Georgia Aquarium reopening soon

Closed for 3 months due to coronavirus, the attraction will institute strict measures to ensure safety
A staff member at the Georgia Aquarium feeds a green sea turtle. CONTRIBUTED: GEORGIA AQUARIUM

A staff member at the Georgia Aquarium feeds a green sea turtle. CONTRIBUTED: GEORGIA AQUARIUM

The Georgia Aquarium will reopen to members beginning Saturday, June 13, and to all others Monday, June 15, according to a statement from the attraction.

Like many other area attractions, the aquarium, one of downtown Atlanta's most visited spots, was closed March 14 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During its reopening, the aquarium will institute new policies to safeguard the health of its visitors and employees.

Among those new policies: tickets will only be available online and must be purchased in advance.

To ensure social distancing between visitors, tickets will be sold for discrete time blocks.

Tickets will only be valid during the time block selected. Guests are asked to arrive on time and to leave at the end of their time block. “This will ensure our team will be able to clean and sanitize the exhibits between visitor groups,” read the statement.

The time blocks are:

  • Morning time block: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Closed for deep cleaning: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Midday time block: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Closed for deep cleaning: 4 p.m. to 5 p.mt
  • Evening time block: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Closed for deep cleaning: 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

All guests must consent to a contactless temperature scan prior to entering the building. Any person with a temperature of  100.4° or higher will not be permitted entry.

A staff member works with the coral at the Georgia Aquarium. CONTRIBUTED: GEORGIA AQUARIUM

Credit: Addison Hill

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Credit: Addison Hill

The Georgia Aquarium strongly suggests that all guests wear masks. Masks will be available at the gate for those who might need one. All Georgia Aquarium team members are required to wear masks for the entirety of their shift.

All unique experiences, such as swimming with the whale sharks, are temporarily suspended.

All tickets are now a single price regardless of age or arrival time.

Children under 3 are still free.

The main entrance will be closed and ambassadors will guide visitors to the alternate entrances assigned to their time blocks.

For more information go to the Georgia Aquarium's re-opening page.