Tennessee Aquarium — Attraction in Chattanooga

Cleanliness - no noticeable issues. Bathrooms and overall the entire place was very clean.

Maybe my kids aren’t the only ones but they are mesmerized by an escalator. They loved those.

Staff at the aquarium - mostly all impressive. The girl showing the fish fins, I believe her name was Anna Claire, was so kind. My kids loved her. She took time with them and talked to them individually and let them guess about the fins.

Kids favorite part by far was touching the stingrays and the sturgeons. This was really cool and interactive. Staff was interactive and offered to answer questions. Surprisingly, neither of these areas seemed to be too crowded or overwhelming. This was free.

We could’ve stayed in the ocean side for days. It’s captivating. I wish they had a dolphin show, but the kids didn’t even mention it. We stayed at most of the glass windows for over 10 minutes and came back to some. It’s truly breathtaking.

The river side felt more crowded. You could definitely lose a kid in there on a busy day and the hallway between exhibits is dark. We had a 6 year old in tow, so we held hands.

staff at the IMAX theatre - very rude. Not just to us, but I was able to hear very well the two guys at the ticket scanning booth making fun of a family that was waiting outside before the doors were unlocked - they were a large group with family reunion shirts on and likely thought it was best to get there early. Also, whether this is true or not I’m unsure, but not being allowed to scan tickets until exactly 30 minutes before the show (per the ticket scanning guy) and concessions not being able to open until 15 minutes before the show put people in a pinch. We left concessions and walked into the theatre at exactly 12:00, and when we left concessions, there were still several families there. Considering capacity, this just doesn’t make sense. The concession staff (2 people) also clearly hate their jobs or hate customers. The woman was very rude when opening the doors, stomping past a woman with a very snarky, “EXCUSE ME.” She opened the door so fast, my husband thought that she got her arm caught in it at first. The girl at the window who told us we didn’t need to show her our ticket that was purchase online was very nice. The movie was good. Glasses are way too big. We turned them upside down and it helped some. The 3D dolphin documentary was so good. We all, kids included, absolutely loved it and we learned so much.

While we were there, some divers went into a tank my kids were at. They interacted with them, giving high 5’s, fist bumps, pretending to ask my 6 year old to come get the brush and clean. They were so much fun and because of them, my daughter wanted a diver for her souvenir. I hope they both know how amazing the kids thought this was. They really made an impact and they didn’t have to, but they did. I admire that.

You have a family picture taken when you enter the river side. It’s $45 when you leave. We rarely get a family picture with all of us in it, so we paid it. That process at the end needs a little work. I told the girl how many were in the picture and she handed it to me without saying anything, so I asked what to do and price, etc. Another girl started answering and she was super nice, friendly, and answered the questions straight and to the point. When I took the picture to the counter, I said I’d like to buy these. He said, “do you want them?” That was confusing. Anyway, the pictures were good. The guy that took them was funny and upbeat.

Overall, absolutely no regrets planning this trip. The aquarium is beautiful and the kids asked to go back soon before we even left. My youngest said, “this is the goodest squarium ever!”

Also: we paid almost $40 to park and it took forever to find a lot with an open spot. Be ready for parking expenses. This aquarium is half the price of Georgia though and I’m glad...

This is the ONLY aquarium in TN that’s not too far away from where we currently live so today we drove the hour and a half it took to get to Chattanooga. Honestly it was worth it for the most part. When I lived in Cali I used to love going to the aquarium of the pacific with my son and honestly that is set up far better than the one here in TN. But overall we had a good experience today.

I did order my tickets in advance and that saved time so I highly recommend doing that before arriving. Parking can also be a nightmare but if you aren’t able to find any spaces in the two lots in front of the aquarium, there is a parking garage across the street. It is $10 for the day but that’s not too bad considering you can also walk around the city after your aquarium visit to make the cost more worthwhile.

I will say that the aquarium is configured oddly. Overall there’s 4 floors that you kind of zig zag through to see the different exhibits. For the river journey it’s mainly a bunch of different species of fish and turtles but we enjoyed seeing them all. Especially since my husband loved turtles! Took us about an hour to get through the river journey. The ocean journey is much smaller and you definitely feel it with the crowds. We went on a Saturday so of course the place was packed. I’d recommend trying to come on a weekday if you are wanting to avoid feeling claustrophobic and dealing with a bunch of people.

We all had a fun experience though minus the large crowds but that’s to be expected with the weekend days. The animals looked happy and well cared for also. Overall a fun experience and highly recommend for anyone looking for someplace to...

Exceptional!

We explored the Tennessee Aquarium and a Cherokee memorial today. A must do if you are planning on visiting the area.

The Tennessee Aquarium is considered one of the top destinations for aquatic exhibits in the United States, making it a must-visit for those interested in marine life and conservation.

The Aquarium in Tennessee is divided into two main buildings, with the River and the Ocean Journeys.

River Journey: The River Journey section focuses on freshwater habitats, tracing the journey of a single raindrop from the Appalachian Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico.

Ocean Journey: The Ocean Journey building was added in 2005 and expands the experience to include saltwater habitats. This building houses creatures like sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, and a variety of colorful reef fish. One of the highlights is the butterfly garden, which was one of my favorite parts.

Also be sure to read up on the history of the Cherokee that belonged to this area.

The Trail of Tears memorial (located next to the Aquarium) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, commemorates the forced removal of Native American tribes, particularly the Cherokee, from their ancestral lands during the 1830s. This tragic event is known as the Trail of Tears, where thousands of Native Americans were forced to relocate to what is now Oklahoma, leading to the death of an estimated 4,000 Cherokee people due to exposure, disease, and starvation.

The site is a powerful reminder of the resilience and enduring spirit of the Cherokee people and the importance of remembering this painful chapter in American history that is generally skipped in our schools history books...