Chattanooga
Chattanooga
Chattanooga is the sweetest riverside town full of outdoor activities and good places to eat! It is near and dear to my heart, because I grew up going to Chattanooga multiple times as a kid because of their amazing aquarium and train. There are plenty of places to explore so I recommend visiting Chattanooga when the weather is the most comfortable outside for you to walk around, which to me means anytime between March and October/early November. One advantage of visiting in the fall season is enjoying all of the colorful leaves in the surrounding mountains or on a train ride!
Activities
Take a Ride on the Tennessee Valley Railroad Train
This train museum includes working, historic trains as well as educational displays! This can be a wonderful way to catch a different kind of view of the fall colors. My family and I rode on the Missionary Ridge train, which lasted one hour and included the turntable demonstration and a tour of their restoration efforts. The tickets for this experience cost $25/person, but they have other rides too at differing price points.
Hours: Varies so check the website
Location: 4119 Cromwell Rd.
Website: https://www.tvrail.com/
A train on the turntable demonstration
Browse the Bookshelves at McKay’s Bookstore
Honestly, this store can be a bit overwhelming because it is so expansive and amazing! McKay’s is a Tennessee/North Carolina-based secondhand bookstore, but it also sells board games, toys, records, and movies. Plan to set aside a little bit of time so you can browse the shelves without any stress- it can take a minute to orient yourself and to locate the different genres. The time is definitely worth it though, because I have found so many gems for cheap! Parking is easy too.
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm
Friday-Saturday 9am-10pm
Sunday 10am-7pm
Location: 7734 Lee Hwy Chattanooga, TN 37421
You can see how there are two floors’ worth of books, toys, and records!
See Rock City
You may be familiar with the famous “See Rock City” painted barns across several states or even seen the lookalike birdhouses! Rock City as a geological landmark has been a tourist attraction dating back to as early as the Civil War. Technically in Georgia, but only a short 17-minute drive from downtown Chattanooga, this is a stunning walk through narrow passages, across various bridges, and under/around/over all sorts of rocks. On a clear day, you can even see seven states at one viewpoint: Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-11:30pm
Sunday: 10am-10:30pm
Admission (at the Ticket Window):
Weekdays: Adults $43/Children (3-12): $33
Saturday and Sunday: Adults $45/Children (3-12): $35
Admission is cheaper if you book ahead online!
Location: 1400 Patten Road Lookout Mountain, Georgia 30750
Website: https://www.seerockcity.com/
One of the many scenic views of Rock City
Pet a Red Panda at the Chattanooga Zoo
Fun fact: my favorite zoo animal is a red panda! They are cute, fluffy, and playful! What’s not to like?? For whatever reason, Tennessee has quite the hub of red pandas. The Knoxville Zoo in eastern Tennessee is known as “The Red Panda Capital of the World” because it has homed more red panda births than any other zoos in the world. The Chattanooga Zoo has an active red panda program with a cub born just last summer!
When my then-boyfriend/now-husband and I visited Chattanooga on a trip for my birthday, we did a special birthday excursion for me to meet my very favorite animal! It was very surreal to be face-to-face with a real red panda named Avi, feeding him and petting him. The experience is more expensive than giraffe feeding or some of the other wild animal encounters at the zoo, but it was worth it to me for a special occasion. The encounter includes admission to the zoo, time with a real red panda, a behind-the-scenes tour of his exhibit, a pre-captured professional photo of the red panda you met to take home with you that day, and a designated zoo member to take so many pictures of you with the red panda during your experience!
Price: $250/person
Requirements:
Online reservations made at least two weeks in advance
Closed toe shoes
Must be 7 years or older
Such a unique and surreal experience to pet and feed a red panda!
Visit the Tennessee Aquarium
Looking at the skyline of Chattanooga, the aquarium building is probably one of the most instantly-recognizable buildings. Growing up, I travelled multiple times to Chattanooga to see this aquarium with my family, with my Girl Scout trip, and with my middle school class for a slumber party under the sharks! They have two separate building to house all of their exhibits: The River Journey Exhibits and The Ocean Journey Exhibits, which also includes their butterfly garden and touch tanks. My favorite is probably the river otters or the walk underneath their huge ocean tank!
