From big-league fun and epic films to furry firsts and after-hours fetes, summertime is sizzling with reasons to pay a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium.
Conservation Night at the Chattanooga Lookouts
Here’s the pitch. Swim over to the brand-new Erlanger Park for Conservation Night on Friday, June 12, to enjoy nine innings of fun while supporting the Aquarium’s mission to protect Tennessee’s natural treasures. Stock up on peanuts and Cracker Jacks and watch the Chattanooga Lookouts take on the Rocket City Trash Pandas at 7 p.m. with fireworks to follow.
Aquarium scientists and educators will be setup on the new stadium’s concourse offering up giveaways and fun activities designed to raise awareness of programs protecting native species, such as the Laurel Dace, one of the 10 most-imperiled fishes in North America. Tickets are available now.
Film returns to IMAX with The Odyssey
More than a decade ago, the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater was the last holdout for film projection in the Scenic City. Now, the resolution and distinctive beauty that only 70mm film can offer is back again, just in time for one of the year’s most hotly anticipated releases.
Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, will be the first 70mm film shown on Chattanooga’s biggest screen since 2016 via the theater's recently reinstalled film projection system. Nolan’s opus is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras — the highest-resolution cameras in the world — so it’s only fitting that it usher in the triumphant return of a timeless format so cherished by cinephiles.
The Odyssey will be presented entirely in IMAX’s exclusive 1.43:1 expanded aspect ratio when it premieres on July 16. Tickets are on sale now.
Ocean Dreams 3D and Dr. Erin Meyer
A special guest with jaw-some credentials will visit Chattanooga to launch Ocean Dreams 3D, the latest addition to the IMAX 3D Theater’s slate of science and nature films. Dr. Erin Meyer, chief program officer for the American Humane Society and co-founder of ReShark, will be featured following a special screening of the film at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17.
In Ocean Dreams 3D, audiences dive beneath the waves to explore the profound connection between humans and the ocean and learn how the sea has shaped our planet. Filmed in breathtaking marine environments from around the world, the film features intimate encounters with extraordinary ocean life and the people dedicated to protecting it.
ReShark is a groundbreaking global initiative working to restore endangered shark populations through international collaboration. Following the film, Dr. Meyer will speak about ReShark and its efforts to reintroduce vulnerable Leopard Sharks in Indonesia. Tickets are available now.
The Aquarium’s first baby lemur
The entire Aquarium is buzzing with excitement over the latest addition to the Lemur Forest exhibit: an adorably adventurous infant Red-collared Brown Lemur.
The wide-eyed, fuzzy arrival was born April 23 to parents Kintana and John. This is the first lemur born at the Aquarium since these charismatic mammals first arrived in 2016. The birth is noteworthy within the entire American zoological community as well. Only 51 Red-collared Brown Lemurs reside in human care at 14 American facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
During unscheduled weekday appearances in the exhibit alongside its parents — and under close supervision by Aquarium caretakers — guests may be lucky to see the baby clinging to its mother’s belly. Soon, it is expected to graduate to riding on her back before eventually exploring on its own. Want to help name the baby lemur? Voting is open to the public now to choose the baby’s name, and then, all are cordially invited to the lemur baby shower and name reveal on Thursday, July 9 in the Ocean Journey building, included with Aquarium admission.
Two Chattanooga icons, one ticket
A bundle offering significant savings on admission to two of the Scenic City’s most-beloved attractions is back just in time for summer.
The Tennessee Aquarium + Rock City Combo Ticket lets guests begin their day on the downtown riverfront, coming face-to-face with playful North American River Otters and toothy Sand Tiger Sharks. Later, they can make their way up Lookout Mountain for an afternoon or evening of fairytale wonder at Rock City Gardens.
Tickets include same-day admission to both attractions and are designed to complement each other for one unforgettable day of Chattanooga fun.
Learn more about the promotion and purchase a combination ticket by visiting tnaqua.org/rock-city-combo-tickets/ or seerockcity.com/rock-city-aquarium-combo-visit/
Penguin nesting season is in full swing
Earlier this spring, the Aquarium’s colonies of Gentoo and Macaroni Penguins paired up and began busily tending nests in the Penguins’ Rock gallery. Currently, the Aquarium is bracing for a potential summertime “baby boom” with three penguin pairs caring for eggs that have the potential to produce chicks. To keep tabs on this frenetically fun season and join in Chick Watch 2026, tune into a real-time video feed from inside the gallery via tnaqua.org/livestream/penguins-rock/
See if the rumors are true in Scuttlebutt Reef
Can fish walk on the bottom of the ocean? Does an eel really have two sets of jaws? How can sharks glow in the dark?
Visit the Aquarium’s newest addition, the Scuttlebutt Reef gallery, where guests sleuth out the truth behind marine mysteries while uncovering unbelievable facts about some of the ocean’s most unusual animals. Among other species, guests experiencing this collection of fun, interactive exhibits will meet sinuous (and misunderstood) Green Moray Eels, light-refracting Comb Jellies and a power-punching Peacock Mantis Shrimp.
An evening with the fishes + craft beer
Enjoy an after-hours adventure exploring the River and Ocean Journey buildings with a bubbly brew in hand during the Aquarium’s annual Fish & Sips event on Saturday, July 18, at 6:30 p.m.
Guests can begin their evening by sampling beers from local and regional breweries and enjoying food and music in the Aquarium’s outdoor pavilion. Inside, they’ll discover what animals like toothy American Alligators, ancient Lake Sturgeon, colorful Clownfish and stately Green Sea Turtles get up to when the Aquarium would normally be closed to the public.
During Fish & Sips, Coca-Cola United will supply non-alcoholic beverages while complimentary small bites will be provided by event sponsors The Edwin Hotel and Good Company Catering. Tickets are available now.