We all had a really great time at the Tennessee Aquarium! The aquarium is divided into two separate buildings called River Journey and Ocean Journey. Both buildings had a lot to see from fish to turtles to crocodiles, to lemurs. There is even a butterfly exhibit! It is truly something the whole family can enjoy! If you're visiting Chattanooga, this is definitely worth your time! read more

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Stopped in on a work trip. We got there around 2pm and we could see loads of kids on a field trip leaving, so I'd advise arriving late afternoon to avoid any school crowds. There are 2 buildings - ocean and river exhibits. There were some non aquatic animals like lemurs and butterfly garden. You have the opportunity to touch sting rays and sturgeon's and they have wash stations near by. It looks like they offer some cool experiences like sleepover at the aquarium and imax shows. read more

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Today's visit to the Tennessee Aquarium felt like stepping into an entirely different world--one full of shimmering water, curious creatures, and peaceful river views. From the moment I walked through the doors, I was struck by the calm hum of flowing water and the soft glow of the exhibits. I started in the River Journey building, where freshwater life thrives in every corner. The river otters were easily the stars--playful, lively, and impossible not to smile at. Watching them zip and tumble through the water made me wish I could dive in with them. The towering River Giants exhibit was equally mesmerizing, with enormous fish gliding slowly through the water like ancient guardians. Crossing over to the Ocean Journey building felt like turning a page. Everything became brighter, more colorful, more dreamlike. The butterfly garden was surprisingly peaceful--thousands of delicate wings drifting through warm, quiet air. In the ocean galleries, rays, reef fish, and tiny seahorses stole the show, but the real magic was the massive Secret Reef tank. Standing there watching sharks circle effortlessly in the blue glow was hypnotic. One of my favorite moments was visiting the touch pools, where I could gently feel the texture of a stingray's smooth back. It was strangely calming, and it reminded me just how remarkable the natural world is. Before leaving, I stepped outside to enjoy the view of the Tennessee River. The buildings' glass pyramids glowed in the afternoon light, and it struck me how perfectly the aquarium blends with its riverfront surroundings. A perfect finish to the day. Today's visit to the Tennessee Aquarium felt like stepping into an entirely different world--one full of shimmering water, curious creatures, and peaceful river views. From the moment I walked through the doors, I was struck by the calm hum of flowing water and the soft glow of the exhibits. I started in the River Journey building, where freshwater life thrives in every corner. The river otters were easily the stars--playful, lively, and impossible not to smile at. Watching them zip and tumble through the water made me wish I could dive in with them. The towering River Giants exhibit was equally mesmerizing, with enormous fish gliding slowly through the water like ancient guardians. Crossing over to the Ocean Journey building felt like turning a page. Everything became brighter, more colorful, more dreamlike. The butterfly garden was surprisingly peaceful--thousands of delicate wings drifting through warm, quiet air. In the ocean galleries, rays, reef fish, and tiny seahorses stole the show, but the real magic was the massive Secret Reef tank. Standing there watching sharks circle effortlessly in the blue glow was hypnotic. One of my favorite moments was visiting the touch pools, where I could gently feel the texture of a stingray's smooth back. It was strangely calming, and it reminded me just how remarkable the natural world is. Before leaving, I stepped outside to enjoy the view of the Tennessee River. The buildings' glass pyramids glowed in the afternoon light, and it struck me how perfectly the aquarium blends with its riverfront surroundings. A perfect finish to the day. read more

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We brought my daughter and her friend here for Spring Break. This was our first time here. The actual parking lot seemed to be full so we parked in across the street in another paid parking lot. The aquarium is amazing. So many different exhibits. If you prepurchase your tickets they will let you in a few minutes before your time to prevent overcrowding. read more

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This aquarium is fantastic! There are two different buildings, one freshwater and one salt water or "ocean". You can also include the IMAX with your ticket if you want. We did not have time when we went. I loved the ocean exhibits. They were fantastic. I recommend going early in the day so you have plenty of time. We didn't make it through everything before they closed. read more

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I love the Tennessee aquarium! There's two buildings that have a lot of interesting ocean life to see. I was able to pet the stingrays, go into a butterfly room, see penguins, touch water that was set to the same temperature the penguins swim in, and so much more. It was a little bit expensive but they do have various discounts and the experience was unforgettable. read more

Tennessee Aquarium - Fish - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Spent the afternoon with a class of First Year students at the aquarium. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We walked around and saw the various fish and sharks. They really enjoyed the butterfly room, walking around, trying to get the butterfly to touch their fingers. Lived there were a few animals touch stations and feeding during our time. My students are college aged and really enjoyed themselves!! read more

