Chattanooga, Tenn. (Sept. 4, 2025) – What’s better than being feet away from 13,000 animals while exploring captivating galleries in one of the world’s largest freshwater-focused aquariums?
Paying half as much for the experience.
During the Tennessee Aquarium’s bi-annual College Days celebration from Sept. 10 to 30, college students, faculty, and staff can enjoy 50% discounted admission to the Aquarium and 45-minute IMAX films at the IMAX 3D Theater. The discounts are available for visits and films every day except Saturday.
To receive the College Days discount, guests must present a valid college ID, transcript, or employee pay stub. Discounts are only available for tickets purchased in person at the Aquarium’s River Place ticketing center (1 Broad St.) or the IMAX 3D Theater box office (201 Chestnut St.). The discount does not apply to Saturday visits, but it can be used on tickets for a future date as long as that visit falls within the College Days period. Please note, the Aquarium is on timed-entry, and there may be a wait for the next available ticketing time slot.
Guests touch animals in the Tennessee Aquarium’s Stingray Bay touch experience. (Credit: Tennessee Aquarium)
College Days discounts apply to an eligible individual’s entire visiting party. With the discount, Aquarium admission is $20 for ages 18 and older (regularly $39.95) and $15 for youth ages 5-17 (regularly $29.95). Children under 5 receive free admission. Discounted tickets for 45-minute films at the IMAX 3D Theater are $5 for all ages (regularly $9.95). The discount does not apply to screenings of feature films.
Eligible guests who want to explore the Aquarium year-round may save on an annual membership during College Days by taking advantage of a 15% discount on a Dual Membership, a Family Membership, or Deluxe versions.
Following the journey of a drop of water from its origin high in the mountains to the distant sea, Aquarium guests encounter playful river otters and penguins, enormous freshwater fish, and delightfully colorful native species. As they explore, visitors learn how life can flourish in water around the globe, whether it’s a pristine headwater stream or the ocean’s depths.
At the IMAX 3D Theater, a new film, Shark Kingdom 3D, introduces viewers to a trio of shark conservationists on a globetrotting journey to discover how these often-misunderstood marine predators have adapted to wildly different oceanic environments.
Join Cristina Zenato, one of the shark heroes featured in this epic family adventure, on September 30. She will deliver a special presentation about her fascinating career studying sharks in the Bahamas after the 6:30 p.m. screening of Shark Kingdom 3D. Zenato’s resume includes being a member of the Women’s Divers Hall of Fame, a Member of the Explorers Club, and being named “Shark Hero” in 2019. Zenato is also the founder of “People of the Water (POW)”, a nonprofit organization dedicated to change people’s relationship with our aquatic world through exploration, education, and conservation.
IMAX audiences can also experience the enormous residents of Africa’s Namib Desert on Chattanooga’s largest screen in Elephants: Giants of the Desert 3D. Following the journey of baby elephant “Little Foot,” viewers will learn with the youngster what it takes to be part of the herd and to survive in one of the world’s harshest environments.
Learn more about College Days at tnaqua.org/college-days/
Details about films being shown at the IMAX 3D Theater are available at tnaqua.org/imax