Ever since we moved to Tennessee we’ve been hearing about the aquarium in Chattanooga and so we decided we had to go and see it for ourselves. Located in the heart of downtown and sitting on the bank of the Tennessee River, this complex comprises of two massive buildings making up the aquarium. The first building is dedicated to the River Animals and the second building is dedicated to the Ocean Animals.

Their setup of the building is probably the best I’ve seen with visitors starting at the top of the building and making their way down through a streamlined series of large ramps that guide visitors to each sea life section. We started off the day exploring the River Building where we got to see a lot of fish, turtles, alligators, and especially the playful river otters. Then we made our way through the Ocean Building where we loved the more exotic views of the jellyfish, octopus, penguins, and sharks. We even got to pet some stingrays and smaller sharks as they made their way through a shallow pool.

We loved our day at the aquarium and it is easy to see why so many people love coming here. If you want to visit the Tennessee Aquarium be sure to get a timed tickets in advance as the time slots go very fast. For more on the Tennessee Aquarium, go to : tnaqua.org