Christmas with the Ripley's Penguins

It's Christmas time and the 10th anniversary celebration at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.

"This is out 10th anniversary for the aquarium and every year we brought in a temporary exhibit that would come in and leave. This year we thought it was time to put in a brand new permanent exhibit that would really WOW our customers." says Karl Thomas the Director of Public Relations.

They put in The Penguin Playhouse in April which has drawn thousands of people and it has really wow-ed the public.

Karl told us, "It's already been claimed to be one of the best in the world. We have an indoor part and an outdoor part so the penguins get to swim underneath and decide where they want to be."
Plus, you can get up close and personal with the penguins by climbing through the tunnels of the exhibit and popping up in a peek-a-boo portal right in the middle of the exhibit.

The penguins aren't the only thing you'll see this time of year; says Karl, "We have a five story musical Christmas tree and it's the tallest in Gatlinburg."

You can even spend your New Year's with some fine feathered friends at the 10th anniversary New Year's Eve party. There are still tickets available and can be purchased on the aquarium website at the bottom of the page.

Video available here at source