Classic Chattanooga Attractions

Now, that I’m (figuratively) back in town after my quick road trip to Canada, let’s see what there is to do at home! Chattanooga, Tennessee has been a tourist stop since the early 20th century with attractions on Lookout Mountain (which I’ve written about before) plus the iconic draw of the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

I’ll cover newer “Chattanooga Renaissance” attractions in the next post, but for today, let’s focus on the original classic Chattanooga attractions that have been bringing tourists to the city during the last 100ish years.

CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO

Built in 1909 to handle increased passenger and supply traffic from the northern United States, Chattanooga’s Terminal Station was a fully-functioning train station until 1970. Scheduled to be demolished in 1973, a group of business investors rescued the station and turned it into a hotel & dining complex, renaming it the Chattanooga Choo Choo, in honor of Glen Miller’s famous song from 1941.

The Choo Choo has seen a few renovations since then, but you can still enter the huge original arched entry into the massive 65-foot free-standing domed lobby. I confess that I am weirdly enamored by the old-fashioned white-tiled bathrooms. I hope they’re still there–it’s been a while since I visited!

Through the back of the soaring lobby, you’ll walk into the rail yard with antique locomotives and train cars housing restaurants and hotel rooms. Along the edges of the courtyard are shops and restaurants. In the middle, you’ll find a beautiful rose garden. Towards the back are the hotel buildings and convention space.

RESTAURANTS

During its most recent renovation, the Choo Choo got a few hot-ticket restaurants and bars put in, and refreshed the attraction offerings. Now you’ll find American Draft, a pour-your-own beer hall in a train car; Backstage Bar with an extensive whiskey list, plus dinner and weekend brunches; the Frothy Monkey coffee house plus restaurant and bar; and Stir local-foods restaurant, oyster bar, and cocktail bar that I’ve heard is super popular. Across the charmingly-lit (and open carry) Station Street, you’ll find The Terminal restaurant and brewhouse.

ATTRACTIONS

Aside from restaurants, the complex houses a few shops, the Comedy Catch club, the new Songbirds guitar museum & venue, and the brand-new escape room game in a train car! I’m super excited to try that one. Catch a concert from the likes of Drive-By Truckers, Florida-Georgia Line, Jack White (!!!), The Flaming Lips and more at Track 29 music venue (currently closed to move to a new space.)

HOTEL

And of course, you can stay here! The Chattanooga Choo Choo is officially one of America’s Historic Hotels, made so on its 100th anniversary in 2009.  Check out the newly renovated rooms in The MacArthur, named for the last steam locomotive to visit the station. Or book a special stay in one of the Pullman Train Cars. Nightly rates are around $119 during the week, during the weekend it’s $149 for The MacArthur and $159 for the Pullmans.

ROCK CITY

The name “Rock City” was around before Lookout Mountain, GA residents Garnett & Frieda Carter made it into a public attraction in 1932. The collection of huge boulders arranged into “streets and lanes” attracted the attention of early missionaries as far back as 1832, and it was soldiers of the Civil War that first minted the idea that you could see seven states from a certain overlook. But it took the business acumen of Garnett Carter to realize that the winding garden path that his wife Frieda had created on their property would be an attraction people would pay to see.

Now, you can walk along a 4100-foot path between the boulders, across bridges, and through caverns stuffed with creepy black-lit fairytale characters. The allure is part the charm of nature and part the kitschy cheesiness of attractions from the 40’s (which I happen to love.) Today, Rock City is moving away from garden gnomes and more towards the sculpted arts and live entertainment. But you can still get your fill of tourist fudge, birdhouse hats, and take a picture with a gnome walk-around character if you wish.

EVENTS

Rock City comes alive during the many events they hold throughout the year. You’ll find an Irish festival at Shamrock City in March; create-your-own-adventure in the new Fairytale Nights in late March-early April; appreciate nature during EarthDayz in April; brush up on your gardening skills during the Southern Blooms Festival in May; enjoy live music from Memorial Day to Labor Day during Summer Music Weekends; enjoy German-influenced Rocktoberfest during weekends in October; and for the crowning achievement of the year, visit the Enchanted Garden of Lights from mid-October through Dec. 31.

SHOPPING & DINING

There are several gift shops located throughout the gardens, including a large one at the entrance–many homes around Chattanooga have a See Rock City birdhouse. You can get burgers, fries, & pizza at a couple of spots, plus the ubiquitous tourist fudge and Dippin’ Dots. More recently, Rock City has added Cafe 7, a southern-inspired table service spot at Lover’s Leap, and you can find a Starbucks across the street.

