As much fun as it can be, attending a college is also a stressful, challenging time, and that’s especially true during a global health crisis.
To help students de-stress and enjoy some much-needed distraction, the Tennessee Aquarium is offering 50 percent discounted admission to all students, staff and faculty members of physical and online universities during the month of October.
To receive the discount, college students must be currently enrolled and present a valid student ID or online transcript. College faculty and staff can take advantage of the discount by presenting a pay stub.
The discount applies to the entire paying party and is offered on all tickets purchased between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31, including repeat visits. Tickets may only be purchased on-site at the Aquarium ticketing center or the IMAX Theater box office on Chestnut Street.
Tickets will be issued with designated entry times to allow for physical distancing between family groups, and wait times may apply. All guests ages 12 and up are required to wear a face-covering during their visit in accordance with Hamilton County public health policies.
As fall colors move across Southern Appalachia like a slow-motion fireworks display, guests visiting the Aquarium this month are sure to see early signs of the seasonal shift inside the building as well. (Yes, really!)
At the onset of their journey from the mountains to the sea in the River Journey building, visitors explore a sprawling, breathtaking recreation of an Appalachian Cove Forest. As they wind between towering rock walls under a canopy of living trees, guests will see brilliant hints of red, yellow and orange beginning to creep across the foliage. Of course, all that color pales next to the excitement of watching the underwater antics of North American River Otters that call this gallery home, but it’s a stunning start to the adventure.
Those visiting the Aquarium for the first time (or even returning for the first time in a while) will find plenty of exciting new discoveries along the way, from a pair of teddy bear-like Red-collared Brown Lemurs in Lemur Forest to a dinosaur-like Alligator Snapping Turtle in the Delta Country gallery.
The newest addition to the Aquarium experience is the recently reimagined Turtles of the World gallery. This pristine collection of exhibits highlights the amazing diversity of turtles from all over the world, with special emphasis placed on “hot spots” of turtle diversity in the Southeastern U.S. and Southeast Asia. The gallery’s real showstopper (and heart string-tugger), however, is the Turtle Nursery, where visitors can check in on dozens of tiny hatchlings representing a variety of imperiled species.
These recent additions build on an already-exciting Aquarium experience that has enthralled more than 25 million guests since 1992. Visitors will be captivated by a plethora of other remarkable animals and amazing behaviors as they explore, from sparkling Flashlight Fish and rocketing Gentoo and Macaroni Penguins to titanic Arapaimas, toothy Sand Tiger Sharks and ghost-like Moon Jellyfish.
Across the street, the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater is offering up exciting 3D cinematic adventures using a state-of-the-art IMAX with Laser projection system on a titanic, six-story screen that’s larger than any other in Chattanooga.
The theater’s current offerings include a trio of recent favorites:
- Great Barrier Reef 3D — Explore the amazing diversity of life and the fragile beauty of the largest living structure on earth through the eyes (and lens) of one of its most unexpected residents and greatest champions: conservationist and underwater filmmaker Jemma Craig.
- Superpower Dogs 3D — Meet some of the best, brightest and most-talented examples of man’s best friend. Learn how these powerful pups use their special skills to help disaster victims, protect endangered species and even give comfort to victims of trauma. Narrated by Chris Evans.
- Turtle Odyssey 3D — Embark on an epic voyage with a young sea turtle hatchling as she explores South Pacific waters filled with a host of amazing animals, including Manta Rays, Giant Cuttlefish and Leafy Sea Dragons. Narrated by Academy Award winner Russell Crowe
More info about College Days is available at tnaqua.org/college-days.
College Days Discount Rates*:
- Tennessee Aquarium: $17 (adults) / $11 (ages 3-12)
- IMAX: $4 (all ages)
* Ticket purchases must be redeemed during the month of October. IMAX discounts valid on 45-minute screenings, not feature-length films.
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