PixieDust32
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The Georgia Aquarium opens on November 23rd and will stake its claim as the Worlds Largest Aquarium. With over 8 million gallons of fresh and marine water, and 100,000 animals representing 500 species from around the globe, youre sure to see things youve never seen before!
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History
In November 2001, Bernie Marcus (co-founder of The Home Depot, and his wife Billi, through the Marcus Foundation) announced plans to donate funds to build an aquarium in downtown Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium is a half-million square foot facility housing over 100,000 animals in 8 million gallons of fresh and salt water. From the groundbreaking to the opening, the construction process took only 27 months. The Georgia Aquarium sits on 9½ acres of land adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.
The exterior of the building was designed to look like a giant ship breaking through a wave. As guests enter the huge atrium inside the building, they will be led into the facility by a wall of fish guiding them inside. They then have the choice of entering five galleries. Each gallery is easily identified by an icon and signage at the entrance: Georgia Explorer has a light house; River Scout displays a cascading waterfall; Cold Water Quest has an ice covered cliff; Ocean Voyager offers a peek window into the huge habitat; and Tropical Diver has two video screens displaying the perspective of a fish on a reef. Guests will enter each gallery and then return to the main atrium before entering the next gallery.
There are 60 habitats at the Georgia Aquarium with 12,000 square feet of viewing windows. The acrylic used in the windows weighs a total of 328 tons. The largest habitat holds 6.2 million gallons of water and measures 263 long x 126 wide x 33 deep, at its largest points. It was specially designed to house whale sharks along side ten of thousands of other animals that typically live along a coral reef and out to the open ocean. The Georgia Aquarium boasts a 100 foot long tunnel and one of the largest aquarium windows in the world with views into whale shark habitat. The second largest habitat, 800,000 gallons, was specially designed to simulate the natural habitat of beluga whales.
Inside of the general admission area, guests will find Beyond the Reef and Sand Dollars gift shops. Café Aquaria will provide our guests with a variety of food choices. The 4-D theater is located in the bow of the ship on the second floor of the building.
One of the unique features of the Georgia Aquarium is the Learning Loop. Research and education make up 25% of the facility. The Learning Loop is located entirely separate from the general public area with its own entrance, lunchroom and five wet labs, giving school groups the opportunity to focus on the lessons at hand. A world-class Veterinary Services and Conservation Medicine facility makes up 5,800 square feet and holds 26 treatment tanks.
Heery International, Inc. acted as the program manager; Brasfield and Gorrie, general contractor; Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, Inc., exhibit design company and Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc., architects.
===GEORGIA AQUARIUM====
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