Chatanooga, TN., Anyone ever been?

[mercydisney]

DH has picked Chatanooga TN to go on vacation. I understand the must sees are Rubt Falls and ROck City. I was wondring is this an all day adventure?
Is their any other place to visit?
Also are their any discount itckets?
Thanks for your help!

 

[mum4jenn]

Google is your friend!!

 

[mercydisney]

Google is your friend!!

I googled. Didn't find out what I wanted. (That's why I asked )

I like to know about people's experiences, See what they have to say. WHat they liked what they didn't like.

 

[8esther8]

I live in Chattanooga. I would say you should do both Ruby Falls and Rock City on the same day. They are both on Lookout Mountain. I would also go downtown and visit the Tennessee Aquarium, both the salt water and fresh water aquarium. They are right next to each other. If your children wear bathing suits under their clothes while at the Aquarium, they can splash and swim in the flowing streams and waterfalls outside the aquarium. It's free, and all the local children go. While you are downtown, go across the Walnut Street Bridge (the Walking Bridge) and go to Coolidge Park to the handcarved old-fashioned carousel. (Chattanooga has one of 2 schools that teach carving carousel animals, and the animals are all made by local students). Don't miss Clumpies Ice Cream down at Coolidge Park. The kids can also get wet in the fountains here. This is a great walking tour link:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i4832-Walking_Tour_of_Riverfront_Chattanooga.html

Hope this helps!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Chattanooga is fun! If you have young children, the Creative Discovery Museum is wonderful (my kids spent an entire day there when they were young). There is also a nice aquarium and and IMAX theater. All of these are downtown, which is very clean and walkable. There is a pedestrian bridge that leads to the other side of the TN river where there is a park with fountains for the kids to play in.

As you mentioned, Rock City and Ruby Falls are great places to visit. They also have a zoo (I can't attest for it--I haven't been). And, there is an amusement park called Lake Winnepesaukah (it's really more like a glorified fair). The Chattanooga Choo-Choo is there as well.

Hope this helps!

ETA: The previous poster and I posted at about the same time. That's why I seemed to repeat some of her comments.

 

[LovesHauntedMansion]

My last trip to Chattanooga was planned at the spur of the moment. I planned it one afternoon and we left the next morning. I did not have a chance to do much research on deals. I do remember a multi-attraction ticket that we bought at Ruby Falls that saved us a few dollars at Rock City and maybe even the Incline Railroad. On one day we went to Ruby Falls in the morning, ate lunch, went to Rock City, rode the Incline Railroad, went back to the hotel to freshen up, then went somewhere to eat supper. The next day we went to Raccoon Mountain. You will not find much advertisements for Raccoon Mountain, but some people prefer the caves there more than Ruby Falls.Then we went to the downtown area. We did "Ride the Ducks" which is so much fun. We ate lunch at a barbeque place very near "Ride the Ducks". We chose food from the lunch menu so it was inexpensive. We rode a free bus around the downtown area. We got to see the Chattanooga Choo Choo. There are also other things to do, but we did not have time.

 

[cannonballer]

I live in Chattanooga all ny life. I will not candy coat this.. Here are what to avoid...
ruby falls (waste of money go to lost sea or sequayah caverns instead)
incline (wats eof money)

do the normal
aquarium
imax
coolidge park, hunter museum and bluff view arts district

things mnost poeple miss but you shouldnt
Lake winnie amusement park (nostalgic)
lula lake (open open twice a month)
sunset rock
nature center and reflection riding
chattanooga zoo
medal of honor museum
towing museum
natural bridge
racoon mtn resavoirlost sea or sequayah caverns

also if you like hiking I got tons of places to tell you about to see waterfalls etc that are way bigger than even the ones in the smokies.

let me know if you need any details. I have done it all and you will need a week just to do half of the major things here.

 

[okeydokey]

Isn't there an artist village in Chattanooga? I think I remember a friend saying you could watch people blow glass there.

 

[RobinFabulous]

We did it two Januarys ago.

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Aquarium!!! It's lovely and we went right after Atlant's had opened, so it wasn't very crowded. We did Rock City, Ruby Falls and wanted to do the other thing but it was down. We got a really cheap hotel and did mostly fast food. It was great. Be prepared to walk a TON! When my health is better I'd love to go again. I believe they offer a discount if you do so many of the attractions. Google to find out

 

[si-am]

I grew up very close to Chattanooga and still go there from time to time for a visit. I think Rock City and Ruby Falls are kind of cheesy, but definitely a must-see for a first time visitor (especially if you have kids-- they will LOVE it).

