Mississippi Aquarium welcomes their millionth guest

The number one million means a lot of one family at the Mississippi Aquarium.

Sophia Neves and the Powers family found out about their fame during what they thought would be a regular visit to the aquarium.

It’s been a week of milestones at the Mississippi Aquarium as they celebrate their millionth guest during their four year anniversary.

Saturday morning, Sophia Neves and her family became the aquarium’s special guests, receiving a gift bag and decorative millionth guest sign.

To go along with the special moment, the family was cheered on by staff and city officials.

The first 500 guests of the aquarium took part in the fun too, receiving free water bottles as part of the millionth-guest celebration.

“It’s very like special to me. I was not expecting it at all,” said Neves. “Whenever they said my name, I was like, oh, that’s great.”

“Well, originally I was supposed to be here work related for a touch of truck, and I promised to bring them, that got canceled. So then I said, Well, let’s still go and out of the sheer luck we were the right people at the right time.”

“It really shows what we’ve been able to put together through the last four years, which has been a time of uncertainty,” said Kurt Allen, the CEO & president of the Mississippi Aquarium. “And to be able to do this and showcase what we’ve done is really, really special for us.”

“Milestones are important, and particularly with what’s being called the crown jewel of Mississippi attractions, our Mississippi aquarium, we knew that it had the potential to be something fantastic for families in particular,” said Mayor Billy Hewes. “But being a catalyst for our coast growth, and it has been, and having the 1 million visitor is a big deal, it shows that people have embraced what we’ve tried to provide, and it’s just a whole lot of fun, and they continue to expand and grow.”

Sophia and her family will now have an annual pass to the aquarium.