Aquariums are supposed to be places for the enlightenment of the community but in Georgia we now have a massive tribute to the ego and elitism of Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus instead.
The shrouded in secrecy aquarium in downtown Atlanta is the largest aquarium in the world. Too bad no one in the middle class will ever see it. The museum has recently announced its admission prices and I don't know what's more offensive, that everyone 13 years and up will have to pay $22.75 or that a 3-year-old will have to pay $17.00. For a family of four it comes to $79.50 just to get in the door. Since you won't be allowed to bring in private food if you want to stay longer than 4 hours you'll probably have to eat at the food court featuring $4 cans of soda.
It doesn't get any better for season passes either, which cost $55.09 for adults and $43.25 children. By the way your season pass will be "personalized" with your picture in order to prevent you from sending family and friends when they're in town.
There's going to be a $7 parking fee, twice that at Underground Atlanta. Bringing a family of four expenses $86.50 before food and heaven forbid a souvenir.
I seriously believe that Bernie Marcus conspired to create a playground for the rich. Marcus has called it a gift to the city, that he wanted to pay back the city. It's the largest aquarium and thanks to his rich friends it is debt free. But if it's supposed to be a gift and it's debt free, why does it cost so much just to get in the door?
Only two things can explain the astronomical prices for the aquarium; either they over built their mission, or wanted to create a playground for Atlanta's elite.
At every turn the aquarium founders could have chosen a more cost effective measure. Why have two whale sharks when all the other large aquarium have just one? Why build an IMAX theater when the city already has four and one is probably only 10 minutes away? Why establish an exclusive relationship with uber-expensive Wolfgang Puck to provide premium concessions and catering? Speaking of Puck why create a higher quality kosher kitchen to cater to a very small minority of Atlanta's population, most of whom don't keep kosher rules anyway? Why create exclusive displays for donors and for whomever can afford the astronomical ballroom rentals? Why do they need to raise another $5 million for a veterinary school and why was it not included in the original plan?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - elsa
They pulled something similar in Denver and the whole thing went belly up in no time...
2 - Nancy
I agree 100%. Despite my living not far from Atlanta, I would rather drive to Tennessee and spend a lot less for a trip to the Aquarium than go to this overpriced disaster.
3 - happy
The aquarium will open debt free, but they still have to pay salaries, run pumps and buy fish food. It's sad that y'all are so jealous of successful people.
4 - happy
By the way... I'm a native Atlantan and the city happens to have a very large Jewish community (who appreciate the offer of Kosher foods).
5 - JR
The National Aquarium in Baltimore charges $14.95 for children and $21.95 for adults. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is the same for adults, $17.95 for teens, but has a third tier at $10.95 for children under twelve. So this place in Atlanta seems to be competitively priced.
I guess aquariums are expensive.
6 - Nancy
Eric, please help: Whoever is posting under my name needs to quit, pronto. Either pick another name, or add an identifying qualifier. Thank you.
NOTE TO ALL BC PARTICIPANTS: the above comment & others on other articles at this website were posted under my name, using my name. They were NOT posted by me & do not represent my views.
7 - Matt Schafer
It has nothing to do with jelousy. I'm financially content and don't long to a massively rich business man. I can afford to go, I just think it's wrong to call something a gift and then charge three year olds $17 for entrance.
It could have been done a lot more cost effectively and still be the largest aquarium while using a large protion of that $200 million as an endowment so it could not only be the largest aquarium in the world, but also the one with the lowest admission prices.
Atlanta's Jewish community is still a very small percentage of the total population the smallest minority group behind hispanics and gays. According to the Atlanta Kashurs Commission there are only eight kosher resturants, eight caters, five hotels and six gocrey stores within a 30 mile radius of Atlanta so there clearly isn't demand for kosher dining. While a small minority might appreciate the offering there is only a tiny percentage of the population that actually requires it.
8 - Nancy
I think it has less to do with venality & more to do with the high cost of maintenance. The Baltimore aquarium charges $12.50 for little kids, $17.50 for older kids, and $20+ for adults. I don't know about food, since the B.A. is situated in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, which is saturated (as is the entire immediate area) with food courts & other sources of comestibles.
I imagine it costs quite a bit to provide food for the various critters; you can't just throw in dried shrimp or a few fistfuls of dried fish food like you can for a little tank full of tetras.
Original Nancy, DC area
9 - Andy
So if middle class people will never see it, why are there middle class people at Six Flags? The prices are similar.
And where were you able to park at Underground for $3.50?
As a college student I was suprised not to see a student discount, but you go way to far. A monument to his ego? Well he built an aquarium for his. Apparently this is what you do for yours.
10 - Jenny
Andy, I was thinking the same thing: as far as I remember it's at least $20 to get into White Water, and Six Flags is even more. The food and parking are expensive, too, and yet those places are definitely not "playgrounds for the rich"! They might be a special treat, but it's the lower and middle class families who keep them in business.
Admittedly, they are not referred to as "gifts" to the city, and I understand your point there.
