Via Aquarium

Lily Gullett, EMC Staff Writer

As someone who lives in a tiny town in upstate New York I am very familiar with boredom. It’s possible that is because of my friend deficiency, but it is also probably because anything fun to do is 20+ minutes away. Nine times out of ten if I go somewhere besides school or my friend’s houses it is either to watch a movie or go to Barnes & Noble. The problem with this is that there are only so many movies to watch, and going to B&N sets me back a good 50+ dollars per trip.

This weekend I was in a fix…I was going to hang out with Griffen, but I didn’t have the money to spend on B&N and I wanted to do something other than see a movie but I was out of ideas. Then I remembered going to that new aquarium in the Rotterdam Mall a while back with my dad and my friend from Florida, Rayven. I suggested it to Griffen and it was a plan. One thing I can tell you is that unless you don’t like fish and/or aquariums you’ll likely enjoy this. The aquarium is in a mall, so even after you go through you have something else to do. There is a movie theater that sells tickets for under 10 dollars, a food court, and a whole arcade/ bowling place. Also, there’s a puppy sale place for you 18 year olds who just want to sit in a little pen for some canine love and affection.

Before even entering the building there is a huge mural filled with fish all along the wall of the mall, it’s awesome. There are many wonderful photo opportunities if you’re into that thing (which I totally am) but also a wonderful aquarium. Since it’s in a mall it is nowhere near the size of the Boston Aquarium but it still has multiple different exhibits, including a tube where you walk through a tank of fish, a stingray pool where you can touch and even feed the stingrays (Hit me up for a $5 off coupon), a Koi pond, and many more. You won’t be bored wandering through, even for a second or third time! There are many super cool fish that include fish native to New York State, but also many from around the world. I would 10/10 recommend going, and considering that tickets for 6-17 year olds only cost 10 dollars, why not go and enjoy some quality fish? Perfect for an afternoon with friends or family and a nice date idea for you and your significant other.

 

PS. Don’t be afraid of the stingrays! They’re so soft and wonderful! I would even strongly urge you to feed them! Feedings are at 12pm and 4pm 😉