TICKETS

General Admission tickets for Rock City cost $19.95 for adults or $11.95 for kids age 3-12. Admission during special events costs $22.95 per adult and $12.95 per child. There are also multiple combination ticket options for Rock City plus Ruby Falls, the Incline, and the Battles for Chattanooga Museum. Annual passes for Rock City are only $39 per adult or $58 for a pass that includes all special events and deeper discounts on food & merchandise. And all passes are cheaper if you buy four or more at a time.

Rock City is generally open from 8:30 am to 8 pm, with shorter hours in the off-season and special hours for events. Parking is always free.

RUBY FALLS

In the 1800’s, Lookout Mountain Cave was a local natural attraction. The building of a railway tunnel closed off access to the popular cave, so entrepreneurial Leo Lambert decided he would dig down to it from the side of Lookout Mountain and charge admission. What he found instead was a far more interesting cave with a 145-foot waterfall at the end. He named the waterfall after his wife, and Ruby Falls opened to the public in 1939.

Leo built an Irish-inspired castle, a lookout tower built from the excavated rock, and an elevator shaft that takes you 1,120 feet underground. From there, you walk along a path, viewing interesting (and interestingly-named) stalagmites and stalactites until you reach the waterfall lit with colored lights.

TOURS & EVENTS

You can take the classic waterfall tour during the day, or opt for a special lantern tour after hours on Friday nights. On selected dates, you can enjoy an extended cavern experience with an expert guide at a more leisurely pace. Special events include a “Battle Below the Clouds” amateur BBQ contest on August 25 and a Christmas Underground featuring a “secret path” to the north pole to visit Santa. But the big event for Ruby Falls is the annual haunted house experience, Dread Hollow, on October weekends. They used to do this on-site as a “haunted cavern” experience, but it got so large that they’ve moved it just off the mountain. I’ve heard this award-winning experience is the scariest haunted house in town!

In recent years, Ruby Falls has added a ropes course and zip line adventure behind the castle, and they just opened an attractive new “village plaza” and ticket atrium. So make sure you make time to check out the scenic overlooks, do some shopping, and grab a quick bite to eat at one of the snack counters.

TICKETS

Ruby falls is open 8 am to 8 pm daily and parking is free. Tickets for the regular waterfall tour are $19.95 for adults and $11.95 for kids ages 3-12. A lantern tour is $29.95 for all participants age 5 and over (it looks like under-5s are not allowed.) The extended cavern experience is $29.95 for adults and $17.95 for kids ages 3-12. Combination tickets are available for Rock City, the Incline, and the Battles for Chattanooga Museum.

ZIP LINE ADVENTURE

The Zip Stream Arial Adventure costs $24.95 for the children’s course, $44.95 for two hours of time on two adult courses, plus a climbing tower and ending with two zip lines with a combined length of over 700 feet. A ticket just for the zip lines costs $29.95. Participants in the non-child courses must weigh at least 60 lbs. This outdoor adventure has various operating hours during the year, check the calendar before your visit.

THE INCLINE

You know The Incline is steep when you learn the mechanisms that make it work were built by the Otis Elevator Company. And it’s true, at a 72.7% grade at its maximum, Chattanooga’s Incline Railway is one of the steepest funiculars in the world.

HISTORY

This is actually Lookout Mountain’s second incline railway. As I mentioned briefly in a previous post, a woman by the name of Harriet Whiteside owned most of the top of the mountain, and most importantly, operated the Whiteside Turnpike–the only way to the top. There were already things up there that people wanted to see, mainly in the way of interesting rock formations, and as Ms. Whiteside raised her prices, folks looked for alternate routes. This culminated in a long inclined railway snaking up the mountain in 1885 and ending at the Point Hotel, built just off of Whiteside’s property. Then in 1895, the better-built and more direct, but steeper, Incline #2 was opened..

THE EXPERIENCE

Used by both residents and tourists over the last 133 years, you too can ride “America’s Most Amazing Mile” from the thriving neighborhood of St. Elmo to the top of Lookout Mountain. Starting from the St. Elmo station, the ride has only a slight incline at first, but feels almost completely vertical at the top! The two rail cars counter-balance one another, one going up as the other goes down. There’s a place in the middle where the track splits and they pass one another.

Visit the top station for fantastic views of Chattanooga and historical pictures, a gift shop, and snacks. The station is within easy walking distance of Point Park and the Battles for Chattanooga Museum; walk to the right as you exit the station. Parking is on the street and metered. At the bottom station, be sure to indulge in some Clumpie’s ice cream, a Chattanooga original! St. Elmo has many excellent options for dining.

TICKETS

The cost to ride the Incline round trip is $15 per adult, $7 for ages 3-12 and 65 and over. Parking at the bottom station is $2. Note that you must be able to transfer from a wheelchair in order to ride. Combination tickets for other Lookout Mountain attractions are available. Open daily from 8:30 am to 9:30 pm.

