new things at ripley's aquarium
in myrtle beach
So, I have a confession. It took us 22 months of living here full-time to actually visit Ripley’s Aquarium. I’m not entirely sure why… I guess I thought it would be more entertainment-focused than actually educational but I was just proven wrong. So while the new sloth exhibit is what lured me in –– there was a lot of other stuff here that I was impressed with.
ADDRESS: 1110 Celebrity Circle
PRICE: $39.99 for adults (12+), $24.99 for ages 6–11, and $12.99 (3–5). Note that Horry County residents get 50% off tickets!
HOURS: Daily, 9a–10p
BEST FOR: All ages! Plenty of hands on experiences, places to play and interesting things to see to keep kids and adults engaged.
the sloth exhibit + other new things
THE SLOTH EXHIBIT | News of the sloth exhibit reverberated throughout the Grand Strand and now it’s complete! It is an indoor exhibit with two two-toed sloths, Rico and Cleo who love to be lazy and sleep most of the day! They do usually feed them around 9am and 1:30pm at this time, so if you’d like to see a little more action –– these are the times to come!
NEW PLAY STRUCTURE | There is a brand new play structure for kids to enjoy and a few more new elements coming to the discovery center area. Those will include touch tanks and more interactive elements. Those should be ready by mid-June!
other notes about the aquarium
The aquarium has several key exhibits that steal the show. There are placards of information everywhere and something interesting at every turn. The aquarium flows really well and feels very clean, well-maintained and organized.
JELLYFISH | These are like artwork. The aquarium has this area setup really nicely to maximize the intricate details of these unique looking animals. Mesmerizing!
SHARK TUNNEL | This is a very impressive and long underwater tunnel. There are so many sharks here including unique ones like the sawshark.
PENGUINS | You can take a look at the website before you go to get to know them by name and birthday. These are fun to watch and there is a fun little tunnel for kids to crawl through for a better look.
STINGRAYS | There is a huge wall to view the stingrays and they put on a show by swimming up close to it for a great view of them from underneath. Then there is a space at the top of the tank to touch them and even feed them.
I was very impressed and pleased with everything! We spent about 1.5 hours which was plenty of time for us to see everything. There are clean and big bathrooms in convenient places. Two play structures and a cafe with some snack food options.
Much like other popular attractions, Disney and Myrtle Beach’s own SkyWheel, you’ll exist through the gift shop. The merch is very cute so it’s likely your kids will spot something they’d love to claim as their own 🙂
For comparison you can read about our experience at the SC Aquarium in Charleston here.
