Mississippi Aquarium opens its doors

The long awaited Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport opened its doors to the public Saturday.

The wait is finally over – @MS_aquarium is now open in Gulfport! 🎉🐠

Tickets: https://t.co/hckkWtz9Bx
What to expect: https://t.co/AZdufnb3th pic.twitter.com/D42P2CzYlI

— Coastal Mississippi (@SeeCoastalMS) August 29, 2020

Visitors can expect to see animal species that live in the water, land and air, including alligators, river otters, river fish, dolphins, stingrays and shorebirds in more than 80,000 square feet of exhibits.

The aquarium is open daily from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is $29.95 for adults, $26.95 for seniors 65 and older and $23.95 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 years old get in free.

Policies are in place to minimize exposure to COVID-19.

The $98 million project was largely funded through city, state and federal sources in an effort to revitalize the area after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit the Mississippi Aquarium website.