SPRING BREAK SAFARI: TENNESSEE AQUARIUM

Before embarking on this on-the-spot globetrot, download and print off a world-wildlife-themed activity sheet with fun games and trivia to get your brain primed for your adventure from the mountains to the seas. Equipped with this knowledge and no little bit of excitement, you’ll be properly prepared for up-close encounters with a living collection of 12,000 animals representing more than 600 species. As you explore, you’ll see colorful fish from the wildest Borneo’s Kapuas River and offer your shoulder as a perch for Monarchs in a tropical Butterfly Garden. You can perfect your waddle while watching Gentoo and Macaroni Penguins rocket through frigid water and get eye to googly eye with adorable baby Longspine Porcupinefish. And if you’re feeling extra brave, you can lay fingers on a Japanese Horn Shark, meet the world’s only tweeting Electric Eel or join anemones and crabs in facing down oncoming waves in the Vancouver Island exhibit.

When you’re done, be sure to swing by the gift shop to receive a free sticker to commemorate your journey.
Visitors can complement their Aquarium adventure by taking in a pair of exciting 3D films at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater. This six-story screen (the largest in Chattanooga) is your portal to experience the croc’-filled, seldom-visited expanse of Australia’s rugged Northern Territory in Australia’s Great Wild North 3D. If you’re feeling more of a saltwater vibe, the theater’s newest offering, Ocean Odyssey 3D, lets you join a pod of Humpback Whales for a thrilling, 1,800-mile ride on the East Australian Current from the Great Barrier Reef to Antarctica!

Hours: Sunday-Friday: 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM; Saturday: 9:00 AM to 6 PM

Price: $34.95 Adults, $21.95 Children, Ages 2 and under are free.