If you’re looking for a way to escape Cincinnati’s current spell of all-over-the-place weather, the Newport Aquarium keeps it a balmy 72 degrees no matter the time of year. And through March 1, kids get in free.
The offer comes as part of Winter Family Days, where one child aged 2-12 gets in free with each full-price adult ticket. (Other discounts/coupons can’t be used with this deal.)
If you visit, plan to see the two dozen baby alligators who have called the aquarium home since last fall as part of a partnership with a Florida-based alligator conservation effort. The reptiles will be in Northern Kentucky until they reach about two feet long, according to WVXU. Snowball and Snowflake — a pair of rare white gators — also reside in the aquarium. Two of only 100 such known albino alligators in the world, you can find them hanging out in the Gator Alley exhibit.
There’s also the Shark Bridge, a 75-foot-long rope bridge suspended just a few inches above a tank full of more than a dozen swimming sharks. You may also spot an array of fish species, shark rays, stingrays and a loggerhead sea turtle named Denver. Dare to touch a stingray in the aquarium’s 17,000-gallon pool, get your nails cleaned by shrimp (seriously), be fascinated by seahorses and chill with penguins.
Speaking of the latter, the aquarium is hosting an overnight “Penguins & PJs” experience on Feb. 7. Grab a sleeping bag, slip on your coziest threads and have a slumber party at the aquarium complete with tours, animal encounters, tank feeding, snacks and breakfast. Tickets are $49.99 and $40.99 for passholders.
The Newport Aquarium is open daily. For more info, visit newportaquarium.com.
This article appears in Jan 8-21, 2020.
