Chattanooga is only a 2-3 hour drive from Atlanta, so perfect for a day-trip. We chose to go to the Tennessee Aquarium. I hadn't been since I was a girl and we would make a day-trip from visiting Chattanooga. We first chose to see the IMAX movie, a new one had just come out, Superpower Dogs. The IMAX is in a separate building from the aquarium, so be prepared to walk a little bit. It was a 3-D movie, so they give you high-quality glasses when you first enter the theatre. Of course my 3-year old wouldn't keep her's on, but she didn't complain through the movie. My children enjoyed this movie as it talked about the different ways that dogs are superheroes with their different abilities that enable them to save people.
The aquarium is divided into 2 different buildings with a little stream going through the middle of the two outside where the kids can get wet and have a good time in the summer. So of course, my kids gravitated towards that and got soaking wet, oh well. I really enjoyed the layout of both buildings. You start at the top of each and work your way down. Even though it was crowded on the day we went, due to the designs of the buildings, it never felt crowded. Even though I don't have sensory sensitive children, I felt this was great for children who might get overwhelmed in a huge crowd. There was never a central community area where people can get congested. The exhibits were impressive and my children were mesmerized.
I highly recommend the Tennessee Aquarium for a day-trip from Atlanta. Just be aware, during the summer and hot days, the water is on in the stream through the middle of the two buildings, so bring a change of clothes or a bathing suit.
Website: https://www.tnaqua.org/
Phone Number: 800.262.0695
Address: 1 Broad Street Chattanooga TN 37402
I did receive free tickets for this review, but all opinions are my own.
