As part of their month-long Oddtober event, the Tennessee Aquarium is hosting the fan-favorite Underwater Pumpkin Carving shows every Saturday in October at 2 p.m.! Watch in awe as SCUBA divers turn ordinary pumpkins into aquatic jack-o’-lanterns — all while fish swirl curiously around them.
Shows are included with admission tickets and will take place in different parts of the Aquarium:
October 3 – TN River
October 10 – River Giants
October 17 – TN River
October 24 – River Giants
October 31 – TN River
While you’re there, enjoy other Oddtober activities and animal encounters that explore the weird and wonderful side of nature. New for 2026: Special spotlights shine on the unique and enigmatic species of the Scuttlebutt Reef gallery in Ocean Journey — Lumpsuckers, Moray Eels, and glowing Swellsharks, to name a few.
This year, ODDtober also coincides with the introduction of an exciting new virtual reality experience in the River Journey building. Beginning Friday, Oct. 9, the Undersea Explorer VR experience from IMMOTION Entertainment will place viewers inside immersive short films featuring spectacular underwater visuals filmed on location worldwide.
The VR experience is located at the end of the Tennessee River gallery. The debut selection of add-on virtual adventures lets guests travel to aquatic sites all over the planet:
- Dolphins of the Reef explores the unique bond between a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins and their surrounding coral reefs.
- Flight of the Mantas examines how marine conservation scientists are working to protect the giant Manta Rays of Mozambique.
- Shark Dive lets viewers get up close and personal with Tiger Sharks and Hammerhead Sharks.
- Swimming with Humpbacks places viewers alongside titantic Humpback mothers and their calves in the blue waters off Tonga.
VR experiences are $8 for general admission guests and $6 for Aquarium Members.
