One of the highlights at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is the Penguin Playhouse, a unique indoor and outdoor habitat where you can get nose-to-beak with these incredible creatures! As one of the world’s best penguin exhibits, this is your chance to meet the aquarium’s feathered friends from both below and above the water! Here are 4 fun ways to interact with the penguins at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies:

1. Pop Up on the Penguin’s Private Beach

While visiting the Penguin Playhouse at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, you can crawl through tunnels and pop up into a bubble to experience the penguin’s private beach! This is a fabulous opportunity to get up and close with a penguin, as well as a chance to take some amazing photos! If you just can’t wait to see the penguins in action, check out the aquarium’s Live Penguin Cam to give you an idea of what to expect!

2. Participate in a Penguin Encounter

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies offers the chance to actually meet one of their adorable penguins with the Penguin Encounter! During this premium experience, guests ages 4 and up have the chance to pet a penguin and bring home a souvenir photo with the penguin! You will also learn more about these special creatures from an aquarium staff expert, so feel free to ask anything that you ever wanted to know about penguins!

3. Take Home a Penguin Painting

Another fun way to interact with the penguins at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is to take home a Penguin Painting! This is an exciting experience where you get to see one of the African Penguin artists in action and take home a one-of-a-kind piece of art that you helped create! You will be up close to a penguin as it creates its signature footprints on canvas, then get to keep the 8 X 10 penguin painting as a souvenir!

4. Learn the Penguin Profiles

You can learn all about the penguins at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies before even visiting the Penguin Playhouse by researching the Penguin Profiles! This is a fun chance to learn about each individual penguin and their background, as well as what they love to do! Once you plan your Gatlinburg vacation and visit the Penguin Playhouse, you can look for your favorite penguin to see them in action!

About Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies not only features the Penguin Playhouse, but many other fascinating exhibits including the Shark Lagoon, Tropical Rainforest, Touch a Ray Bay and the Gallery of the Seas! From toddlers to grandparents, everyone in your family will love seeing the magnificent sea creatures and learning more about them! A typical visit to the aquarium generally takes at least 2 hours, but you can spend as much time as you want enjoying the exhibits!

Check out all of our coupons to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies today to save money on your visit to see the adorable penguins! Be sure to browse all of our other coupons too for BIG savings on other attractions, hotels and restaurants throughout Gatlinburg!