The Tennessee Aquarium on Tuesday welcomed its 28 millionth guest since the Chattanooga attraction opened on the riverfront in 1992.
The Beeler family from Dalton entered the Aquarium expecting to see river otters, flashlight fish and ring-tailed lemurs, but their milestone visit was accompanied by an unexpected package of free gifts from the Aquarium along with a backstage tour. The Beelers said they moved to Dalton a decade ago and have brought their oldest son, River, to the Aquarium many times. But Tuesday was the first aquarium visit for their youngest child, Ridge.
“We’ve been trying to come for three weeks,” Kandace Beeler told aquarium officials.
“It kept getting bumped back, but we finally made it today,” Neal Beeler added.
Their children’s names, Ridge and River, are a fortuitous coincidence since this was the family’s first chance to see the Aquarium’s most recent gallery, Ridges to Rivers.
— Compiled by Dave Flessner