{"id":7110,"date":"2019-06-05T18:12:34","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T18:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/have-kids-will-travel.com\/?p=7110"},"modified":"2023-06-26T15:45:18","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T15:45:18","slug":"chattanooga-tennessee-for-train-lovers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/have-kids-will-travel.com\/index.php\/2019\/06\/05\/chattanooga-tennessee-for-train-lovers\/","title":{"rendered":"Exciting Train Adventures in Chattanooga, Tennessee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Chattanooga, Tennessee is a great place to visit – especially if you enjoy trains like our family does!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city of Chattanooga is located in southeastern Tennessee on the border with Georgia. It is the perfect city to visit for train enthusiasts. Whether you want to ride a train up the side of a mountain, sleep in a restored sleeper car, or ride the largest steam railroad in the south, you’ll find plenty of fascinating train activities. P.S. I recommend you do all 3!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are three great places to visit in Chattanooga, especially if you love trains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. CHATTANOOGA CHOO-CHOO RAILROAD MUSEUM & HOTEL <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Chattanooga Choo Choo is actually a historic hotel located in the Historic Southside neighborhood. You can stay here in a standard hotel room, or luxury room, or even spend the night in an authentic Pullman railcar.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above photo via<\/strong><\/em><\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This station is also where the hotel check-in\/lobby is located. Right outside the Terminal Station, you can walk along the retired train tracks. Here you can see the different trains. Many of these train cars are also hotel rooms. Others have been converted into restaurants or bars.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n


You don\u2019t have to stay at the hotel to visit the hotel and the surrounding complex. The Terminal Station (pictured above) is gorgeous and it is well worth a visit. This station is a Chattanooga, Tennessee ‘must do’ for train lovers!
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Above: a Mini version of Train in Lobby<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Glenn Miller Gardens are also located here. It is a beautiful and peaceful area here at the hotel\/museum complex. There are pavilions, rocking chairs, and picnic areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Families will also enjoy playing life-sized checkers, Jenga, corn hole, and bocce ball. In colder months, the hotel has an outside skating rink and even a hot chocolate food truck. It is best to call ahead to see when these are available. The hotel\/complex is within walking distance of several restaurants and shopping areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chattanooga Choo Choo  \/\/  1400 Market Street \u2013 Chattanooga, TN 37402  \/\/  423.266.5000<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WEBSITE<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN INCLINE RAILWAY IN CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We recently took our train-loving kids to visit Chattanooga and our first stop was the Incline Railway (Okay, their dad and I also love trains. Don\u2019t even get me started on the hubs model train collection!). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a really fun day and the Incline Railway was a really unique experience. We had a great time! There are two ways to access the Incline Railway \u2013 from the top of Lookout Mountain or at the bottom on St. Elmo Avenue. We started at the bottom train station. You could honestly spend all day at Lookout Mountain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides riding the incline railway, there are many other activities in this area. At the top of the incline is Lookout Mountain. This area includes a souvenir shop, an observation deck, Point Park, Ruby Falls, and Rock City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the bottom of the incline, there are several restaurants and shops to visit. There is a souvenir shop and an ice cream shop at the train depot at the bottom of the Incline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WAITING FOR THE TRAIN<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The trains are fun, trolley-style cars. There are windows on the sides and the top of the car which makes for some amazing views. The seats are always facing in the same direction so that you can see the city of Chattanooga whether riding the car up or down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We rode the train backward, which makes for some amazing views as you ride. The ride goes up the side of the mountain and it is about a mile long. This train ride lasts about 10 minutes and the trains run every 30 minutes or so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above photo via<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are two railways \u2013 one that rides to the top and one that rides back down to the bottom. The trains synchronize their trips so that they meet and pass each other in the middle of the track. It\u2019s called \u201cThe Switch\u201d.  It was fun to meet up with the other train and wave at all of its passengers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The climb seemed very gradual for most of the trip. I could really feel the steepness of the incline during the last 1\/4 mile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above: Our view from the front-row seat of the trolley\/train car. We also had a HUGE window on both sides and the roof of the train car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ON THE WAY BACK DOWN<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Photo Above photo via<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above: Loading back onto the train for the ride back down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo Above: From the observation deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Tennessee Valley Railroad (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 \u2013 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. You can see the train rides\/schedules HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (just click on Chattanooga Grand Junction as your Departure Location). Parking is also free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above photo: Grand Junction Station<\/figcaption><\/figure>\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\u2019re 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

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

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THE RAIL YARD<\/h3>\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 \u201cOctober Sky\u201d with Jake Gyllenhaal in 1999, \u201cLeatherheads\u201d with George Clooney in 2008, and \u201cWater for Elephants\u201d 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 \u201cLong Black Train\u201d by Josh Turner and \u201cCreepin\u201d by Eric Church, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above photos: The kids loved exploring the railyard! You could climb on and explore some of the trains. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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THE MISSIONARY RIDGE LOCAL<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The train ride is called \u201cLocal\u201d because it is a short line. At one time, these local train rides were how people traveled from one small town to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The train is heated in the winter and air-conditioned in the warmer months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We took the Missionary Ridge Local<\/strong><\/em><\/a> which lasts about 55 minutes round-trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 55 minutes include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n