Newport Aquarium Ready to “GLOW” into Fall with All-New Adventure

“Underwater Pumpkin GLOW” arrives September 16

Newport, Ky. (July 29, 2024) – Newport Aquarium has announced an immersive new experience coming this fall that’s been more than two years in the making. The new Underwater Pumpkin GLOW will take visitors on a one-of-a-kind fall adventure under the sea. Throughout the aquarium, you’ll encounter larger-than-life sculptures of some of your favorite Newport Aquarium animals reimagined as pumpkins. It includes a giant, glowing underwater octopus, an underwater pumpkin patch and glowing environments for families to explore together. The new experience comes as the aquarium continues to celebrate its 25th anniversary year.

Visitors will be wowed as the largest viewing window in the aquarium showcases a new resident, a 10-foot-tall giant pacific octopus made from pumpkins. Illuminated from within, the animal will glow as the structure becomes an artificial reef for the sharks and fish to explore. This unique fall enrichment has been specially designed to add variety of experience for the animals in the 385,000-gallon shark tank. They’ll also enjoy divers doing underwater pumpkin carving, with the bits of pumpkin serving as enrichment treats for schools of tropical fish.

“We’ve been working for years with designers, artists and animal experts to create something the Cincy region has never seen before,” said Rebecca Foster, Newport Aquarium’s Executive Director. “We all love fall and now our guests are going to get to experience it in an underwater world. I can’t wait to see how much fun the kids and animals have exploring it.” The experience will feature new music and dramatic, glowing lighting throughout the aquarium designed to enhance viewing of the animals with a fall feel. Visitors will discover giant selfie-ready pumpkin versions of fish, seahorses and a friendly sea turtle in various exhibits including the all-new Ring of Fire: World of the Octopus. Entering the Surrounded by Sharks Tunnels is also sure to be an experience as visitors find themselves surrounded by an underwater pumpkin patch with fish playing among the pumpkins.

Newport Aquarium’s Underwater Pumpkin GLOW will take place from September 16 to November 3, 2024. Unlike a lot of fall experiences that begin at dusk, the indoor nature of the aquarium allows Underwater Pumpkin GLOW to take place every day from open to close and is included with General Admission or Membership. The aquarium is currently offering two free extra months with Gold or Platinum Memberships, allowing visitors to enjoy unlimited visits to Shark Summer now, Underwater Pumpkin Glow in fall and Scuba Santa this winter. Find more information on tickets, memberships and special offers at NewportAquarium.com.

Newport Aquarium, named one of the top ten U.S. aquariums in USA Today’s 10Best.com and one of the top U.S. aquariums by Leisure Group Travel, has showcased thousands of animals from around the world in a million gallons of water since 1999. Named a top U.S. aquarium by US City Traveler and Destinations Travel Magazine, and also by Travel Channel, Newport Aquarium is a Herschend Family Entertainment company and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Newport Aquarium is located across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati at Newport on the Levee.