Newport Aquarium Reviews

This was a lovely and unique venue to get married and have our reception. The ceremony was in Shark Ray Bay Theater and the reception was in the Riverside room and the aquarium. Our guests were able to walk around, explore, and even interact with the touch tanks. It was a great venue for adults and kids. Lam, the event coordinator, and her team were fantastic to work with! Lam was very easy to work with and made the planning process very smooth. Lam was quick to help us when we misplaced tablecloths and found us a solution.

Lam was amazing to work with throughout the weekend! She was so helpful, and made everything run smoothly. Would recommend renting this venue out.

Our wedding coordinator Lam was the best. Very helpful in the months leading up to the wedding and always was available to answer questions! The day of the wedding went very smoothly thanks to her and her entire team! They took care of so many little things that made a big difference! Would highly recommend. Additionally I used their in house catering for my food and drinks and the food was very good!

Effortless experience. They take all the stress out.

After 15 years of partnership we decided to make it official this past March, our Weddiverssary as we call it. The day started out very strange, as 4 tornados touched down in the Greater Newport area. We still joke that Sharknato was going on under the Shark Bridge. Hopefully that is a good omen. I was also late to my own wedding as well, that is not abnormal, when it is a family affair. That is where the Newport Aquarium staff excelled. They had everything under control. They made the whole day effortless, and honestly helped me to relax on one of the most important days of our lives. From taking care of our guests, to helping set up my little girl's piano for her 1st gig, "Here comes the Sun" went off without a hitch. Even walking through, they transformed the whole night into an underwater wonderland. It was finally here, the day I had waited for all my life, but so much more than I ever imagined. Every hand made decoration we made was perfectly placed. We are pretty untraditional in everything we do. The Scuba Officiant was something that was just...once in a lifetime (we can only hope lol). It was the cherry on top as far as ceremonies go. Every turn was the perfect backdrop to the almost magical night. Our favorite picture, a silhouette of us in front of the jellyfish tanks. We had a beautiful cocktail hour with the stingrays. The Stingray Hideaway was a favorite, as our little guests got an up close view and the very sea creature they just touched in the water. The music and hors d'oeuvres were just delicious. The Newport Aquarium was so accommodating, even throwing in an animal experience for our little ones to keep them occupied, it was so thoughtful. We conga lined back into the room we said our vows but it was completely transformed for our fine dining experience with a front and center view of the most beautiful sharks, turtles, family, and friends, all there celebrating our special day with us. We were lucky enough to have them cater our meal as well, everything more delicious than the last. Everyone kept raving about the chicken, I agreed. "The best wedding I have ever been to!" is what my Aunt from Wisconsin pulled me aside to tell me. "We will remember this night forever" another family member said. The team really went above and beyond to make this night full of the best memories, and they exceeded our expectations. We recommend them over and over. They are an amazing team!

Our special day was amazing! Stress free, beautiful and so much fun! Having our wedding at the Newport Aquarium was amazing! The setting was beautiful, the food was excellent and after the reception, we were able to let our guest enjoy a fun walk through to see everything! Allison Sweet and her staff are excellent and I would do it all over again, EXACTLY the same way!!

The Aquarium staff was helpful and professional. We hope to have many more proms at the Newport Aquarium.

Our experience with the aquarium was great - from showing initial interest to having our wedding there until the very end of the wedding. Dee was just spectacular and right before our wedding they were transitioning to a new wedding coordinator. Dee remained involved all the way through and Allison was great taking things over. They really worked well together and Dee was very thorough to make sure nothing was missed during the transition. All of our guests loved the venue as well and it really has it all - the aquarium experience with such a classy reception room and the best view of the Cincinnati skyline. Would highly recommend this as a wedding spot.

Everything was fantastic, the people, the venue, everything. We could not have been happier! I’ve never had someone be able to put me at ease as quickly and easily as Dee did. We only wish we had more time to enjoy the wedding!

The first and only venue we looked at! The aquarium brought everything to the table. A gorgeous ballroom, city view, access to the entire aquarium! Dee was an absolute please to work with and made every step of the way easy! It couldn’t have been a more perfect wedding venue!

