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Travel Matters | by Stephen & Andie
  • Planning

13 Of The Best Things To Do In Chattanooga, Tennessee

March 29, 2021 3
a woman looks out over a river from a bridge with another bridge in the background

Are you planning a visit and looking for things to do in Chattanooga? We recently visited for the first time ourselves, and were surprised by how much there is to do there! We spent time getting to know downtown and had a wonderful taste of the nature outside of the city as well. 

Chattanooga is the 4th largest city in Tennesee. It’s located in Southeast Tennessee close to the border of Georgia. The city is full of laid-back charm and plenty of outdoor adventure. There’s been a renaissance to downtown, and it’s becoming very well-known for its redeveloped riverfront. With a healthy dose of art, plenty of restaurants, mountain views, and history, Chattanooga is an under-the-radar gem that is well worth a visit.

Let’s Take A Look At 13 Of The Best Things To Do In Chattanooga:

1. Explore Chattanooga Riverwalk

a man looks out over a river with a bridge in the background

©Stephen & Andie

Also known as the Tennessee Riverpark, there are currently sixteen miles of Riverwalk following the south bank of the Tennessee River. As development continues, they plan to have a 22-mile stretch. The paved path allows you to experience nature, culture, and food, in a family-friendly environment. Restaurants and activities dot the length of the Riverwalk, making for a full day of exploring.

2. See A Chattanooga Lookouts Game At AT&T Field

For sports fans, not much is better than catching a baseball game in the summer. AT&T Field is just steps from the Tennessee Aquarium, and this popular stadium is home to the minor league Chattanooga Lookouts. The stadium capacity is just over 6,000, with most of the seating on the first base side. This is a great way to enjoy a game, with smaller crowds, lower prices, and an exciting close-to-the-action experience!

3. Visit The Chattanooga Choo-Choo

a glowing sign reads "Chattanooga" with a bar just beyond it

©Andie Mills

Of course, probably one of the first things that comes to most people’s minds when they hear “Chattanooga” is the Chattanooga Choo-Choo! Glenn Miller Orchestra, anyone? Located at Terminal Station, The Chattanoogoo Choo-Choo Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a vacationing complex featuring full service restaurants, numerous bars, music venues, a comedy club, distillery, and various retail outlets. Plus, you have the choice of spending the night in traditional hotel rooms or unique Pullman Train cars!

4. Cross Walnut Street Bridge

a man crosses the Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga

©Andie Mills

It’s said that Chattanooga’s Walnut Street Bridge is the longest pedestrian bridge in the world. We can’t confirm or deny that fun fact, but we sure loved our casual stroll across from the south side of the city to the north. The bridge itself is beautiful and the views of the Tennessee River and its popular riverboats were spectacular. And naturally, we loved seeing so many of Chattanooga’s finest pups out for a stroll, too! 

Hot Tip: Clumpies Ice Cream is a must-have when you get to the north side of the bridge. They’re a local business with four locations. They’ve got creative flavors like Mayan Chocolate (Andie’s pick), and you can grab it to-go and head out the back door to sit by the river and enjoy your scoops!

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A post shared by Clumpies Ice Cream Co. (@clumpies)

5. Ride The Incline Railway To The Top Of Lookout Mountain

the front of a funicular train car reads "The Incline"

©Stephen & Andie

With a slogan like “America’s most amazing mile” how can you pass up a ride on theIncline Railway to the top of Lookout Mountain? This funicular railway system is over 125 years old and the ride to the top takes about 10 minutes. At its steepest point of  incline, the grade is more than 72 percent! The passenger car is also custom-built at an angle to compensate for the incline accordingly, which is really cool! And needless to say, the views of Chattanooga and beyond are spectacular once you get to the lookout at the top. 