Tennessee Aquarium - Exploring the fishes - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Awesome aquarium, and I love how outdoorsy it feels. The exhibits are beautiful, clean, and full of fascinating marine life. I loved the touch tanks, the playful otters, and the stunning butterfly garden. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and even the bathrooms are spotless. Truly one of the best attractions in Tennessee, and a must go if you like marine life or have kids. I do want to say it's a ton of walking on ramps during the main large enclosure, so it can be harder on the knees. But otherwise, it was excellent. I thought that it was very fun, very peaceful, and I really enjoyed it. I didn't get to speak to many staff, however the staff I did communicate with were very kind and happy to help. The butterfly garden is absolutely beautiful. read more

Tennessee Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

This is an amazing aquarium. I love how the break up the over from the River. Do one side first and then walk down the street to one of the great restaurant options. We took out 3 and 7 year old grandchildren and they had a blast. This is also a great place to visit if weather is not cooperating. Finally The Butterfly garden was absolutely stunning. I think I could have stayed there for hours read more

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As a member, clearly I have a bit of a bias here. I would offer though as a previous member of both the Shedd Aquarium (Chicago) and the National Aquarium (Baltimore) there are basis points of comparison for me, not only based upon past memberships, but the many other aquariums I have visited around the world. Chattanooga is undoubtedly the smallest city of which I am aware in the "aquarium circuit". This would typically translate into a much smaller budget than those larger cities hosting aquariums, and in turn, we know what that means. Yes it is not as big in size, but their programs and display offerings are world class. Chattanooga's Aquarium is much more reasonably priced, a manageable footprint for family's, plus it is augmented by IMAX. If you don't believe me, anytime you visit, you will find many family's from Georgia that have opted to visit the Chattanooga Aquarium as opposed to the on in Atlanta. read more

Liked it so much that I purchased season passes for the whole family! Saltwater side was amazing! read more

AMAZING. A must visit for kids and adults, our family loved all of it. The aquarium is beautiful itself, but the atmosphere was great and staff were all so friendly. We absolutely enjoyed all the experiences! read more

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I like how you start at the top and slowly work your way down. When I went there wasn't too many people so I was able to see everything and enjoy the place. There is two sections so make sure you have time to visit both spots. I thought it was kind of ironic that they talk about polluting the ocean and rivers and even have a display of art using stuff they've found underwater yet offer a bunch of plastic toys and souvenirs. Felt like they could have made a better statement not giving in to capitalistic marketing but hey that's just me. They had a butterfly room that was super cool and had so many fun plants. read more

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What a top notch aquarium experience! When you come to Chattanooga carve out 2.5hrs of your time to walk through the fresh water and salt water aquariums. It was the highlight of my recent trip. read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

Tennessee Aquarium - Tennessee Aquarium "Ocean Journey" Building - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

We took our grandkids to the aquarium in late August. It is situated overlooking the Tennessee river. After procuring your tickets and upon entry they take your picture as a souvenir from your visit. It's a high quality photo 8x10 and three wallet sizes. They loved both parts the river side and the ocean side. The facility is well kept and modern. The inside temperature was perfect for a hot August day. Inside there are elevators to take you to the four levels in each building. The displays are well kept for the creatures and there are many interesting informational and educational signs about each for the visitors to read. The highlights for my group included the penguins, lemurs, sharks, otters, jelly fish, and petting rays and sturgeons. There is a refreshment cart outside the aquarium and mobility restrooms inside. The aquarium is easy to get to from the freeway and plenty of chain and non chain restaurants near by. We've been twice now and it's a good and fun weekend escape from Atlanta or other towns- Recommended! read more

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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. read more

Tennessee Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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We had a blast exploring the Tennessee Aquarium. Being from both Ocean and Fresh water experience, it was great for the family to explore and learn more. Highly recommend coming early and taking time, there were times where folks and kids were pushing through to look at things but that's not the aquarium fault just be ready to be patient and enjoy your time. If you decide to purchase the tickets in person, know that the ticket sales are outside across both location and the office has a blue awning or online is always an option. The souvenir stores had a lot of options, though the fresh water side had a lot more options and bigger. read more

Came out to see this beautiful aquarium with our daughter and her friend for the Animal Crossing event experience. Took tons of pics of fish and sharks etc. The girls seen their characters in different levels of the aquarium and also found them hanging out with the fish and penguins etc. very cute and fun experience. Have so many pictures it would be impossible to load them all on here. This place is great. We bought our tickets and time slot weeks prior to visiting. Definitely worth taking your family too and enjoying a venture out. read more

