Texas State Aquarium Reports Strong Summer Attendance
September 4, 2019
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The Texas State Aquarium (TSA) reported that attendance during the summer of 2019 increased by 10 percent over the previous year, an encouraging sign that seasonal travelers are being drawn back to Corpus Christi by the largest Aquarium in Texas and other local attractions.
More than 224,000 people visited the Aquarium in June, July, and August 2019, up from 204,000 during the same period in 2018. Summer visitors to the Aquarium came from all across Texas, primarily from San Antonio, followed by Austin. The Aquarium also saw increases in the number of visitors from Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. And a significant number of them came to the area specifically for the Aquarium. When out-of-town visitors were asked why they visited the Corpus Christi region, 45 percent said it was specifically to visit TSA, compared to 28 percent visiting for family or friends, or 24 percent for the beach.
Aquarium leadership credits the increase in out-of-town visitors in part to its new statewide “Save More Than Memories” campaign, which shows how by visiting the Aquarium, guests are saving wildlife through their support of TSA’s Wildlife Rescue and conservation programs.
In addition to the newly-opened Caribbean Journey, several new and returning attractions and events also likely drew in visitors, including a new 4D film in the Whataburger Theater, the H-E-B Splash Park, the popular DOLPHINS! presentation, and an “Aquarium After Dark” series of events, which provided after-hours access to the Aquarium on select dates.
“I’m really pleased with our results, and proud of our team,” said Aquarium President & CEO Tom Schmid. “Last summer we were still somewhat in Hurricane Harvey recovery mode. It’s great to see that travelers are returning to Corpus Christi in high numbers. In fact our general admission numbers eclipsed our record year in 2017, the year we opened Caribbean Journey. This is a real boost for our local economy, and certainly important for our mission here at the aquarium.”
The Texas State Aquarium is now open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission to the Aquarium includes access to all exhibits, wildlife presentations, shows in the Whataburger 4D Theater, and the H-E-B Splash Park, plus parking. Guests can learn more about how their visit helps “save more than memories” at www.texasstateaquarium.org/save-more-than-memories.