The Tennessee Aquarium’s annual family-friendly Halloween party, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 28, will take on a “monstrous” theme in honor of the newly opened Monster Fish exhibit. Both Aquarium buildings and River Place (The building where Monster Fish is located.) will be packed with spooky — but not too spooky — fun for “bouys” and “ghouls” during this year’s celebration.
AquaScarium IX: A Monstrously Good Time will begin at 4 p.m. when guests can begin their Halloween trek in the Tropical Cove. There, pirates will be standing guard over a hoard of candy outside the entrance to the gallery, which will be transformed into a Mermaid Lagoon for the event.
Families, especially kids, are encouraged to arrive in costume for their trip through the specially decorated pathways and galleries of the River Journey and Ocean Journey buildings as well as the newly opened Monster Fish exhibit, which is included with each ticket. Along the way, they’ll be able to top off their treat sacks at a dozen candy stations, join a dance party, experience special close-up animal encounters and meet friendly Aquarium mascots, staff and volunteers decked out for the occasion and ready to entertain.
“We have special guest appearances lined up with a Swedish Chef, a not-so-mad scientist, and a few buccaneers,” Aquarium marketing and sales manager Meredith Roberts said, adding that a certain ice princess and a droid from a galaxy far, far away might also make an appearance.
After they make their way through the Aquarium, the fun continues outside on the Aquarium Plaza, where guests will be able to take advantage of spooky diversions such as tattoo stations, face painting and cornhole, as well as a number of other surprises.
AquaScarium continues until 8:30 p.m., well past the Aquarium’s normal 6 p.m. closing time. "Exploring the Aquarium after hours is always a treat, but it’s especially exciting when it offers unique opportunities such as the chance to meet and pose for photos with SCUBA divers decked out as super heroes and other characters," Ms. Roberts said.
“Our volunteer divers have as much fun as our guests during AquaScarium,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell who is enjoying themselves more.”
The Tennessee Aquarium’s AquaScarium is a spirited, safe Halloween party for all ages, but younger guests must be accompanied by an adult. Aquarium members and their children can attend at a discounted rate of $8. Non-member tickets are $40 for adults and $30 for ages 3-18. All tickets include admission to both Aquarium buildings and the Monster Fish exhibit.
Aquarium family memberships are available for $145 and include year-long unlimited daily admission for two specified adults and five unspecified children ages 18 and under. Aquarium members also enjoy reduced admission to special events, such as AquaScarium, fall color cruises, and IMAX films. Some special events, such as Caroling with the Fishes on Dec. 4, are free for Aquarium members. www.tnaqua.org/members
To pre-purchase AquaScarium tickets online, visit https://community.tnaqua.org/events/fall-2016/aquascarium. Tickets also will be available at the door.