Explore Chattanooga Summer 2024

V isitors to the Tennessee Aquarium – recently voted the country’s Best Aquarium in Newsweek Magazine’s readers’ choice poll – will find plenty of activities for creating fond family memories on Chattanooga’s riverfront this summer. Grinning sharks roam a massive 618,000-gallon saltwater exhibit filled with marine life from the Gulf of Mexico while agile lemurs leap through a living tropical forest just one floor above. Nearby, colorful shiners and dace, swift-swimming Brook Trout, and wide-mouthed Paddlefish are waiting to thrill intrepid adventurers with a keen interest in native wildlife found in the freshwater streams and rivers flowing just outside. Guests might even catch some recently observed spawning behavior by native fishes in the newest Ridges to Rivers gallery. Yet viewing this incredible wildlife – more than 12,000 animals in total – is just a fraction of the fun to be found during a visit to the Aquarium this year. Peppered throughout the galleries, guests will discover larger-than-life photographs by award-winning National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. Sartore is on a quest to document every animal species living

in human care at zoos and aquariums worldwide for his Photo Ark project. This 17-year effort to inspire viewers to take action to safeguard endangered species features animals photographed against plain black or white backgrounds using studio lighting. Sartore hopes to build a connection between the viewer and level the playing field to show that all animals are important, from the smallest fish to the largest elephant. As visitors venture across the Aquarium Plaza between the River Journey and Ocean Journey buildings, they can explore the Pollinator Pathway at the peak of pollinator season. The self guided experience winds through gardens filled with pollinator friendly native plants. It features permanent signage describing pollinator behaviors and demonstrating ways to help make your home and garden more pollinator-friendly. June 17-23, the Aquarium will celebrate Pollinator Week on the plaza with fun games and daily giveaways of plugs and seed packets for pollinator friendly plant species. These free activities are weather-permitting. Advance tickets may be purchased online at www.tnaqua.org.

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