Road Trips — By Apryl Chapman Thomas on February 6, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Filed under: Attractions, new exhibits, places to visit in Tennessee

The Penguins are Coming to Gatlinburg’s Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

What do 24 African black-footed penguins have to do with Tennessee?

Well, in March, Gatlinburg’s Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies (map) will become their new home.

The aquarium is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the new “Penguin Playhouse.”

What is deemed as the aquarium’s largest expansion ever, the indoor/outdoor playhouse will feature over 30,000 gallons of temperature controlled saltwater with natural-looking rockwork and plantings for the penguins. In addition, burrowed nesting holes and mud holes have been built into the rocks for nest building.

For you in the playhouse, there will be clear underwater acrylic tunnels to crawl through, allowing you to see the penguin from above and below water level, as well as the favorite – the pop-up, which places you at nearly “nose to beak” with the penguins.

The playhouse will join already established exhibits as the large (and popular) Shark Lagoon, Stingray Bay and Coral Reef, among others.

The aquarium itself is the state’s second most visited attraction, after the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was voted the Number One Aquarium by TripAdvisor.com and named as one of America’s best aquariums by Forbes Traveler. It’s home to over 100,000 sea creatures of all sizes within 1.4 million gallons of water. Open seven days a week, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is a must-see for everyone visiting Gatlinburg.

photo credit: Both photos are courtesy of Gatlinburg CVB. (top left) Beak of an African penguin and (bottom right) Penguin playhouse rendering.