Texas State Aquarium Welcomes 14 Millionth Guest, Opens Summer with Extended Hours and New Experiences
May 23, 2019
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The Texas State Aquarium announced this week that it has welcomed more than 14 million guests since it first opened its doors in July 1990.
Now, the Aquarium is gearing up to welcome thousands of more ocean explorers for Memorial Day weekend.
Starting May 25, the Aquarium will begin extended summer hours of 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily. On May 25, the Aquarium will also open the H-E-B Splash Park for daily hours and premiere a new 4D film, “SMALLFOOT 4D Experience®” These new experiences, along with free parking, wildlife presentations, and immersive animal exhibits, will provide guests plenty of indoor and outdoor discovery to make the most of their holidays. Best of all, all of it is included at one inclusive admission price.
Since opening, the Aquarium has grown from a regional Coastal Bend attraction to the largest Aquarium in Texas, now welcoming nearly 600,000 people annually. This month, the Aquarium was voted as the fourth best aquarium in North America by USA Today. Highlights of the Aquarium include the H-E-B Caribbean Sea, a 400,000-gallon shark habitat with the longest aquarium display window in North America, a Caribbean jungle with flamingos and sloths, and Dolphin Bay, which showcases four bottlenose dolphins through an underwater viewing room and daily presentations. The H-E-B Splash Park, the Aquarium’s zero-depth water playground, is also popular with guests during summer.
“This milestone of 14 million guests is a reminder of how much we’ve grown in the past three decades, and a definitive indicator of the Aquarium’s importance in our local and regional economy,” said Aquarium President & CEO Tom Schmid. “More importantly, our growth now allows us to educate nearly 100,000 students and teachers from around the state, and care for thousands of injured animals each year.”
The Texas State Aquarium will be open May 25 – Sept. 6. daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Parking, access to all exhibits and presentations, and the H-E-B Splash Park is included with admission. To purchase tickets online for a discount and to skip the line, visit http://www.texasstateaquarium.org.