We had never visited Chattanooga, Tennessee before, but after going once we were so charmed we planned another trip right away. Even though we’ve been twice, we’re planning to go again soon! There is a lot more to do and see there than we expected. Here are our recommendations for your own visit.
5 Must See Chattanooga, TN Spots
1. Rock City
We loved the beautiful walking trails of Rock City. The trails, caves, and lush gardens wind around giant rock formations, ending at Lover’s Leap. It was so exquisite and unique. The view of seven states from the top was incredible as well!
Also, located at Rock City is Fairy Tale Cavern which is made up of German-imported characters set up in vignettes of famous fairy tales.
2. Ruby Falls
Ruby Falls, is the tallest and deepest underground water fall open to the public in the U.S. It’s a 45 minute hike down there, but so cool! If you have little ones, I would recommend doing Rock City and Ruby Falls on separate days, since it is quite a bit of hiking. Our kids are 4, 2, and 1 and we did both on the same day. Honestly, they did really well. We just carried them a bit for the last stretch of Ruby Falls, and they were pretty exhausted.
3. Coolidge Park
We spent so much time at this seven-acre park, on both our trips. Coolidge Park is located at one end of the Walnut Street Walking Bridge, and it features a restored hand-carved carousel (with $1 rides), an animal-statue splash pad, and beautifully curated lawns and walking paths.
Our first time visiting, we ordered take out from Taconooga and dessert from No Baked. We picnicked on a pretty stretch of open space, and the weather and sunset were perfect.
On our second visit to Coolidge Park, we scoped out the splash pad for a while, rode the carousel twice, and ordered food from River Street Deli and GOOD Dogs (across the street) to eat at the park.
4. Walnut Street Walking Bridge + River Walk
The Walnut Street Bridge is one of the world’s longest pedestrian bridge, and is a gorgeous blue color. It connects downtown Chattanooga to the North Shore. The entrance on the downtown side is located in the Bluff View Art District and right by the Art Museum. It is such a classy area. On the other end is Coolidge Park, keep reading for details on what to do there!
Our first night in Chattanooga, we walked from our hotel to the bridge. We ordered food from Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria (which was incredible), and sat on the bridge to eat it and watch the sunset. It was so pretty and so relaxing. Afterwards, we stopped by The Ice Cream Show for some ice cream. It was the first time our girls had ice cream cones and they loved it!
All around the bridge there are landscaped areas to sit and relax, it is really a beautiful area.
On our second trip to Chattanooga, we again visited the bridge and this time discovered the riverwalk. You can easily access the Chattanooga Riverwalk from stairs to the left of the bridge, or by a ramp to the right of the bridge. Check out this blog post with lots of insider details about how to take in the Riverwalk.
5. Chattanooga Aquarium
Unfortunately, we have yet to make it to the aquarium. Originally, we thought we would visit Chattanooga and see all the sights in a day or two. However, we’ve already been there for two different trips and still haven’t seen or done everything we had planned for just one trip. What once was a day trip to Chattanooga, has now turned into at least three separate 2 day trips.
First up on our next trip there, is definitely to stop by the Chattanooga Aquarium. We’ve heard raving reviews and can’t wait to experience it. Until then, here’s a great blog post with insider tips for how to plan the best day at the aquarium.
Best Chattanooga, TN Restaurants
No travel post would be complete without our food recommendations. Trying new restaurants and eating good food is one of our favorite aspects of traveling. So listed below are our favorite Chattanooga, TN places to eat.
I also linked all the menus for easy perusing.
Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria
This food was incredible! Everything that we ordered was delicious, and I still crave this food all the time!
See Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria’s menu here.
Maple Street Biscuit Company
The vibe at the Maple Street Biscuit Company, was laid back, southern hospitality at it’s finest! Kurt and I, ordered the Squawking Goat (featured on The Food Network), and The Five. Both of them were exceptional! We got Sweet Grace (chocolate chip waffles topped with strawberries and cream) for the kids, and our server was kind enough to bring our table cinnamon sprinkled biscuits topped with frosting, which were of course, very yummy.
Here is the online menu for Maple Street Biscuit Company.
The Ice Cream Show
We visited The Ice Cream Show on both of our trips. It’s located at the end of the Walnut Street Walking Bridge, and such a yummy treat to finish off an evening of walking. On our second trip we tried a vanilla base with mango, pineapple, and coconut, this particular combination may be my favorite ice cream ever!!
They don’t have an online menu, but here’s a link to a $1 off coupon.
Taconooga
Taconooga was an authentic and delicious choice! We picked up our food from a takeout order and picnicked across the street at Coolidge Park. We ordered the empanadas, a chicken quesadilla, and a fish taco. All our choices were good. Entrees come with house-made tortilla chips that are warm and thick and taste entirely amazing!
Here is Taconooga’s online menu.
River Street Deli
We ordered to-go from the River Street Deli, and it was perfect for a picnic at Coolidge Park, following an adventurous morning at the splash pad and riding the carousel. I got the Hickory Smoked Ham, it has ham, cheddar cheese, Granny Smith apples, and apple butter, and so yummy!
Here is the River Street Deli menu.
NoBaked Cookie Dough
I love cookie dough so there was no question that we should try out NoBaked. We were definitely not disappointed. Honestly, though, I think I prefer just the basic chocolate chip cookie dough to anything else. It was a great dessert to share after a picnic in the park, it is located right across the street.
Check out the NoBaked options here.
Good Dog
Another great place to eat, right across from Coolidge Park is Good Dog. They have every variety of hot dog toppings imaginable, so it’s a fun place for everyone to find something they’ll like. This is the Chili Cheese Slaw Dog. It’s topped with yellow mustard, chili, cheddar, slaw, and onions.
See the GOOD DOG menu here.
Tupelo Honey
The perfect southern name for this yummy brunch spot. We got the Avocado Eggs Betty (which is an eggs benedict meal). It was good, but definitely needed more hollandaise sauce (I mean, you could never go wrong with a little extra hollandaise sauce, it is the best part). The goat cheese grits, however, were so, so, so good! All of us, including the girls, thought they were amazing!
Check out their menus here.
Miller Plaza, Downtown Chattanooga
As we do with most places, we ordered to-go and found this amazing square in the middle of downtown, to eat our meal. It’s called Miller Plaza, and is located at 850 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN.
We have loved our visits to Chattanooga, TN and are so excited to go again. If you’ve been, comment with your recommendations for things to do and places to eat. We want to make our next trip just as awesome as the previous two, so we need all the ideas we can get! If you haven’t been, I highly recommend this charming and fun city.
Sincerely,
