Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater — Local services in Chattanooga

Pros: Provides, the highest quality image you can see in theaters.

Cons: Long ticket line, long concession line, long wait times, cramped seating.

Chattanooga is one of a handful of theaters in the world that have the new dual laser 4k projectors. Combining that with the huge screen and state of the art sound system, you theoretically should have the one of the best movie experiences to be had anywhere in the country. Yes the image is breathtaking and the sound incredible but the overall venue is lacking. First off, buy your tickets online to avoid buying tickets there. Usually they only have one person at the ticket window and the wait can be long because people have questions about annual passes, combo tickets for the nearby aquarium, expired passes, etc. Next, their concessions service is in huge need of improvement. Every time I've been here, regardless of the size of the crowd, there is only one person serving popcorn, candy, and refreshments. The line can get extremely long! Unlike other theaters today, there is no self serve drink stations so the single employee is not only pouring your drinks, he/she has to keep up with popping popcorn in a relatively small area, don't be surprised if he/she has to run a fresh batch because they ran out. Plus, one of my guilty pleasures when going to the movies is the butter flavoring to pour on top, but they don't have any type of butter flavoring other than when they popped it. What is confusing is that there are several employees that help with seating during and after the movie, but they are no where to be seen before the movie when the concession line is 40 people long. In my experience don't worry too much about being late or missing the beginning of the movie if you have to wait for refreshments. The start time of the full length movies, is very delayed. Most recently ours was scheduled for 7 but didn't start until about 7:20. Plus they start pre-seating just prior to the scheduled start time, but you basically are stuck standing in a line for 10 minutes or longer before they actually open the doors to the theater. Lastly, the seating needs improvement. The seats themselves are moderately comfortable but very cramped. Good news is you'll easily be able to see over a tall person, but leg space is limited. Don't be surprised if the person behind you kicks your chair throughout the movie, it probably can't be helped. Also if you expect a need to leave the theater during the movie, best to sit closer to the end of the aisle. It is embarrassingly difficult to walk around the the other moviegoers because they have nowhere to move their legs. With so much competition from the traditional theaters offering recliner chairs with plenty of legroom, self serve drinks, popcorn stations, and mega screens that compete with iMax screen size, we now only go to the iMax if it is a movie that we truly want to see the very best image and...

went here to see Avatar for my 24th BIRTHDAY and not only was locked out when I arrived only 15 minutes late- but when the employee greeted me (short girl with a sweatshirt on and blonde hair) she said “a little late? more like a lot of late..” so RUDELY and I literally had to tell her it was my birthday to even get in. my movie tickets were set for 6:30. THEN I go to get a drink around 7:30 and was waiting behind two little girls, when the same girl rudely YELLED across the lobby at the kids “WE’RE NOT OPEN MY GOODNESS” and then laughed with her friend. What movie theater makes someone drink from the SINK vs serving even just bottled water!!! there wasn’t even a vending machine or water fountain! Happy birthday to me, drinking from the sink in the bathroom…. Beyond upset and would like a full refund for the 2 tickets I purchased online. The rude employee just made the entire experience and honest joke, And i was SO EXCITED for this movie as I hadn’t been to one in years. Once again movie started at 6:30, doors were locked at 6:45 and NO FOOD OR DRINK SOLD AFTER 7 LIKE WHAT???? this is a 3 hour or...

Great 3D Entertainment

Came in for their 6 o'clock showing on a weekday night.

Hurricane 3D

The film was really well made. The whole time I was watching I kept asking myself how they were able to capture some of the shots they did.

I mean they were able to capture the impact of a hurricane from the perspective of a stick insect. Talk about a micro - viewpoint

The IMAX screen and surround sound made for a badass experience. It was only $8 extra with the purchase of an Aquarium of Tennessee ticket.

Normally I get motion sickness from 3D films, so I was hesitant to go. But I'm so glad I did.

Food - Disgusting story alert.

I considered ordering popcorn but when I saw what I saw... I just couldn't

The concessions attendant put BACK a bag of popcorn that had been physically touched by the customer ahead of me to check for temperature difference between the two popcorn bags he was about to buy.

Gross!

Overall Recommendation

Skip the popcorn, catch a film, and you'll have...