Imagine walking through a tunnel, surrounded by 161,000 gallons of water while ocean fish and sharks swim above, below, and on both sides of you. Sounds amazing, right? I have exciting news for those of you in Arizona (or plan to visit AZ): SEA LIFE Arizona is opening in Tempe, AZ in June 2010 and we won’t have to imagine this- We will Experience it!
I had the privilege to attend the Press Conference and Ceremony for the new SEA LIFE Arizona to learn more about this new attraction that is being built with kids in mind. The aquarium will hold more than 30 tanks with 5000 sea creatures (including some native to AZ) that will provide a fun, interactive, and educational experience for kids.
“We searched long and hard to find the most suitable location for our first stand-alone SEA LIFE attraction in the U.S. Given its large population of families, and high-volume of vacationers, Arizona, and the city of Tempe, are a great fit for our second U.S. Sea Life aquarium.” said Glenn Earlam Merlin Entertainments managing director for midway attractions. “We fully expect SEA LIFE Arizona to be our best aquarium to date. We are excited to bring the ocean to the desert”
SEA LIFE Arizona will be the 2nd SEA LIFE aquarium to open in the U.S (the first is at LegoLand in San Diego). It is located at Arizona Mills, entrance one. This will be a wonderful location since it is centrally located and easy to get to since Arizona Mills is right off the freeway.
The ceremony also included filling a treasure chest with representations from Arizona’s most well-known treasures including the Grand Canyon, The Phoenix Suns, The Diamondbacks, and a local elementary school (representing Arizona’s children), as well as many more. A few lucky elementary school children were picked to fill the chest with its treasures (and meet the Sun’s Gorilla!) This treasure chest will be on display at the grand opening of SEA LIFE Arizona in June for all to view.
I am excited for this new attraction because I know that my children will love this new experience! Not only will it be fun, but it will provide another interactive and educational activity for families to enjoy. I am sure that SEA LIFE Arizona will become a new travel destination for many families and it will also provide a new experience for those of us in Phoenix that are looking for travel destinations closer to home (or “staycations”).
Check out this story board picture of one of the rooms at SEA LIFE Arizona. My 4 year old (who LOVES dinosaurs) will truly enjoy this exhibit!
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