There is more to Chattanooga than riverboats and a choo choo. A picturesque place, nestled in the middle of Tennessee, this city is a wonderful destination for wanderers of all ages.
My two best friends had taken their families to Chattanooga for vacation, and both described a wonderful experience, returning home full of stories and information about activities and attractions, both modern and historical. Having not been to Chattanooga since childhood, they piqued my interest, so when we were planning our own spring break vacation for 2021, we knew where we wanted to go.
There were six of us traveling in our group. In lieu of a hotel, we found an Airbnb outside the city limits. We prefer renting a house if possible so we can cook most of our meals. We save a lot of money cooking for our brood, as opposed to dining out. We partook in just about every kid-friendly outing one can find in Chattanooga. Here’s our list of the top nine.
Tennessee Aquarium Located in a stunning glass building in the middle of downtown Chattanooga, the Tennessee Aquarium is one of the most popular aquariums in the region. Within the two buildings, visitors can trace the path of water from mountains to sea and come face-to-face with creatures from near and far. The aquarium works to celebrate the rich biodiversity of the Southeast. Along with the regular exhibits, the site offers special events and singular exhibits throughout the year.
Creative Discovery Museum The mission of this state-of-the-art museum is to inspire children to explore, innovate, create and play. When we visited, our kids were a little old to enjoy the venue, but both of my friends’ families visited because they have younger children. It was a highlight of both their trips. Through exhibits, events, activities and outreach programs, the goal of the museum is to help children learn about the world through play.
Ruby Falls My late mother traveled to Chattanooga years ago and told me about the underground waterfall called Ruby Falls. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when we visited this anomaly ourselves, it was even more incredible than I had envisioned. In fact, out of all the places we visited in the Chattanooga area, the only t-shirt I bought says Ruby Falls. To see the falls, one must descend 260 feet by a glass-front elevator to explore the ancient formations along a cavernous trail to see the thundering falls. Leo Lambert is the person who discovered the falls. He named them after his wife, Ruby.
Rock City Most Southerners have stumbled upon, in person or in a book, old barns with the words “See Rock City” painted on the side. This tagline was part of an advertising campaign encouraging patrons to visit the beautiful rock formations and gardens on Lookout Mountain in Georgia, a few miles outside of Chattanooga. Cavorting around Rock City is not only whimsical and fun but when you get to the top, the view is incredible. At the famed “Rock City Point,” you’ll see the Seven States Stone, which guides your vantage point in the directions of seven different states, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama. See Feature story, page 60.
Incline Railway The Incline Railway up historic Lookout Mountain is the world’s steepest passenger railway and has been in operation since 1895. It’s a national historical site and mechanical engineering landmark that’s been coined “American’s Most Amazing Mile” and has delighted guests for over a century. At the top, you can visit the machine room where the giant gears are put into motion. Personally, I found the ride to be both scary and thrilling. At the top of the incline, we visited Point Park, a ten-acre memorial park that overlooks the Lookout Mountain Battlefield and the city of Chattanooga. There is also a paved walking path around the park leading to several historic tablets, monuments, confederate artillery positions and a scenic overlook.
Riding bikes To include some physical activity on our trip, we hauled our bikes to Tennessee. Several members of the family went mountain biking one day and all of us rode our bikes through downtown and across the Walnut Street Bridge one afternoon, which was a really enjoyable way to see the city up close. If you don’t have a way to get your own bikes to Chattanooga, you can rent them through Bike Chattanooga.
High Point Climbing and Fitness For climbing enthusiasts, Chattanooga boasts a world-class rock climbing gym. As one of several across the nation, this attraction is popular with visitors of all ages and skill levels. Activities include bouldering, lead climbing, outdoor walls and a Kid Zone. This is a fun activity anytime of year but especially if you’re visiting in a cooler month since several of the activities highlighted in this article are weather dependent.
Frolicking downtown For some organic fun, take your family or group into various sections of downtown Chattanooga for shopping, dining, trying out a brewery or simply sauntering along the river looking at the sites. There are often festivals, concerts and other fun events going on in the city center.
Coolidge Park You can’t leave Chattanooga without visiting Coolidge Park. Located on the city’s North Shore, visitors can overlook the beautiful Tennessee River, play in an interactive splash pad, stroll across one of the world’s largest pedestrian bridges, the Walnut Street Bridge, ride a historic carousel, observe a military memorial and play football or picnic in the open green spaces. When part of our group was mountain biking, the rest of us hung out in Coolidge Park, enjoying the scenery, participating in the activities and eating ice cream.
I may not have considered taking the family to Chattanooga had my two close friends not raved about the city upon their return. Now that we’ve visited, we will certainly be back. If you’re planning a trip to this lovely Tennessee hotspot, be sure to stay several days because believe me, there is so much to see and so much to do.