It was worth every penny. The service was undeniably amazing. Dee and her staff treated my husband and I (and my parents!) with the highest of respect and service. If something needs to be done even last minute, they were on top of it. It made my wedding day in every single way perfect. I cannot even think of one thing that went wrong at my wedding. So if a couple is looking for perfection, the Newport Aquarium is the way to go. I cannot brag about them enough.

Beautiful venue with a breathtaking view of Cincinnati. Excellent staff, easy to work with and everything was right on schedule during the event. The guests really enjoyed visiting the aquarium during cocktail hour and it was open again after dinner. Event room is very nice and looked sharp when setup. The price was higher than some other venues, but after seeing how much everyone enjoyed the place, it was a good decision. Plus did not spend much on decorations or extra entertainment beyond the DJ and the consumption bar package was reasonable. The photographer took some great pictures inside the aquarium and against the skyline. In summary, Dee the coordinator at this venue really took care of everything and as parents we were able to sit back and enjoy the reception.

Working with Dee and her team at the Newport Aquarium was so much fun! So much stress came off of me when we signed our contract. Dee was very easy to work with and made my new husband and I feel so special. She made us feel like we were such good friends of hers and it made it so easy to communicate with her. We made some changes to our timeline the day before the wedding and she was understanding and never complained. She is truly an amazing person and I couldn't have asked for a better team to work with to make our wedding the best day of our lives.

We had our wedding and reception here and it couldn't have been any better! Dee was our organized and she did an AMAZING job. She was with us every step of the way. Our day was very special and we're so glad we chose the Aquarium.

Dee, the Special Events Coordinator was above and beyond what we could have hoped for and truly made our experience at the Aquarium outstanding. She was a true professional, promptly responding to all my questions and requests. She communicated my ideas and needs to all vendors, coordinated ALL vendor activities (even the vendors not associated with the aquarium), and made sure I was aware of all details and ToDos. The reception went beautifully. My guests had a blast and enjoyed the uniqueness of the aquarium and being able to explore during cocktails and dinner. Dancing upstairs in the River Room with the gorgeous backdrop of the Cincinnati skyline made for a perfect, romantic conclusion to the day. If you're looking for a fun, yet uniquely elegant reception venue, the aquarium is your place.

The Newport Aquarium team, led by Dee, is AMAZING. So extremely helpful and flexible. My husband and I planned the wedding from overseas and they made themselves available to whenever we could talk through plans. I didn't even have to think about a wedding planner because Dee and company took care of so many details for us, especially with all the other venders! Could not have had a better experience. Thank you!

LOVE LOVE LOVE! Dee is an amazing wedding coordinator and made the process so easy for us. Thank you-it was the best day of our lives!

The team was absolutely amazing

Everything was wonderful. All the guests loved the venue and enjoyed exploring the Aquarium during the evening.

I don't even know where to begin with this, we had our wedding and reception at the Aquarium and we truly couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Dee and the staff make this the perfect venue that it is. They were constantly 3 steps ahead of us for anything we could ever want or need on the months leading up to, during and even after our wedding. One way I can think of to describe our experience would be what I think a high dollar Disney wedding would be like. You truly can't put a value on the fact that our entire family and all the guests did not have to do anything for the wedding, everyone is able to be 100% completely present with you in the moment and thats something that we found to be just priceless. My wife has mentioned many times already that she is sad that the wedding has come and gone now, because we won't be able to see Dee and the rest of the staff as much anymore, and I have to agree, they are all so amazing at the aquarium and you leave your event gaining friends at the end. We couldn't have imagined a more perfect day, and Dee and the staff are 100% responsible for making our day what it was, and we will always cherish the wonderful memories of the wedding.

We had 560 people at our event and the Newport Aquarium Event planners were amazing. the event went off without a hitch and they were also very helpful before the event with planning and setup. Kudos to Dee and her team!!