The aquarium is really great, too. I haven't been to the new salt water addition yet, but I love the freshwater building. Far better than the Georgia Aquarium here in Atlanta.

We did the duck tour thingie (on the river) last year, and that was fun, too.

There's a little amusement park (Lake Winnepesauka-- sp?) close by that's fun, too, for a day.

Finally, if you stop by the Welcome Center off the Interstate, you can find coupons for a few dollars off the big attractions.)

 

[TheRatPack]

Cool to see so many people from Chattanooga Riding the train is pretty fun too, my kids enjoy that. The Aquarium is nice and a must see. Rock City is something we try to do at Christmas but not something we do during the year. The incline was so fun when I was a kid....when I rode it again as an adult I couldn't believe how boring LOL and how expensive. I figured we could save the trip by walking down to the park when we got to the top....they charge for entry now!!!! Going to see the Dam is pretty fun too if you don't live near one.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

We love Chattanooga! I agree with what everyone has previously said, and also add - if you like cheesy amusement, and let's face it, who doesn't once in a while? - one of the Holiday Inns in Chattanooga has a Chattanooga Choo Choo theme, and some of the rooms are actual train cars. We stayed there several years ago, and the kids LOVED it.

My husband and I "ran away" to Chattanooga at age 45 and 43 to get married. It's really a special place for us.

Another favorite cheesy trip is to Cherokee, NC. We panned for gems, fed the bears, saw the reptile show, had a picnic by the stream . . . good times!

 

[jennifer293]

I have lived in the area pretty much all my life...I would skip Ruby Falls, but do Rock City. I know you can get a cheaper ticket if you do the Aquarium and IMAX together. Lots of places to see in the downtown area.

I would not recommend Lost Sea (it is nothing but a big cave and a "lake" with some really nasty looking fish that everyone will tell you that are blind because of the pure darkness, but really who knows if they are blind unless the fish told them?? I found this place to be a HUGE waste of money) and plus it is over an hour or so away from Chattanooga.

Raccoon Mtn. is nice, Coolidge Park is a great place for a picnic and lots of cool little shops and restaurants surround it.

June 5-13 is the Riverbend Festival...VERY FUN!!!
http://www.riverbendfestival.com/generalinfo.php

The Bluffview Arts District is nice and is the location of my favorite restaurant...Tony's Pasta Shop..YUUUUMMMMMYYYYY!!!!

Lake Winnie is fun for kids http://www.lakewinnie.com/

you can go to www.chattanoogahasfun.com for more info on the area

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Dh and I just took a long weekend in Chattanooga last month. I have been in the past, but he had never been. You didn't specify if you have children or not. It was just the two of us and we had an excellent time, but we are pregnant with our first and I kept saying over and over "I can't wait to bring our children here".

I say do Rock City and Ruby Falls for sure. They are touristy, but still pretty cool. I agree w/ the previous person who said that the kids will really enjoy these attractions.

The aquarium is another can't miss attraction.

We stayed at the Marriott Convention Center which is right downtown. They had a package deal that included Aquarium, Imax, and all 3 Lookout Mtn. attractions, plus your room and breakfast. There were several different packages to choose from at this site http://www.lookoutmountain.com/packages.htm

Also there is a free electric shuttle service downtown that makes a loop from the ChooChoo to the Aquarium and makes stops along the way. There is a stop right outside the Marriott and another one at the Days Inn just across the street. I'm sure there are other hotels that are convenient to the shuttle, but we didn't see any as obvious (but we didn't go all the way to the Choo Choo either). It was a really nice convenience to not have to drive and park downtown. I was surprised that I had not seen this advertised anywhere.

There are tons of great restaurants in the downtown area too. I found a nice list of the restaurants and attractions at Chattanoogafun.com

One last thing if you are there over a weekend and have any time at all on Sunday I highly recommend that you go to the Chattanooga Market (Chattanoogamarket.com). It is held under an open air pavilion. There are arts and crafts booths, food, and really enjoyable bands. The hold it every Sunday from 11am til 4pm. We went and spent about 3 hours there, mostly just relaxing listening to the bands. They have various special events and the bands change weekly.

