US Travel Guide - Chattanooga

Chattanooga Entertainment

The City of Chattanooga was immortalized in the 1930s by the Glen Miller Orchestra and his swinging tune "Chattanooga Choo-Choo." Today the "Choo Choo" isn't making any trips, but the old railroad terminal has become a popular tourist attraction. Specialty stores and gift shops, museums, gourmet restaurants, deluxe accommodations and horse drawn carriages make up the entertainment complex. However, Chattanooga has a lot more to offer than antique trains. Finding something to do is easy, but finding enough time to do it all is another story.

A City of Appreciation and Remembrances

For a medium-sized town, Chattanooga has more than its share of museums. Fine art from local, national and international artists is on display in the Hunterand Houston Museums. Chattanooga was the first city to operate a tow truck, so of course they opened a museum to commemorate that: the International Towing and Recovery Museum. The Regional History Museum chronicles the history of the Scenic City and its people over the last century-and-a-half, and the African American Museum provides a look at the contribution black Americans have made to this city. Civil War history buffs will enjoy a visit to the Battles for Chattanooga Museum, where miniature soldiers on an electric map reenact historic battles.

Sports for Every Season and Personality

There is no substitute for the excitement of live sporting events and Chattanooga is home to a number of college and professional sports teams. College Football fans cheer on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at Max Finley Stadium each fall as the Mocs take on Southern Conference rivals. The new stadium has spurred renewed interest in the UTC program, as has the teams winning record. Winter means its time for the basketball Mocs to take the Court in McKenzie arena. In 1997 the Mocs advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament--a first for UTC.

Baseball fans can take in a game at BellSouth Park where the Chattanooga Lookouts take the field. The Lookouts are the AA affiliate of the Major League Cincinnati Reds. Though a minor league team, the Lookouts play to packed houses and nearly everyone agrees this is the way baseball ought to be: intimate, exciting and for the love of the game.

Sports enthusiasts who yearn to get into the action rather than watch from the stands have several outlets available. White water rafting, kayaking, canoeing and boating are popular pastimes in Chattanooga. In fact, this city is becoming well known for its high-quality rafting facilities along local waterways. The 1996 Olympic kayak event was held a short distance from here on the Ocoee River, and then Chattanooga has developed quite a reputation among the wet set.

A Festival of Music

Nashville may be known as the Music City, but Chattanooga is no lightweight when it comes to musical entertainment. Each year the city turns out in the hundreds of thousands to attend the Riverbend Festival. Now in its 20th year, Riverbend is a nine-day festival that showcases top musical acts from yesterday and today. Alabama, Chicago, George Clinton, Gloria Estefan, Soul Asylum, Chuck Berry, LeAnn Rimes and Al Green and have all taken the main stage at the festival. Over 100 acts appear on seven stages and vendors sell food, souvenirs and handmade crafts. Billed as "Chattanoogas Family Reunion," Riverbend is the citys biggest and best music festival.

Nightfall and Southside Saturday Nights provide a summer of free music on Friday and Saturday nights (respectively). Lesser-known acts and local bands perform at these events at the Miller Plaza and Cricket Pavilion, but the crowds don't seem to mind the lack of big-name talent. Tens of thousands of music lovers attend each summer.

Rolling on the River

Chattanooga is often referred to as the River City due to its location on the banks of the Tennessee River. The river and nearby lakes play a big part in local fun and recreation. River excursions aboard the Southern Belle and Chattanooga Star Riverboats transport passengers to a simpler time long ago. The Chickamauga Dam and Reservoir provides a large swimming area and beach for summertime fun, and the many nearby creeks and streams are perfect for canoe trips and kayaking.

Let the Kid in You Come Out and Play

The Creative Discovery Museum is a learning adventure with exhibits and activities designed for kids of all ages. The Tennessee Aquarium provides an up-close look at life beneath the river and the IMAX 3D Theatre gives an even closer look at life in the state-of-the-art cinema. A six-story screen and larger-than-life sound system puts you in the center of the action.

Kent Callison