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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. read more

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Both my 3 year old and 10 month old had a great time and stayed engaged for the full 2 hours it took to see both the river and ocean buildings. I'm glad we started in the ocean building, because the sharks, penguins, stingrays, and butterfly exhibit are not to be missed! The views of the TN river are amazing! There are lots of restaurants in the area and I saw tables in a couple places if you bring your own food. Overall, an amazing and educational experience for the whole family! read more

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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. read more

Tennessee Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga had been on my list for a while, and I'm glad I finally made the 2-hour drive from Nashville to visit. Even though it's been two years since my visit, the experience remains memorable. This is truly one of the best freshwater aquariums in the Southeast. The facility spans two impressive buildings where the architectural designers did an excellent job both inside and out. You can easily spend an entire day exploring everything. In the main building, you start your journey by taking an escalator to the top floor, then work your way down through various exhibits. Each floor offers something new and exciting to discover. What I found particularly peaceful was sitting in front of the large tanks, watching diverse fish species glide by. My visit happened to be during a less crowded time, creating a tranquil atmosphere. I was amazed by the incredible variety of freshwater species - I had no idea so many different types of fish live right here in Tennessee waters and beyond! The exhibits feature fascinating creatures like river otters, alligators, colorful tropical fish, jellyfish, sea horses and those adorable penguins. My favorites were the amazingly vibrant miniature fish, beautiful butterflies, and those very cute poison dart frogs. The entire area is a fine example of God's creatures wonderfully made. Don't miss exploring the outside portions of the aquarium too - they're just as amazingly appointed as the inside exhibits and worth checking out. The gift shop is well-stocked with souvenirs. There's also an IMAX theater on-site, though shows there cost extra. The second building houses additional exhibits worth exploring. The staff were knowledgeable enough to answer questions when asked. If you like Thai food, there's a great restaurant on the next block, which I enjoyed as the non-picky eater that I am. Pro tips: Purchase tickets online if possible. If you don't buy online, be aware that ticket purchases must be made in a different building across the street from the aquarium. Check the website before you go too, especially if you're bringing a large group. Downtown Chattanooga offers plenty of restaurant options and additional attractions nearby. Be mindful that costs can add up quickly if you include extras like the IMAX or special exhibits. Parking is available but not free - typical for a downtown area. If you enjoy the outdoors, water, and sea-life, you've got to visit this place! Overall, this aquarium offers a fascinating glimpse into freshwater ecosystems and makes for a wonderful day trip from either the Nashville or Atlanta areas. So add this to your bucket list you'll be hooked, my wondrous sea and wild life friends! read more

Tennessee Aquarium - One the many fish at the aquarium. Our heavenly father's creatures. - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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

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I absolutely love the aquarium. They treat their animals with amazing care and it's obvious. I love the ocean one specifically. Very kid friendly in my opinion depending on the child! We got the season pass and my kids AND me are obsessed as a household revolved around marine life! read more

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AMAZING!!! We had such a wonderful time! there were plenty of exhibits to see. it was definitely worth the 3 1/2 hour drive that we made to come here. read more

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Definitely worth a visit. Has two different buildings to explore. Great spot to take kiddos. Centrally located to good restaurants within walking distance as well. read more

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. read more

Tennessee Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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

Tennessee Aquarium - Tennessee Aquarium River Journey building - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Wonderful, this aquarium is one of the best I've seen in the US. The aquarium has both fresh water and salt displays. Overall great experience downtown Chattanooga. read more

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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. read more

Tennessee Aquarium - Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Absolutely a wonderful aquarium!! 100% one of the best i've been to. It's easy to navigate, and very kid friendly. My boyfriend and I came, and we really enjoyed the ocean side! Definitely worth the money, and the staff are great as well. read more

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Two buildings and lots to see! We loved the view and interactive options outside (bring a swimsuit if it's warm and kids can play in the creek) and exhibits inside. Dinosaur 3D IMAX movie was awesome! read more

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Amazing, absolutely amazing. This was the me of the best I have visited. The flow of the exhibits flowed from section to section showcasing the residence of the aquarium rather than the structure itself. Had a great time! The trash statues constructed from recovered items was great. And the butterfly garden was amazing!!!! read more

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We have been here since many times and it never gets old ‼(Never) so restfully therapeutic and children are in awe. Well worth the effort to go as many times as you can! read more

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. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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. read more

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