The Tennessee Aquarium welcomed its 27 millionth guest Monday morning.
Alisha Smith from Harmony, North Carolina, was waiting with her family for the doors to the River Journey building to open for the day.
Upon entering, Smith was surprised with a collection of gifts including a Chattanooga Tourism Company VIP pass to more than a dozen area attractions, a free one-night stay at the Springhill Suites Hotel, a prize package from the Aquarium gift shop and a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Aquarium.
“We’re on spring break right now,” Smith says. “It’s early this year, but this is a nice surprise.”
Chattanooga will be a busy place over the several weeks as the city’s attractions roll out the red carpet for spring break between March 10 – April 9. The Aquarium’s new Ridges to Rivers gallery offers families the chance to explore the Southeast’s “underwater rainforest” through a series of multisensory exhibits showcasing the vibrant, unparalleled diversity of aquatic life found in the region’s streams and rivers.
“Our guests have been thrilled to experience Ridges to Rivers,” says Keith Sanford, the Aquarium’s president and CEO. “It’s wonderful to see so many people lighting up with excitement while touching a Lake Sturgeon, experiencing an indoor ‘thunderstorm’ or popping up inside an exhibit filled with colorful sunfishes.”
Sanford says welcoming the Tennessee Aquarium’s 27 millionth guest is another sign Chattanooga remains a top destination for families during spring break and throughout the year.