For years rumors swirled that one day there would be an aquarium in Cleveland. In January this year, those rumors came true.
Tickets received.
I am excited that the Greater Cleveland Aquarium has opened. The Aquarium opened in the FirstEngery Powerhouse in the Flats. The aquarium was built into a historical building and features 1 million gallons of water, 35 exhibits, and a walk through Sea Tube. Pretty impressive!Since the doors have opened we’ve have been wanting to attend and we were excited recently to have the chance.
Dave and I were eager to visit because not only do we enjoy aquariums, but the building holds a lot of meaning for us. It was where we had our wedding reception. We’re glad to see the reception hall is still there and we were thrilled to show the space to Kora & Logan. This was really special to us because our anniversary is this Thursday! It brought back memories and it was fun sharing them with our kids.
The lower floors that now house the aquarium used to hold some of our favorite haunts – The Cleveland Improv and Howl at the Moon. While we were sad to see them go (thankfully the Improv just moved across the parking lot) we were just as excited to learn about the aquarium taking their place.
They did a great job building the aquarium into the existing building and preserving the historical elements. We were pleased to look up and see a glimpse of one of the smokestacks.
And the lobsters in the ceiling were a big hit with the kids.
We enjoyed listening to the character actor posing as a boat captain in the beginning of our visit. He was very informative and helpful in a fun way that kept Kora & Logan’s attention.
Winding our way through the building we made sure to stop at every tank to look at all the different fish and sea animals.
The stingray tank quickly became one of Kora & Logan’s favorites. Watching the stingrays glide through the water was captivating and we all found them amazing.
We peeked in on the alligators.
We were so excited to see the sea horses!
We visited the touch tank where Kora pet a huge crab and a sting ray. There are also a couple of sharks to touch as well but they were staying close to the bottom that day.
We then went onto the shark tank and SeaTube underwater walkthrough. This area was amazing! I couldn’t believe how long it was and how it made you feel like you were right there in the water with the sharks, stingrays, and other fish. We enjoyed it so much we went through twice!
We had a fantastic time at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium and Kora & Logan are already talking about going back. Dave and I can’t wait to return either. We recommend a trip to the aquarium to anyone visiting the Cleveland area to those who live here. The SeaTube itself is incredible and can’t be missed!
