Shreveport Aquarium

What Shreveport Aquarium does

Shreveport Aquarium is a privately held, for-profit edutainment attraction operating as a single-site family destination on the Red River in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, at 601 Clyde Fant Parkway. Founded in 2017 and owned by Planet Aqua Group, the facility houses over 1,000 animals across approximately 300 species in themed galleries (Shipwreck, WOW), with a collection spanning sharks, seahorses, stingrays, eels, alligators, axolotls, and touch-tank invertebrates. The underlying operating technology is conventional aquarium life-support infrastructure — temperature control, water quality management, and 24-hour remote access environmental monitoring — supported by a husbandry team with over 100 years of combined experience and target training programs for sharks and other animals under AZA-supported veterinary protocols.

The company serves multiple customer segments from a unified physical venue: families with children (primary, through tickets and memberships), K–12 and homeschool groups (educational field trips and scout programs), event hosts (birthday parties, private events, VIP dinners, corporate gatherings), corporate partners (memberships, exhibit sponsorships, client entertainment), and tourists to the Shreveport-Bossier metro. On-site products span touch-tank and feeding experiences, the Treasure Mine attraction, summer camps, an audio tour in English and Spanish, an Adopt an Animal conservation program, and named experiences such as the swell shark 'Yoko' hatching and seasonal events including Summer of Sharks and Believe! Lights the Night.

Shreveport Aquarium operates a direct-to-consumer retail model. Revenue is generated through one-time day admission tickets (valid up to one year), a tiered subscription annual membership program (Tidepool, Sandbar, and Open Ocean tiers for individuals and families, plus a corporate membership track), special events, gift cards, on-site merchandise and concessions, and corporate/exhibit sponsorships. The business draws on-site traffic from a multi-channel marketing stack — organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), email/SMS, TripAdvisor reviews, and local sponsorships — and reports annual visitation exceeding 150,000 with an average dwell time of one to two hours.

Name

Shreveport Aquarium

Website

https://shreveportaquarium.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Shreveport Aquarium is a privately owned, for-profit edutainment aquarium in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, presenting over 1,000 animals across roughly 300 species to families, school groups, corporate clients, and tourists via tickets, tiered annual memberships, events, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Aquarium & Family Attraction

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL), Wildlife Sanctuaries & Rescue Centers (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Public aquarium attractions
• Family entertainment center
• Marine animal encounters
• Educational field trips
• Animal conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Shreveport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Day admission tickets to the aquarium, valid for up to one year after purchase date.
2. Annual Memberships: Individual and family annual pass memberships offering unlimited regular admission for 12-14 months, with discounts on merchandise and special events.
3. Special Events and Experiences: Revenue from special events including Birthday Parties, Private Events, VIP Dinners, Breakfast with Santa, Believe Lights the Night, summer camps, and animal feeding experiences.
4. Corporate Memberships and Sponsorships: Corporate partnership packages offering membership benefits, event venue access, and exhibit sponsorship opportunities for businesses.
5. Merchandise and Concessions: On-site gift shop and likely food concessions generating additional revenue from visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shreveport Aquarium is a family-oriented aquatic attraction that operates a physical venue on the Red River in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, selling day admission tickets and annual memberships to view over 1,000 animals across approximately 300 species. The aquarium layers on hands-on experience products such as animal feedings, the Treasure Mine attraction, birthday parties, school field trips, summer camps, and the Adopt an Animal conservation program, alongside B2B corporate memberships and exhibit sponsorships for local businesses seeking brand visibility and employee/client benefits.

