Tennessee Aquarium

The behind the scenes tour before open is SO worth it! Hannah, our guide, is passionate and entertaining! I drove from metro Atlanta, and actually like this aquarium better than the Georgia one, which is apparently a controversial opinion. I love the location, the exhibits, the staff, the touch tank…everything is well thought out and the staff is so friendly and knowledgeable! I love the conservation efforts the aquarium makes, and the non-aquatic animals are super cool! We saw lemurs, snakes, butterflies, cool bugs, and so much more! I went for my birthday and spent the day here without complaint.

It was very exciting for me and family to see all the different creatures. We enjoyed every part of it especially the butterflies room, one of them even landed on me. We also got to touch a few of the water creature. Kids enjoyed them selves. Workers there was welcoming and helpful.

This was such a nice way to spend the morning! We bought tickets in advance and went as soon as they opened, so it wasn't too crowded at all. We were able to do everything in about 2 hours. There were many hands-on activities, lots of friendly staff teaching around the exhibits, and a nice variety of animals to see. My kids especially loved the otter and turtles.

Great place for families and non families alike. Loved the large tanks for the fish, they looked very clean as well. Glad to see the residents had plenty of space to swim around, compared to some other aquariums I have visited. Wonderful butterfly garden as well. I enjoyed that saltwater and freshwater exhibits were separated. Fantastic views of the Tennessee River and the Riverfront area from the aquarium. Would definitely recommend a visit here, if you're in town.

My BF took me here as a b-day surprise and it did not disappoint. The exhibits were lovely and educational. The view of the river from the different levels was spectacular. We really enjoyed ourselves, we came late in the day and it wasn't crowded which was delightful and peaceful - I recommend it!

Great experience for first time visitors. Well organized. Staff was friendly. Facility is clean. Special note for families who are on snap: please ask for special rates and show your card/identification. Though I am not eligible, I thought to share this information to make this trip affordable for families with children to enjoy.

It was a blast! So many great memories! The freshwater experience is definitely the breadwinner if you had to choose but both experiences were worth it! For sure recommend!

My husband and I thought this was a top notch aquarium. I don’t recall visiting an aquarium with a large focus on freshwater animals. It was very interesting. The flow of the aquarium was really well done. I liked how you started at the top and just meandered to the bottom without risking missing anything. We would definitely recommend this aquarium to others. It is in a great location as well. Convenient to restaurants and hotels. We walked from our hotel, walked to lunch, and then walked back to the hotel.

I love the Tennessee Aquarium! The way it's set up makes it such a calm and relaxing place to visit. The lighting feels cozy, and there are spots to sit and just watch the animals swim by. I went this weekend for the Animal Crossing collab, and it was super cute! They had little pop-up signs about the game in both buildings, and you got a sticker at the end for going through the exhibits. The butterfly garden is always one of my favorite parts--there are so many butterflies flying around. I also love the "cave" exhibit where you can see the underside of the big ocean tank. It's such a fun way to spend a few hours!

The Tennessee Aquarium is an absolute must-see when in Chattanooga! Surprisingly impressive for a landlocked state, it's housed in two buildings: one focused on the local Tennessee waterways and the other highlighting ocean life. From a fascinating butterfly garden to adorable penguins, there's plenty to marvel at. The exhibits are thoughtfully designed, starting from the top floor and winding down through stunning aquatic displays. The attention to detail and diversity of marine life are top-notch, offering an immersive and educational experience. Perfect for families or solo explorers! I take my family and friends here when they come to visit Nashville. Chattanooga is a great weekend getaway with this being the key highlight.

Visiting from Las Vegas, we decided to check out the aquarium, it was a great decision. This aquarium is amazing. It's divided between two buildings. The first one we went to has the butterfly exhibit and penguins and massive aquariums filled with sharks and different kinds of fish and jellyfish. You start off by taking an escalator to the top of the building and work your way down. This is ingenious because it makes it so you don't miss anything. They have interactive touch tanks that are perfect for all ages and allow you to feel different aquatic animals. The second building takes you more through an experience of what you will find in the different levels of water. It also has the different kinds of animals that you would find in the rivers around the world. Our 7 year old loved all the different things that he could see and interact with. He got to learn a lot and see tons of different things. One really nice thing is how much space there is, you can go through all the exhibits but at no point do you feel like it's too crowded, even though it was a pretty busy Saturday. One thing we didn't do was the IMax movie that they offered mainly due to time. It as an absolutely fantastic aquarium, if we lived closer I would definitely be spending a lot of time there. If you are visiting Chattanooga it's a great way to spend half a day or even a full day.

