{"id":4889,"date":"2018-11-01T16:29:37","date_gmt":"2018-11-01T16:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/have-kids-will-travel.com\/?p=4889"},"modified":"2023-04-19T01:37:53","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T01:37:53","slug":"tennessee-valley-railroad-museum-in-chattanooga-tn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/have-kids-will-travel.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/01\/tennessee-valley-railroad-museum-in-chattanooga-tn\/","title":{"rendered":"Exciting Family Fun at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were so happy to see the rain clouds disappear so that we could spend the afternoon here at the museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Grand Junction Station<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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We arrived early to purchase our train tickets and to check out the train depot and rail yard. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some model trains and lots of historical information inside the depot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Rail Yard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above: The kids loved exploring the rail yard! You could climb on and explore some of the trains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Special Events at the Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a list of Special Events & Special Train Rides:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n