2026-02-03T02:28:38-00:00 2024-12-31 990 2024-01-01 581837154 Tennessee Aquarium TENN 4237852054 One Broad Street PO Box 11048 Chattanooga TN 37402 Gordon A Stalans CFO 4237852054 2025-11-14 false true 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z Gordon A Stalans One Broad Street PO Box 11048 Chattanooga TN 37402 40573072 false X www.tnaqua.org X 1989 TN The mission of the Tennessee Aquarium is to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife. 12 12 366 326 214750 40003 4245690 5884000 25000337 25125061 957898 1724338 1287386 1483149 31491311 34216548 0 0 13446427 14765305 0 816230 14907349 15976629 28353776 30741934 3137535 3474614 86084268 92462278 17263580 18973787 68820688 73488491 The mission of the Tennessee Aquarium is to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife. false false 20042399 The Tennessee Aquarium, a highly visited attraction, consistently rates very high in guest satisfaction. After more than 30 years, the Aquarium continues to be a major catalyst for economic development, providing strong fiscal and economic impacts on the region. In 2024, the Aquarium welcomed nearly 752,000 visitors. Guests are immersed in the fascinating stories of life above and below the water within our River Journey and Ocean Journey buildings. Habitats replicating global ecosystems are home to more than 10,000 animals representing 550 species. Many animals are part of species survival plans coordinated by zoos and aquariums across the country. The Aquarium has been continuously accredited by The Association of Zoos and Aquariums for over 30 years, affirming our commitment to the highest standards of animal care. This accreditation also reflects our dedication to the best practices in other facets of our profession. The Aquarium also operates an IMAX 3D theater showing educational and inspiring films daily. 787882 The rivers of the southeastern United States harbor some of the highest freshwater diversity on the planet. The Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute furthers the mission of the Tennessee Aquarium by conducting scientific studies, restoring and protecting our regions natural ecosystems, and educating the public to take conservation action. Scientific research is performed in a LEED Gold-certified freshwater science center on the banks of the Tennessee River. There, our scientists identify which southeastern waters have the greatest biodiversity. This is vital for conservation planning in the Southeast because it can be used to identify hotspots of diversity that need protection. One signature program is the propagation and reintroduction of Lake Sturgeon to the Tennessee and Cumberland river watersheds. 2025 will mark 25 years of these efforts, and the Tennessee Aquarium and its partners will have released more than 430,000 Lake 965367 The Tennessee Aquarium is a leader in environmental and conservation education and has received overwhelming acclaim for its education programs. Frequently honored for its conservation education and research work, the Aquarium has also received awards for its customer service and guest experience, including Conservation Education of the Year from the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, Office of the Governor Environmental Stewardship award, and the North American Conservation award. Aquarium educators have connected more than 2.5 million students with the natural world through the Aquariums dynamic living collection. School groups can select from several activities, including self-guided tours of the Aquarium, standards-based classroom programs, and educational IMAX films. The Aquarium offers complimentary admission and bus transportation for economically disadvantaged students in Title 1 schools. 21795648 true true false false false false false false false true true false false false true true true false false false false false false true true false false false false true true false false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false true 37 0 true 366 true true true false false false false true true false false false false false false X 12 12 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true true false TN X X X Gordon A Stalans 4237852054 201 Chestnut Street Chattanooga TN 37402 Walter K Sanford President, CEO 040.00 X 314233 0 43473 Gordon Stalans Vice President, CFO 040.00 X 262847 0 38581 Anna George Vice President 040.00 X 172220 0 33268 Julie Piper Vice President 040.00 X 183461 0 16491 Thom Benson Vice President 040.00 X 160698 0 29670 Melanie King Vice President 040.00 X 166928 0 17371 Thom Demas Vice President 040.00 X 148115 0 21243 Micheal Floyd Vice President 040.00 X 141757 0 25564 Pete Burman Director 040.00 X 142412 0 20780 Rodney Fuller Director 040.00 X 131211 0 26097 Meredith Roberts Director 040.00 X 111054 0 24473 Val Armstrong Trustee, Chair 008.00 X X 0 0 0 Scott Pierce Trustee, Vice Chair 004.00 X X 0 0 0 Catherine Colby Trustee, Secretary 004.00 X X 0 0 0 Patrick Stowe Trustee, Treasurer 004.00 X X 0 0 0 Cameron Doody Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Wade Hinton Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Candy Johnson Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Daphne Kirksey Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Harrison Lewis Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Stacy Lightfoot Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Matthew Rasmussen Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Shalin Tejani Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 1934936 297011 12 false true false Pointe General Contractors LLC 1300 Premier Drive Ste 150 Chattanooga TN 37421 General Contractor 517404 Eagle Mechanical LLC 370 Direct Connection Drive Rossville GA 30741 Maintenance/Repair/Installation 491857 KONE Inc One KONE Court Moline IL 61265 Maintenance/Repair/Installation 421500 Jake