Free Admission for Kids During Winter Family Days at Newport Aquarium

Newport Aquarium just announced the return of Winter Family Days, where one child (ages 2-12) gets in FREE with each full-priced adult. Kids will have fun inside Newport Aquarium’s 72-degree climate-controlled facility, no matter the weather outside. Winter Family Days run daily through Feb. 26.

There are a lot of exciting things happening at the Newport Aquarium this winter. Here’s a sneak peek:

NEW: Meet Splash and Bubbles

A new attraction has been added to Newport Aquarium in the form of a meet and greet with the title characters of Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles, the newest PBS Kids TV show. The new ocean-themed animated kids’ series encourages children to explore the natural undersea world and features endearing and humorous characters on fun-filled adventures. During Winter Family Days, several of the species featured in the cartoon will be on exhibit in the Shore Gallery. And, Newport Aquarium’s Shark Ray Bay Theater will be transformed into the hit TV show’s Reeftown setting where guests will have an opportunity to meet and get their picture taken with Splash and Bubbles.

Splash and Bubbles can be seen on local PBS station, CET. The TV show is co-produced by Newport Aquarium’s parent company, Herschend Enterprises (Herschend Studios) and the Emmy Award winning Jim Henson Company, the creators of Sesame Street.

Extended Winter Hours

The aquarium will open one hour early (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.) on Saturdays in January and February, Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend and Presidents Day Weekend. Last entry to the aquarium will be one hour before closing. See website for operating hours.

In addition, at Newport Aquarium, there is always more new to see and do:

• Shark Bridge: This 75-foot rope bridge is the only one of its kind in North America and allows guests to walk just inches above nearly two dozen sharks, exotic shark rays, two stingrays and more than 300 fish in one of the country’s largest open air tank displays.
• Surrounded by Sharks: Guests can walk through a 385,000-gallon tank filled with rare and exotic shark rays, six species of shark, and Denver, the mischievous 200-pound loggerhead sea turtle.

• Seahorses: Unbridled Fun: This interactive exhibit features some of nature’s most amazing creatures, including several species of seahorses, sea dragons, trumpetfish, razorfish and pipefish. At the Seahorse Creation Station, guests can discover their inner-artist and create a digital seahorse to share. The exhibit also features rare video of seahorses and their most unusual behaviors.

• Gator Alley: Gator Alley is the home of Mighty Mike – who at 14-feet long and 800 pounds is the biggest alligator in the country outside of Florida, as well as Snowball and Snowflake, two of fewer than 100 white alligators in the world.
• Kroger Penguin Palooza: With five different sub-Antarctic penguin species totaling nearly 50 birds, Kroger Penguin Palooza boasts one of the most diverse collections of cold-weather penguins in the country.
• Frog Bog: Children have never seen frogs like this before as they can find secret frog tanks visible only when they climb through tunnels and tubes in the kids-only Frog Bog jungle gym.

Winter Family Days tickets will be available at the Newport Aquarium ticket window, online or by phone at 800-406-FISH (3474). *This special offer cannot be combined with other discounts or coupons.