JENKS, Okla. — A sparkly new attraction is now open inside the Oklahoma Aquarium, and visitors are giving it rave reviews.
5-year-old Hayes Newcomb is a big fan, "I love it!" she says.
It's a one-of-a-kind carousel located right inside the main hall.
"We want to place to feel like magic. We want it to be bright and happy and fun," says Kenny Alexopoulos, Chief Operating Officer of the Oklahoma Aquarium.
The aquarium-themed Carousel is custom-made, a vision of the aquarium staff.
"It has all kinds of pictures of animals, and we even have some mermaids on top. It's fantastic. The staff picked out all the colors, we designed a lot of it and made changes to the base carousel, such as replacing mirrors with animal prints and that type of thing," says Alexopoulos.
It cost $600,000 and took a Wichita, Kansas, company eight months to build.
"They said this is probably one of the most beautiful carousels they've ever created," said Alexopoulos.
Instead of horses, this Carousel features sea creatures, all hand-painted.
"Almost every animal has some hidden tiny thing," says Alexopoulos.
There are sharks, seahorses, and even a mythical sea monster. Staffers say the sea monster is the most popular seat in the house.
There are 18 aquatic animals to choose from, or passengers can grab a seat inside a chariot.
"It's an inclusive carousel. We do have a ramp for wheelchairs, and that chariot has anchors for a wheelchair, so pretty much anybody can ride it," says Alexopoulos.
The ride lasts a few minutes and costs a few extra dollars.
"It's $3 for the first person in a group and $2 for each person after that in a group," says Alexopoulos.
The Carousel is one of the many ways the Oklahoma Aquarium has continued to evolve since it opened. It's always coming up with new exhibits. The next one will be unveiled in months.
"It's a jellyfish touch exhibit. You can actually go up and touch the jellyfish, but they are not the kind that sting. We grow a special jellyfish that doesn't sting so that people will touch them," says Alexopoulos.
By adding more hands-on exhibits, the Oklahoma Aquarium hopes to educate kids in a fun and interactive way.
"In order to educate them, we have to have them engaged, we have to bring them here, and entertainment is the start of it all. If they're not having fun, they're not going to get educated, so we've got to have them wanting to come to the aquarium to have fun, and this Carousel fits right in," says Alexopoulos.
Our 5-year-old test-rider agrees. She soaked up so much fun this "go around" that she's already planning her next trip. "It was really fun. I just loved it. I loved it a lot!" says Newcomb.
The Carousel is now open. An official ribbon cutting is set for November 3rd at 11 am. You can learn more at the aquarium's official website.
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