For more than 33 years, the Tennessee Aquarium has inspired generations through a mission rooted in conservation, education, and community impact. Thanks to visionary public and private support, the Aquarium’s River Journey building opened in 1992, followed by Ocean Journey in 2005 — together representing a transformative $75 million investment in Chattanooga’s future.
Today, the Aquarium generates an estimated $187 million in annual economic impact for the region, serving not only as a world-class attraction but also as a powerful catalyst for tourism, education, and environmental stewardship across the Southeast.
Philanthropic support continues to make this work possible. Gifts of all sizes help expand hands-on educational programs, advance critical scientific fieldwork, and protect the region’s extraordinary freshwater species and habitats. This community investment also supports the development of innovative exhibits and strengthens our veterinary and animal care resources, ensuring exceptional care for every animal at the Aquarium.
The impact of this generosity extends far beyond our walls. It can be seen in inspired students, healthier ecosystems, groundbreaking conservation efforts, and a stronger community connected through a shared commitment to our natural world.
We are profoundly grateful for the support that has shaped the Aquarium’s first three decades, and we look forward to building an even more impactful future together in the years ahead.
Current & Upcoming Projects
Tennessee Aquarium Veterinary Medical Hospital
As we look to the future, our team recognizes the need to modernize and expand our veterinary capabilities to keep pace with the growing demands of our care, research, and educational programs. A new Tennessee Aquarium Veterinary Medical Hospital represents a critical investment in the future of animal well-being and scientific advancement. This initiative will enhance diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation capabilities while strengthening the Aquarium’s leadership in aquatic veterinary medicine, conservation research, and animal care innovation for decades to come.
See more information on this project here.
Recently Completed Projects
The following projects were completed thanks to the support from generous Aquarium donors and partners.
Scuttlebutt Reef: New Gallery in the Ocean Journey building
This extraordinary new gallery in the Ocean Journey building will lead guests on a global learning adventure. Twelve new habitats will teem with hundreds of mesmerizing creatures. Visitors will marvel at nearly two dozen saltwater species, each with a unique story about life beneath the waves. From enchanting to bizarre, visitors will discover the truth behind the “scuttlebutt” of these wonderfully weird creatures and how they hold the keys to understanding our planet’s intricate marine ecosystems.
The gallery will feature a “nautical” theme, including weathered wood planking, accents that appear to be the rusty steel of a merchant vessel, with rivets and portholes throughout. Rather than trying to transport guests to a specific geographic location, Scuttlebutt Reef allows guests to embark upon a saltwater adventure to reef ecosystems throughout the world’s ocean. This enables us to introduce visitors to various colorful and unusual marine species. Tactile learners will enjoy touchable replicas of coral as well as bilingual touch screen monitors that unlock the truth behind the scuttlebutt that may have been passed down for generations.
One of the showcase exhibits is a large living coral reef designed to allow wheelchair access and a “selfie station under the sea.” This feature will also be large enough for families to create memorable photographs together.
This project is complete and the Scuttlebutt Reef gallery opened March 2026.
The Tennessee Aquarium S.T.R.E.A.M. Learning Center
The Tennessee Aquarium strives to connect all children with nature through enriching and engaging experiential learning programs facilitated by passionate, expert educators. Our Education Department seeks to spark curiosity, build empathy, and create opportunities to take action in conservation and science.
The new S.T.R.E.A.M. Learning Center (Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts, Math) will be a hub for the Aquarium’s educational offerings. It will serve as a home for: educational programs like Sea Sprouts, River Teachers (professional development), all seasonal camps, and more!
The center’s unique design features three flexible learning spaces with opportunities for hands-on experiences related to water and wildlife that are not available in traditional school classrooms. Each immersive learning space has a distinctive theme to encourage deeper exploration through fun and interactive educational programming.
This project is complete and the S.T.R.E.A.M. Learning Center, supported by Unum, opened fall 2025.
New Giant Pacific Octopus Exhibit
Our Giant Pacific Octopus exhibit has been moved from the species’ long-time home in the Boneless Beauties gallery to a new habitat in the Island Life gallery. This new location mirrors the species’ geographic range in the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean.
The brighter exhibit also offers guests improved looks at this much-admired animal, all the better for observing its color-changing ability and other fascinating adaptations.
Race for the Laurel Dace
At the height of a prolonged drought in the summer of 2024, the Tennessee Aquarium and its partners leaped into action to prevent the extinction of the Laurel Dace, a critically endangered minnow found only on Walden Ridge near Spring City, Tennessee, just an hour away from Chattanooga. As Laurel Dace streams dried into mere puddles, fish were rescued and brought into human care at the Aquarium’s Conservation Institute.
Later in 2024, the Aquarium turned to the public for help safeguarding this embattled minnow, asking for donations to the Race for the Laurel Dace campaign, which funded research, additional equipment, and Aquarium staff time needed to care for the fish. In 2025, water levels improved and Laurel Dace were returned to their native streams. A small portion remain in human care as an Ark population (just like Noah’s Ark) to ensure the continued survival of the species.
To raise awareness surrounding the plight of the Laurel Dace, and in partnership with the Town of Spring City and Visit Spring City, the Aquarium hosted Laurel Dace Day in May 2025 and 2026. The event coincides with Endangered Species Day and includes a 5k race, 10k race, half-mile fun run, live music, a local farmer’s market, craft vendors, and activities featuring Aquarium educators.
Oscar’s Outdoor Pool
As part of his annual care regimen, one of the Aquarium’s rescued Green Sea Turtles, Oscar, is shifted to a specially designed outdoor system during the summer months. There, he can reap the many health benefits of exposure to sunlight.
If you would like to learn more about our upcoming initiatives, please contact Melanie King, Vice President, Chief Philanthropy Officer at 423-785-4038 or [email protected].