Marshall Service Inc 611 W Manning St Chattanooga TN 37405 Maintenance/Repair/Installation 249507 PGAV Inc 200 North Broadway Ste 1000 St Louis MO 63102 Architect, Master Planning 246298 10 2653273 43106 589560 2598061 5884000 Admissions 712130 20458577 20458577 Auxiliary sales 712130 2444394 2444394 Parking fees 712130 1108331 1108331 Photography fees 712130 783936 783936 Education program fees 712130 329823 329823 25125061 1579656 1579656 808224 413330 394894 394894 394894 5891439 5746757 144682 144682 144682 127500 43106 42633 84867 84867 140934 153804 -12870 -12870 Contract services 561000 214750 214750 Sponsorship income 712130 258674 258674 Other income 712130 542834 542834 1016258 34216548 25926569 214750 2191229 0 0 0 0 1439241 205488 1049454 184299 0 10506482 8235101 1834214 437167 674872 456192 180116 38564 1284350 478457 784397 21496 860360 614778 201483 44099 0 3036 3036 24619 24619 5092 5092 159271 159271 1929986 994549 924937 10500 1858223 1852903 1819 3501 80286 18849 60546 891 1642468 154028 1488440 503030 503030 2447003 2004149 442854 178388 130017 41186 7185 0 153883 111889 31101 10893 236034 229320 6714 0 4037175 3779591 257584 314211 314211 Operating supplies 638905 617343 21136 426 Repairs and maintenance 845918 845918 Speciman care 305293 305293 Professional fees and dues 114824 47063 63065 4696 498984 211690 239873 47421 30741934 21795648 8130056 816230 1149238 1087665 2280082 3789516 19246 10000 986960 1544361 918604 839374 142468035 94481478 45724077 47986557 35006061 37204805 86084268 92462278 2360474 2585956 1550211 1555203 12653361 11737609 234900 70055 464634 3024964 17263580 18973787 X 67883368 70851798 937320 2636693 68820688 73488491 86084268 92462278 3474614 1193189 X X false true X true false X 7078261 13739814 3999600 4245690 5884000 34947365 7078261 13739814 3999600 4245690 5884000 34947365 34947365 520136 691277 900034 1827556 2387880 6326883 79813 46859 44763 41033 212468 755583 711025 741542 755922 975225 3939297 45426013 106403079 0.76930 0.79260 X Part II Section B Line 10 Miscellaneous revenue as reported on Part VIII Statement of Revenue on Form 990, less net unrelated business income reported on Sch A, Part II, Section B, Line 9 as calculated on our Form 990-T. RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED false 11458726 326005 1531794 13316525 6571415 3478600 1408711 11458726 8182744 5000 -1323329 293000 6571415 7177157 1267967 262380 8182744 6763501 614656 201000 7177157 0.98000 0.02000 false false 4484445 4484445 115187745 77964101 37223644 133312 133312 22662533 16384065 6278468 47986557 Financial derivatives and other financial products Closely-held equity interests Federal income taxes Long term portion of operating leases 3024964 3024964 X 35860233 1193189 1193189 34667044 159271 -609767 -450496 34216548 31192430 31192430 159271 -609767 -450496 30741934 XI 4b Expenses deducted from revenue in 990, Part VIII - Line 10b Cost of Goods Sold 153,804 Line 6b Facility rental expenses 413,330 Line 8b Fundraising event expenses 42,633. XII 4b Expenses deducted from revenue in 990, Part VIII - Line 10b Cost of Goods Sold 153,804 Line 6b Facility rental expenses 413,330 Line 8b Fundraising event expenses 42,633. X 2 The Aquarium is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Aquarium believes that it has appropriate support for any tax positions taken, and as such, does not have any uncertain tax positions that are material to the financial statements. The Aquariums federal exempt organization tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service, generally for three years after they are filed. X X X X X X X false All States Serve and Protect 170606 43106 127500 36230 6403 170606 43106 127500 36230 6403 42633 84867 X X X X false false false false false false false false false Walter K Sanford President, CEO 290185 24048 22726 20747 357706 Gordon Stalans Vice President, CFO 232243 30604 19070 19511 301428 Julie Piper Vice President 164424 19038 12995 3495 199952 Anna George Vice President 158680 13540 12757 20511 205488 Melanie King Vice President 153770 13158 11695 5676 184299 Thom Benson Vice President 149612 11086 11823 17847 190368 Thom Demas Vice President 137245 10870 10717 10526 169358 Pete Burman Director 125388 17024 10278 10502 163192 Micheal Floyd Vice President 130013 11744 10286 15278 167321 Rodney Fuller Director 123402 7809 9616 16481 157308 A Industrial Development Board of Hamilton County TN 521303489 2020-05-26 15841139 Refinancing issue false false false A 15841139 56406 15784733 true false true true A false false false false false A false true false false false false false A false Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN COO of BCBS is an officer 1143557 Group health insurance premiums false Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11 The organization provides a copy of the Form 990 to the Board of Trustees for review. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12 The organization requires members of the Board of Trustees to read and sign a conflict of interest policy on an annual basis while disclosing any existing conflict of interest to the rest of the Board. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15 Compensation adjustments for the CEO of the organization are approved by the executive committee of the Board after a performance assessment. Market data and competitive salaries are also reviewed when determining the appropriate compensation level. The CEO position is also included in a compensation study that is performed by a third party consultant. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 Governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements are made available to the public upon request. In addition, financial statements are made available on the organizations website and third-party sites. Form 990, Part XII, Line 2C The process did not change in 2024.