Aerial drone view of the Tennessee Aquarium in downtown Chattanooga
photo by Doug Strickland / Tennessee Aquarium
After making it to the No. 3 spot last year, the Tennessee Aquarium is targeting a first-place ranking in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards contest to identify the nation’s best aquarium.
The Aquarium is one of 20 aquaria across the U.S. nominated in this year’s USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Aquarium. The nominees were determined by a panel of subject experts and editors, but public votes will determine each institution’s ranking.
Voting in the contest is free and requires no registration.
Votes may be submitted once daily through 11:59 a.m. on Monday, May 12.
Officials said, "Last year, the Tennessee Aquarium finished third in the 10Best contest. This latest nomination follows hot on the heels of the Aquarium’s No. 2 ranking in Newsweek’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
"The Aquarium has been an iconic Chattanooga attraction since opening on May 1, 1992. In that time, it has hosted more than 29 million guests and served as the formation point for countless memories and meaningful connections with the natural world for generations of people.
"Whether through close-up encounters with romping otters and sleek sharks, on-campus and off-site educational programs or a nationally recognized commitment to freshwater science, the Aquarium acts in service to its mission to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife."
To vote in the 10Best contest, visit 10best.usatoday.com/awards/best-aquarium/.