mr. Marcus to give back to the community that realized his dream. We are the winners. The whiners are simply green with envy. He could’ve bought a yacht folks!
By Ziza817
November 23, 2005 10:45 AM | Link to this
This is a wonderful addition to Atlanta which is sadly lacking in cultural experiences for families and for children in particular. My son is a freshman in college and can’t wait to go and neither can I. We will wait til the hubbub dies down. TG, you are a blessing. All children should have this opportunity and I agree the prices are a little high for some folks but with the generosity of folks like TG and others, I hope all the children of Atlanta will have a chance to go. The educational value of this venue cannot be overstated, this will be a mind expanding experience for every child that visits and is a huge gift to the city, but especially to its children.
By Lucinda Ballard
November 23, 2005 10:50 AM | Link to this
Correction: I meant “…running loose first thing on a Friday morning.” Reference: March 11.
By Jason
November 23, 2005 10:51 AM | Link to this
Calling Jeff Swanagan at home isn’t going to accomplish anything. They are well aware of the problems with the web site and call center and are working hard to fix them. All calling him going to accomplish is to make the man change his phone number and take time away from his job and his family. You do realize he has five kids and probably will want to spend at sometime with them over the holidays without hearing some crazy person calling on the phone.
Certainly people have a right to be upset but it’s not like this was done on purpose and they are working hard to correct the problem. For heavens sake, the Aquarium was on the frontpage of a major Russian newspaper. It’s getting much larger international attention than anyone could have dreamed.
Calm down, take a deep breath and stop trying to think up ways to harrass Mr. Swanagan.
By Chris G.
November 23, 2005 11:03 AM | Link to this
If it is too expensive for you, don’t go. This isn’t like bread and water. It isn’t an entitlement. It is a business that costs a lot to operate. The Georgia Aquarium is not government owned or funded! Do you complain about not being able to afford to eat at a fancy restaurant? This would be a better complaint, since at least food is considered to be a basic necessity of life. Going to the aquarium is NOT.
For Mr. Charleston, who opts to go to Six-flags instead, good riddance. Six-flags has absolutely no educational value unless you call waiting in lines in the hot sun with 400 pounders wearing spandex and a fanny-pack educational. The aquarium is not merely entertainment, it is educational. On top of that, there is a great deal of research going on behind the scenes at the aquarium. This research will help the animals in our oceans, as well as humans. If you are going to compare apples-to-apples, an aquarium is more like a museum than Six-Flags or movies.
By George
November 23, 2005 11:08 AM | Link to this
As a trained science teacher and huge fan of the Chattanooga Aquaruim and environmnetal advocate, I am pleased to see the addition of another large aquaruim to the Atlanta/Chattanooga Area.
I am sure that, at some point, the new aquaruim will reach out to local schools in the area and provide an opportuinity for discounted or free tickets to deserving students in the area.
It is the students of today that will inherit the mess that all of us have created in the environment, and we must remember the aquaruim is more of a gift to our children, than a source of a three-ring circus for touruism.
Please do not forget the TN. Aquaruim, as they have greatly added on, and it is not that far to get there from Atlanta, and I will gladly walk many city blocks to eat at Sticky Fingers Memphis BBQ anyday.
By Brenda
November 23, 2005 11:10 AM | Link to this
Thaddeus IV - you really need to get a life. Six Flags will be glad for your season pass … they really need the business.
By Andy
November 23, 2005 11:39 AM | Link to this
For all the people looking the gift horse in the mouth with respect to this article and this aquarium… Prices will undoubtably come down over time and everyone will be able to go to the aquarium. However, you have to look at this objectively. A person just spent $200 million of his OWN MONEY!!! I don’t care how much you have, that is a huge amount of money to spend so that other people can become educated about animals. This is the largest aquarium in the world and has fish in it that they have never had in aquariums before. There is a lot of upkeep. Consider the $35 the cost of education. If you choose to send your kids to GA public schools (which led me to Vandy and my brother to Harvard) you have chosen to send them to schools inferior to 44 other states in the country. So an extra $35 of education every now and then might be a good idea. If you ahve ten kids, I can understand that it would be difficult. I hope they have group rates soon. I can empathize witht that.