Atlanta aquarium is better. No shows and not spacious. Just a bunch of glass cases with fish.

A visit to the Aquarium was the perfect way to spend a rainy activity in Chattanooga! We loved the well laid out design, including the interactive exhibits and staff member stationed throughout to learn more. The butterfly garden and the penguin habitat were our favorites! Well worth spending a few hours to see everything.

We absolutely loved this place! It is huge with tons of unique exhibits. It's a great attraction and there are two buildings, one for the river and one for the ocean. The river building breaks down all sorts of river life around the world, with a focus on the Tennessee River (which it happens to be sitting on). The ocean building has what you would expect (sharks, rays, etc) but also a surprising butterfly exhibit that you walk through. Each of the buildings has a great flow/layout, and the main tank has numerous huge viewing areas. Definitely get your tickets at least the day before because entry times go by hourly time blocks. There was plenty of nearby parking for a small fee within walking distance (we parked in a large lot across the street from the Southern Belle Riverboat and Riverfront Playground). We spent about 3 hours touring the two buildings exhibits. Loved everything that was offered- especially the lemurs and butterflies! Definitely recommend a visit here.

It's always fun to come to this aquarium. We make it every few years and there's always something new and slightly different. It was also designed by Cambridge Seven Associates who originally designed the National aquarium in Baltimore. So, coming from Baltimore, it's nice to feel at home with the similar architecture and ergonomic flow.

The aquarium is iconic if you think of Chattanooga you most likely think of Tennessee Aquarium (or The Walnut Street Bridge)and is for a good reason it just a really great and uniquely designed aquarium I have been going here since I was little and I would highly recommend you go especially since it is great for kids while also being enjoyable for adults 5/5 stars Highly recommend.

This was such a treat for our toddler's first ever aquarium. The location offers great accessibility for strollers, including elevators, ramps, and even automatic doors to bypass rotating doors. The aquarium is divided into two primary buildings: oceans and rivers. We were pleasantly surprised to see even otters at the river location. Our toddler spent a good 15 minutes watching them playfully slide down and swim around their habitat. The oceans exhibits were extensive, and the viewing areas were well planned to create a host of varied experiences: ceiling to floor glass viewing, reef side-bar areas, and even covered windows to peek into bioluminescent fish. In addition to the plethora of varied environments they featured, the aquarium also included interactive components with tech and without. There was so much amazing photography and recycled art as well as interactive light up attractions. Several locations allowed visitors to touch different animals, and staff were present to help ensure this encounter was respectful and comfortable for the animals. There were people of all ages here, and it makes sense given our family's wholehearted appreciation of the location. Several children also got the treat of seeing "scuba-diving Santa," a.k.a. a super-friendly bearded diver cleaning one of the larger tanks! Parking can be hit or miss, especially if there's an event downtown. However, there are covered garages in several directions within walking distance in addition to the main aquarium lots.

Very nice aquarium for the entire family to enjoy. Plenty of activities for kids. Free face painting.

Really cool experience! There are two building: River and ocean. The river was a much better experience. The design is genius-start on the top and work your way down, and there's space to avoid the pockets of crowds. It took us a little over 2 hours to see all the animals/exhibits.

Such a cool experience. I had a blast especially seeing all the butterflies and reptiles. Just sad the penguin was exhibit was being renovated so they weren't able to be seen. Overall great experience.

One of the best aquariums I've been to. I visit with my grandchildren. At first it doesn't look like much when you walk enter. You go downstairs and they have a small exhibit but that's just the start. You then ride an eescalator up and you are immersed in a world of underwater sea creatures. Seeing the beauty of the fish and creatures is always nice. If you take your time you can spend a whole day in here. They also have the butterfly garden attached too. We found street parking downtown.

