If you’re looking for a fun day or weekend trip from Nashville, Chattanooga always delivers. Among my favorite places to go is the Tennessee Aquarium, one of the world’s largest freshwater aquariums. Not only is the aquarium home to tens of thousands of critters, but scientists conduct research there to better understand aquatic creatures and how to protect their ecosystems. Here’s your guide to visiting.
🎟️ The Details
- Cost: $39.95 for adults, $29.95 for kids 5-17
- Hours: Open every day of the week from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and open 9 a.m. on Saturdays. Their last tickets are at 5 p.m. Chattanooga is in the Eastern Time Zone, which is an hour ahead of us.
- Parking: The aquarium’s parking garage costs $9-$14. Metered street parking is cheaper!
The drive takes a little over two hours, which is pretty easy to do without stops. If you do want to stop along the way, you could take a selfie by the world’s largest cedar bucket in Murfreesboro’s Cannonsburgh Village, make a scenic pit stop at the Tennessee Welcome Center by Nickajack Lake, or tour the Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
The Tennessee Aquarium is spread out between two buildings — River Journey and Ocean Journey. You can start with either building. I personally like to begin with ocean and end with river, because the gift shop is in the river building, but it doesn’t actually matter. It takes 2-4 hours to explore the entire aquarium.
In the Ocean Journey building, flee from sharks, chill in the tropical cove and butterfly garden, watch silly penguins play and scramble for yum-yums, and be awed by a room full of jellyfish.
In River Journey, say hi to otters and trout in the Appalachian Cove Forest exhibit, see surprisingly gigantic catfish, and meet critically endangered species like the Chinese three-striped box turtle, spiny turtle, and Denison barb.
The River Journey building is my favorite, but you should definitely go to both. Many rooms are pretty dark to accommodate the fishies, but it’s plenty bright enough to get around. Ramps lead to all the exhibits, so it’s very easy to get around with a stroller or in a wheelchair. Bathrooms can be tricky to find. In the river building, bathrooms are in the main lobby and on the third floor, and in the ocean building, bathrooms are by the ticket scanner and right before the butterfly garden.
Between buildings is a lovely outdoor area with gardens, bridges, and art installations. I like to check that out and get some sunshine before going to the second building.
The aquarium also features an IMAX theater, which costs extra.
🍽️ Where To Eat
Concessions are outside the aquarium, but I recommend going to one of downtown Chattanooga’s restaurants, which you can walk to from the aquarium. You can get discounts by showing your aquarium ticket at Ben & Jerry’s, Burger Republic, and Mellow Mushroom. If you want something a little more special, dine at STIR at the Chattanooga Choo Choo and enjoy a delicious meal, plus see trains. For river views, eat at Scotties or Boathouse.
Other Things To Do in Downtown Chattanooga
Chattanooga has so many other fun activities. Right by the aquarium is a water installation, “The Passage,” to commemorate the Trail of Tears. It ends up being a great place for kids to stomp and splash in the summer. Kids will also love the nearby Creative Discovery Museum. If you want to keep the animal theme going, visit the Chattanooga Zoo. If you’d like to do something different, check out the Hunter Museum of American Art.
