Tennessee Aquarium spreads cheer with ‘Holidays Under the Peaks’
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — During the holiday season, the Tennessee Aquarium is celebrating ‘Holidays Under the Peaks’ with different interactive exhibits for the family.
Besides interactive adventures with the aquatic creatures, the aquarium will be showing a classic Christmas movie at its IMAX theater.
Chief Communications Marketing Officer for the Tennessee Aquarium, Thom Benson, said, “I think the holiday season is a favorite for our staff, because we really have the opportunity to see families coming together, enjoying a relaxing time at the aquarium, and making memories. We have several things that make that extra fun. Of course, ‘Scuba Claus’ makes weekend appearances during the month of December at 2 o’clock in the River Journey Building. He’s either in the Tennessee River exhibit or the River Giants exhibit, scuba diving. It’s fun for people of all ages. The kids obviously really love it, but I think the adults have a lot of fun with it too.”
‘Scuba Claus’ goes for swim in Tennessee Aquarium during the holiday season.
This holiday season, instead of just buying gifts, you can buy experiences.
“You know, we get to this time of year with gift giving season, and people I think have shifted their attitudes a little bit. They want to give experiences more than things. We had a mom recently comment on a blog that her kids have everything they need… They don’t need more stuff. But what she wants them to do is have more experiences with the people who are meaningful in their lives. So she was recommending gift memberships to the aquarium, and to science centers, and museums… and things like that,” Benson said.
Benson said their education team will deliver programs on the floor, every day, twice a day.
Programs are themed each week for the holidays.
The PJ’s and Polar Express event will be hosted on Dec. 16, which is almost sold out.
“The Polar Express 3D has returned to IMAX with special screenings throughout the month. That has become a family tradition for a lot of folks that come back year after year,” Benson said.
These holiday-themed displays have been put on for more than ten years.
There is a special promotion going on now until December 15 for aquarium memberships.
The gift memberships aren’t validated for the day that they are purchased, they’re good for the day that they’re activated.
“So if you purchase a gift membership right now, it won’t be activated for the full year until the first time you visit. So if you don’t come until January 15th, that membership is good from January 15th, 2024 to January 15, 2025… Not from December 10th or whenever you purchased it. That’s something we try to emphasize— there’s a lot of value. People can take advantage of that. Many of our members visit weekly. Some of them only go through one floor at a time, but it’s a way to get the small ones out of the house and have something fun to do together… And it’s experiential learning. Everytime they come here, they see something different and learn something different throughout the year,” Benson explained.
If you purchase the membership before Dec. 15, you get a plush lemur as a ‘Thank you’ from the Aquarium… and something to wrap underneath the tree.
“During this time of year, we hear from different people and how they use the Aquarium. We’ve had moms who say, ‘Sometimes Dad is busy during the year, and doesn’t get to spend as much time with the kids.’ So they use their membership for the dad to take them while they’re wrapping up the Christmas shopping… Or wrapping the gifts. It gets them out of the house, it gets them, again, to spend some quality time together here at the Aquarium having some fun and really making memories,” Benson said.
For more information on the holiday promotions, visit the Tennessee Aquarium online.
“It’s experiential learning. Every time they come here, they see something different and learn something different throughout the year,” Benson said.
‘Scuba Claus’ goes for swim in Tennessee Aquarium during the holiday season.
