Chattanooga ?

[getfished]

Going to take my 13 year old to Chattanooga next week for a short vacation before school starts. One day it will be just me and him as the wife will be attending a seminar. what is there to do for fun other than the Shedd Aquarium. We will go there but need some fun options for a couple other days. Any suggestions for good food ? Is there an option to get maybe a guide on a short notice to introduce my grandson to fly fishing ? All replies are appreciated.

[LgMouthGambler]

Check out all the Civil War history stuff in that town. Really cool, especially Lookout Mountain.

[ameneddie]

Southern Belle Riverboat.

[jlperkins]

Coolidge Park is on the river, Huge carousel , nice walking areas, We was they,re in cooler weather, I think it has a water area for kids

[smalljawguy]

Call me old and silly, but Rock City, Ruby Falls are pretty cool. And if you're not a chicken like me and afraid of heights, ride the Incline Railway. Also has Lake Winnepesaukah amusement park.

[getfished]

Thank you guys for the replies. I appreciate it. Gonna try to work real hard at having fun and eating good.

[billspence]

They have a neat little downtown with the typical restaurants and such. They have minor league baseball and if I remember correctly, the stadium is neat and they are very fan friendly, especially for kids.

Great town.

[KYSkipper]

Check out all the Civil War history stuff in that town. Really cool, especially Lookout Mountain.

The Chickamauga Battlefield Park is Fun and Educational.

[DougN68]

Railroad museum

[RangerJim]

There is also an IMAX 3D theatre by the aquarium and the Creative Discovery Museum. And Moon Pie General Store and Bakery is worth the stop.

https://www.cdmfun.org/

[Buccaneer]

Chattanooga Lookouts baseball game. Neat ball field.

[riverc]

Wife and I enjoyed the Aquarium.

[bassboy1]

Going to take my 13 year old to Chattanooga next week for a short vacation before school starts. One day it will be just me and him as the wife will be attending a seminar. what is there to do for fun other than the Shedd Aquarium. We will go there but need some fun options for a couple other days. Any suggestions for good food ? Is there an option to get maybe a guide on a short notice to introduce my grandson to fly fishing ? All replies are appreciated.

The Shedd is in Chicago, but the Tennessee aquarium in Chattanooga is excellent - they've got a much better freshwater section than most aquariums. If you have the time, and want to spend the bucks, the aquarium can sell you tickets to ride the boat up the river gorge, which is cool.

Lookout Mountain Incline railway is worth doing.

Chattanooga Ducks (WWII DUKW ride in the river) are fun.

Tennessee Valley Rail is fun. The short ride (Missionary Ridge local) is only about an hour, and takes you to the East Chattanooga depot, where you can watch them turn the engine around on a turntable, as well as tour the shop. The longer rides might not be entertaining enough for a 13 year old, but the short one is cool.

I wasn't expecting much from it, but we actually enjoyed taking a Segway tour. They spend a couple minutes teaching you how to ride a Segway, then a tour through downtown, pointing out a lot of the historical places. Not a problem at all for people who've never been on one before.

I don't know how many days you're planning on being there, but the Lost Sea cave in Sweetwater is really neat. It's around an hours drive from Chattanooga, so figure on it killing half a day.

If you're a car guy, Coker tire museum is neat.

Ruby Falls, of course.

Most of the things above will take 1 - 2.5 hours, including wait times, with exception to the aquarium, Lost Sea cave and Rock City. Things like the Duck rides or Segway tours will require purchasing tickets in advance, but my wife has usually been able to choreograph our day to get 4 of the smaller activities in per day.


You won't have a problem finding the decent restaurants down town, but one that you might overlook is the City Cafe Diner. Good stop for breakfast or lunch, where you may not want a fancy place. Great food, good prices, open 24 hours.

I remember Community Pie being a good Pizza joint.

Terminal Brewhouse is good. Good pub style food. It's in a neat building.

Bea's is supposed to be a big deal. Usually long wait times, so we've never been.

At the base of Lookout Mountain, St. Elmo Deli is an excellent little (emphasis on little), sandwich shop.


If you find yourself bored for even a moment, or missing out on decent food, you're doing something wrong. Chattanooga has plenty to offer.

[smalljawguy]

Also, try the Boathouse restaurant. Sits right on the river and the food is pretty darn good

[getfished]

Well it's obvious I don't get out much, thinking the Shedd aquarium is in Chattanooga when it's not. I knew that there is a good aquarium in Chattanooga , just got my names mixed up. Thanks for the feedback folks .

[bonecollector1]

Rodizio grill

[wildturkey]

If you are civil war buff, visit point park on lookout mountain to see the city from above. You can ride the Incline up the mountain and back down if you are not driving.

German food/pub, eat at Brewhaus. On the north shore of river above Coolidge park.

Depending what is showing, there is an IMAX theatre close to the aquarium.

Hope you enjoy your visit.

[swimjig]

Big Frog Expeditions just outside of Cleveland, TN. 40 minutes away. White water rafting on the Ocoee.

[crazyju]

What days are you going to be here. I might be able to take you on an evening topwater trip. PM me if interested.

[dstep0]

Following along. Plan to take a trip there soon as well.