And guess what else…It’s not going anywhere. Just because your wife pressures you to get Johnny and Jessie tickets on the first day, and the call center and web site are busy, doesn’t mean you aren’t going to get to go. Check back next month. You’ve gone this long without an aquarium in Atlanta, do you really have to bag on the guy that gives you one out of his own pocketbook just because they don’t have enough people to answer the phones?? Come on people. If you need to complain, be honest and complain about your own lives! You know that is what is making you angry, not the aquarium.
By DP
November 23, 2005 11:40 AM | Link to this
First, let me applaud all those people that reminded everyone that: (1) this exhibit is not going to roll up and disappear overnight, or next month, or next year, and (2) people from around the country (and the globe) are buying tickets to this attraction because of its allure and unique qualities, so since tickets have been on sale for months, should ANYONE really gripe (even under your breath) because they could not buy THEIR ticket the last day before the public grand opening? People, please, act like the adults you should be for society. As for the comments from the younger generation, either brush up on your diction and vocabulary or leave true ‘insights’ to your peers. I visited the website early myself and while it does appear that it was well designed and thought out, fees for enjoying this collosal site do seem a bit out of sync, in spite of the fact that we are all sure this is a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience. Anybody remember when a family could actually ‘afford’ to go to Disney? Poor ol’ Roy is probably rolling over in his grave now seeing how ridiculously commercialized his descendents have taken his lifes work. No one begrudges a business over making a profit; otherwise they would be OUT of business. But at ballparks around the country, we get sold 20 ounce drinks for $3.00 (or more) when we can buy them for 1/3 of that outside the venue. I thought gouging was illegal. What about getting charged $4-5 for popcorn at the theatre? If you actually went and bought $4-5 worth of popcorn and made it yourself, you could fill up a small minivan. I simply find it difficult to have to believe that life has deteriorated to how much can business drain from the individual under the guise of ‘profit’. My kids and I will attend, but not anytime soon. We will wait our turn and eventually find some discount tickets somewhere. Gouging the paying public to help pay egotistical ballplayers astronomical salaries is bad enough. Just remember our new neighbors downtown are NOT paid millions a year just so we can watch them; THEIR egos aren’t that fragile (and maybe some of you ballplayers could learn a lesson here; thanks Chipper for starting an unheard of trend, maybe). Since Marcus contributed the vast majority of the money for this new facility, why must prices be where they are? Remind anyone of the Georgia 400 toll plaza that was only supposed to be there long enough to pay for the road? How many times do you think they have been able to pay for that road by now? Just my personal fodder to ponder; apologies for being quite so verbose.
By Chris G.
November 23, 2005 03:29 PM | Link to this
I don’t understand why everyone thinks these prices are out of line. Here are some price points for adult 1-day, full-access passes for some other aquariums with WAY less gallons/fish.
GA Aquarium $22.50 - 8 Million gallons - 100,000 animals
Shedd Aquarium $22 - 5 Million gallons - 20,000 animals
Tenn. Aquarium: $17.50 - ~1 Million gallons - 12,000 animals
So, if the GA Aquarium based its tickets on # of fish, the price would be $145 for a 1-day ticket (using the Tenn. Aquarium as a benchmark), or $110 for a 1-day ticket using Shedd as a benchmark.
If your complaint is that there is no family pass, I refer you again to the above. Specifically, an annual family pass to the Tennessee Aquarium is $85. Using the above formula, you are looking at $680 for an annual pass to the Georgia Aquarium (using the Tennessee Aquarium as a benchmark for animals vs. price). Thus, at that price, the $55 adult individual annual pass for the GA Aquarium is a freakin’ bargain.
It costs a lot to feed and support 100,000 animals. The only way we are able to get $22.50 tickets to the GA Aquarium is precisely because this aquarium is starting with no debt.
I love the Tennessee Aquarium as well, but if anything, these places are the places that appear to be overcharging, not the GA Aquarium.
By Charlene M. Smith
November 24, 2005 04:36 PM | Link to this
I haven’t gone to the Atlanta Aquarium yet, I did call and go on-line to no avail. Still I’m sure in a month or two I too will enjoy this water-wonderland of delight. To all the unhappy people out there! Calm down. Everything happens for a reason. Be patient! Happy Thanksgiving!