Tennessee Aquarium to open monster fish exhibit

Contributed photo by Brant Allen / Zeb Hogan, an aquatic ecologist and National Geographic fellow, is host of "Monster Fish" on Nat Geo WILD.
Contributed photo by Brant Allen / Zeb Hogan, an aquatic ecologist and National Geographic fellow, is host of "Monster Fish" on Nat Geo WILD.
photo Contributed photo by Mark Thiessen/National Geographic / "Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants," is an interactive exhibit based on the Nat Geo WILD series "Monster Fish."

The Tennessee Aquarium will soon become a one-stop shop for all things monster fish.

The downtown Chattanooga attraction will lease space in the former History Center site off Ross's Landing Plaza that will house a National Geographic exhibit titled "Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants."

Dr. Zeb Hogan, an aquatic ecologist and National Geographic fellow who hosts a popular TV series on monster fish, will kick off the exhibit in person on Sept. 30, said Aquarium chief Keith Sanford.

"It was in the Smithsonian a year ago," Sanford said about the exhibit that will locate just across the plaza from the Aquarium and run into March.

The exhibit, based on the TV show, will feature life-sized sculptures, hands-on interactive activities and video from the field. It will be coupled with the Aquarium's existing River Giants exhibit in its River Journey building along with the attraction's conservation activities such as its Saving the Sturgeon program.

Hogan said in a statement that "visitors will have a chance to experience and learn about these fish in a totally immersive way."

Sanford said plans are to first steer visitors through the traveling exhibit, which will not house live animals, and then onto River Journey.

"We want it to be an add-on," he said, noting the new exhibit will be included in the Aquarium's general admission price or free to members.

The nonprofit downtown redevelopment group River City Co. owns the former site leased for years to Chattanooga History Center before it gave up on the property earlier this year. The Aquarium will lease the space on an interim basis.

Kim White, who heads River City, said it's determining what will go in that footprint permanently.

"We'll be patient," said White, noting that River City hosted a group of community leaders earlier this summer to brainstorm opportunities for the space. She called the building, which is known as River Place and also houses Puckett's restaurant and the Aquarium ticketing operation, crucial to the riverfront's fabric.

"Partnering with the Tennessee Aquarium to offer a short-term and well-suited use of the space is exactly the type of interim use for the building we were looking for until a more permanent tenant is found," White said.

Amy Donahue, River City's marketing director, said the group has had a similar experience with The Block nearby. That space was vacant when Carmike Cinemas built a new movie house downtown, but the site was repurposed to hold a climbing venture and shops.

"We knew it could be something special," Donahue said.

Sanford said the Aquarium was contacted by Hogan in early July to gauge interest in partnering with National Geographic to bring the exhibit to Chattanooga.

"Normally, we would had had to pass up a fantastic opportunity like this," he said, noting the Aquarium doesn't have 6,000 square feet for a temporary exhibit. Sanford said the attraction does have rotating exhibit space, but it has featured seahorses for years.

White said River City is paying to prep the space for the exhibit, which the Aquarium is funding.

River City previously helped finance the history museum's attempt to buy and renovate part of River Place. While the museum raised and spent millions of dollars on the facility, it failed to raise enough money to finish the original concept. The museum never opened other than for special events and courses.

River Place was originally built in 1993 as a Visitors Center for the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. But the tourism agency vacated the site in 2010 when it relocated its headquarters to the top floor of the SunTrust Bank building.

Sanford said the Aquarium is on track to hit its goal of 750,000 visitors this year. But, he added, the Aquarium is readying to undertake a strategic planning effort "to see what's next."

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

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