You can buy the ticket online to see everything including the IMAX. This place huge and so much to see and good to bring your kids here.

Amazing aquarium!!! I loved touching the stingrays in stingray bay in the ocean journey building. The river journey building had a lake sturgeon touch tank which was also really neat. Very nice exhibits with all kinds of wildlife to explore. The volunteer staff were very helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. The gift shops had some pretty cool merchandise too.

This is my second time visiting this place and I love the aquarium and also the lemurs! I was surprised to see lemurs the first time but seeing them was awesome. I found this place to be relaxing. You can view all the ocean life and freshwater fish in a huge display that they have. I also enjoyed looking at the jellyfish. This is a great place to visit in Chattanooga and it's great for families.

Loved our morning at the aquarium! Comprised of two buildings (plus IMAX), we started in the Oceans building, which took us on an exploration of coral reefs, rainforests, penguins & sting rays (which you could pet). The River building housed an enormous tank with fish of all sizes, plus a turtle habitat, snakes & frogs. Both buildings took us about 3 hours total.

The aquarium was ok. Compared to ATL. They get 2 of 10 stars. compared to my old 55-gallon Aquarium, they get 10 of 10 stars. As for they entry fee of $70 for 2, with my military discount, No Go! Staff was great, not a recommendation on my end. Food at Puckett's was great!

This is fun place to see some really cool animals. The place was fun too! I dropped my mom's phone in the touch pool but it's good. When I'm the area try out Ben and Jerry's ice cream $$$$ and the Medal of Honor museum $. Cool city too! I would 100% recommend.

We had a wonderful time at the aquarium. I love the flow of the museum. You start at the top and walk down through the exhibits. There are also two buildings which make it feel less crowded. My favorite part was the turtle nursery.

I've been to a lot of aquariums in my lifetime. This wasn't one of the better ones. They have 2 buildings; the river building and the ocean building. The river building is WAY bigger. The ocean building feels like an afterthought. I don't know if that's a fact or not, but it feels like it. The river building took awhile to walk around and explore. I finished the Ocean building in about 45 minutes and I wasn't rushing. It was nice and just okay. I did not like any merchandise either. I personally prefer the Ripley's aquarium in Gatlinburg over this aquarium so I would rather spend my money there if I had to go to one. Once again, this is not a bad place by any means but compared to others I've been to... just okay.

Wow. Best aquarium we've been to.. and we've been to a ton on the coasts and even in different countries. You buy your tickets in one building, near the food court and then make your way to one of two buildings included in your tickets. We started with the River building and ended with the Ocean one. On a Thursday morning, it was not nearly as busy as we usually experience at kid-tastic venues. Beautiful buildings, with such thought and care put into the architecture. It greatly impacts the experience with how the exhibits are purposefully spaced and connected. Great flow, lighting, and interactive spots throughout. The cherry on the top of a great time were the various aquarium staff throughout, educating patrons about certain exhibits and answering questions. They were all so friendly and knowledgeable. The aquariums were well-kept with countless vantage points to enjoy sea life. Our favorite was the ocean building, which included penguins, a ray tank, butterfly room, and cavernous walk-thru thanks. Simply incredible and worth every penny of this adventure.

Okay so I've actually not gone to the aquarium but I attended the Serve & Protect Annual Sustainable Seafood Celebration. It was such a fun evening of sampling food and networking. I loved watching both of the chefs and the opportunity to sample two of their dishes. Overall a really nice event to support the work of the Tennessee Aquarium!! Next up... find time to visit the actual aquarium.

What an absolutely beautiful display. Fascinating exhibits. Really friendly and helpful staff. We spent a pleasant afternoon here. Chattanooga has a terrific waterfront. Lots of restaurant options after you're done at the aquarium.

My mom and I brought my niece here for a weekend of fun and education. I do appreciate all of the Covid safety protocols put in place to prevent overcrowding in the exhibits with times entry tickets. If you have time constraints it would be best to purchase tickets online, but if you have the day free you can also purchase tickets on site. We choose to purchase tickets onsite due to traveling from Alabama and an unsure arrival time. We had a two hour wait time before our entry and took advantage of it by shopping at the gift shop, getting snacks and letting my niece stretch her legs by playing after riding for over two hours. The exhibits are in two separate buildings, one for river animals and the other for ocean animals. The exhibits in both builds were nice to view and the ocean building even had an area for the kids to get their hands wet. Overall we had a great experience.

