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Old 05-30-2010, 05:09 PM
 
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I am flying up to Atlanta tomorrow for a few days to attend a conference. I have some free time tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday afternoon. I will be staying in a hotel near the aquarium and the World of Coca-cola. Are either worth visiting? Thanks for any comments.
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Old 05-30-2010, 05:23 PM
 
Location: East Cobb
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The aquarium is probably very much worth visiting if you haven't already been over-exposed to aquariums. By the time we saw the Georgia aquarium we'd been members of the Vancouver aquarium, visited the Monterey and Maui ones a couple of times apiece, also been to the aquariums of Tennessee, South Carolina and I think possibly others I'm forgetting. Even though Georgia holds some kind of record (biggest tank, maybe) we found it OK, but a bit lowbrow (seemed more entertainment than education oriented, compared to the above-mentioned facilities), crowded and expensive.

However, if you've not been to lots of highly rated aquariums, do go. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity.
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Old 05-30-2010, 07:38 PM
 
Location: Atlanta
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plantlover - Going by your user name, I would highly suggest a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. It's just about 2 miles North of where you will be (bordering Piedmont Park in Midtown), and well worth the visit.

Enjoy your trip!

http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/home.do
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Old 05-30-2010, 08:42 PM
 
Location: West Cobb County, GA (Atlanta metro)
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The Georgia Aquarium is worth a visit if you've not been. Now, there are those (myself included) who aren't thrilled with the layout and some other aspects of it (crowd control, some of the viewing areas, etc), so while it's billed as "The World's Largest", it doesn't mean it's the best. That being said, it's not bad, so if you've never been, it's still well worth the price of the ticket for a visit to it. Note - the earlier the better. Weekend crowds are VERY dense (especially on holidays) once you reach the lunch hour and beyond.

World of Coke - depends on how much of a Coke fan/collector you are. You'll either love it or go "eh".

Botanical Gardens - per earlier comment, excellent place to go. Recently expanded with an elevated walkway and additional gardens. Tomorrow might be iffy though - they predict a 60-70% chance of thunderstorms during the day.
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Old 05-30-2010, 09:10 PM
 
238 posts, read 555,835 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay View Post
The aquarium is probably very much worth visiting if you haven't already been over-exposed to aquariums. By the time we saw the Georgia aquarium we'd been members of the Vancouver aquarium, visited the Monterey and Maui ones a couple of times apiece, also been to the aquariums of Tennessee, South Carolina and I think possibly others I'm forgetting. Even though Georgia holds some kind of record (biggest tank, maybe) we found it OK, but a bit lowbrow (seemed more entertainment than education oriented, compared to the above-mentioned facilities), crowded and expensive.

However, if you've not been to lots of highly rated aquariums, do go. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity.
This ^
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Old 05-31-2010, 04:44 AM
 
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I'll agree with the others- not a great aquarium by any stretch, IMO.
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Old 05-31-2010, 06:42 AM
 
Location: Dunwoody,GA
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If you're staying right there, you might as well go, but I would echo the advice above re: getting there right at opening time. We've done that several times and been able to get in front of the bulk of the crowd. Go to the Whale Shark exhibit first and the Beluga Whales next b/c those are the big attractions. Then see the rest at your leisure.
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Old 05-31-2010, 07:51 AM
 
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I thought it was just OK.
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Old 05-31-2010, 08:10 AM
 
Location: Midtown, Atlanta
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The place just left a bad taste in my mouth. The over commercialization of the whole place is sickening. Everything seems programmed to make you want to buy buy buy! Just seems like the corporate interests of the place are top priority, with the displays being second. I personally liked Chattanooga's aquarium much better.
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Old 05-31-2010, 09:39 AM
 
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Personally I dont know what everyone is *itching about. Sure it may not be the nest aquarium and there are a lot that rival it, it is a great place to visit. Everytime I have visitors from out of town I take them and it gets rave reviews. Yes the place is crowded, but what popular attraction isnt? The thing that I like is that they have a lot of other things in addition to the fish, like otters, pengiuns, crocs, and more. Plus they have a large "petting" area for kids. Not to mention the huge tank you go under (like Atlantis). And to the poster talking about "Buy, buy buy". I have no clue what they are talking about, the only two places where they are even selling anything are a little booth right next to the petting area, and on the way out.
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