CHICKAMAUGA BATTLEFIELD & POINT PARK

Chattanooga was a fairly major transportation hub with the Tennessee River and the train station. Because of this, major battles of the American Civil War were fought in nearby Fort Oglethorpe, GA and on top of Lookout Mountain. The National Park Service conserves these battlegrounds at the Chickamauga Battlefield and Point Park.

HISTORY

In fact, the Chickamauga and Chattanooga parks are the first–and the largest–of the National Military Parks established in 1890, followed by Shiloh, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg. In 1933 these parks were folded into the new National Parks Service.

CHICKAMAUGA BATTLEFIELD

At 5,300 acres, Chickamauga Battlefield offers lots of room for reflection at the original buildings and monuments. Take a driving tour of the park with your cell phone or a brochure from the visitor’s center, or embark on a guided tour with a park ranger. During the summer months, a 2-hour car caravan tour leaves at 10 am and 2 pm. All participants drive their own vehicles from stop to stop, getting out for a ranger talk. Other special programs occur throughout the year, check at the visitor’s center for that day’s schedule.

There are 50 miles of trails in Chickamauga Battlefield, and the paved roads are popular with cyclists. Picnicking is allowed in designated areas (but not everywhere, please be respectful.) And while the park does not rent horses, there are trails designated for horseback riding, and you may be able to find an outfit nearby that offers trail rides. I know there’s a horse ranch just past the park.

Make sure to spend time in the large visitor’s center. There are extensive exhibits on the battles and 12,000 years of Native American history in the area. And there’s a new 26-minute park video that plays every 30 minutes in the theater. Wilder Tower near the middle of the park has not (in my experience) usually been open, but if it is, make sure to take the opportunity to climb to the top! 

POINT PARK & CRAVEN’S HOUSE

In Point Park, the main attraction is the view of the Tennessee River and the 30 miles of trails connected to the park. A small visitor’s center just outside the gates most notably houses the famous painting The Battle Above the Clouds by James Walker, an eyewitness to the conflict.

The Craven’s House halfway up Lookout Mountain is also part of this park system and is open for free guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4:30 “subject to staff availability.”

FEES

There are no fees to enter Chickamauga Battlefield or even for the summer guided tours. You do pay $7 per person for entrance at Point Park unless you walk in from a connecting trail. Both parks are open from sunrise to sunset. The visitors’ centers at both locations are open from 8:30 am to 5 pm daily.

LAKE WINNEPESAUKAH

Lake Winnie, as we locals call it, started life in 1925 as a leisure park around a lake. In 1926, the largest swimming pool in the Southeast was built here. In 1927, the first ride in the park was built, a boat chute with a splashdown into the lake itself. And it is still in operation today–the oldest mill chute ride of its kind operating in the United States. When I was in middle school, this was called the “Tunnel of Love” due to the ever-darkening tunnel the boats take to the lift hill.

ATTRACTIONS

The swimming pool is long gone, but today you can find 47 attractions including 12 kiddie rides and 8 waterpark attractions. All the classics are here: bumper cars, carousel, antique cars, pirate ship, scrambler, tilt-a-whirl, paddle boats, Ferris wheel, skyway, swings, matterhorn, et al. The highlight of the park is the historic Cannon Ball roller coaster, built by roller coaster legend John Allen, the same man who built the Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Over Georgia. There’s also a wild mouse steel coaster, a children’s wacky worm, and a looping “coaster” which is literally a circle, so I’m not sure it really counts.

You’ll find a corner of the park completely filled with in-a-circle toddler rides (i.e. boats go round in a circle, cars go round in a circle, motorcycles go round in a circle) so it is uniquely suited for very small children. There are also copious picnic facilities for groups and families.

WATER PARK

In 2013, the park made its largest expansion ever with the SOAKya water park. Included in park admission (the price is less when it’s not open) the waterpark includes two body slides, three tube slides, a mat racer, a four-slide kiddie area, two play areas (a typical water dump and a “coke float” crossing course) all surrounded by one lazy, er, crazy river.

ADMISSION

Park admission is $34.95 per person with a $10 break for kids age 1-2 and seniors 60 and over. When the water park is closed, prices drop to $27 per person and $19 for ages 1-2 and 60+ or buy admission plus a book of 14 ride tickets for $18 with most rides costing 2-5 tickets. There are a few discounted ticket offers during the week.

Lake Winnie opens weekends at the start of May, is open all week beginning in June, backs down to weekends in August, and closes for good at the end of October, after their Lake WinnepeSPOOKah Halloween weekends. SOAKya water park is open between May 26-Sept 3. Make sure to check the calendar for park hours before you go, they vary wildly. The park also puts on a spectacular fireworks show for Independence Day, usually on July 2 & 4 at 10 pm.

