In this blog post, I want to talk about two different attractions, but both do the same thing. The first one is the other is The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN, a fresh water & salt water aquarium. The other one is The Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, TN, a salt-water aquarium. I have been to both before, but it has been a very, very long time. So I figured I would pay a visit and then write a Christian-Family friendly blog review of each of them.
I had intentions of just sharing the full reviews of both locations in this blog post, but decided to do each aquarium in a separate review. If I had them both on here, this post would be huge. Plus, it helps separate each one. Neither of these business are Christian-based businesses but a great way to talk to the family, children, children or youth groups, church or Bible groups, etc. about The Creation. How God created everything! Both locations are great and each have their own advantages over the other. One just offers salt water and the other offers both salt water and fresh water aquariums. Regardless if you go to one or both or another aquarium they will will help you share the Creation story. The Creation story in in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. On the 5th Day He created the sea creatures and the fowls of the Earth, those that fly. The Seas are all the bodies of water. Plus the animals on the 6th day as well as people. See Genesis 1:21-31.
21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
You could also talk to them about camouflage, use creatures that camouflage themselves, like chameleons, peacock flounders and more. You can illustrate a correlation to blending in with sin. Read about Camouflaged in Sin
Tennessee Aquarium (Chattanooga, TN)
This location is about 2 hours and 15 minutes* from my house. Find out what I liked about this aquarium and my experience. Click here for my review.
The Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies (Gatlinburg, TN)
This location is about an hour drive* from my house, that is going back roads to try to avoid most of the tourist traffic. Check out my experience and what I enjoyed about this aquarium. Click here for my review.
For more information
- Creations.com – Creation Ministry International can help shed light on common questions about Creation, including Noah and the ark with all the animals and more. They are a Christian-based ministry. You may be able to get valuable information to plan a lesson while you are the Aquarium.
- tnaqua.org – Official web site to the TN Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN.
- ripleyaquariums.com – Official web site to Ripley’s Aquarium. They have 3 locations:
If you go to either of these locations, be sure you tell them you heard about them from Courageous Christian Father’s Blog. Thanks! Of course if you don’t live close to any of these locations, you may want to look into your local aquarium or the aquarium closest to you; however this blog post just reviews the two locations listed above. What Aquariums are close to where you live? *Depending upon traffic, based on leaving from Jefferson City, TN to destination.
This blog post is one of the starts of a series I’m going to be doing Bible stories of the sea. This one is Bible stories of the sea … God’s Creation.
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