The located along the banks of the Tennessee River at 1 Broad Street, Chattanooga, TN is undoubtedly one of the most visited places in the Tennessee. Chattanooga is listed as one of the Top 45 paces to visit around the world by the listed the New York Times. The scenic beauty of Chattanooga is replete with a revitalized riverfront featuring parks, riverboats, and restaurants. The city also has a vibrant shopping district and a thriving art scene. The Tennessee Aquarium already ranks first in the nation when it comes to guest satisfaction. The Aquarium opened its doors to the public in 1992. In the following year, the Aquarium was formally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Aquarium boasts of being the home of the most diverse gathering of fresh water animals in the US. The animal attractions at include sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, penguins, jellyfish, river otters, alligators, sturgeons, trout and reel fish. When you visit the Tennessee Aquarium, the first thing you will see are two imposing buildings with magnificent architectures. The main exhibits at the River Journey facility are displayed under the following categories; Rivers of the World, Delta Country, River Giants and Rivers of the World. The River Journey building houses various fresh water fish such as the giant catfish trout, giant catfish and prehistoric looking sturgeon. There is also an array of colorful frogs, amazing turtles and feisty river turtles.
The 60,000 square feet Ocean Journey, on the other hand, features an array of deep sea attractions including Secrete Reef, the Penguin Rock and living art galleries. The thrills of the Ocean journey is never complete without watching beautiful butterflies, various shark species, playful penguins, graceful jellyfish and hundreds of colorful reel fish. Acquiring the Aquarium admission will also grant you permission to attend various free programs. The VIP access for instance, will give you the permission to feed and touch the animals at the aquarium. Some of the interesting programs offered at the facility include the Delta Bird Program, Penguin Keeper Talks, Meet the Macaws, Secrete Reef Dive Show, Alligator Program and Tropical Cove Bird Program.
Under the Tropical Cove Bird Program, visitors get the opportunity to get close to the cove forest birds and meet and talk to the bird experts. Regarding the Alligator Program, visitors get a first hand opportunity to learn how the keepers work with the ferocious alligators. You will also learn about various strange alligator behaviors such as head slaps, jaw claps and use of vocalizations. The alligators do this when they are staking out their territory, communicating or looking for a mate. The alligators are housed at the now famous Alligator Bayou. The Aquarium works closely with various organizations including its conservation division Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (TNACI) to achieve various aims.
The support the Tennessee Aquarium receives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has made it possible for visitors to take a virtual dive into the secret reef exhibit. The reef is an amazing saltwater exhibit that is home to various sea attractions including the rescued sea turtle, toothy sharks and colorful reef fish. The exhibit features 24 viewing windows, each with a different perspective into the animal world. . To keep you and your family fully occupied during your visit to the Tennessee Aquarium, there is a huge, 6-storey screen at the IMAX 3D theatre. While here, you get the opportunity to travel to the deep sea where you will see undersea reefs filled with colorful creatures.
The Tennessee Aquarium has also teamed up with some of the best hotels in Chattanooga to offer visitors special deals. The hotels include; Chattanooga Marriott Downtown, DoubleTree, and Embassy Suites Hamilton Place among other leading hotels. When you book yourself at any of these hotels, you will also be supporting the Aquarium’s work in environmental conservation and education. If you want to get your hands full, the Aquarium also operates an onsite and online gift shop where you can buy a host of items including apparels, toys, souvenirs, jewelry, books and puzzles and games. The gift shop is always updated with new merchandise. The store at the site is opened daily from 10:00am to 6:30pm.
As part of its animal care program, the Tennessee Aquarium runs a very interesting animal enrichment program that aims to provide choice and opportunity to all animals to encourage natural behaviors. The enrichment activities include feeding, encouraging play and providing an ideal habitat for reproduction. Outside the Aquarium, the main outdoors attraction at the Tennessee Aquarium is the 65-foot catamaran tour boat christened the River Gorge Explorer. The boat offers daily tours to nearby sites. Tickets to visit the Tennessee Aquarium are sold online and at the site from 10am to 6pm.
You can also get in touch with the aquarium by phone at 800.262.0695.