You can visit a Florida-style swamp, with alligators lurking just beneath the water's surface, or see the icy world that the penguins call home at this aquarium on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. Our favorite attraction is the shark tank—a transparent tunnel winds through it, enabling visitors to be surrounded by sharks without getting wet. Don't be surprised to see divers in the shark tank conducting routine maintenance. The aquarium's 16 galleries contain nearly every species of water-loving creature—from 20-ft-/6-m-long eels to tiny jellyfish that measure less than 0.5 in/1.2 cm from tip to tendrils. If you want a more personal adventure, visit the touching tank to pet a shark, enter the rainforest exhibit and feed a lorikeet, or add on the Penguin Encounter (US$15) and meet three black footed penguins up close. Daily 10 am-6 pm. Extended hours in summer and some holidays. US$17.95 adults, US$10.95 children ages 3-12. 1 Aquarium Way, Newport. Phone 859-261-7444. http://www.newportaquarium.com.
