The Newport Aquarium is bringing the beach to the levee.
World champion sand sculptor Damon Farmer has transformed more than 14 tons of sand into three massive works of sea-themed art. The three sculptures stand 6 to 8-feet-tall and feature several animals from the aquarium. It took Farmer between 25 and 30 hours to build each sculpture.
“Everything from sharks to sea turtles and penguins will be seen but the closer you look, the more you’ll see — down to the smallest of fish and corals,” said Newport Aquarium Executive Director Eric Rose in a press release. “They really are a celebration of all the animals, perfect as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary this year.”
The sculptures will be on display through the end of #SharkSummer, Sept. 8.
And speaking of #SharkSummer, Newport Aquarium is the shark capital of the Midwest. Their Shark Bridge allows visitors to cross 385,000-gallon open water exhibit, which is infested with sharks. Visitors can also touch five different species of sharks in Shark Central or get up close and personal with the sharks in acrylic tunnels.
#SharkSummer also offers extended hours. The aquarium is open from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily until Aug. 31 and one kid can get in free with the purchase of an adult admission select dates and times until Sept. 8 (tickets must be purchased online). For more information, visit newportaquarium.com.
This article appears in Jul 17-24, 2019.