6. See Ruby Falls On A Cave Walk Inside Lookout Mountain

an underground waterfall bathed in red light

©Andie Mills

Ruby Falls is way down inside the caves of Lookout Mountain. Actually, the caves and the waterfall together are referred to as “Ruby Falls.” The waterfall – the tallest accessible underground waterfall in the U.S. – is 145 feet tall and it’s said that the cave is the deepest commercial cave in the United States. Give yourself about two hours for this group tour. If you’d like to see our Ruby Falls and Lookout Mountain adventures, we vlogged our couple of days in Chattanooga,   which you can see here!

7. “See Seven States” From Rock City

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A post shared by Rock City Gardens (@seerockcity)

Just a few miles away, Rock City is also atop Lookout Mountain. It features massive rock formations and the beautiful Rock City Gardens, with hundreds of native species. Enjoy nature’s beauty along the Enchanted Trail, experience Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village, and of course incredible panoramic views, accompanied by the claim of being able to “see seven states!”

8. Reflection Riding Arboretum And Nature Center

Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center is a nonprofit arboretum, botanical garden, nature center, and historical site. It includes fifteen miles of trails, live animals (indoor and outdoors), a treehouse, and a 317-acre arboretum. You can rent a canoe, plan a day hike, or book one of their guided programs.

Indoor Things To Do In Chattanooga: 

There are many great indoor things to do in Chattanooga, as well. Since we visited during Covid-times, we weren’t able to explore these possibilities. But as things return to normal, we hope to return so we can check out these unique options:

9. Tennesee Aquarium

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A post shared by Visit Chattanooga (@visitchatt)

 The Tennessee Aquarium contains not one, but two aquariums to explore: the River Journey and the Ocean Journey buildings. You’ll be able to get up close with otters, turtles, and enormous arapaima fish, touch a stingray, check out penguins, and marvel at sharks, jellyfish, and lemurs. You’ll want to give yourself a good three hours or so for this visit!

10. Creative Discovery Museum

For those with children,  The Creative Discovery Museum  is specifically geared toward curious and creative-minded kids. Located in downtown Chattanooga, it’s full of art, music, field science areas, an inventor’s workshop, a rooftop exhibit, and a water-themed zone called RiverPlay. It’s such a great way for the whole family to learn and have fun at the same time!

11. See A Show At Tivoli Theater

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A post shared by Tivoli • Memorial • Walker (@tivolichatt)

Also known as “The Jewel of the South,”  The Tivoli is an historic theater that opened in 1921. It is arguably the most well-known of the three historic theaters in Chattanooga. It’s a gorgeous example of early twentieth century architecture, and worth a visit – even if just to appreciate the structure.

12. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 

 The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a wonderful trip back in time, to when railway travel ruled. The museum not only preserves and displays these historic artifacts, but they provide an interactive experience. They offer a variety of different train rides for you to enjoy an authentic travel experience, as it would have been “back in the day!”

13. Hunter Museum of American Art

Hunter Museum of Art exterior

©Andie Mills

The Hunter Museum of American Art is right on the river in the Bluff View Arts District. The museum’s architecture is a work of art in itself. Their mission is to collect, preserve, and present American art, while inspiring visitor-focused, educational experiences for the community. Collections include works representing the Hudson River School, American Impressionism, early modernism, and post-World War II modern and contemporary art.

Hot Tip: Don’t pass up checking out the Bluff View Arts District! While we weren’t able to go inside the museum at the time of our visit, we did have a lovely walk around the Arts District. A European-style village, there are fantastic views of the river, surrounded by beautiful sculptures and art installations spanning many decades.


Chattanooga is a city full of beauty and unique character, and as you can see there are plenty of things to do. If you know of anything that we left out, please let us know!