I think it is a great place for a vacation. You can take it easy and relax or go, go, go all day. Which ever pace suits your mood for this trip.

Hope you enjoy it!!

 

[Leajess99]

We had a blast last Spring in Chattanooga. We did the Children's Museum, Aquarium, Rock City as well as some other parks. They do have a minor league baseball team so that may be something else to look into. As far as accomodations, we stayed at the Staybridge Suites which was extremely nice.

That trip we did not do Ruby Falls as my kids did not like it all thet much when we went on a previous trip. They had more fun at the battlefield we went to.

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

Chattanooga is great. We live an hour away and are trying to relocate there. We go several times of year with our 5 and 8 year old just to play. THe Bluff;s Art District is small but very nice and we also highly recommend Tony's Pasta great atmosphere and food. Are you going with or without kids? IF without kids the Arts district had really nice bed and Breakfast options. The zoo is very small but we love it for just that reason and it is very cheap as it is run by c. The Chattanooga Lookouts minor league baseball is fun and very cheap. THere is a movie theater and IMAX downtown. OUr favorite thing is Coolidge Park and playing in the fountains. I agree that RUby Falls is a tourist trap and alot of hype, however it is kind of a must do. They offer package tickets that include sev eral attractions. Check out the Rock City site for this. DO the Duck tour it is really great. We also love the Tennessee Valley Railroad AUthority. AN authentic old train station and you go on a train ride on a historic car to a kind of railroad graveyard where they do repairs and you watch how they turn the train around. My girls love it. Chattanooga is great. I would stay downtown so you can walk to most things and use the electric shuttle. I priceline a room almost every time we go. I regularly get Chattanooga Choo Choo for about $41 a night or Mariott Convention Center for $60 to $80 a night

 

[ampooh]

I think you have been given some great advice on Chattanooga. I'm happy to see many people from Chattanooga. I live outside Chattanooga myself.

I must agree 100% with Ruby Falls. Rock City is good but skip the falls. We love the Tn Railroad Museum too.

If you want to eat at the Chattanooga Choo Choo you can find a deal at restaurant.com a lot of the times. They have dinner in a railcar or you can go to the Station House (shich has singing waiters).

For rooms I'd try to stay at one of the ones close to the Imax area. There is a Hilton Gardens and 2 others but darn if I can tell you which ones right now. We were just at a Lookouts (Dodgers farm team) game Monday. It is a nice activity too. Adult general admission is 4.00 and kids are 2.00 for the cheapest seats. They have lots of special nights that make it fun. A few yrs ago we went on used car night. My SIL won a used car. He DH drove it for a yr then they traded it in and got more than they expected. Not bad for a free car and a cheap fun family event.

 

[crazelion]

I am surprise no one have mention out minor league baseball park ATT Field we is now affiliate with the LA Dodgers. We is cheap and family fun.
Everyone else has mention other Chattanooga Attractions they said it all.

 

[DalGal]

A few things that I haven't seen mentioned:

1. The aquarium has a new boat cruise on their River Gorge Explorer catamaran. Really cool and runs about $20 - $30 per person.

http://www.tnaqua.org/VisitorInfo/rge.asp

2. The Southern Belle also does (slower, more relaxed) river cruises, including lunch and dinner cruises.

http://www.chattanoogariverboat.com

3. In addition to the short Missionary Ridge Local ride, the TN Valley Railroad Museum also offers longer excursions, like the Hiawasee River Loop or one to Chickamauga, GA.

http://www.tvrail.com/

4. If you are a US history buff, don't forget to visit the national military parks in the area, like the Chickamauga Battlefield and Point Park. Lots of info and monuments.

http://www.nps.gov/chch/

TIP--> Riverbend is a great event to attend but if you don't plan on attending it, I would avoid visiting at that time. Most of the dowtown attractions are packed and parking/traveling in the area is torture.

 

[mercydisney]

WOW!!!!
My Disboards friends are AWESOME!!!!! I can't wait to tell DH (he chose our vacation) that I know more about our vacation then he does !!

Can anyone tell me what the weather will be like the second week in June?

I just wated to let you all know I haven't read all the replies it's been a long weekend. But I want ot thank everone who has.

Off to read all about Chatanooga, ....