Georgia Aquarium is one of Atlanta’s largest visitor attractions and a major marine-education institution. Its published figures describe a facility of more than 600,000 square feet, more than 11 million gallons of water, over 500 species, and more than 42 million guests since it opened in 2005. The figures below keep the relevant year, measurement period, and geography attached to each statistic.
Table of contents
- At-a-glance Georgia Aquarium statistics
- Facility size, water, and parking
- Animals and whale shark statistics
- Visitors, access, and standards
- 2024 revenue, expenses, and assets
- Conservation and research figures
- Education, volunteers, and community programs
At-a-glance Georgia Aquarium statistics
The following figures come from Georgia Aquarium’s public “About Us,” “How to Visit,” FAQ, whale shark, shark, accreditation, and 2024 annual-report materials. They describe the aquarium itself, its visitor operations, and programs reported for 2024.
| Measure | Published figure | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Facility size | More than 600,000 square feet | Georgia Aquarium FAQ |
| Water in the aquarium | More than 11 million gallons | Georgia Aquarium About Us |
| Species | More than 500 | Georgia Aquarium How to Visit |
| Guests since opening | Over 42 million | Georgia Aquarium How to Visit |
| Opening year | 2005 | Georgia Aquarium How to Visit |
| Annual guest volume | More than 2 million visitors per year | Georgia Aquarium FAQ |
| Parking capacity | 1,600 spaces | Georgia Aquarium FAQ |
| 2024 total revenue | $163,606,137 | Georgia Aquarium 2024 Annual Report |
| 2024 total expenses | $119,280,314 | Georgia Aquarium 2024 Annual Report |
| 2024 education reach | 171,893 students | Georgia Aquarium 2024 Annual Report |
Georgia Aquarium describes itself as the largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. Its visitor materials also say that it is one of only five aquariums in the world that houses whale sharks, and the only one of those five in the United States. These are institutional descriptions rather than rankings recalculated here.
Facility size, water, and parking
Georgia Aquarium’s FAQ lists the facility at more than 600,000 square feet. Its water figures vary by the scope described: the “About Us” material says the aquarium contains more than 11 million gallons of water, while the FAQ says its exhibits contain approximately 10 million gallons of fresh and salt water. Because the source labels use different wording, both figures are retained rather than combined or treated as a precise total.
The aquarium has been open since 2005 and is open 365 days a year, according to its visitor information. The last aquarium entry is scheduled for half an hour before closing. Those operating figures describe the published visitor policy; they do not establish a particular day’s closing time or attendance.
The attached parking deck has 1,600 spaces. Georgia Aquarium’s FAQ gives a maximum vehicle height of 6 feet 8 inches at the Luckie Street entrances. The same 6-foot-8-inch maximum applies to the ramp to all levels and to the Ivan Allen entrance. These dimensions are useful for visitors arriving by car because they apply to the deck access points named by the aquarium.
Animals and whale shark statistics
Georgia Aquarium’s visitor information says the aquarium is home to more than 500 species and thousands of animals. Its whale shark materials provide more detail about one of its signature animals: whale sharks average 18 to 32 feet in length and have about 300 rows of tiny teeth. The aquarium says each whale shark has a unique pattern of spots and stripes that can be used to identify the individual.
Georgia Aquarium says it introduced whale sharks to the American public in 2005. Its whale shark page also describes the aquarium as the only aquarium in the United States where visitors can see whale sharks. The visitor page places the institution within a worldwide group of five aquariums that house whale sharks and identifies Georgia Aquarium as the only member of that group in the United States.
The aquarium’s shark information says sharks have been guarding oceans for more than 500 million years. That figure refers to the long history of sharks as a group, not to the age of the aquarium or to a single animal on display.
The 2024 annual report records several animal-care and collection details. A Pacific walrus calf was just a few weeks old when admitted for rehabilitation, and the report notes that Pacific walrus calves typically remain with their mothers for up to five years. During the 2024 River Scout renovation, African tigerfish debuted as a new aquarium species. The report also says a beluga evacuation from Ukraine took place in June 2024 and involved a 12-hour drive from Kharkiv to Odesa.
Visitors, access, and standards
Georgia Aquarium’s FAQ reports annual guest volume of more than two million visitors per year. Its visitor page reports over 42 million guests since opening in 2005. The two figures use different periods: one is an annual-volume description, while the other is a cumulative total through the period represented by the source. They should not be used to calculate an average without a matching measurement date.