And if you’re looking for more itineraries, we’ve got you covered:

  • Asheville
  • Los Angeles
  • Lapland
  • London

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Tags:citiesNorth AmericaTennesseeUnited States
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3 Comments

  1. A Perfect Day In Downtown Asheville, NC says:
    March 31, 2021 at 12:47 pm Reply

    […] And for an easy road trip just a bit more west, there are plenty of things to do in Chattanooga! […]

  2. Nina Simone: Honoring A Legend | Travel Matters says:
    April 13, 2022 at 12:19 pm Reply

    […] And for an easy road trip just a bit more west, there are plenty of things to do in Chattanooga! […]

  3. What To Do In Charleston, South Carolina | Travel Matters says:
    April 13, 2022 at 2:50 pm Reply

    […] Chattanooga […]

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Today we explore the Amazon jungle by night. Our flashlights reveal plenty of creepy crawlies, including unusual insects, cute frogs, a variety of spiders – including a bizarre one that looked like a robot, and Andie got her wish when we saw not one, but two tarantulas! Stephen was relieved to not run into any snakes, but later that night he was jolted awake by an an uninvited “guest” in our bed!

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📍LOCATION: Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Ecuador, South America

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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:28 Lagoon Swimming
01:00 Caiman Search
01:38 Baby Snake
02:30 Claustrophobia
02:43 Night 2
03:58 Venus & Sunset
04:18 Nightwalk in the Jungle
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06:27 Another Tarantula!
07:03 IT WAS IN OUR BED!

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THE JUNGLE at NIGHT | Ecuador Travel Vlog | Ecuador Series, ep. 6
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Follow Our Mission to See ALL 50 STATES! 🇺🇸 🚐

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Oregon’s got #mood for days! Oregon is state no Oregon’s got #mood for days!

Oregon is state no. 22 in our mission to see ALL 50 STATES (plus DC & Puerto Rico)! Our first sleep and first morning of #vanlife was in Astoria, then we headed to Cannon Beach and were bowled over by the foggy views of majestic Haystack Rock. 

👉 LINK IN BIO 👈 to see more of the beautiful Oregon coast in our latest vlog, “First Night In Our Van!”

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After buying our Sprinter in Portland we headed for the Oregon coast to spend our first night in her in Astoria. The next day we explored town and also made our way to Cannon Beach. Both were nothing short of stunning! Our drives through the state just got more and more beautiful and we couldn’t stop thinking how grateful and excited we are to be new #vanlifers. 

This is going to be an amazing year!

📷 Our first coffee on our first morning after our first night sleeping in our campervan. 📍Astoria.

📷 Isn’t she lovely? 😍 That’s Haystack Rock behind Andie. You might recognize it from movies like Point Break and GOONIES! 📍Cannon Beach.

📷 Having too much fun watching a pile of giant sea lions sleeping peacefully. 📍Astoria

📷 Loving our lives! 📍 Cannon Beach

👉 Link in bio 👈 to see all of this and more in our latest vlog “First Night In Our Van!”

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Hello #vanlife! 🚐 We’re so excited to finally Hello #vanlife! 🚐 We’re so excited to finally share this news with you – we bought a camper van! *Join us at 12:15pm EST today (Monday)* for a live chat during the Premiere of our new vlog, where we spill the tea.

After months of behind the scenes planning and hunting, we settled on this beauty at the end of October: a 170” wheelbase, high top Sprinter, located in Portland, OR. In this video we fly to the Pacific Northwest to make the purchase and begin our two and a half week, cross-country journey from Portland back to North Carolina. But not before grabbing a rainy day lunch at one of Portland’s food cart havens – Cartlandia. Some hot grits from Grits Gone Wild warm us up to send us on our first outing in our new home on wheels.

We couldn’t be more excited, and this trip already kicks off our mission to see all 50 states (plus DC and Puerto Rico!). You’ll be seeing this cross-country trip, plus another month-long run in her over the holidays –  all in our upcoming vlogs!

Now — any guesses what we named her? 
Hint: any fans of the movie Role Models? 😜

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$150 train ticket from New York to… New York? $150 train ticket from New York to… New York? 

We REALLY loved our first time doing some train travel in the U.S. together! We rode the Hudson River Rail aboard the 20th Century Limited – the last two remaining, fully restored, 1940s train cars from what was “The Most Famous Train In the World” in its day. 

