The Georgia Aquarium has been closed to human visitors since the beginning of the coronavirus emergency, but on Thursday an unusual set of visitors had the run of the place.

Two puppies from the Atlanta Humane Society wandered through the empty galleries, observing the whale sharks and manta rays.

“Our puppies just had the best. day. ever.” wrote the Atlanta Humane Society on its Facebook page.

“They got to explore the Georgia Aquarium while it is closed to the public. They made all sorts of exciting discoveries and lots of new friends!”

The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago has done something similar, letting Magellanic penguins wander through the halls of the attraction since it's been closed to the public.

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Georgia Public Broadcasting exterior on April 18, 2025. (Rodney Ho/AJC)

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