Exciting Family Fun at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN

 

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN

We were so excited to visit the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVR)! Our family collects model trains and the kids love putting the tracks and trains together. Although the kids have ridden the train at the zoo, we had never taken the kids for a real train ride.

We were so happy to see the rain clouds disappear so that we could spend the afternoon here at the museum.

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is an interactive museum located in Chattanooga. It has a railroad yard, train depot, and train rides for its visitors. This is not your conventional museum since you can climb on many of the trains in the rail yard and go on trips on a steam or diesel train.

The TVR is one of the largest operating historic railroads in the United States. It is a great place for families to spend a few hours – especially if you love trains!

Admission to the Rail Yard and Train depot is free. The museum only charges an admittance fee on special event weekends. One example of a special event is the RailFest weekend in September.

There is a charge for train rides. These rides can last anywhere from 55 minutes to 3 1/2 hours.

 

Grand Junction Station

We arrived early to purchase our train tickets and to check out the train depot and rail yard. 

Stepping into the Grand Junction Train Depot is like taking a step back in time. From the ticket booth to the seats in the waiting area, the depot makes you feel like you’re immersed in history.

There are some model trains and lots of historical information inside the depot.

The train depot also has a gift shop and a deli. There are drinks, snacks, and sandwiches available for purchase at the Grand Junction Depot Deli. You can eat and drink at the cafeteria or on the train. There are picnic tables located right outside if you want to bring some snacks or buy some at the deli.

The Grand Junction Station has a restroom and there is also one at East Chattanooga. There aren’t any bathrooms on the shorter/”local” trains.

The Rail Yard

We really enjoyed touring all of the trains in the railyard! It is so fascinating to see all of the work and detail that goes into making and restoring these trains.

Many of the trains at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum have been featured in documentaries, tv shows, and movies.  Some of these movies include “October Sky” with Jake Gyllenhaal in 1999, “Leatherheads” with George Clooney in 2008, and “Water for Elephants” with Reese Witherspoon in 2011.

Music Videos have also been filmed at this location and with equipment at the museum. These include “Long Black Train” by Josh Turner and “Creepin” by Eric Church, among others.

Above: The kids loved exploring the rail yard! You could climb on and explore some of the trains.

Special Events at the Museum

We visited the TVR Museum in October and they were decorated for fall. They even had a petting zoo and a pony ride outside for the kiddos (food for the goats and pony rides were not free).

Here’s a list of Special Events & Special Train Rides:

• Summerville Steam Special
• Dinner On The Diner
• Copperhill Special
• Christmas Special
• Valentine Dinner Train
• New Year Dinner Train
• Tennessee Valley RailFest (in September)
• 21st-Century Steam Excursions
• Kids Summer Camps (June & July)

See all Special Events at TVR Museum HERE.

 

The Missionary Ridge Local

There was an announcement made that the train would be arriving in about 15 minutes. We all headed out to the platform and waited for our train to arrive.

Everyone was so excited to see the 630 Steam Engine coming around the bend! This steam train was built in 1904 and was a working train for decades. It was in great need of restoration, and its repair began in the early 2000s. It took ten years to restore the train’s engine.

The train ride is called “Local” because it is a short line. At one time, these local train rides were how people traveled from one small town to another.

The train is heated in the winter and air-conditioned in the warmer months.

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We took the Missionary Ridge Local which lasts about 55 minutes round-trip.

The 55 minutes include:

• A 10-minute train ride to East Chattanooga
• A historic turntable demonstration
• Tour of the Soule Shop where antique trains undergo maintenance & restoration
• Another 10-minute train ride back to Grand Junction

After boarding the train and finding your seats, you begin the first part of your train ride. The ride to East Chattanooga lasts about 10 minutes. This train ride started at the Grand Junction Station and we rode over four bridges. We also traveled through the pre-Civil War Missionary Ridge Tunnel.

We really enjoyed the conductors’ narrative. They explained what we were seeing as we traveled through the Tennessee countryside. It was very interesting to learn about how the tunnel and railroad were built. We all learned a lot about the pre-Civil War and Civil War eras here in Tennessee.

The Train Ride

Above: Our view of the rail yard from our seats on the train.

Above: Riding through the Missionary Ridge Tunnel. The Conductor explained that this tunnel was made by men with Pic axes (pre-Civil War). There were two groups of men and each group started working at opposite ends and started working toward each other. There was so much work involved in making the tunnel!

East Chattanooga

At East Chattanooga, we got off the train and most of us headed to the antique turntable to watch the turntable demonstration.

The turntable demonstration was really fascinating. It really was a highlight of our visit! I highly recommend it. I can’t believe that, in the past, people had to move these trains on the turntable manually – two men on each side pushing the turntable/train!

Above: The blacksmith shop. My son and I stopped by the Choo Choo Forge. The blacksmith inside gave us a little demonstration. He was creating a new tool from iron. He showed us how to heat up the iron and forge the metal with his hammer.

Above: The East Chattanooga rail yard also has antique trains and vintage equipment.

The Soule Shops at East Chattanooga

Above: We were able to visit the shop where the trains are maintained. One of the conductors explained all of the work that goes into keeping these historic trains in operation. Since the parts for these trains are no longer available for purchase, they need to be made/created for the trains.

Return Trip to Grand Junction Depot

Above: The train station at East Chattanooga has a restroom and an area where you can purchase hot chocolate, other drinks, or snacks.

Above: Don’t ask me why, but having the conductor walk around and punch our train ticket was also a highlight. Our particular conductor was hilarious and we really enjoyed our interactions with him.

Picnic Area

Above: There are two picnic areas. One is located next to the parking lot in a wooded area. The other is located right outside the deli at the Grand Junction Depot. It’s a great spot for a picnic. It’s also a nice spot to let the kiddos run around, especially if they have been riding in the car for a while.

Above: We all really had a great time, but my son was in train heaven! I’m so glad we visited this museum!

Tennesee Valley Railroad Museum  //  4119 Cromwell Road – Chattanooga, TN 37421  //  423.894.8028

WEBSITE

Have you been to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum? Which train did you ride? How was your experience?

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