Our journey took us from Penn Station in Manhattan up to Albany and back. 

Sit back and enjoy the views! 👉 Link in bio 👈 to see the vlog!

📷 1: on the platform in Albany

📷 2: Penn Station, NYC

🎥 3: enjoying the VIP lounge at Penn Station pre-boarding

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California sunsets just hit different. 🌅 We we California sunsets just hit different. 🌅

We were Angelenos for literal decades and we still can’t believe how many iconic places in California we took for granted and never visited! Morro Bay is just one of them, and we’re SO STOKED that a recent cross-country road trip (big announcement on that front soon!) took us right past the area. Naturally, we looked at each other, said “Morro Bay?,” and turned the 🚐 around to head back just in time for a gorgeous sunset. 

Now we’re even more determined to hit all the spots that we took for granted and we’ll always find excuses to make our way back through Cali! Yosemite, Redwoods, Death Valley – we’re talking to you! 

What other spots do we need to hit? Shout ‘em out in the comments!

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#morrobay #sunset #centralcoast #SLO  #SanLuisObispo #california #southerncalifornia #daytrip #roadtrip #californialandmarks
We saw ALL THE MANATEES today! This was our second We saw ALL THE MANATEES today!
This was our second attempt at @bluespringstatepark within a couple weeks. We saw zero manatees the first time, and committed to returning after spending some time in Southern Florida. Turns out, we happened upon some manatees in the marina @evergladesnps, but the water was so murky we could only see parts of them… if they surfaced. 

Today was the day we got to return to Blue Spring. The weather was much cooler this time (great conditions for spotting manatees in the springs), and when we pulled up to the entrance, the sign read “MANATEE COUNT *288*” For context, there was no count on the sign for our previous visit, so… YAY! 

Can’t say exactly what OUR manatee count was, but we easily saw dozens in a short amount of time – from adorable little babies to giants! The water was crystal clear. It was so serene – watching them graciously glide through, only occasionally making a splash. Hearing that beautiful sound when they surfaced for air. Today was an AWESOME day, and we’re so thankful that we had the flexibility to come back and spend some quality time with these beautiful, unique creatures. 🥰

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#manatees #bluespringstatepark #centralflorida #orlando #florida #therealflorida #wildlife #statepark #bluespring #bluesprings #manateestatepark #bluespringmanatees #travelmatters #travelvloggers
Is this seat taken? Nothing says “classic New J Is this seat taken? 
Nothing says “classic New Jersey” like Asbury Park! We visited the boardwalk for the first time this summer as part of our DIY food tour of New Jersey. 

A killer coffee roastery? ✅
Cereal pancakes? ✅
Disco fries? ✅
$27 milkshake??? ✅

LINK IN BIO to see all that, plus a unique Jersey twist on “the slushee” in our latest vlog, now live on YouTube! 

This is state #20 in our mission to visit all 50 states (plus DC & Puerto Rico) - join our adventures! 

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#newjersey #asburypark #newjerseyfood #foodtour #jerseycity #fortlee #jerseyshore #travelvlog #travelmatters
As you set your goals for 2023, don’t be afraid As you set your goals for 2023, don’t be afraid to be the orange fish. If an idea or dream scares you or feels too different, it’s probably the one you should go for!

We spotted these guys while snorkeling in the Galápagos Islands. See the full vlogs on our YouTube channel. LINK IN BIO!

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#fish #schooloffish #galapagos #galapagosislands #ecuador #travelmatters #travelvloggers #wildlife #conservation #underwatervideo #snorkeling🐠 
#newyeargoals #lifegoals
We saw so much cool wildlife in the Galapagos! See We saw so much cool wildlife in the Galapagos! See the full vlogs on our YouTube channel. LINK IN BIO!

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#galapagos #galapagosislands #ecuador #travelmatters #travelvloggers #wildlife #conservation #sealion #bluefootedbooby #tortoise #frigate #iguana #crab #fish
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