Truly above and beyond in every way! We hosted a large employee "meet & greet" style reception here in the Riverside Room and the staff were incredibly accommodating and helpful! From helping us out with custom signage, to selecting the perfect menu for our event, they were on top of every detail. They even made sure our guests had tickets for our raffle! Truly, I think they need to be on OUR payroll! In all seriousness, one of the most fantastic teams I've ever worked with. Every single person I encountered was willing to help out however they could.

The staff I worked with were obviously very experienced in handling mid- to large-sized events, and made the preliminary event planning seamless, promptly sending over floor plans, centerpiece photos, handling A/V needs, etc.

The menu selection (we did the Whale Package for a variety of heavy hors d'oeuvres) wasn't terribly extensive, but we were able to get some delicious variety since their fabulous chef was accommodating enough to add a specialty item for us to complete our desired menu.

The venue was lovely and perfectly set up for large events like this. Our guests were able to explore the aquatic exhibits before the main part of the evening, then head to the Riverside Room and adjoining patio for the evening where they could enjoy a gorgeous sunset over the Ohio River and city skyline.

I would certainly recommend this to anyone looking to host a mid-to large event in the area. An A+ on all fronts!

Dee and her team were fantastic! We felt very well taken care of and things ran as smoothly as we could have hoped for a wedding.

My wife and I had an amazing wedding thanks to the Newport Aquarium. The wedding coordinator there, Dee Hornbeck, is absolutely amazing and was very accommodating to all of our needs. She helped make the wedding planning process for us less stressful. Additionally, the view of the Cincinnati skyline from the Newport Aquarium is stunning. Many of our guests told us, as well as members of our family, that it was the best wedding that they have ever been to. We are so happy that we chose the Newport Aquarium for our wedding and wish our wedding night didn't go so fast! We would highly recommend the Newport Aquarium to host your wedding.

Our event was a company holiday party, not a wedding, but they did an amazing job. The event was fantastic, fun and unique. We had requested the penguin encounter and it was huge success and I would definitely recommend it. The event coordinator and the staff were beyond professional and friendly. Our coordinator thought of everything and was very eager to help with anything she could. Our event was a huge success and our staff came back to work on Monday with everyone talking about it and how much fun they had and what a great place the Aquarium was to host the event. We also used the Aquarium's catering and the food was great! Everyone was commenting on how good everything was, especially the desserts. Everyone working our event went out of their way to make sure we all enjoyed our event. I would highly recommend holding an event at their facility.

There is nobody on Earth better for this than Dee Hornback at the Newport Aquarium. It's like she is magic how she makes everything happen and goes out of her way to make everything perfect. I can't even list all of the incredible ways that she helped me. All I can say is that as the bride, there were a lot of things that I needed and there were a few hiccups along the way (by fault of the bridal party) that Dee and her team took care of instantly and efficiently. Any time day or night that I reached out to her, she was prompt and kind and so helpful in her responses to me. Dee somehow managed to be constantly at my side when I needed her, all while keeping an entire aquarium full of guests happy and organized. The aquarium itself as a venue was amazing. We paid extra to have Paula the penguin make an appearance for about 20 minutes. Guests could pet her and take pictures with her. This is something everyone remembered and loved! Everyone loved the wedding and a lot of them said it was the best, most beautiful wedding they had ever been to! The Newport Aquarium was well worth the money. This was the most important day of my life, the biggest celebration I will ever hold for so many people to enjoy, and I can't imagine having had it anywhere else.

There is nobody on Earth better for this than Dee Hornback at the Newport Aquarium. It's like she is magic how she makes everything happen and goes out of her way to make everything perfect. I can't even list all of the incredible ways that she helped me. All I can say is that as the bride, there were a lot of things that I needed and there were a few hiccups along the way (by fault of the bridal party) that Dee and her team took care of instantly and efficiently. Any time day or night that I reached out to her, she was prompt and kind and so helpful in her responses to me. Dee somehow managed to be constantly at my side when I needed her, all while keeping an entire aquarium full of guests happy and organized. The aquarium itself as a venue was amazing. We paid extra to have Paula the penguin make an appearance for about 20 minutes. Guests could pet her and take pictures with her. This is something everyone remembered and loved! Everyone loved the wedding and a lot of them said it was the best, most beautiful wedding they had ever been to! The Newport Aquarium was well worth the money. This was the most important day of my life, the biggest celebration I will ever hold for so many people to enjoy, and I can't imagine having had it anywhere else.