PAST ATTRACTIONS

They used to have concerts in the park, mostly country acts, but I don’t see that they’ve done that since about 2014. I also miss a few rides that are no longer at the park–a huge double Ferris wheel and a rotating house of mirrors, both at the edge of the lake, and an honest-to-God fun house with moving floors, strobe lights, and a rotating exit tunnel.

WARNER PARK & THE CHATTANOOGA ZOO

Warner Park opened as Olympia Park in downtown Chattanooga in 1890. Over the years, it has hosted a racetrack, a bowling alley, a baseball diamond, a skating rink, and a large swimming pool. Even some amusement park attractions landed here in the 1920’s & 30’s. Now you’ll find the popular pool still in operation with the addition of a fun new splash pad, a baseball diamond, several softball fields, tennis courts, and a fitness center.

Generally open from 11 or 12:30 to 5 pm–the park and splash pad do seem to have a small fee to use, $2-3 per person or $5 per family.

CHATTANOOGA ZOO

Taking up the north side of the park is the small Chattanooga Zoo, started in 1937 with a pair of rhesus monkeys. An accredited zoo since 1998, the animals now include chimpanzees, jaguars, coyotes, fennec foxes, a sloth, cougar, and bobcat, a red panda and a massive Komodo dragon, some very pretty birds, and lots of snakes.

It’s a small zoo, to be sure, but it has a cheap price and has fun events around the year. Adult admission is $10.95, $8.95 for seniors 65 and over, $7.95 for children age 3-12, ages 2 and under for FREE. All military and veterans get in for FREE with appropriate ID plus half-off admission for up to three family members. A park carousel is $2 per person, the “zoo choo” train–a trackless tiny thing like you’d find at the mall–costs $4 per person, and camel rides cost $6.

TENNESSEE VALLEY RAILROAD MUSEUM

Even though the Tennessee Valley Railroad has only been in operation since 1960, considering Chattanooga’s deep history with trains (see the Chattanooga Choo Choo, above) I’m going to include it on this list. And this is the only attraction in this post that I have never been to! I need to rectify that, stat!

This “moving museum” features several train rides, from a 55-minute ride offered several times a day, to a 9-hour excursion. See below for all your options and prices.

• The shortest and most frequently-running train is the Missionary Ridge Local. At 55 minutes, the cost is $17 for adults, $11 for kids ages 2-12. Runs multiple times a day most days.

SOUTHERN BELLE RIVERBOAT

You can see Chattanooga not only by rail but also by river, since the Tennessee River runs right through downtown. Like the Tennessee Valley Railroad, the Southern Belle Riverboat has only been in operation recently, since 1985. But since it reflects a long heritage of river travel in Chattanooga, I’ll also include it on this list.

The Southern Belle floats downtown near Ross’s Landing with plenty of paid parking lots nearby, or on the street. You can take any one of a number of daily sightseeing cruises, with or without a meal included, though they generally sail at noon and during the dinner or sunset hour. Seasonal cruises include Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter or Fall Color Cruises. Some cruises are specifically geared to watch the fireworks. I assume this happens during Riverbend or Independence Day. Check the calendar for what cruises are available during your stay.

An afternoon cruise with no meal costs $22.95 for adults and $13.95 for kids age 3-12. A dinner cruise will run you around $44.95/$22.95. A fall foliage cruise is $29.95/18.95. Prices and cruises vary quite a lot, so check the calendar for what looks good to you.

THE TIVOLI

A true Chattanooga treasure, the beautiful Tivoli Theater opened in 1921 as one of the first air-conditioned spaces in the United States. Use primarily as a movie theater and performance venue, it still has its original box office and Wurlitzer organ used during its silent-movie days.

The theater stopped showing movies in 1961, fell into disrepair, and was renovated a few times over the years starting in 1976. An extensive renovation funded by a private local campaign took place in the late 80s, reopening the theater permanently in 1989. Since then the lovely space has been the home of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and many touring performers and shows.

Currently, there is a Broadway series that’s about to start (including the Book of Mormon–I really want to see that!) and upcoming acts include the band Shenandoah, an AC/DC concert, The Beach Boys, and Celtic Thunder. This Christmas, the Tilovi will host the Hip Hop Nutcracker. I just saw an Abba tribute concert here and it was super fun!

In short, I’m glad to see so many historic places in Chattanooga be renewed and restored and used so we all can enjoy what it is like to take a step into the past. And, as is evidenced by this over 4000-word post, I am obviously very proud of all there is to do here!