East Tennessee is home to two top ten aquariums in USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice vote, with Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies taking the #1 spot and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga coming in at #9. Gatlinburg is home to America's favorite aquarium once again!
there's a lot to see! Some people stay staring at the sharks for 30 minutes alone, some people breeze by. I'd say if you'd like a comfortable cushion of time, you'd want about 1.5-3 hours. Also, if you're coming with a group, I'd recommend making your timeline longer.
Tennessee is home to two top-ranking aquariums: The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, which is in Gatlinburg. Both are worth visiting and feature an array of marine life and special exhibits.
Ripley's Aquarium was ranked second-best in the U.S. in the poll, beaten only by Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri - which won in 2018. In 2019 and 2017, Ripley's took home the top spot in the same poll.