Since the day we emailed the aquarium, they have been extremely helpful and always quick to respond. The wedding was beautiful! Dee was our event coordinator and she made sure everything was decorated how we wanted and the wedding went perfectly!

Absolutely amazing experience! Dee and the rest of the staff made sure that not only our wedding was perfect but our whole process. Couldn't have asked for anything better!

Having our wedding on July 8th at the Newport Aquarium was the best decision we could have made. We knew that guests would be fascinated by the unique venue, but they were beyond excited to see our wedding there. Everyone was so impressed and we had such a great time - no one was bored and kids were entertained all night by the wildlife! Our wedding is so memorable and unique - we loved it! Huge shout out to Pam (in the sales office) for giving us the tour that made us choose this venue and to Dee for being the best coordinator and helping us with every detail!

This is a great venue with an excellent staff. I worked with Sara on booking the event and Kyle on the day of and both were highly attentive and accommodating.

Don't be afraid to ask for something a little "outside of the box" - Sara and team were incredibly flexible and enthusiastically helped us achieve the look and feel we were going for.

Having the rehearsal dinner at the Aquarium was perfect for us. We had 12 children under 10, and 59 adults - several of them teenagers. There was something for everyone and it was a safe environment for the children where we didn't have to worry about a crowded Aquarium with strangers. The staff was so helpful and friendly. The whole evening was just perfect.

Newport Aquarium was such a pleasure to work with! They were professional, prompt, flexible, and so accommodating with everything for our event! I cannot say enough positive things about them!

Sara and her staff were great!

Great service throughout the evening, all staff friendly. Really appreciated the price remaining the same (no last minute price hikes) and we stayed within our budget

The size of the plates, small, was the only complaint I heard from my coworkers.

I would tell anyone using the Aquarium for an event or is thinking about it, to NOT hesitate to ask for help on anything, ask for guidance, ask for anything special or out of the ordinary of just help in general.
It was a true pleasure working with Sara Overbeck and the rest of the crew on the night of the event.

Our group had an excellent experience at the Newport Aquarium. Every staff person was accommodating and easy to deal with. The food was great quality and we thoroughly enjoyed touring the aquarium. The event planning staff was exceptionally helpful. Great experience!

Everything leading up to the day of the event and the event itself was awesome. Our event planner, Dee, was wonderful to work with. She was very friendly, professional and always responsive to any questions or issues we had. I'm sure the newlyweds will remember and cherish this day for many years to come.

Venue was beautiful and so unique, staff was so great to work with. Still get so many compliments on wedding and rehearsal at newport aquarium.

Great venue. Everyone loved the atmosphere. Shark tank was great for the ceremony and the Riverside room was great for the reception. Nice to have both in one location!

I could not be happier that I chose The Newport Aquarium as our wedding venue on 10/18/14. I worked with Sara all throughout the planning process, she was always very quick to respond and helpful throughout. All of the guest LOVED the Aquarium and the great view of the Cincinnati skyline. If you are looking for a venue that has a great staff and brings that extra WOW factor, I would definitely recommend the Newport Aquarium!

Everyone at the Aquarium made my wedding perfect!! They are soo easy to work with!!

This venue was beautiful and the staff were so easy to work with! They made my wedding day go off without a hitch! Thank you so much!

Working with the Aquarium was such a great decision. Sara was incredibly responsive and answered all of my emails promptly. It was so comforting to be in such great hands! The staff at the Aquarium had the Riverside Room set up beautifully and the event couldn’t have gone smoother. If anything went wrong, I didn’t have a clue that night! The Aquarium was a beautiful place for our wedding reception and we would recommend Newport to anyone we know. It is such a unique and fun place to host a reception and our friends and family loved it. Sara and the rest of the staff was incredible and we are so thankful!