I was in town and was looking up the best things to do and this aquarium popped up. It's amazing they have two separate buildings. One is the ocean the other is the river. The animals are amazing. They have octopus and jellyfish. It's really interesting. You can spend at least 2 to 3 hours there walking around.

Both building are very nice and presented well. It was a Saturday and it was very busy. Lots of families with children. We have season tickets so we didn't have to deal with timed entry.All parking near there is expensive. There are plenty of restaurants in the general area.

Great Aquarium, Great Layout, Friendly Staff! The Tennessee aquarium is definitely one of our families main go to attractions in the Chattanooga area. We usually end up here at least every week or two especially on rainy days where you need a brief reprieve from the torrential downpour that is our climate here. Our little ones always seem to find something new to be fixated upon during each of our visits here. It's really cool to watch the wonder in the eyes of a Child is there explore our world in the creatures inside it. This is probably one of the best aquariums I have been to in the entire world! It's very organized and the layout is done so in a manner that provides efficient traffic flowing through most parts of the building, well, allowing you to easily view so many different organisms. I don't recall any of the staff names in particular, but I always remember their faces as there are three or four of them that definitely go far out of their way to be super super friendly. Everyone else that works there appears to also be friendly, but there are a few who seem to remember us, and go the extra mile or two beyond what is expected. All in all, no visit to Chattanooga would be complete without seeing this aquarium. Just don't forget there is a freshwater side where you begin and then you walk one building away to the salt water side so you can see the penguins, the sharks, and all the other Aquatic life that awaits you. What are you waiting for?

My girlfriend and I just had the most incredible time at the Tennessee Aquarium! It totally deserves a solid 5-star review! What blew us away was how they skillfully separated the saltwater and freshwater exhibits, giving us a genuine and diverse aquatic experience. The place was impressively clean, which made our visit even more enjoyable. And let's talk about the lemurs and otters - they were an absolute delight! The aquarium's thoughtful inclusion of these adorable creatures added a unique and unforgettable touch to the whole experience. Oh, and here's the cherry on top - they even have a market on certain days! It was such a pleasant surprise to explore the market during our visit, making it even more than just an aquarium trip. All in all, hands down, this is the best aquarium we've ever been to! If you're looking for an amazing time with your loved ones, the Tennessee Aquarium is the place to be. Highly recommended!

Aquariums are always on the to-do list, and the one definitely didn't disappoint! We arrived without really looking online about the tickets, but when we got there, you buy your ticket for a certain time slot. So we had to wait 45 minutes to get in, but it was not an issue cause there is so much to do outside the Aquarium that the time went really fast! They have 2 different buildings, which are both extremely wheelchair accessible. They have 2 pools where you can touch the animals, a beautiful butterfly room, lots of interactive things to do with kids, and so much more. It's definitely worth the trip, and it's definitely worth the money!

Visited here with my 5 year old and a friend over the weekend. They were very pleased going from each exhibit to see all the cool and exciting things. Personally, I was kind of disappointed. Didn't quite hold up to the aquarium in Atlanta in my opinion. I did enjoy the butterfly room-- that was pretty amazihng.

We love the Tennessee Aquarium. Years ago we were members for a few years but took a break when my little girls were babies/toddlers. My girls are 13, 7 & 6 and they thoroughly enjoyed their time at the aquarium this weekend. We have membership for the next year and can't wait to go back again soon.

Madison's attention to detail! He goes over my car with a fine tooth comb! When he gets done, you feel like you have a new car! Have been coming to him for years, and will definitely use his services as long as I own a car!

