Seems like people often ask about security at the Newport Aquarium so i thought I would give a quick summary of my trip there this past weekend. I drove over with my goddaughter Sunday. All visitors must purchase tickets online and pre-select an entry time beforehand. I am pretty sure they just reopened. First off, there is new security. Besides the expected symptom questions and temperature check, they now are performing no-touch bag searched and now have walk through metal detectors. I had rear this online and was sadly good to go through. Enough has been written on the aquarium itself that I don't need to repeat it here. Suffice it to say well worth the trip and I will not forget the look on my goddaughter's 3 1/2 yo face when she touched a shark.
The complex and area around the aquarium, "Newport on the Levee", has been undergoing expansion with new roads and sidewalks and improved access and lots of other entertainment options. Kentucky is opening up and most restaurants have dine in available. We walked to a couple different local places for dinner and both were easy to get to and good. One downside was the hotel, Hampton Inn on the Levee, had halted breakfast do to the kung flu. On the plus side, the second day we were there they opened up the indoor salt water pool. Being a Monday we had the pool to ourselves both Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
It took us about 2.5 hours to get through the aquarium. Some interactive exhibits were closed though and I can see this being more of a 3.5+ hour excursion. Especially with older kids who may actually stand still for five seconds.
And a bonus fact: across the street from the Newport on the Levee complex is the birthplace of John T. Thompson, designer of the Thompson submachine gun. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Thompson
The complex and area around the aquarium, "Newport on the Levee", has been undergoing expansion with new roads and sidewalks and improved access and lots of other entertainment options. Kentucky is opening up and most restaurants have dine in available. We walked to a couple different local places for dinner and both were easy to get to and good. One downside was the hotel, Hampton Inn on the Levee, had halted breakfast do to the kung flu. On the plus side, the second day we were there they opened up the indoor salt water pool. Being a Monday we had the pool to ourselves both Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
It took us about 2.5 hours to get through the aquarium. Some interactive exhibits were closed though and I can see this being more of a 3.5+ hour excursion. Especially with older kids who may actually stand still for five seconds.
And a bonus fact: across the street from the Newport on the Levee complex is the birthplace of John T. Thompson, designer of the Thompson submachine gun. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Thompson
and active when we were there. The interactive experience where you get to pet them, etc. was shut down though. It was a feeding day / feeding time when we were there and that had the penguins diving and swimming. Also watched a bunch of cuttlefish go after their lunches as well. 
