I want to say this has been one of the highlights of my family trip. When your 16 yo his 17 yo best…read morefriend and wife all agree on this fact it says something. As adults we have this tendency to say "if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have paid more attention in school!" Well here's your chance. This tiny aquarium will impart more knowledge in a short visit than you probably take in most months if you take advantage of it. The interns and owner (a former teacher) are committed to answering questions. The things they are studying and sharing are amazing. If you go in and you want to learn and ask questions this will be an experience you won't forget. Think of the best science teacher you ever had, having an opportunity to show the world what she loves to talk about... and that is what you have here. Do yourself a favor, go, enjoy and learn!!

We went awhile back to see Charlotte and were sorely disappointed. Hearing of her death today…read morereminded me I had forgotten to write a review. This location is privately run and not for educational purposes. More like going to a friends house to see their pets. Please consider going to an aquarium run by scientists for educational purposes.

This was on our short list for our trip, based on our visit decades ago, and it did not disappoint…read more This time we came with our own kids, and they just had a blast. The aquarium sea life itself is great with all the favorites: a big shark tank, the electric eel, the dragon fish, the ray touch tank, the octopus. It also has that Ripley's goofy charm, a big climbing playground in the middle for the kids, a mermaid show, and even a penguin march through the middle of the exhibits. You can buy food and drinks (including local beers) in between the exhibits. The city parking garage is right behind the location and the trolley drops off right beside the front door. If you have kids, you'll want to spend some time here.

If you've ever wondered what it feels like to be a salmon swimming upstream during peak season,…read morejust visit Ripley's Aquarium on a busy day. I didn't take many pictures because I was trying to live in the moment--and also because I was too busy dodging people who apparently trained for this event at the "Cutting in Line Olympics (my kid came up with that analogy.) This place was packed. I mean Black Friday at the Best Buy packed. Half the time I couldn't even see the tanks because someone's unk decided the best viewing angle was directly in front of my face. Patience was not the theme of the day. Luckily for him I'm not only patient but handsome. But then... the shark tunnel appeared like a gift from the aquarium gods. We hopped onto a slow-moving convey like a lazy river at a Vegas hotel, for people who don't want to walk. Honestly, I wish the entire building worked this way. Zero chaos. Zero pushing. Just vibes and sharks gliding over your head like "Come on in the waters fine" The stingrays were another highlight--majestic, chill, and many different sizes. Crowds aside,(but not really) those two moments made the visit worth it. If you go, bring patience, comfortable shoes, and maybe a bullhorn to get people's attention. But once you hit the sharks, it will be smooth sailing. FYI I will never go again but it was pretty cool in general..

I found the aquarium and fly fishing museum through a search for dog friendly and kid friendly…read moreactivities in Bryson City. We walked from the main street to the facilities within five minutes. There were scavenger hunts for the kids, sidewalk chalk to draw on the sidewalk outside, plus picnic tables and bathrooms. You don't have to pay anything to go into either place, but a donation is kindly recommended. There was one volunteer working the front door, who gave us information about both places and said if we had any questions to ask her. There were plenty of fish, salamanders, and frogs to look at, and my son loved seeing the fish. The dog was curious about the fish and the tanks, and it was nice to be able to bring him inside with us. The museum has a lot of information about fly fishing, where to do it in the area, and famous fishermen. Overall, it was a nice activity to do that was free, kid friendly, and dog friendly.

This is a great small aquarium worth a visit! The animal husbandry was great and the employees were…read morewelcoming. It took us about 10 minutes to enjoy the whole thing.

I love it here. I am a very science-y girl, I love anything to do with science and medicine. So, of…read morecourse, I started coming here a few years ago. The planetarium shows are gorgeous, my particular favorite was one about monarch butterfly migration. The Aquarium and reptile section is so cool, you get to see these massive tortoises and an alligator named Lucy, pet sting rays, fish of all kinds, etc. You can also explore the human body section and the physics section, where you can play on a special pulley system on a physics playground. There is also a section with insects where you can take a closer look at different types of preserved butterflies. And, every three years or so, they hold a butterfly exhibit where you can watch the butterflies flutter about. They'll even give you some sugar water on your finger, and butterflies will come flocking to you and even land on you! I had the privilege of being present for it last year and butterflies landed on me left and right, I absolutely felt like Snow White! All in all, the Catawba Science Center is a family friendly learning environment that is perfect for field trips of all kinds. You won't regret visiting!

The Catawba Science Center is located next to the Hickory Art Museum in the SALT complex so I…read morestopped here too. It was about $15 to visit the museum. I had reciprocity but didn't think to ask about it and they didn't ask like is done at the other museums. The Science Center was on the small side and a lot of the exhibits were out of order. The exhibits they had seemed geared more to younger children. So there wasn't a lot there. I never found my way to the aquarium as that is apparently in another building and that was not mentioned. The planetarium show wasn't starting until 2pm so that was disappointing. I will go back with my reciprocity to see the building I missed.

The fish hatchery offers self gu8ded tours all day long and closes at 4 on daily…read more The drive to it is absolutely stunning, a picturesque road that turns into fish hatchery drive which is narrow and full of hair pin turns. Take it at the speed limit that they say, especially if it's unfamiliar terrain. Next door to the hatchery, sharing a parking lot is a picnic area and hiking path. The picnic area is really over grown, there are signs that wood has recently been cut, but the grass is high and covering the grills making them useless. Some of the tables too, are beyond useable. There is one covered structure that seems in good repair, but the path up to it is over grown az well.

My husband and I bought two large tanks, custom cabinets and under tank filters from Fishy Business…read moreand loved them for years. After my husband passed I could not handle caring for both. They came and got everything promising to re-home the fish to good homes. I am very fortunate their years of help and support.

SUPER AWESOME STORE! Huge aquarium store in Columbia and worth the trip from the CSRA every time…read more The folks at Fishy Business love what they do and their store is beautiful. They have expertise in both saltwater and freshwater and are extremely knowledgeable. Additionally, they build custom aquariums! We just picked ours up last weekend and couldn't be more thrilled and excited. Francois helped us and I highly recommend you let him chat with you to soak up all his knowledge! If you have a question about anything aquaculture, he will have an answer or find it for you. What I really appreciate is that he didn't waste our time trying to upsell or shove the most expensive products - he would list out the pros and cons and give a range of options. Ultimately, he expertly guided us through the custom aquarium process. Love this store!

I just bought a house with a pond in the front. I did not know how to take care of it. I had a…read moregreat conversation with Pond Country where I explained the service that I needed and the problems I was seeing with the koi fish. They ordered the parts necessary and were very communicative about when they would be there to fix the pond. The repair was done in an excellent way with constant communication which I appreciated since I was out of town at the time, the pond looks great and the new pump is keeping the water crystal clear.

I've been here twice and I've been delighted with the selection and the customer service both…read moretimes. Brian is super knowledgeable and had great suggestions. He tested my water, made some recommendations and helped me select the right plants and fish for my pond.