Hours: 10am-7pm (Last Entry at 5pm because they recommend two hours to tour both buildings)
Admission: Adults $39.95
Children (5-17) $29.95
Children 4 & Under are free
Location: One Broad Street Chattanooga, TN 37402
Website: https://tnaqua.org/
Walk Over The Walnut Street Bridge and Through Coolidge Park
I have spent many a sunny afternoon meandering across the Walnut Street Bridge. This is a wonderful stroll over the Tennessee River with great views of the town; Chattanooga is a pretty walkable city (with a few hills to be mindful of) and this bridge connects the Northshore area to the rest of the heart of downtown.
One important thing of note, depending on the timing of your trip, is that the pedestrian bridge is currently under construction for renovations. It is estimated to finish in September 2026; until then, the bridge is unusable.
An enjoyable walk over the river with friends
Food
Clumpies Ice Cream
There is rarely a time that I visit Chattanooga without stopping by Clumpies for a scoop of ice cream! There has even been a time or two that we stopped by on our way through town. They have a wide variety of flavors from classic butter pecan to firecracker with Pop Rocks with selections from a rotating seasonal menu. I love grabbing a cone from the Frazier Avenue/Northshore location and taking it on a walk through nearby Coolidge Park!
Locations: 26 Frazier Avenue
3917 St. Elmo Avenue
1401 Market Street
Hours vary per location so check out their website
Website: https://clumpies.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqfv5ofTDfwKCxjm3QR30PFoq753eM_HBMhLv0LrNHEAN2uJ6fh
Here’s a peek at their long menu
Stir
Okay, this restaurant included one of the most unique drink experiences I have ever had! As you can see in the middle photo below, Stir specializes in artisanal ice, recommending certain cuts of ice for specific beverages. In the third photo, there is a ball sitting in a metal mold; the bartender created that ball of ice from a larger chunk through a melting process in this press. How creative! I have enjoyed every brunch I have eaten at Stir, but this ice presentation especially stood out as unique!!
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00am - Midnight
Fri 11am - 1am
Sat 10:00am - 1am
Sun 10:00am - Midnight
Brunch Weekends 10:00am - 2:30pm
Location: 1444 Market St. Chattanooga, TN 37402
Website: https://stirchattanooga.com/
Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria
Tony’s serves delicious freshly made bread from a local bakery as an appetizer while you pick out your entrees. I was very impressed by their extensive “build-your-own-pasta-dish” options; it can be a bit overwhelming so you may end up eating a lot of that delicious bread while trying to make up your mind! But really, you cannot go wrong!! One added bonus of this Italian restaurant is the beautiful view as it is situated at the top of a bluff in the arts district.
Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11am - 9pm
Friday & Saturday 11am - 10pm
Location: 212 High Street
Website: https://bluffviewartdistrictchattanooga.com/tonys-pasta-shop
Community Pie
Salads, bread, pizza, and gelato- what more could you want? Community Pie serves both New York and Detroit style pizzas.
Hours: 11am-10pm
Locations: 850 Market Street
2006 Hamilton Place Boulevard
Website: https://www.communitypie.com/
Genesis House of Tea
A delightful little tea house that was located in an antebellum home; however, they temporarily closed to relocate to downtown Chattanooga. It is a bit of a puzzle because that announcement came in December of 2024 with no further news since. I plan to keep checking for updates in case they reopen so I can share all of the new details!!
Scones, clotted cream, lemon curd, and tea
Edley’s Bar-B-Que
Edley’s has multiple locations in Tennessee; I have eaten at the one in Nashville at 12South as well (the original location). They serve “Nashville-style” BBQ; according to my BBQ-fan husband, this is similar to Memphis-style but with a little more heat. The description from their menu reads “WE BOLDLY SEASON OUR SMOKED MEATS WITH A CAYENNE DRY RUB AND FINISH IT WITH A FIERY HABANERO PEPPER BBQ SAUCE. IT’S A BLEND OF SMOKY, SPICY AND SWEET FLAVORS.” However you want to define it, this is good BBQ with tasty sides and a relaxed atmosphere!
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 11:00am–9:00pm
Friday & Saturday 11:00am–10:00pm
Location: 205 Manufacturers Road Suite 110
Website: https://www.edleysbbq.com/
Lingering Curiosities
Here are some places I still have not visited in Chattanooga but would like to check out one day; if you go and explore these, please let me know what you think:
Hunter Museum of American Art
The Hotel Chalet
Elsie’s Daughter
Pick & Sip High Point Farms (Flower Farm)