Fifty million guests over two decades is more than just a number. It represents millions of moments of curiosity, connection, and discovery. Families making memories together, students being inspired to protect our oceans, and guests supporting a mission far greater than any single visit.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, every guest who walks through our doors directly supports the work happening both inside and beyond. Because of you, the Aquarium has been able to invest in global research and conservation initiatives, support animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts, expand educational access, and provide world-class care for the animals who call us home.

For 20 years, guests from around the globe have journeyed to Georgia Aquarium to connect with the wonders of the ocean. Explore the map above to see where our 50 million guests have traveled from to experience unforgettable moments at the Aquarium.

The 50 Million Guest Effect 

Impacts On Animal Welfare

Many of the animals living at Georgia Aquarium were rescued and deemed non-releasable by government agencies, meaning they could not survive in the wild and needed a permanent home. With the support of our guests, the Aquarium is able to give animals that lifelong home, providing them with expert veterinary care, daily enrichment, and world-class habitats – while also helping educate millions of visitors about the importance of protecting marine life and ocean ecosystems.

Impacts In Research and Conservation

For the past 20 years, Georgia Aquarium has played a leading role in advancing marine research, rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation efforts around the world. Since opening, the Aquarium has supported groundbreaking scientific studies focused on species such as whale sharks, manta rays, bottlenose dolphins, African penguins, corals, and beluga whales. Through partnerships with universities, conservation organizations, and researchers worldwide, the Aquarium’s teams have helped expand scientific understanding of aquatic animals – contributing to the first-ever complete whale shark genome and global satellite-tracking studies that inform conservation strategies for wild populations. These collaborations help advance scientific understanding, improve animal care, and protect species in the wild for future generations.

Beyond research, Georgia Aquarium’s impact extends to hands-on rescue and rehabilitation initiatives, public education, and ocean advocacy. Over the years, the Aquarium has supported marine life rescue efforts for manatees, sea turtles, corals, and other vulnerable species while inspiring millions of guests to become stewards for the ocean. 

Learn more about how your visit has contributed to our research and conservation efforts.

Impacts In Education

Education has remained central to the Aquarium’s mission from the beginning. Over the past 20 years, Georgia Aquarium has inspired millions of students, educators, and families through immersive, hands-on learning experiences that connect people to the ocean and the importance of conservation. More than two million students have participated in educational programming. From field trips and instructor-led classes to outreach programs and STEAM-based curriculum initiatives. Through partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and community organizations across Georgia, the Aquarium has expanded access to marine science education. Approximately 45,000 students each year participate in Georgia Aquarium’s Sponsored Education Admissions (SEA) grant program, which offers free or reduced admission to Title I schools and select nonprofit organizations across Georgia. Each year, the Aquarium also welcomes approximately 1,600 schools, serving roughly 120,000 students through field trips and instructor-led programs. Georgia Aquarium continues to foster curiosity, environmental stewardship, and future careers in STEM by bringing ocean education to classrooms and communities across the state.

Impacts In The Community 

Thanks to our guests, Georgia Aquarium has been able to serve and uplift our Atlanta community through meaningful partnerships, outreach programs, and connective experiences. Our Veterans Immersion Program has welcomed more than 2,900 veterans and guests living with physical, emotional, or psychological injuries — both seen and unseen. Through unique in-water experiences and meaningful interactions with marine life, the program provides participants with moments of healing, connection, and inspiration.

The Aquarium has also partnered with organizations like Make-A-Wish to create unforgettable moments for children and families facing critical illnesses. While collaborations with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation have brought live animal encounters and educational programming directly to pediatric patients unable to visit in person.

Beyond these programs, Georgia Aquarium has spent two decades building strong relationships with schools, nonprofits, and local organizations across Atlanta and beyond through sponsored admissions, community outreach events, accessibility initiatives, volunteer efforts, and conservation-focused programming. By creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds to experience the wonder of the aquatic world, the Aquarium can make a lasting impact far beyond our walls. Strengthening the community through education, inclusion, and shared experiences that inspire care for one another and the planet we all share.

A Word From Our President & CEO

“We’re grateful for two decades of support from this city and its visitors. Without the support of our guests, what we do would not be possible,” shared Travis Burke, President & CEO of Georgia Aquarium. “We look forward to welcoming even more guests in the future, first-timers and familiar faces alike, creating experiences that inspire people to make a difference.”

Fifty million guests later, our mission continues stronger than ever.

Every visit, every guest, has made an impact. Every ticket purchased has helped support animal care, conservation research, rescue efforts, and educational access for future generations and has played a role in helping Georgia Aquarium become more than just an attraction, but a place where wonder can inspire action.

Be Part of the Next 50 Million

With new experiences, unforgettable animal encounters, and meaningful memories to be made every day, there has never been a better time to visit again. Whether you’re returning to relive favorite memories or planning your very first visit, your trip to Georgia Aquarium helps shape the next chapter of our mission.

Over the past 20 years, so much has changed. New galleries have opened, new animals and habitats have been introduced, and new experiences have continued to transform the way you connect with the ocean and its species. At the same time, some familiar faces have been here since the very beginning, creating memories with guests generation after generation. An Aqua Pass or Aquarium Membership is the perfect way to make sure you never miss a moment of wonder. Come back again and again to experience everything new, seasonal, and timeless.

We encourage you to keep an eye on our Newsroom and social channels (@GeorgiaAquarium) to be among the first to hear about upcoming experiences, exciting announcements, conservation milestones, and what’s next for the Aquarium’s future. 

Thank You – Georgia Aquarium

To our fifty million guests – thank you, from all of us at Georgia Aquarium. 

Because at the heart of every rescued animal, every student inspired, every conservation partnership formed, and every unforgettable moment created here, there is you. You are the reason we’re able to provide lifelong care for animals in need, advance critical conservation efforts around the world, open our doors to communities and classrooms, and continue inspiring future generations to protect our oceans. Simply put, you are our why, and we are grateful to continue this journey together.