"A Town Reborn" Top 5 Page for this destination Chattanooga by BruceDunning

Chattanooga Travel Guide: 305 reviews and 578 photos

RR Engine on the track at the depot - Chattanooga

Railroading was its legend

Choo Choo for the ambiance of it all. This is at the old railway station, renovated and preserved. Linked with the Choo Choo theme since the terminal was built in 1908, it was renovated in 1973 as part of a hotel complex and convention center. It is connected with the Holiday Inn hotel, and you can even stay in a RR car converted into a room. The depot is also inside the hotel. The overall park has 24 acres of grounds, and is said to be the 3rd largest tourist attraction in Tennessee. A dedicated group also put together a large minature railroad for display that is 174 feet long. Somewhere around

A City Redone From the Bottom Up

Large expansive streets to walk the downtown

Town center was revamped with statues and avenues to walk around the river front. This town used to be a poster presentation of smog, filth and dingy. I have ridden through there when you had a bit of a time seeing the city layout next to the road. An old steel mill was alongside the river and guess what pollutants must have gone there. They tore down a number of buildings, and worked on bringing the downtown back with the aquarium and water front and Bluff Art street. Hopefully it works.

The New Riverfront

View of the aquarium complex

The 1 million SF aquarium was added in 1992 and IMAX later in 1996. Along with that came a convention center of 298,000 SF. Nearly one half of the town center looks to have be torn down with not all rebuilt yet. A cost of $120 million investment at the waterfront hopes to payoff.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Quiet city where you can take your time to see sites
Cons:A fair section of the city is still feeling it needs renovating
In a nutshell:Not a lot to do here unless go the aquarium or Lookout Mtn

Last visit to Chattanooga: Jan 2009
Intro Updated Feb 1, 2009
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Reviews (23)

Discounts on Site Purchases Local Customs (1)

You can get a city pass for a number of sites combined. The Lookout Mountain pass is $43.95 to take in the Ruby Falls,... more travel advice

Information of sites in town - Chattanooga

Chickamauga-the town Things to Do (18)

It does not seem like much, but there is still some history remaining here. The historic downtown has not been... more travel advice

Roadside trailiers on tiered bluff - Chattanooga

Local Flavor-Peanuts, Pecans, Trailer... Things to Do (18)

The way of life in this area is pretty much laid back. It is a town of 170,000, and very much spread out along Hwy 75,... more travel advice

Choo Choo is a Tour Site Things to Do (18)

The tour area is within the Holiday Inn hotel. It is on the track of the old railroad that ran through town. There are... more travel advice

Restaurants (2)
See All A Mix of Fare in Downtown
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Comments (4)

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kokoryko Nov 22, 2010 at 3:21 PM

I had a nice tour in this “old south” historical city, Bruce, even it has been redone; I wonder if the locals still feel different from “Yankee” America. Sticky Fingers must be as good as the name suggests. . . Thanks for the tour
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Nemorino Aug 12, 2010 at 7:07 AM

Good that they have made some progress revamping the city and cleaning up the river.
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Pablos_new Jul 12, 2009 at 2:51 PM

I've missed many things due to lack of the time. Next time I should spend there a couple of days.
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deecat Apr 30, 2009 at 12:47 PM

Bruce, brought great memories of family trips as a child. Excellent tips, especially, Revived downtown, Lookout Mt., Rock City, Chickamauga monuments/museum, Historic Bldgs., Incline RR and Choo Choo area!