Three St. Lucie County attractions were awarded the 2015 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor – an online directory that provides reviews and advice on tourism amenities such as hotels, museums, parks, resorts, attractions and more. The St. Lucie County Aquarium, featuring the Smithsonian Marine Eco-System Exhibit, the St. Lucie County Regional History Center and Pepper Park and were all 2015 Certificate of Excellence winners.

Now in its 5th year, the Certificate of Excellence award recognizes establishments that consistently earn great TripAdvisor reviews from travelers (at least four out of five stars). The site feature more than 225 million reviews and opinions from travelers around the world.

St. Lucie County Aquarium

The St. Lucie County Aquarium and Regional History Center are located in Museum Pointe Park, 414 Seaway Drive on South Hutchinson Island. The Aquarium features more than 8,000 gallons of marine life that accurately reflect the area’s surrounding waters; while the Regional History Center houses dozens of exhibits that tell the story of the Treasure Coast’s earliest beginnings. The Aquarium operates in a partnership with the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce, while the Regional History Center is staffed by volunteers from the Treasure Coast Historical Society. To find out more about the Aquarium call 772-462-3474 or visit www.sms.si.edu. For more information on the Regional History Center call 772-462-1795 or www.stlucieco.gov/history.

Pepper Park

Located at 3302 North A1A, Pepper Park Beach is a 52-acre park with tennis and basketball courts, restrooms, showers, a playground, grills and lifeguarded beach accesses. The beach serves as a popular snorkeling and diving spot thanks to the close proximity of the rock reef 100 yards offshore. The park is also home to the National UDT-Navy SEAL Museum, which also earned at TripAdvisor 2015 Certificate of Excellence.