Worth the visit! Tennessee Aquarium's exhibits are housed in two buildings, the original River Journey building (opened in 1992) and the Ocean Journey expansion, which opened in 2005. TIP: Your ticket must be purchased in advance online and is a timed ticket so make sure to purchase as soon as possible or you may be out of luck for your preferred day & time. The day we originally planned for was already sold out but fortunately we were able to get tickets the day before we left Chattanooga. We went on a Friday morning of a holiday weekend and it was pretty crowded. I think the original day we planned (Wed) would likely have been less crowded. Your ticket is scanned at each building followed by an escalator ride to the top. You'll work your way downward ending at (big surprise) the gift shop. The kids enjoyed the Stingray touchtank, River Giant exhibit, Boneless Beauties and Jellies: Living Art galleries, Penguin Rock and of course the Butterfly Garden. Allocate at least 1-1.5 hrs for EACH building. FOOD - There's restrooms and an outdoor snack stand with tables once you exit the gift shop of the River Journey building along with various food options nearby. We took a 15-20 min snack & bathroom break between buildings. PARKING - the closest parking lot is immediately outside and is pay by the plate. TIP: Take a pic of your license plate before going to the parking kiosk. There are several paid parking lots near the Aquarium and IMAX Theater and a free shuttle runs daily in downtown Chattanooga.

I have been to a lot of aquariums, so I usually have an idea of what I like. This place had two buildings, River and Ocean. River is the freshwater aquarium, snd the ocean is the salt water aquarium with a butterfly exhibit. Both were very fun with about four floors each. I enjoyed the salt water more as the exhibits had more variety and things to do. I was very happy with the corpus area because the animal was very active. As always, I loved getting my pressed pennies at the end of both. There is not a lot of seating but there's some usually around the main exhibits.

So fun for a daytime activity! We loved that you can visit one building in the morning, go get lunch elsewhere, and still be able to return. The snacks from the concessions were yummy and the worker was so kind. All employees were kind and helpful. The aquarium was sensory friendly, as they provide quiet spots. I was not able to locate the sensory break room independently though, so more clear signage could have been helpful. Overall we loved the stingray touch tank and the butterflies the most.

If you're visiting Chattanooga and spending time in the downtown area, you've got to check out the aquarium. It's two buildings: fresh water and ocean. The displays are informative and visually really nice. And the diversity of wildlife is pretty epic. We went on a Sunday so the crowds were a bit bigger. Very kid and toddler friendly with stroller access to everything. The staff was all very nice and welcoming. Note: they currently have a reservation system, so you'll need to check the site to make sure the time and day you want is available and book tickets online. It was a great visit and a really nice aquarium.

This is our family's favorite aquarium. We like it even better than the Georgia aquarium. We really like that there is 1 set path to follow and the people are spaced out enough it never feels crowded. The exhibits here are so fascinating. The lemurs are so close to you and play just feet from you. The sting ray tank is amazing and you can touch different kinds. The really large tank has tons of different fish and there are so many different levels and places to view the fish in there. I feel it would take a long time to describe all the cool things here. There are two parts to the aquarium and the second part is fresh water and mostly fish. There are a lot of different kinds of fish there but you have to really be into fish to appreciate it. They just aren't as different as the ocean building.

I was only in Chattanooga, TN for a quick weekend visit but somehow I found myself downtown near the river looking to kill a couple of hours. I'm super glad I decided to pop into the Aquarium and check it out- best $34.95 I've spent in a while! There is also an option for a $42.95 ticket that includes access to see one of their several IMAX films, but I opted out of this experience due to time constraints. There are two large buildings that sit just on the riverbank making up the Tennessee Aquarium, one of which is dedicated to fresh water fish/creatures and the other which is for the ocean dwelling ones. I thought it was pretty cool that you get to visit both buildings for a single ticket price. I enjoyed many aspects of the visit including the turtle hatchery, sting ray petting tank and ESPECIALLY the butterfly garden. I went alone on a fairly busy Saturday afternoon and had a wonderful visit but this would be the perfect outing for a couple, a group of friends or even a family looking to get out of the house for a bit. If I return to Chattanooga I would love to visit again!

There are two buildings to tour at this aquarium, one with River fish and one with ocean fish. You must purchase a timed entry ticket, but then you may tour both buildings at your leisure. We visited on a Saturday and I would not say that it was over crowded. There is a lemur exhibit, penguin exhibit, and a butterfly garden in addition to all of the fish and turtles. Compared to the three other aquariums that I have visited I would rank this aquarium as #4. There just wasn't much that I really enjoyed viewing, and we were able to tour both buildings in about an hour and a half. Since it was Saturday, there was an arts and crafts fair outside of the aquarium and we enjoyed visiting the booths.

