Tennessee Aquarium

Reviews 3

BE

Ben Garber

I had a blast at the Tennessee Aquarium even though I only had around an hour and 45 minutes to explore--I wish Id had longer! The museum was well-organized in a linear design that ensured that you wouldnt accidentally miss an exhibit, and each exhibit was laid-out with a lot of interesting and relevant text and images to help identify the inhabitants. The river part of the aquarium was really special, featuring a lot of fish and other aquatic animals and birds native to the Tennessee River Basin. It started out in the basement with a special exhibit on jellyfish that was merely interesting and not novel. However, the main exhibits that followed were cohesive and well-designed. Escalators took us up to the aviary on the top floor, which was a little less full of birds than Id hoped (of the five or six species said to be there, I saw only one bird). The other exhibits on the floor, also naturally lit through the artfully sloping glass roofs, were busier, with alligators and some really cool local turtles and snakes that were either worse at hiding or less inclined to. The river otters were adorable in a large enclosure in which we could see them lounging on the rocks and playing in the water; the same section had some really nice semi-open tanks showing the fish native to the upper Tennessee River. Descending into the main part of this building, the path takes you in and out of the main hall, with multi-story windows into some enormous tanks showing a wide range of freshwater fish, both local and global. The side exhibits featured more fish from the Tennessee River as well as river fish from around the world. These latter exhibits were the most eclectic in the museum, seeming to hop from continent to continent in the space of a couple feet. Although this allowed the aquarium to exhibit some truly spectacular freshwater fish, the exhibit seemed to lack cohesion. The tanks visible in the main hall, especially the River Giants tank (featuring the largest species of freshwater fish from around the world) were well worth the visit, showcasing some species that Id never seen before, having never been to an aquarium that focused on freshwater ecosystems. The ocean section was also very well done, with a nice tunnel under the main tank, dark and hidden enough that fish swam right up to the windows. Big windows in the ceiling of the tunnel allowed us to see the fish and sharks from below, a perspective unavailable in most aquaria. The butterfly room was also very nice, with a multitude of beautiful butterflies fluttering around us. Alas, a few of them had damaged wings, which was a little sad. The side exhibits were nice, with a cute but unoriginal jellyfish exhibit and a really nice ray and skate touching exhibit. The penguins, two varieties, were incubating their eggs, which was interesting to see when one of them stood up. Overall, the ocean part was very well done but not as special as the river section. Overall, our visit to the aquarium was really fun, and the plethora of species and ecosystems on view made our two hour visit seem like a whirlwind. I would love to go back, and would highly recommend visiting if you have a free afternoon in Chattanooga.

WI

Will Thomas

Tennessee vs Georgia Education vs Entertainment Both aquariums are world class and we are lucky to have them both close. Both have friendly and helpful staff. Both are great for families and anyone who likes aquariums or animals. However there are some major differences. Atlanta is loud and in your face, its a show! Tennessee is more laid back and peaceful. If you have a kid with sensory issues or just want to relax Tennessee is the best choice. Atlanta has marine mammals and Tennessee does not. Atlanta has Dolphins, Whales, and Sea Lions. The Dolphin show is amazing and included with your ticket. The sea lion show is ok. The views are obstructed if you do not have reserve seating. You are instructed to watch it on the TV screen in front of you even though the sea lions are 10-20 feet away. The Beluga whales are fun to watch for sure. If you want to see whales and dolphins then you should head to Atlanta. Atlanta and Tennessee both have otters. Georgia has the smaller Small-clawed Otters and Tennessee has the much larger American River Otter. Tennessee has much larger and better touch tanks. The room with the stingray and shark touch tanks have orchids and pitcher plants all over the walls. They also have tropical birds flying about. In addition in the next room is a tropical plant room with natural light and butterflies from all over the world. Atlanta has whale sharks and manta rays. These are truly impressive, the whole main tank is simply amazing and a must see! You really feel like your in a tropical ocean. Lots of nooks and crannies where you can have a piece of the aquarium to yourself. If you have never seen a whale shark head to Atlanta it is worth it! If you like seahorses then Tennessee wins this one easy. They have a wide selection of seahorse and their family in large enclosures. The whole area is very inviting and a good place to simply sit back and observe. Atlanta does have seahorses but it is really not comparable. Tennessee has a large selection of turtles and tortoises. They have everything from Green sea turtles, huge adult alligator snapping turtles, to rare turtles from all over the world. They also have a wide variety of other reptiles. The displays are huge and well done. In one exhibit they have alligators, bird, fish, turtles, and snakes all living in one huge enclosure. Tennessee staff seem to have time to talk and explain things. Atlanta the staff are friendly but they have so much going on that there is only minimal interaction. In closing you cannot go wrong with either aquarium. We went to both aquariums back to back and for us the clear choice was the Tennessee Aquarium. More native species, more variety, and I felt like I could take a nap in the jellyfish room and no one would care.

AN

Angela Mitchell

I first visited in the Tennessee Aquarium when I was in middle school, probably within the year that it opened (1992). I remember really enjoying the flow and that it was focused on local items, so that I could learn about the life in the river and watershed that I spent most of time enjoying. I just took my sons (6.5 and 3.5) back for the first time since then. Theyve added another building with an ocean experience (rays and penguins and sharks and sea turtles). I didnt get to enjoy it as much this time since I was chasing my 3.5 yo through crowds and my 6.5 yo just wanted to get to the gift shop. But Im impressed with how well it has held up. I still love the flow - start at the top and work your way down - much easier for chasing small children. I appreciate the different natural habitats and exposure to all types of water. I appreciated the opportunities to touch the wildlife (butterflies, rays, sturgeon, skinks (in the gator/swamp habitat). We purchased our tickets in combination with the triple at Rock City. I like that the tickets didnt all have to be used in one day, even though we could have. If you really wanted to spend your time doing one side and then couldnt keep going, you could come back the next day to do the other journey. In addition to the aquarium buildings themselves, there is a lot of space to play around it with the concrete and brick rivers running all around. I almost wished I hadnt tuckered my sons out to the point of exhaustion, so that we couldve spent some time splashing in the cool water during the hot summer afternoon. In short - GO!

Other organizations