Tennessee Aquarium Offering Virtual Visits, Educational Materials and Behind-the-Scenes Content

CHATTANOOGA, TN – March 18, 2020 – Although its doors are temporarily closed, the Tennessee Aquarium has many resources available so guests can enjoy the wonders of life above and below the surface from their couch.     

Currently, the aquarium will remain closed through at least Friday, March 27, but anyone wanting to check in on some of its most energetic, charismatic residents can virtually drop in on them at any time — no invitation required — via the aquarium's collection of live webcam streams.

These online camera feeds let you observe otters romping and diving in the Appalachian Cove Forest, peep in on the penguins rocketing through the waves in Penguins' Rock, and dive into the depths of the massive Secret Reef exhibit. All these streams are available 24 hours a day, every day at https://www.tnaqua.org/live-cams.

To make these streams even more stimulating, viewers can gamify their experience by counting the number of times sharks swim past the Secret Reef cam or identifying species using a dichotomous key for the Reef or crafting one of their own for Penguins' Rock. Downloadable activity sheets and links to Aquarium video series are available in the handy “Aquarium at Home” landing page.

Additionally,, many of the popular productions of MacGillivray Freeman are available via streaming services to bring some giant-screen fun to the biggest screen in the house. Relive the experience of watching many of the studio's celebrated films at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater, including:

* America's Musical Journey (via YouTube for free as well as Apple TV and GoUSA TV via Roku) 

* National Park Adventure (via Vimeo on Demand)

* Dream Big (via Vimeo on Demand)

* The Living Sea (via Amazon Prime)

* Humpback Whales (via Vimeo on Demand)

Many of these selections also have accompanying educator guides available to download. These can be accessed at https://www.tnaqua.org/teachers/teacher-resources. These additional resources offer parents (or just extra-curious viewers) a host of engaging activities and pose thought-provoking questions that turn each viewing into a more interactive, educational experience.

While guests cannot visit in person, the Aquarium will continue to actively connect its social followers with the animals they love so dearly via "moment of zen" live feeds of various exhibits, impromptu behind-the-scenes digital tours, on-camera discussions with husbandry experts and a wealth of fun animal facts, videos, and photos.

As a nonprofit organization, this temporary closure period will be especially challenging. Anyone wishing to support the Aquarium’s emergency operations fund can contribute online: https://community.tnaqua.org/donate.

About Tennessee Aquarium

The mission of the Tennessee Aquarium is to connect people with nature and inspire them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife. Admission is $34.95 per adult and $21.95 per child, ages 3-12. Each ticket purchased helps support Aquarium conservation programs. The IMAX® 3D Theater is next door to the Aquarium. Ticket prices are $11.95 per adult and $9.95 per child. Aquarium/IMAX combo tickets are $42.95 for adults and $29.95 for children. Advance tickets may be purchased online at www.tnaqua.org or by phone at 1-800-262-0695. The Aquarium, located on the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, is a non-profit organization. Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Aquarium and IMAX are accessible to people with disabilities.

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