Tennessee's Turtles

Aquariums are roaring into the 21st century with a fresh philosophy and vision that make them extra appealing for visiting families. Long gone are the days when animals were displayed in cages like sideshow oddities. At the newest exhibits, creatures are given the royal treatment in elaborately recreated habitats that teach visitors about the world's ecosystems and their species. Now your family can watch turtles swimming in rivers stocked with fish, polar bears playing in pools, and sharks at close range. The Tennessee Aquarium is one that certainly entertains as it educates animal-lovers.

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

How do you tell a turtle's age? Learn the answer to this and other hard-shell questions at Turtles: Nature's Living Sculptures--Architecture in Bone, open since May 1997. The exhibit features the world's largest collection of freshwater turtles--500 specimens representing 48 species. Before your trip, bone up on turtle facts (by the way, you can guess a turtle's age by counting up the rings on the perimeter of its shell) by logging on to the Tennessee Aquarium's Web site.

At the Tennessee Aquarium, you can also learn about freshwater ecosystems throughout the world, featuring fish, plants and animals that live in rivers, bayous, streams and swamps. A must-see for families is the aquarium's IMAX Center Environmental Learning Lab. At the Resource Area, you can dive into cyberspace with your children via computer terminals linked to the Internet. The Discovery Area, designed for young children, features games, stuffed animals and videos created to stimulate kids' natural curiosity. The IMAX theater offers eye-popping 3-D films that no kid will find boring. (Some, however, may feel a bit seasick!)

Admission is $17.95 for adults, $9.50 for children ages three to 12, and free for kids under age three. Call 800-262-0695.



Candyce H. Stapen is a frequent contributor to FAMILYFUN.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.