Product overview

Shreveport Aquarium is a family-oriented aquatic attraction offering a unified visitor experience centered on marine animal exhibits and interactive encounters. The core offering consists of day admission tickets to view over 1,000 animals across approximately 300 species. The membership program (Tidepool, Sandbar, and Open Ocean tiers) provides unlimited annual admission with varying benefit levels. Supporting products include animal interaction experiences (Feedings & Experiences), educational programs (School Field Trips, Summer Camp), event services (Birthday Parties), conservation initiatives (Adopt an Animal, Conservation Programs), and specialty attractions (Treasure Mine). B2B offerings include Corporate Memberships and Exhibit Sponsorships for organizations seeking brand visibility at the venue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tidepool Single Membership Individual annual membership offering unlimited regular admission for one adult at $50 per year, with member benefits including discounts on merchandise and special event tickets; 14 months for the price of 12 during June promotion.
• Tidepool Family Membership Family annual membership covering four family members at $160 per year with unlimited regular admission, member discounts, and priority entry; 14 months for the price of 12 during June promotion, additional members $40 each, $20 military discount for Barksdale families.
• Sandbar Single Membership VIP individual annual membership with enhanced benefits beyond the standard Tidepool tier.
• Sandbar Family Membership VIP family annual membership covering four family members with enhanced benefits above the Tidepool family tier.
• Open Ocean Single Membership Premium VIP individual annual membership with top-tier benefits above the Sandbar tier.
• Open Ocean Family Membership Premium VIP family annual membership covering four family members with the top tier of benefits.
• Day Admission Tickets One-time aquarium admission tickets valid for any available time slot within one year of the purchase date, granting access to over 1,000 animals across themed galleries.
• Birthday Parties Hosted birthday party packages at the aquarium venue, requiring a $100 nonrefundable deposit, providing a distinctive party venue for children and families.
• Feedings & Experiences Hands-on animal encounters where guests can feed and interact with marine life including sharks and stingrays at the aquarium venue.
• Red River Treasure Mine Hands-on attraction where visitors can search for gems and treasures as part of the aquarium visit.
• School Field Trips Curriculum-aligned educational visits for K-12 school groups with hands-on learning experiences and educator support.
• Summer Camp Day camp programs for children featuring marine education, animal encounters, and hands-on activities during summer break.
• Adopt an Animal Symbolic animal adoption program supporting animal care and conservation efforts at the aquarium.
• Corporate Memberships Corporate partner packages offering employee rewards, client entertainment, and community giving benefits with annual pass allocations for businesses.
• Exhibit Sponsorships Sponsorship opportunities for aquarium exhibits including prominent signage, category exclusivity, annual pass allocations, and event venue credits for sponsoring businesses.
• Gift Cards Gift voucher cards available for purchase for aquarium admission and experiences.
• Audio Tour Guided audio tour available in English and Spanish for an enhanced visitor experience throughout the aquarium.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered owner/parent, minor and core.

• Planet Aqua Groupowner/parentOthersPlanet Aqua Group is the parent/owner company of Shreveport Aquarium, located at 601 Clyde Fant Parkway in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana.
• Louisiana TravelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLouisiana Travel is listed as a sponsor/partner, promoting Louisiana tourism including Shreveport Aquarium.
• Louisiana SeafoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLouisiana Seafood is listed as a sponsor/partner, with the aquarium serving as a venue for promoting Louisiana seafood industry.
• KultureCitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKultureCity partners with Shreveport Aquarium to provide sensory-inclusive accommodations including sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones from Puro Sound Labs, fidget tools, and VIP lanyards. Staff are trained annually by medical professionals on recognizing and handling sensory needs.
• Puro Sound LabsminorOthersPuro Sound Labs provides noise-canceling headphones for the KultureCity sensory bags available to guests with sensory needs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mississippi Aquarium: Newer (opened 2020) regional aquarium in Gulfport, Mississippi, with a focus on Gulf Coast species and conservation. Closest comparable single-site, family-focused regional aquarium in the South-central US.
• Dallas World Aquarium: Privately held, mid-sized aquarium in downtown Dallas featuring marine and rainforest exhibits. Comparable size, single-location, edutainment focus, and direct drive-distance competition for regional family visitors.
• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: Louisiana-based aquarium in New Orleans operated by the Audubon Nature Institute. Closest geographic peer with a comparable marine animal collection and family-attraction positioning, though larger and more established.
• Tennessee Aquarium: Nonprofit public aquarium in Chattanooga with similar freshwater-and-marine mix and strong family/education orientation. Comparable scale of animal collection and visitor base.
• Newport Aquarium: Mid-sized aquarium in Newport, Kentucky (Cincinnati metro) operated by Herschend Family Entertainment. Similar scale, family-tourist mix, and single-site edutainment positioning.
• Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies: Mid-sized tourist-market aquarium in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, operated by Ripley Entertainment. Comparable family-entertainment positioning, single-site operation, and heavy reliance on tourist traffic.
• Downtown Aquarium Houston: Landry's-operated aquarium in downtown Houston combining marine exhibits with restaurant and event venue components. Strongly comparable business model blending ticketed attraction, events, and group business.

Broad incumbents

• SEA LIFE (Merlin Entertainments): Global chain of mid-sized aquariums operated by Merlin Entertainments. Demonstrates the multi-site, brand-portfolio aquarium model that represents a plausible expansion template for Shreveport Aquarium under Planet Aqua Group.
• Georgia Aquarium: Largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere, located in Atlanta. Operates at significantly greater scale but competes for the same regional family-entertainment day-trip and drive market from Louisiana.

Regional players

• Bossier City tourism attractions (e.g., Sci-Port Discovery Center): Adjacent family-entertainment attraction in the Shreveport-Bossier market. Competes for the same regional family outing dollars and school field trip bookings rather than direct aquarium visitors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfheVJRDw-_y7UdK8c9gSSQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/shreveportaquarium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shreveport-aquarium
• Instagraminstagram.com/shreveport_aquarium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shreveport Aquarium