Dive in for a summer of fun at the Tennessee Aquarium! Join us as we explore the world around us through hands-on exploration, animal encounters, tours, activities, and so much more. Camps are geared towards children between the ages of 5 and 14 years old with a variety of themes.
Our summer camp program offers both general camp sessions for ages 5-12 years old as well as specialty camp sessions throughout the summer. Ages for the specialty camp vary depending on the week and theme with opportunities for ages 9-14 throughout the summer.
Dates
June 13 through July 29, 2022
Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Aftercare is available until 5:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required for aftercare.
Registration
Register here for the Tennessee Aquarium’s 2022 summer camps.
Pricing
General Camps: $250 for members / $280 for non-members
Specialty Camps: $325 for members / $375 for non-members
After Care:
$10/day; pre-registration is required.
After Care will run from 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. each day of camp. All campers must be picked up by 5:30 p.m. A charge of $1/minute after 5:30 p.m. will be assessed for late pick-ups. Aftercare activities will consist of coloring sheets, board games, and puzzles with supervision by Aquarium staff.
Summer Camp at the Tennessee Aquarium is sponsored by:
Camp Dates and Themes
General Camps
For general camps, each session has a theme that all age groups will focus on for the week. All ages (5-12) will register for general camps and will be divided into specific age groups prior to camp start date. Campers will be grouped in 2 to 3 year age bands, depending on the number of registrants. Each group will have a maximum of 20 campers led by 2 Aquarium educators and assisted by teen volunteers. A typical day for our general camps will include touring the Aquarium, meeting an animal ambassador, creative project time, and hands-on activities and/or experiments. These activities can occur on the Aquarium campus, outdoor areas around the Aquarium, or local organizations within walking distance of the Aquarium.
Weird World (Ages 5-12)
June 13-17, 2022 or July 11-15, 2022
Uncover how weird animals and plants can be in order to survive in the wild. You will meet the slimy, the smelly, and the not so pretty organisms that make this world weird and cool.
Shaped by Nature (Ages 5-12)
June 20-24, 2022 or July 18-22, 2022
Build a dam? Beavers did it first. Use perfume to attract a mate? Moths did it first. Use Velcro to fasten “clothing”? Birds did it first. Join us as we discover how nature helped us create unimaginable things! Explore nature-inspired innovations and designs while trying your own hand at inventing something inspired by nature.
Color Me Wild (Ages 5-12)
June 27-July 1, 2022 or July 25-30, 2022
Join us in an adventure through Mother Nature’s coloring box. Explore how animals and plants use colors and patterns to communicate and survive. The color of an organism can sometimes even tell you how they are feeling!
Mad Scientist (Ages 5-12)
July 5-8, 2022 (4 days)
Calling all mad scientists! Practice your evil scientist laugh and become a mad scientist with us as we explore the world through cool science activities and wacky experiments.
Specialty Camps
For specialty camps, each session will have a maximum of 10 to 12 campers led by 2 Aquarium educators and assisted by a teen volunteer. Specialty camps will dive in for a deeper experience through unique and immersive activities.
A typical day for our specialty camps will vary depending on the camp session as these programs could be spending a portion of their week traveling to a combination of other facilities and outdoor areas. Specialty camps activities could include touring the Aquarium, meeting animal ambassadors, special behind the scenes opportunities, field trips and participating in hands-on activities and experiments. Please see individual specialty camp descriptions for more details on the types of activities campers will be participating in.
River Guardians (Ages 11-14)
June 13-17, 2022
Join the us and the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute specialists as we trek through waterways of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama to see just what it takes to be an aquatic conservationist. Learn how to use a seine net and identify some of our local aquatic wildlife as we explore our local waterways by collecting aquatic invertebrates, fish, and more!
Campers will start and end their week at the Tennessee Aquarium and the Conservation Institute. The middle part of the week campers will be out exploring local waterways such as Mountain Creek.
Nature Connection (Ages 9-12)
June 20-24, 2022 or July 18-22, 2022
This experience gives your camper the benefit of the partnership of two of Chattanooga’s premier natural history institutions; the Tennessee Aquarium and Reflection Riding. Learn how to learn about our wild neighbors. Join us as we immerse ourselves in nature. Explore activities that have compelled humans for millennia; hunting, gathering, building, playing in water, hiding, stalking, solving nature mysteries, telling stories and making wild friends.
Campers will spend Monday and Tuesday at the Tennessee Aquarium and Wednesday through Friday at Reflection Riding.
Animal Care (Ages 13-14)
June 27-July 1, 2022 or July 25-30, 2022
This experience gives your camper the benefit of the partnership of two of Chattanooga’s premier natural history institutions; the Tennessee Aquarium and Reflection Riding. Can you train an alligator? What do you do to keep a bobcat’s brain active? Ever wondered what it would be like to work with animals? Follow along as we go behind the scenes to observe a week in the life of an Animal Care Specialist.
Campers will spend the first three days of this camp at the Tennessee Aquarium and then round out their week at Reflection Riding.
Cancellation, Refund, and Transfer Policies:
- Rescheduling fees of 10% apply to session changes made more than 3 days after the initial registration. Rescheduling is dependent on session availability.
- Cancellation fees apply to camps that are canceled more than 3 days after the initial registration.
- Cancellation fees:
- Cancellations made more than 14 days prior to the camp session will receive a 50% refund.
- No refunds for cancellations made less than 14 days prior to camp session start date
- The Aquarium reserves the right to cancel. In the event that the Aquarium cancels a program, participants will be notified and offered a full refund or an opportunity to reschedule.
Click here to download the Camp Behavior Contract
Click here for camp COVID-19 safety policies
Questions? If you have any questions about camp, contact us at summercamp@tnaqua.org or 423-356-1276.
Seasonal Counselor applications will open February 14, 2022.
Teen Summer Camp Volunteer applications will open March 1, 2022.