Chattanooga, situated in south-eastern Tennessee on the border with Georgia, was once an outlying settlement of the Cherokee Indians. It is now a city of 150,000 inhabitants in which the first Coca-Cola bottling plant was established and the game of minigolf was invented. The popular song "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" brought it international fame; and visitors can still see the original railroad station of 1909, though it is now converted into a hotel and restaurant arcade. Railway buffs will also find here the largest steam railroad in the south, the Tennessee Valley Railroad. The city has a number of museums, including the Hunter Museum of Art, the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts and the National Knife Museum (knives down the ages). A steep railroad runs up Lookout Mountain, scene of the battle of Chattanooga during the Civil War; on the top, as well as enjoying the view, visitors can study the history of the battle.
Rock City is located atop Lookout Mountain just outside downtown Chattanooga. It features ancient rock formations and gardens with more than 400 plants. Visitors can visit the Enchanted Trail, a scenic woodland path with rock formations and gardens.
At the Battles for Chattanooga Museum on Lookout Mountain, the city's Civil War history is displayed through 5,000 miniature soldiers, 650 lights, sound effects and details of the major battles which were fought in Chattanooga in November of 1863.
The Chattanooga African-American Museum tour begins in east Africa in the 12th century and travels through time to the history of how the African people were enslaved and brought to America.
Address: Chattanooga African American Museum, 200 East Martin Luther King Boulevard, Chattanooga, TN 37403-4105, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 266-8658, Fax: 1 (423) 267-1076
The Chattanooga Choo Choo train was a major link between the North and the South - the first run was March 5, 1880. The wood-burning "Choo Choo" was the first to provide non-stop service. A car and engine are on display in the restored terminal which houses shops and restaurants.
The Chattanooga Regional History Museum is located in a 1910 school building. The museum features collections of artifacts of prehistoric Chattanooga, the Civil War, nineteenth and early twentieth century business and industry, and the history of tourism in the region.
Address: Chattanooga Regional History Museum, 615 Lindsay Street, Suites 100 & 200 , Chattanooga, TN 37402-4903, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 265-3247, Fax: 1 (423) 640-9280
The Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga provides interactive, hands-on activities for children from two to twelve years old. Exhibits include the Field Scientist's Laboratory and the Inventor's Workshop.
Address: Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402-4902, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 756-2738, Fax: 1 (423) 267-9344
Hours:
March 1 to May 25: 10am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm
May 26 to August 31: 10am-6pm
September 1 to February 28: 10am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm; Closed: Wed
Always closed on: Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The Dragon Dreams Museum in Chattanooga features a collection more than 2,000 dragons. The eight display rooms feature one-of-a-kind antiques, porcelains, hand-crafted figurines, and furniture. There are dragons made of wood, silver, jade, ivory, pewter, porcelain, and fabric.
Hours:
10am-6pm; Sun:1pm-6pm; Closed: Mon, Tue
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), American Independance Day (July 4), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Easter - Christian
In north-western Georgia are the Civil War battlefields of Chickamauga and Chattanooga, where 34,000 Union and Confederate troops fell.
Address: Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, Box 2128, Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742, United States
Phone: 1 (706) 866-9241, Fax: 1 (423) 752-5215
Hours:
Sunrise-Sunset
Always closed on: Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Tips: Visitor Centers are open daily from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Disability Access: Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
The Houston Museum in Chattanooga is housed in an 18th C Victorian house. It features collections of antique glass and ceramics, antique furniture, music boxes, and coverlets from the collection of the late Anna Safley Houston, a famous antiques dealer.
Address: Houston Museum, 201 High Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403-1123, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 267-7176, Fax: 1 (423) 267-7177
The Hunter Museum in Chattanooga features American art from the Colonial period to the present day. Exhibits include paintings, works on paper, sculpture, furniture and contemporary studio glass. The museum is housed in a 1904 Classic Revival mansion.
Address: Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403-1197, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 267-0968, Fax: 1 (423) 267-9844
The International Towing and Recovery Museum in Chattanooga features antique wreckers and equipment, towing industry displays of collectible toys, tools, unique equipment, and histories of towing manufacturers.
Hours:
March 1 to October 31: 9am-5pm; Sun:11am-5pm
November 1 to February 28: 10am-4:30pm; Sun:11am-5pm
The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway has trolley-style railcars that climb Lookout Mountain. Passengers view Chattanooga's surrounding mountains and valleys.
Tips: Admission for round-trip, one-way available.
The National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History in Chattanooga honors Americans who served their country with valor as members of the military. Items from the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars as well as Desert Storm are on display.
Address: National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, Northgate Mall, Highway 153 at Hixson Pike
, Chattanooga, TN 37403-1813, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 877-2525, Fax: 1 (423) 266-7771
Hours:
11am-5pm; Sun:1pm-5pm; Sat:1pm-5pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
The Raccoon Mountain Caverns are located just to the west of Chattanooga. The caverns were carved from pure limestone by the forces of nature. They contain formations and fossils in their natural state in more than five and a half miles of explored and mapped passageways.
Address: Raccoon Mountain Crystal Caverns, 319 West Hills Road, Chattanooga, TN 37419-2100, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 821-9403, Fax: 1 (423) 825-1289
Ruby Falls is an underground waterfall located on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. The caves are reached by an elevator and feature a number of geological formations including stalactites, stalagmites, columns, drapes, and flowstone.
Address: Ruby Falls, 1720 South Scenic Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37409-1163, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 821-2544, Fax: 1 (423) 821-6705
Hours:
8am-8pm
Always closed on: Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The Siskin Museum of Religious Artifacts in downtown Chattanooga is home to Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu and Confucian items dating from the 16th to the 20th century.
Address: Siskin Museum of Religious Artifacts, 1 Siskin Plaza, Chattanooga, TN 37403-1306, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 634-1700, Fax: 1 (423) 634-1717
The Tennessee Civil War Museum in Chattanooga is a hands-on museum that features uniforms, weapons, equipment, and other battlefield relics. Live demonstrations portray Confederate and Union soldiers using authentic equipment to demonstrate battle tactics as well as the daily struggles of the common soldier.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad in Chattanooga offers passenger train travel of the early 20th century on a historic railroad. The 1930's steam-powered train travels six miles over three bridges and a Civil War Railroad tunnel.
Address: Tennessee Valley Railroad, 4119 Cromwell Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421-2164, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 894-8028, Fax: 1 (423) 894-8029
The Tennessee Wildlife Center in Chattanooga is a 17-acre nature sanctuary that lets visitors experience local flora and fauna. The bobcat, red fox, and great horned owl are a few animals that can be seen up close. The Arboretum and Botanical Garden are filled with a variety of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.
Address: Tennessee Wildlife Center and Reflection Riding Arboretum & Botanical Garden, 400 Garden Road, Chattanooga, TN 37419-1807, United States
Phone: 1 (423) 821-1160, Fax: 1 (423) 821-5555
Hours:
9am-5pm; Closed: Sun
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Memorial Day - USA (last Monday, May ), American Independance Day (July 4), Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26), New Year's Eve (December 31), Good Friday - Christian
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Tennessee Aquarium
Fort Oglethorpe - Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Chattanooga
Raccoon Mountain Caverns, Chattanooga
Fort Oglethorpe - Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Chattanooga
Raccoon Mountain Caverns, Chattanooga
Fort Oglethorpe - Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Chattanooga
Fort Oglethorpe - Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Chattanooga
Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga
