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Briana Thomas @Brianaindc
Tennessee is no stranger to entertainment. There’s Nashville’s two-stepping country music venues, Memphis’ famous barbecue and Knoxville’s natural beauty. But Chattanooga — the southern state’s fourth largest city — adds its own unique fun to the mix.
And it’s a great option for a weekend trip. The travel time is just a two-hour flight from Reagan National Airport.
Beyond Chattanooga’s storied Civil War history, the city bursts with vibrant neighborhood adventures, nature excursions and an eclectic food and art scene that are sure to keep travelers hooked.
Here’s a guide to exploring some of Chattanooga’s most exciting attractions and experiences. Whether you’re traveling with kids, or exploring solo, these places cater to vacationers of all ages.
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Chattanooga Choo Choo complex in Tennessee.
In the early 1900s, the city’s Southside District was a high traffic area for industrial and passenger railway travel. Now, visitors can dine, see live stand-up shows or stay the night inside a train carriage at the historic Terminal Station at Chattanooga Choo Choo complex.
The rustic downtown hangout is a great option for having a laid-back lunch or breakfast. At Stir, there’s delectable made-from-scratch tastes of a variety of fresh dishes, including spicy chicken samosas, hand-cut sirloins and fish tacos.
If you’re looking for an early morning caffeine fix, Frothy Monkey is a neighborhood-favorite café pouring creative lattes with unique ingredients ranging from banana syrup to cayenne pepper.
At night, the complex lights up. A few steps from the Instagram-worthy “Chattanooga” neon sign there’s The Comedy Catch — a quaint comedy club where adults can laugh out loud at local and national stand-up acts in between bites of beer cheese-dipped pretzels.
If you’d prefer a night of dancing or bar hopping, there’s often live music along Station Street, and more than eight bars to visit.
If you visit: The Chattanooga Choo Choo complex is open daily, free entry, parking available on-site. It’s located at 1400 Market St, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Chattanooga African American Museum
This community-founded Black history museum keeps the “Big 9” legacy alive. In the early 20th century, major African American jazz and rhythm and blues stars, such as Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway, graced Chattanooga’s bustling Ninth Street.
The Ninth Street district — now named M.L. King Boulevard — thrived on Black-owned businesses and entertainment hot spots during the Segregation Era. Today, the legacy of the vibrant community can be relived inside the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Chattanooga African American Museum.
Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Chattanooga African American Museum.
The family-friendly museum, which opened in 1983, pays homage to Civil War history, Native American heritage and Black culture through educational short films, lifelike installations, artifacts and memorabilia, ranging from baseball jerseys to vintage photographs.
The center’s premiere exhibit “Chattanooga’s Black Soundtrack” presents retro and rare new collectibles, such as the piano of Empress of the Blues Bessie Smith, R&B superstar Usher’s Super Bowl LVIII halftime performance roller skates, and memorabilia from Chattanooga native and country vocalist Kane Brown.
If you visit: The Bessie Smith Center is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment only, $10 for ages 6 and older, parking available at the lot on the corner of Houston and M.L. King Boulevard. The address is 200 E Martin Luther King Blvd.
Chatt Taste Food Tours
Attention foodies: You can visit five restaurants in one night with a culinary tour guide thanks to Chatt Taste. The woman-owned tour company created by Briana Garza helps visitors experience the cuisine and culture of Chattanooga through the taste buds of a local.Sightsee street murals and learn little-known neighborhood history facts from a local tour guide while traveling from restaurant to restaurant on foot or in a vehicle.The itineraries are ever-changing, but you can expect to book brunch, lunch and dinner tours that journey through Downtown or Southside, stopping by eateries such as microbrewery Hello Monty and trendy social club The Common House.
If you visit: You can book the Chatt Taste Food Tours at select times Thursday to Sunday, $108+ for public food tours, tours are less than 1-mile walking distance.
Chatt Taste Food Tour in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Ruby Falls
Ruby Falls is home to America’s deepest commercial cave and tallest underground waterfall open for public viewing. Explorers can venture 260 feet underground to walk through a glowing cavern trail.Along the trail you’ll catch glimpses of aging stalactites and stalagmites hanging from the cave’s roof while learning about the cave’s founder, Leo Lambert, and nearly 100 years of conservation from video and audio guides.The best part of the 1-mile journey is discovering the breathtaking 145-foot underground waterfall located 1,120 feet beneath the surface of Lookout Mountain. The waterfall viewing accompanies a colorful flashing light show, and there’s time for photos in front of the natural phenomenon.After the trip underground, you can visit the café for a bite to eat inside a 15th-century-designed castle. There’s also a seasonal zip line and wall climbing adventure that you can add to your Lookout Mountain experience.
If you visit: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., $28+ for Ruby Falls cave tour adult admission, $19 for children ages 4-12, free for ages 3 and under, tour experience takes about 90 minutes, parking lots on-site. The address is 1720 S Scenic Hwy.
Sculpture Fields at Montague Park
If you’re looking for local art, this outdoor park has a lot of cool visuals. Chattanooga artists, such as John Henry, Mark di Suvero and Linda Howard, teamed up with a few international creatives, including Claus Moor, Jan Meyer-Rogge and Heinz Aeschlimann, to transform 33 acres of Southside’s garden and green space into a giant field of sculptures.The walkable outdoor museum, supported by a nonprofit, exhibits more than 50 large-scale pieces that portray reimagined trees, people, shapes and more lively artworks.
If you visit: The park is open daily from dusk to dawn, free, parking on-site at 1800 Polk St.Plan your Chattanooga trip
How to get there: A nonstop flight is approximately 2 hours from Reagan National Airport.
How to get around: The free electric shuttle or the Bike Chattanooga bicycle share system are easy ways to navigate the city.
Where to stay: If you want to stay near the Chattanooga Choo Choo complex and Southside attractions, the Kinley Chattanooga Hotel is a charming option.
The story above is based on a press trip sponsored by the Chattanooga Tourism Company and reflects Briana’s independent editorial research. The sponsor has no editorial involvement. The story first appeared in WTOP News.
