Go Beyond the Glass at Newport Aquarium 1 Levee Way Newport Aquarium aims to take visitors beyond the glass of their tanks and discover the wonder of the underwater world. Named one of the top 10 aquariums in the country by USA Today’s 10Best, Newport Aquarium is home to some of the sea’s coolest animals. Walk over the Shark Bridge, a tightrope bridge over the shark tank, or explore a long-ago sunken ship and see the creatures that call this accidental reef home in the exhibit Shipwreck: Realm of the Eels. All new is Hatchling Harbor, a 25-foot-long tank home to a new ecosystem for hundreds of colorful animals, many of them babies. You can also meet the aquarium’s four shark rays, including the famous Sweet Pea, laugh at the penguins’ antics and see a rare white alligator. Photo: Casey Roberts

If you ever wanted to see what the animals at the Newport Aquarium get up to after dark, now’s your chance. Later this month, the aquarium will host a special 21+ event, complete with games, food, drinks and fishy friends.

Aquarium After Dark is Friday, May 30 and starts at 7:30 p.m. after daytime visitors have left. Attendees are free to explore the aquarium and can enjoy snacks, like a variety of cheese with crackers and flatbread, fresh fruit and yogurt dip, vegetable crudité and a mac and cheese bar with pulled pork and grilled chicken, as well as desserts and a cash bar. You can also play some yard games or take part in meet-and-greets with animal ambassadors and learn more about how dusk impacts animals living in aquatic environments.

About halfway through the event, attendees will also get to experience the “sunset under the sea,” when the lights fade, the sun falls below the horizon and the moon comes out. After that, you’ll receive a neon glowstick to help you complete an after-dark scavenger hunt or take a twilight tour of the aquarium.

Tickets for Aquarium After Dark are $59.99, but aquarium members will receive a special discount. The event starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. You can learn more and buy tickets here.

Newport Aquarium, 1 Levee Way, Newport. More info: newportaquarium.com.

This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.

Katherine Barrier is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism program and has nearly 10 years of experience reporting local and national news as a digital journalist. At CityBeat, she...