January | 2017 | Aquarium Works

NEWPORT, Ky. — Today Newport Aquarium announced, Stingray Hideaway: Enter their World; the only stingray experience of its kind in North America, will open in May. The highly interactive new exhibit will allow guests to discover one of the ocean’s most mysterious animals from above and below the water’s surface and even the opportunity to touch them.

“When Stingray Hideaway opens, it’s quickly going to become a guest favorite,” said Eric Rose, Newport Aquarium Executive Director. “Anytime our guests are able to experience what it feels like to touch an animal, a personal relationship is built that leads to a lifetime of love and respect for those animals.”

Stingray Hideaway is the biggest development at Newport Aquarium since Shark Bridge opened in 2015. When it opens this summer, the 6,000 square feet signature attraction’s soaring 40-feet high atrium ceiling will allow sunlight to filter down on the wide-open, expansive area of tropical habitats below. The project represents a major investment in the aquarium of more than a million dollars.

Guests will be invited to explore the tropical habitat from below the water’s surface. Once underwater, they’ll have a 360-degree view of stingrays swimming around them.

Highlights of the new experience include a 17,000-gallon stingray touchpool where guests can interact with two dozen stingrays. Among the most innovative of elements, the touchpool will feature a 30-f00t long tunnel where kids and adventurous adults will be able to see stingrays swimming from below the touchpool’s surface, effectively allowing them to enter the stingrays’ underwater world. Another special feature is a touch area for smaller children to get up close to several juvenile sharks at their level. Rounding out the experience, guests will be able to explore the tropical island habitat around the touchpool featuring land-dwelling creatures like iguanas and lizards.

Stingray Hideaway: Enter their World will open this May. The 17,000-gallon stingray touchpool features an innovative, 30-foot long tunnel where kids and adventurous adults will be allowed to enter the stingrays’ underwater world.

The extensive project will transform the space previously occupied by Canyon Falls, which closed in December. Stingray Hideaway: Enter Their World will be open year around and will be included with general admission.

WAVE Foundation Expanding Outreach with Stingrays

In conjunction with Stingray Hideaway, WAVE Foundation at Newport Aquarium is expanding its outreach efforts, with a new outreach vehicle and a new state-of-the-art mobile stingray outreach cart – the only one in the country.

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WAVE Foundation at Newport Aquarium is extending its outreach efforts with a new state-of-the-art outreach cart.

“By having these new outreach tools, WAVE will more than double its ability to serve more than 100,000 community learners annually, serving youth and community members in need who may not be able to visit the aquarium,” said Scott Wingate, Executive Director of WAVE Foundation.

For more information, visit NewportAquarium.com or call 800-406-FISH (3474).

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Newport Aquarium, named one of the top U.S. aquariums in 2016 by Leisure Group Travel, and has showcased thousands of animals from around the world in a million gallons of water since 1999. Named a top U.S. aquarium by US City Traveler and Destinations Travel Magazine in 2014, and also by Travel Channel in 2013, Newport Aquarium is a Herschend Family Entertainment company and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Newport Aquarium is open to the public 365 days a year and is located across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati at Newport on the Levee.

NEWPORT, Ky. – Just as meteorologists are forecasting a cold front and colder temperatures on the way, Newport Aquarium announces the return of Winter Family Days, where one child (ages 2-12) gets in FREE with each full-priced adult.* The aquarium has also added a brand new limited-time-only meet and greet opportunity with Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles from the new kids TV show by the same name.

Kids will have fun inside Newport Aquarium’s 72-degree climate-controlled facility, no matter the weather outside.

NEW: Meet Splash and Bubbles
A new attraction has been added to Newport Aquarium in the form of a meet and greet with the title characters of Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles, the newest PBS KIDS TV show. The new ocean-themed animated kids’ series encourages children to explore the natural undersea world and features endearing and humorous characters on fun-filled adventures. During Winter Family Days, several of the species featured in the cartoon will be on exhibit in the Shore Gallery. And, Newport Aquarium’s Shark Ray Bay Theater will be transformed into the hit TV show’s Reeftown setting where guests will have an opportunity to meet and get their picture taken with Splash and Bubbles.

Splash and Bubbles can be seen on local PBS station, CET. The TV show is co-produced by Newport Aquarium’s parent company, Herschend Enterprises (Herschend Studios) and the Emmy Award winning Jim Henson Company, the producers of Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid.

Extended Winter Hours

The aquarium will open one hour early (9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.) on the following dates:

Saturdays in January & February (Beginning January 11)
Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend
Presidents Day Weekend

Last entry to the aquarium will be one hour before closing. See website for operating hours.

At Newport Aquarium, there is always more new to see and do:

Shark Bridge –This 75-foot rope bridge is the only one of its kind in North America and allows guests to walk just inches above nearly two dozen sharks, exotic shark rays, two stingrays and more than 300 fish in one of the country’s largest open air tank displays.
Surrounded by Sharks – Guests can walk through a 385,000-gallon tank filled with rare and exotic shark rays, six species of shark, and Denver, the mischievous 200-pound loggerhead sea turtle.

Seahorses: Unbridled Fun – This interactive exhibit features some of nature’s most amazing creatures, including several species of seahorses, sea dragons, trumpetfish, razorfish and pipefish. At the Seahorse Creation Station, guests can discover their inner-artist and create a digital seahorse to share. The exhibit also features rare video of seahorses and their most unusual behaviors.

Gator Alley – Gator Alley is the home of Mighty Mike – who at 14-feet long and 800 pounds is the biggest alligator in the country outside of Florida, as well as Snowball and Snowflake, two of fewer than 100 white alligators in the world.
Kroger Penguin Palooza – With five different sub-Antarctic penguin species totaling nearly 50 birds, Kroger Penguin Palooza boasts one of the most diverse collections of cold-weather penguins in the country.
Frog Bog – Children have never seen frogs like this before as they can find secret frog tanks visible only when they climb through tunnels and tubes in the kids-only Frog Bog jungle gym.

Beginning January 4th, Winter Family Days tickets will be available at the Newport Aquarium ticket window, online at NewportAquarium.com or by phone at 800-406-FISH (3474).

*This special offer cannot be combined with other discounts or coupons.

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Monthly Archives: January 2017

Immersive Stingray Experience Coming to Newport Aquarium in May

Winter Family Days: One Free Kids ticket through Feb. 26, with paid adult