Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg, is one of the most popular aquariums in the country. Walk through the underwater tunnel of Shark Lagoon as sharks, sea turtles and sawfish glide overhead, meet the African penguins at Penguin Playhouse, and reach into the touch pools to feel stingrays and horseshoe crabs. It is an easy, all-weather outing for every age, a short drive from our Smoky Mountain lodges.