Incredible! Such a beautiful and clean aquarium with tons of exhibits. There are 2 buildings - ocean Journey and River Journey. Ocean Journey was our favorite. Ocean Journey has a stingray bay touch tank (includes other interested sea life such as horseshoe crabs and a catshark) that my kiddos loved. The butterfly garden was dreamy! Butterflies were floating all over the place and we even saw a Partridge running around. Caution - it's humid in this space and slippery - tons of signage indicating that it is slippery. Plenty of interactive spaces for the kids to touch and explore. Masks were not required at this time but strongly recommended. All of the staff members were very friendly and greeted us warmly. Parking was easy peasy in front of the aquarium and easy to pay online or at the pay stations. We purchased tickets online since you have to select an entry time (you have one hour to enter during your selected entry time). Children under the age of 3 are free. We checked out the plaza food court outside and it was ok, wouldn't really recommend. They do have a snack center outside of River Journey Building. Many beautiful spaces to enjoy and walk around surrounding the aquarium so make sure to check that out. All of the restrooms were very clean and well stocked. Even the outside restroom next to the River Journey building was clean.

Omg wow the best aquarium I've ever been to ! Super awesome imax movie you can watch ! First we went into the river journey, it was beyond what I could of expected! It was so cool! The ocean journey is even better! I got to pet a sturgeon , sting rays , even a shark ! Lots of photo ops & facts about the animals! I would definitely come back! All staff was very nice and friendly !

It was nice clean and cool to see all the animals fish from the ocean to the river it was amazing

We came here on a Sunday afternoon May 2022. They were having an iron Man marathon run so that was kind of exciting to watch from the second story windows. The aquarium has two buildings one is freshwater the other one is ocean. I would suggest doing the ocean one first as it is the biggest and most interesting. The tickets are kind of pricey $35. I remember only paying $25 about 6 years ago. There is no free parking you will have to pay to park and the parking lot across from the aquarium. The parking lot kiosk said it would be $10 for all day but we ended up being charged $15.? You cannot buy your tickets at the window you have to buy them online and pick a time slot. But the time slot is good for 1 hour so if you buy it at 10:00 am you have until 11:00 a.m. to get there. They have a really cute butterfly garden and a place where you can pet the stingrays. Out front they have splash pad for kids to play in they were having a really good time. It took us about 3 hours to do both buildings. The ocean building took us about 2 hours and the river one a 1 hour. While we were there they had the wash to shore art exhibit. Which was very interesting to see all the stuff that they have pulled out of the ocean and made into art. The aquarium and Rock City is a must see if you are in the area.

We are in town for a week from Pennsylvania. We spent 4 hours at the aquarium on Monday and it was great. The kids loved all the fish, penguins snd especially the turtles. We petted the stingrays and sturgeons. We saw it all! I was impressed it took so much time. I thought it would go much quicker. I was glad it took a while. The staff inside were all so friendly and well spaced out. I really noticed that it was kind of dirty there. A general pressure washing and outside around the aquarium too would go a long way! Inside there were cobwebs everywhere. Everywhere. In the butterfly exhibit there were butterflies caught in it in the corner. Just needs cleaned. Everything was still fun but gave it a 4 because it needs cleaned. Great place for kids or adults!

I came here once years ago and this Aquarium remains as gorgeous and informative as ever. This visit I was fortunate enough to speak to several docents and they were extremely helpful and informative and really improved my experience. I'd highly recommend this aquarium to anyone in the area.

Awesome aquarium! The layout is well designed and the attractions are superb! Well worth the visit!

A great aquarium in a great location. The River building has a lot more than the ocean building and was our favorite. But both buildings have a lot of well maintained exhibits. Staff was also great.

This aquarium is split between fresh water and salt water. The fresh water has some excellent displays of local waterways and the life in and around the water. A must see if you are a local or a GREAT school educational adventure. The salt water side is limited. It is still worth a visit if you don't travel to large cities with huge aquariums.