Redux: overpriced fishbowl

The Georgia Aquarium opens November 23 and general admission tickets are now on sale.

Along with being the world's largest aquarium, it also comes with the highest ticket prices in the country. I wrote about this in September, see Really Expensive Georgia Aquarium. Here's an excerpt comparing a visit to the Tennessee aquarium, less than two hours from downtown Atlanta:

Let’s compare Tennessee versus Georgia with two adults and two teenagers. Both charge children thirteen and older at the adult price.

Tennessee aquarium would cost $71.80 (17.95 x 4) for a day visit.
Georgia aquarium would cost $91.00 (22.75 x 4) for a day visit.

Now, according to the article, the Georgia aquarium does offer annual passes. That’s $59.50 a person ($43.25 if under 12), so the same family of four could pay $238 for annual passes. That would require three visits before you started saving money.

Now take a look at the Tennessee aquarium, they have a family pass for $85. That’s unlimited visits for two adults and two children under eighteen. You’ve paid for the membership less than halfway through your second visit.

In other words, with the family/annual pass the Tennessee aquarium will cost you $85 for three visits, while the Georgia aquarium will cost you $238.

As it is, the cost for a family of four to attend the Georgia Aqurium is more than $19 above the average of the other major aquariums.

Aquarium	adult	child	Family of 4 per day	Family membership
Mote, Sarasota FL	15	10	50	none
SC Aq, Charleston SC	15	8	46	$80
Dallas TX	15.95	8.95	49.80	$135
Adventure, Camden NJ	16.95	13.95	61.80	none
Ripley's, Myrtle Beach	16.95	9.95	53.80	none
Mystic Aq, Mystic CT	17.5	12.5	60	$110
Newport,KY	17.95	10.95	57.80	none
Tennessee Aq, Chattanooga	17.95	9.5	54.90	$85
	17.95	11.95	59.8	$90
Aq of the Pacific, Long Beach CA	18.95	10.95	59.80	$109
National Aq, Baltimore MD	19.5	13.5	66	$109
Monterey Bay	21.95	10.95	65.80	$175
Atlanta	22.75	17	79.50	none
Shedd, Chicago	23.00	16.00	78.00	$95
Averages	18.38	11.73	60.20