11 - millie
boy, you're a sour little git. have you even seen the aquarium or do you just hate it on principle?
12 - Carla
The aquarium price is high but I believe it's worth it. Atlanta is a growing city and this is one of the attractions that puts us on the map. I say when you go in make it a special occasion for the family; learn and enjoy the moment. I cannot knock anyone for being successful. I'm not Jewish but of African decent and willing to try kosher food. If this aquarium doesn't work out, we can learn from our mistakes.
13 - John
I was recently at the GA aqurium and I will say that I was a bit underwhelmed. Compared to the Monterrey and Shed Aquarium, I think it was too expensive, too Disney and utilized interior space poorly.
14 - cheryl
Hello My comment is that it is a nice teaching leson about dirrent kinds off fish . However i feel like kids under 4 are not going to get much out off it . At a young age , and there for i think that under 4 years old should be free.
15 - Linn
OK, I went to the Georgia Aquarium, Drove 8 hours, Stayed 8 blocks from the auqarium, and didnt like it at all!. The Hotel was severely over priced, the parking price was outrageous, the whole theme was not relaxing like other aquariums.The whole retro 70s atmosphere left you wonderng...WHY???? True the Belugas were nice and the whale sharks were cool, but the expense was way too much, crowds were everywhere, and the whole experience left me with, never go to Atlanta Georgia again....
16 - Jacob
Matt, I pity you...I really do. I'm sure this post is just one example of the anger and resentment you hold inside yourself...Why are you so angry about the ticket price for the aquarium? Why can't you understand that the "gift" was the lack of any taxpayer dollars going towards the building of the aquarium? Bernie Marcus paid for the aquarium, but that doesn't mean people should get in for free, or even for cheap! The aquarium is a business and a boom for tourism -- it needs to make money, it is making money and it will continue to make money, and it also provides great entertainment and education. By the way, how much do YOU think it should cost? $5? $10? Why is $22 such an outrageous sum? I'm not rich by any means, but that seems reasonable to me to see an amazing facility and look at creatures I would never be able to see otherwise. Take some time to meet more people (who aren't like you), get some perspective, and stop the class warfare...
17 - Jamie
I have been to the Georgia Aquarium several times and I am a broke college student at Auburn. I don't believe the prices for general admission adults are too much... they are cheaper than any small aquarium with dolphins and you can't see whale sharks just anywhere. They are also looking for a mola mola (sunfish) which will attract even more viewers for spectacles that are no where else. I don't think the author of this article has been to the Georgia Aquarium or else he might rethink the magnitude of it. Oh, and parking is $10 now and season passes are at least $10 more as well... but somehow they still sell out just about everyday. At least they have a limit and don't let the aquarium get ridiculously overcrowded. I highly recommend visiting the aquarium before making such outrageous assumptions.
18 - MARTH A STEWART
AQUARIUM ARE A BLASS YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE?
19 - BENB
If you think about it it's not that bad. You pay $10 or more to see a movie now days and all you do is sit there for an hour or two and stare at over produced Hollywood crap. I am sure the overhead for a movie theater is much less than aquarium.
20 - annonymouse
It costs a lot to feed,clean and care for these animals and someones pays for that.Aquariums arnt cheap.Its costs a fortune.
21 - Amber
I got a season pass last year and went 4 times. I love the Georgia Aquarium. I was hoping that it would get less busy as the newness died down, but everytime I went, it was packed. I tried going on the weekend and weekdays and, without a doubt, it was always crowded. I love it and have invited all my family to come to town and stay with me so we can go to it. The season pass makes it more reasonable if you're going to go more than once in a year, otherwise, everyone was okay with paying $24 to get in. It's amazing!
22 - chris
Don't ever work at this place I did for a year in a half, and let me tell you it is a shit hole don't ever eat the food there nobody cleans there hands . You are right a playground for the rich, if you work there they don't care how hard you work as long as you can make them more money. I hope this place fails.
23 - Atlien
Eric,
The aquarium has been a smashing success and by that I don't mean the flooded kind you would want to happen. Your article suggests that you are a very cheap man. I feel sorry for any wife and the cubic zirconia ring that such a penny pinching man would buy. Most are happy that the city added a crown jewel rather than the dump you envisioned. Perhaps you simply don't like Atlanta or have some other deeply rooted issues that block you from making a reasonable assessment of the Georgia Aquarium.
24 - Carl Strohmeyer
I have not seen thisaquarium outside of pictures, I would like to, but allas my finances cannot even afford the travel costs. If I could the admission costs may well be worth it if this aquarium is all it is made out to be (which it may not be based on many comments).
As for the comment by Chris, this would not surprise me considering the founder and his business practices.
25 - Jose
The uber-expensive Wolfgang Puck?
The poster of this asinine article must be from the North Georgia mountains. Has he ever eaten at a Wolfgang Express? a $7 plate of food isn't going to break his wallet unless he's purchasing his food with an EBT card. A value meal at Wendy's comes in at about $1.50 less than that.