The aquarium’s visitor information says it is open 365 days a year and that the final entry occurs half an hour before closing. Its FAQ also states that the no-weapons policy applies to all guests. These operational statistics and policies are included here as published visitor information, not as a forecast of future schedules.
Georgia Aquarium’s accessibility information says it was named the first Gold Certified organization by WheelChariot. It was recognized as a 2022 KultureCity Certified Sensory-Inclusive Venue. The year matters for the KultureCity recognition: the statistic identifies the 2022 recognition and does not claim that a new recognition occurred later.
The aquarium’s visitor materials list accreditation or certification by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Attractions, American Humane, and the USDA. The same information identifies Georgia Aquarium as a Class R research institution certified by the USDA. A separate Georgia Aquarium accreditation release says the 2024 AZA accreditation review was an on-site, multi-day inspection.
2024 revenue, expenses, and assets
Georgia Aquarium’s 2024 Annual Report lists total revenue of $163,606,137. The report breaks that amount into admissions revenue of $132,136,171; commissions and events revenue of $20,745,147; fundraising and membership revenue of $10,260,969; and in-kind contributions of $463,850.
The report lists 2024 total expenses of $119,280,314. The reported categories include $62,352,285 in program services expenses, $29,629,357 in support services expenses, $7,999,865 in fundraising and advertising expenses, and $19,298,807 in other expenses.
| 2024 annual-report measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Admissions revenue | $132,136,171 |
| Commissions and events revenue | $20,745,147 |
| Fundraising and membership revenue | $10,260,969 |
| In-kind contributions | $463,850 |
| Total revenue | $163,606,137 |
| Program services expenses | $62,352,285 |
| Support services expenses | $29,629,357 |
| Fundraising and advertising expenses | $7,999,865 |
| Other expenses | $19,298,807 |
| Total expenses | $119,280,314 |
The annual report records a 2024 change in net assets of $44,325,823. It lists cash and investments of $186,421,583, receivables of $10,285,058, property, plant, and equipment net value of $434,347,616, total assets of $635,471,825, total liabilities of $85,867,286, and total net assets of $549,604,539.
The 2024 board of directors listed 19 named directors, including Bernie Marcus and Billi Marcus. Those figures describe the board listed in that annual report and are not a current board roster beyond the report’s period.
Conservation and research figures
The 2024 annual report says the coral rescue lab increased its holding capacity to 2,300 gallons from 500 gallons. The two capacities describe the change reported for the lab; they are not additional gallons to be added to the aquarium’s exhibit-water figures.
Georgia Aquarium’s 2024 whale shark partnership focused on whale sharks, manta rays, and coral reefs. Its diving and acoustic-monitoring work used receivers serviced every six to nine months. The report also says one-third of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary is dedicated to research-only operations.
The Ukraine beluga rescue described in the 2024 report involved a 12-hour drive from Kharkiv to Odesa, with the evacuation taking place in June 2024. The report’s Pacific walrus account says the calf was only a few weeks old when it entered rehabilitation, while Pacific walrus calves typically remain with their mothers for up to five years. These time references describe the individual rescue and the species’ typical maternal period, respectively.
Education, volunteers, and community programs
Georgia Aquarium’s 2024 education program reached 171,893 students and worked with 2,193 schools. The education program reached more than 1,300 youth in Title I schools, and the education team supported more than 700 volunteer hours. The annual report also says education outreach partnerships continued with City of Refuge in 2024.
Volunteer involvement extended beyond the education team. The 2024 volunteer program recorded more than 83,900 volunteer hours. The teen volunteer program had 66 teen volunteers and generated 8,600 hours in 2024. These are separate figures for the overall volunteer program and the teen program; the teen hours should not be added to the overall total as a new total without clarification of whether they are already included.
The 2024 internship program involved 32 interns working across 11 departments and drew participants from 27 colleges. Those three figures describe the program’s reported scale by people, departments, and colleges rather than a count of internship placements in every year.
The annual report records 53 visitors served by the critical illness program in 2024. Its Military Salute program served more than 540 veterans and their families, included 20 active-duty service members, and supported more than 1,000 military family members and guests in 2024. Because the report uses “more than” or “+” language for several program totals, those figures are lower-bound descriptions rather than exact totals.