1. Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Renovated 1880 Terminal Station
Relax inside a Pullman Train Car room at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel and experience what it's like sleeping in an antique steam locomotive cart. But while you may be exploring the past, you'll be surrounded by all the creature comforts of home such as high-speed internet, WiFi, flat screen, and a coffee maker. Stroll to the Chattanooga Riverfront and visit the Coolidge Park and marvel at the restored historic carousel, and join the locals as they play with the water fountain.
2. Tennessee Aquarium: Sleep Alongside Sea Creatures
Offering a plethora of interactive exhibits and activities, the Tennessee Aquarium will leave you breathless. Stroll over to Cove Forest and enter the River Otter Falls. You'll be entertained by the jolly and curious little otters. If you love Lemurs, then walk over to Lemur Forest. Observe the Ringtailed Lemurs hanging from the trees. Then, venture over to the Seahorses: Beyond Imagination exhibit and gaze at the radiant tiny seahorses, sea dragons, and sea stars. End your evening slumbering alongside the aquarium's biggest fish displays with the Sleep in the Deep Tour.
3. Ruby Falls: A Rock Climber's Dream
If you love heights, Ruby Falls is for you. Go on a guided tour of the 145-foot underground waterfall. You'll marvel at the diverse and amazing rock formations in the cave. Get an Extreme Adventure Pass and access the two-hour Blue and Green Diamond Courses. Test your endurance as you climb trees on ladders, nets, walkways, bridges, and tunnels. Your adventure includes climbing a tower and taking a ZIP Ride down as you take in the view of Chattanooga. After a long venture, go up the 70-foot Lookout Mountain Tower and marvel at the panoramic bird's eye view of the Tennessee River Valley.
4. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: A Moving Museum
Take a ride on a full-sized, historic train pulled by vintage diesel engines or steam locomotives. Enjoy the romanticism of traveling slowly on the railroad. The antiquities on board are representative of the locomotive era. The museum operates all year long and each excursion can be booked for less or more than four hours. You'll depart from the Chattanooga Grand Junction or Etowah Station depending on the ride you book. Ride the Summerville Steam Special and travel to Summerville, Georgia while crossing the Rossville state line.
5. Hunter Museum of American Art: Colonial & Contemporary Art Exhibits
The Hunger Museum houses colonial and contemporary art. Take a tour of the permanent exhibits on display. In the Photographs exhibit, you'll marvel at Ansel Adams' breathtaking, Sequoia Roots, Mariposa Grove, Yosemite, and Portfolio IV. As you enter the painting exhibit, admire the vibrant colors of Daud Akhriev's oil on canvas Pomegranates with Murano Vase. Then, stroll to the outside patios and marvel at the sculptures and public art on display. You'll be amazed by the bronze, Boreal by Deborah Butterfield. Alexander Calder's plated Pregnant Whale will leave you breathless.