Updated for September 2026
The Best Aquariums in Tennessee
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every aquarium in Tennessee that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Rides and attractionsOn-site diningMobility equipment loan
Memphis Zoo and Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Memphis
Over 3,500 animals from more than 500 species are kept on 76 acres, about 55 of them built on. Set up in April 1906, it has been a principal occupant of Overton Park for a century and more.
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Tennessee Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Chattanooga
It opened in 1992 beside the river in the downtown area, with a large expansion following in 2005. Cumulative attendance has passed 20 million, the 20-millionth visitor arriving in March 2013. Two further public sites are run away from the main halls.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 3 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.