Our wedding was wonderful. The venue definitely paid for itself. There of course were a couple of glitches but in the end everything worked out. No one knew about the small details but us. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Especially Margaret. We only had to pick our vendors and they handled everything. All the decor was dropped off and they set up everything. They even wrapped up my dress at the end of the night and packed our stuff for us. Above and beyond. Definitely pricey but you get what you pay for. Wouldn't change a thing.

Our wedding at the Aquarium was amazing! The staff was so helpful through the entire process. After our rehearsal the night before the wedding, I truly just left everything in Sara's very capable hands. They handled every detail beautifully.

We love the ocean and decided to hold our wedding at the Newport Aquarium and it was AMAZING! We held the ceremony in the Riverside Room and also rented the exhibit space for the wedding. Our guests couldn't stop commenting on what a beautiful, unique, and fun wedding it was. Everyone loved the exhibits and the service from the Aquarium staff was excellent. They were so helpful and made sure that everything was perfect for us and our guests- I really can't say enough about them. It literally was the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to (and I'm not just saying that because it was mine!) If you want one of the most important days of your life to be PERFECT, hold your wedding at the aquarium- you and your guests will never forget it! Thank you to everyone at the Aquarium, especially Sara and Tom- you helped make our day unforgettable!

The Aquarium was a beautiful place for a reception. The outdoor patio for a cocktail reception right on the Ohio River was perfect during August. Everyone we worked with from Margaret to Brent to Sarah were great! It was so nice to have a planner to run the evening included in the package....it was a worry-free Beautiful night!!!

So fun and perfect

The Aquarium was the perfect place for a reception. Their staff was wonderful, especially our event coordinator. Lots of other factors went into our night, but so many people said it was the most fun wedding they'd attended. We've always loved the aquarium, and this was a great choice. I wasn't involved in the payments, so I haven't evaluated it.

Such a wonderful experience. We chose this location because we wanted a city view wedding with a good back up location if it rains, which was the shark tank area. The venue was so unique and our guests are still talking about how memorable it was. Even many of our vendors said it was the best wedding they’ve done! Dee, the coordinator was so helpful and worked really hard to make sure everything went smoothly, both leading up to the big day and on the wedding day. I don’t think we could have pulled it off without her! The venue is on the pricier side and you’re limited to choosing from 3 caterers and the alcohol has to go through the aquarium rather than the caterer, which adds to cost, but it was worth it for how memorable and unique it was, and we got the most amazing photos. I would highly recommend this venue!

Super helpful with anything we needed!

From the first meeting to discuss our daughter's wedding until the last guest left, Newport Aquarium staff worked tirelessly to make all our dreams reality. Allison listened to everything we wanted, made it all happen and did it with a smile! It could not have gone better!

This was actually for a work Christmas party and we rented out the exhibit space. The theater area outside the shark tank made for a fun and unique dining experience for about 100 people. We had access to all the exhibits, including the bridge over the shark tank and all the hands on displays. We even arranged for a penguin encounter. The staff was easy to work with and responsive to our small last minute changes. We also arranged our bar service through the Aquarium. Everyone who attended the event commented about how much fun they had and the caterer we worked with (Chef's Choice) provided very tasty food. Much of our last minute planning happened over the Thanksgiving holiday which made communication challenging on both side but the team helped us work through it all and pulled off the night perfectly.

Our company picnic was a great success! Great experience all around! Kyle was great! Thank you so much!

We hosted a large corporate event at the Newport Aquarium and were beyond thrilled with how everything went the night of the event! Every employee I interacted with was pleasant and responsive. We had a lot of moving parts and the two event managers working with our team did a wonderful job pulling off every detail. We have received countless calls, emails and personal notes from the guests of this event commenting on how remarkable it was. We are grateful to the entire staff of the aquarium for making our event a huge success!

We were looking for a place that is unique yet classy, and this was both! You can't beat the view of the city across the river, and if you do decide to add any of the animal encounters, they will be a HUGE hit!

