1. Chattanooga African American Museum
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (423) 266-8658
Address: 200 E. Martin Luther King Blvd.
Description: The Chattanooga African American Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of African Americans in the Chattanooga area. Exhibits include a wall dedicated to African Americans who have achieved “firsts” in their professions, an authentic African dwelling, and exhibits on the lives of blacks in Chattanooga, including Civil War displays and displays highlighting achievements in performing arts and sports. The museum is open Mon through Sat. At the other end of the building is Bessie Smith Hall, a 264-seat performance hall/cabaret named for the legendary “Empress of the Blues” Bessie Smith, a Chattanooga native. The venue presents prominent blues acts as well as other music and arts programs. The African American Museum features a Bessie Smith exhibit.
2. Creative Discovery Museum
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (423) 756-2738
Address: 321 Chestnut St.
Description: Creative Discovery Museum is a neat place for kids. It’s 2 blocks from the Tennessee Aquarium in downtown Chattanooga. The 42,000-square-foot museum is loaded with interactive, hands-on attractions that make learning fun. Main exhibit areas include the Artist’s Studio, where kiddies can learn about printmaking, sculpting, and painting; the Inventor’s Clubhouse, which allows visitors to manipulate various pulleys, motors, magnets, and other devices to create their own inventions; a Musician’s Studio, with instruments from around the world and a recording studio where the little ones can play instruments, compose songs, and experiment with studio recording; and an Excavation Station, where kids can dig for “bones,” study paleontology, or dress up like a dinosaur. You’ll also find a 2.5-story climbing structure, the Little Yellow House for preschoolers, a cafe, and a gift shop. The museum is open daily from Mar through Labor Day but is closed Wed from Sept through Feb.
3. Hunter Museum Of American Art
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (423) 267-0968
Address: 10 Bluff View
Description: The Hunter Museum of American Art has more than 1,500 pieces in its permanent collection. Among them are works by Mary Cassatt, Childe Hassam, Thomas Hart Benton, Ansel Adams, Helen Frankenthaler, Louise Nevelson, George Segal, and Thomas Cole. Its collection of contemporary glass sculpture includes works by Harvey K. Littleton, William Morris, Dale Chihuly, and Toots Zinsky. Because space is limited, only about 20 percent of the museum’s collection is on view. Pieces are rotated every 2 to 4 years. The museum sits on an 80-foot limestone bluff overlooking the Tennessee River on one side and downtown Chattanooga on the other. The museum is located in two different buildings, one a 1904 Greek Revival mansion and the other a contemporary structure built in 1975. The two buildings are connected by an elliptical stairwell and outdoor sculpture garden. The museum is open daily.
4. International Towing & Recovery Hall Of Fame & Museum
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (423) 267-3132
Address: 3315 Broad St.
Description: One of Chattanooga’s more offbeat attractions, the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum is all about the history of wreckers and tow trucks. Exhibits include wreckers and towing equipment dating from 1916. The museum is open daily.
5. Tennessee Aquarium
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (423) 265-0698, (800) 262-0695
Address: 1 Broad St.
Description: The Tennessee Aquarium, the world’s first and largest freshwater aquarium, is an attraction you don’t want to miss. In fact, it’s the reason many people visit Chattanooga. The aquarium opened in 1992 as the centerpiece of Chattanooga’s downtown revitalization effort and has drawn up to a million visitors each year. The aquarium is in the center of Ross’s Landing Park and Plaza on the banks of the Tennessee River, next to the Chattanooga Visitor Center. A self-guided tour through the aquarium takes about 2 hours. During your visit you’ll travel through a number of natural freshwater habitats, including a 60-foot canyon and 2 living forests. The aquarium provides habitat for more than 9,000 animals, including an 80-pound blue catfish, river otters, alligators, piranhas, a boa constrictor, stingrays, sharks, and colorful fish that can be found in the Gulf of Mexico. The aquarium also hosts special exhibits. Tickets are sold daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Various discounted combination tickets good for admission to the aquarium, the IMAX 3-D theater next door, and Creative Discovery Museum are available.
6. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (423) 894-8028, (800) 397-5544
Address: 4119 Cromwell Rd.
Description: This is the largest operating historic railroad in the South. The museum was founded by a group of Chattanoogans who wanted to preserve operating steam passenger trains. It features a number of classic pieces from railroad’s golden age, among them a 1911 steam locomotive, 1926 dining car, and 1929 wooden caboose. Passenger trains depart regularly for various Chattanooga destinations. The schedule varies according to season, and prices vary.
7. Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (423) 266-5000, (800) TRACK-29
Address: 1400 Market St.
Description: A fun place for the whole family, the Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn downtown is the city’s most famous place to spend the night. For some 60 years this was the site of Chattanooga’s Terminal Station. During the height of the railroad era, it saw dozens of arriving and departing trains each day. Today visitors here can sleep and eat in authentic railcars. The Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn is a 30-acre complex with 315 guest rooms, 48 sleeping parlors aboard railcars, meeting space, restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, a Model Railroad Museum, formal rose gardens, and more. Rates range from approximately $105 to $160 a night for a standard room to about $240 for a suite. Train cars are $180.
8. Delta Queen Hotel
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (423) 468-4500
Address: 100 River St.
Description: After logging more than 2 million miles on America’s rivers, the legendary Delta Queen is now moored in Chattanooga as a boutique hotel. Guests board the famed boat at Coolidge Park Landing and are lulled to sleep by the rocking rhythm of the Tennessee River. Built in 1924, the historic steamboat stopped plying the waters and opened as a hotel on June 5, 2009, after the old wooden boat lost a Congressional exemption to continue carrying guests on cruises. The Delta Queen now welcomes guests and offers dining, a lounge, live period music, and theatrical performances. Group tours are also available. The last fully operational overnight passenger steamboat in the country, the Delta Queen once entertained presidents, foreign dignitaries, and a multitude of celebrities. Look for packages for the best deal—2 nights’ accommodations in a cabin, 2 full breakfasts, a dinner cruise for 2 on the Southern Belle, and complimentary valet parking for $299 is one example.
9. Big River Grille & Brewing Works
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 222 Broad St.
Description: Just a few steps from the Tennessee Aquarium, this eatery is a fun and casual spot to grab a bite or sample a handcrafted ale. The brewing apparatus overlooks the bar area. In addition to fresh-brewed beers and homemade sodas, the menu features such tempting entrees as smoked chicken enchiladas, fresh-grilled seafood, and salads. There’s a kid’s menu, too. Next door is Big River Billiards, where you can order a wood-fired pizza to munch on while you enjoy a game.
10. Chattanooga Choo Choo
City: Chattanooga, TN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (423) 266-5000
Address: 1400 Market St.
Description: The Chattanooga Choo Choo’s Dinner in the Diner offers gourmet meals aboard an authentic dining car. At the Choo Choo’s Station House (more affordable and suitable for families), singing waiters and waitresses will deliver your meals. Southern favorites are served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Gardens, while Cafe Espresso offers gourmet coffee and desserts. The Choo Choo also has 2 lounges, an ice cream shop, and the Silver Diner pizza and snack eatery.