Our event planner, Kyle, was fantastic! During the event, some of the food on the buffet was a little slow to be replaced and we had a couple of guests waiting on soup. All together, the event was very wonderful. We had a guest speaker from the Aquarium, Robert, that was really enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the space. Would have totally been five stars if not for slight delays in buffet service.

The lunch was set up great. The food was also good. I didn't hear anyone in our group complain. It was a wonderful event.

very responsive to all requests. Staff extremely efficient and pleasant, great venue

I loved all the diverse experiences the Aquarium provided for my wedding day. Cocktail hour was spent in the exhibits and the rest of the celebrating took place in their Riverfront room that had a beautiful backdrop of the Cincinnati Skyline and a patio for guests to take a break from all the dancing inside. While the uniqueness of all the aquatic life was the original driver of appeal for me, I now feel that the patio and views of the city ended up being the main attraction! My guests loved everything and I was so happy I could offer them such a unique experience. The aquarium is easy to work with and they provide you with an event coordinator to help arrange all the details. Costs do add up since you have to pay extra for several things (lighting, special linens, etc), but it was well-worth it!

Great venue, and the staff are all very friendly and helpful.

I chose to use the riverside room for my wedding reception, and everything turned out beautifully. They were a little inflexible as we had to use one of their 3 preferred caterers and their vendor for chair cover rentals and table linens, which got pricey. However we simply dropped off the items for our centerpieces and decor, and they took care of it all and made it look stunning on the wedding night. I can truly say that the wedding went by without a hitch and everything went exactly as planned. The view of the city is beautiful as well as the rest of the room. Definitely happy I chose the aquarium!

Easy to work with! All of our co-workers had a lovely time!

Dee was really great as a coordinator. I wish there was more flexibility with allowing quests to get aquarium tickets at a more discounted price. It was barely discounted and we ended up not doing it, but it would have been nice to give out tickets for before the wedding. Everything else was pretty good.

The venue looked AMAZING and the staff was great; however, the aquarium has so many rules that it makes them hard to work with! There is only one person you can work with for linens, chairs, etc. and everything has an up charge. We were not told when we booked that there were so many regulations, so when we tried to rent linens, etc. we got a lot of push back. I think if we had known this upfront it would have been nice. But, in the end, I wouldn't have changed a thing! Having the back patio was AWESOME. Older guests could be out of the noise of dancing but still feel a part of the event.

We originally had Holly but she left and we then had Liz. We had a very relaxed approach to our wedding, not expecting much, keep this in mind. The pricing was great but don't expect much else from them. I'd tell simple instructions and that was hard for them, apparently. Important things like - where my step dad needed to be sitting so I could hug him down the aisle (it was a surprise) and to find him at a location I couldn't reach him. To using the runner and flower petals I brought for the ceremony (I can't put this stuff down in my wedding dress guys). To wanting my wedding cake a surprise and it just sitting out when I walk in for a rehearsal. To KNOWING HOW TO USE THEIR OWN BLUETOOTH SYSTEM.... Which they had to get another coordinator and THE GROOM to figure out. There would be awkward silences because they offered to help with the music and keep not turning it back on. I, the bride, just eventually took it from them and controlled the music. To closing up the open bar an hour early in a 4 hour wedding (that is basically losing a quarter of what we paid for.) Saying tickets were "discounted" at 26 dollars and that my guests would have to pay the 3 dollars additional if they use the tickets..... When I could just go online and pay FULL PRICE at 26 the day they sent that email.... The idea of the location is cool but don't, I repeat, DO NOT - USE THEIR STAFF.

Do not waste your time having your reception there. The planning process was fun and they made it seem like they were going to take care of everything and make everything perfect but they did not do anything they said they were going to. Several request we made for the night were ignored and not done. For example I had a grooms cake that was suppose to be brought out as a surpise for my husband but they set it up with our wedding cake so there was no surprise. They broke my cake topper, lost the pen to my guest book, didnt play the DVD of my husband and I on the tv screens because they said they didn't know how, they stole my candy that was left over from my candy bar, they lost my music cd that was played during cocktail, and the list goes on and on so save yourself the trouble and go somewhere else.