New Things to Do in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Lookout Mountain

We’d jump at any chance to visit Chattanooga, with its unlimited outdoors adventures and attractions, accessibility to Lookout Mountain, great dining scene and unique history. The nation’s first National Park City now has more reasons for us to visit, from revitalized historic buildings into fashionable accommodations and restaurants to watching the one of the oldest minor league teams in the country play at their new state-of-the-art stadium.

Day One

Morning Head to the Tennessee Riverwalk where a hike along the southern banks of the Tennessee River delivers natural beauty as well as attractions and places to pause for refreshment. The decision is yours how much you want to pack into your river trek — the Riverwalk stretches over 16.1 miles — so either stroll along the waterfront enjoying murals, statues and downtown landscapes or stop at the Hunter Museum of American Art with its 3,000 pieces of American artwork, and the expansive Tennessee Aquarium, both of which provide hours of enjoyment. For lunch, enjoy a traditional menu or savor tasty oysters at the Boathouse along the river or walk across the pedestrian Walnut Street Bridge into North Chattanooga, where boutique shopping and a wide variety of restaurants may be found.

Otters at the Tennessee Aquarium

Afternoon Summer weather in Chattanooga ranges from an occasional heat rise to something more balmy, the perfect climate to watch the Chattanooga Lookouts play ball at their new stadium, Erlanger Park. The farm team for the Cincinnati Reds’ new space along the Riverfront District has incorporated historic buildings into the ballpark’s design. The 1936 Coca-Cola Pattern Shop includes event venues, a food hall and team offices with a 7,500-square-foot deck that juts out over the field. The 1882 EPB Powerhouse which serves as the stadium’s entrance overlooks the Tennessee Riverwalk. The complex marrying old and new includes private boxes, lawn space and right-center field cabanas, among other ticketed offerings.

The Waymark Chattanooga’s The Vault speakeasy bar

Evening Check into The Waymark Chattanooga hotel with its modern décor inside a 1927 bank building in the heart of downtown Chattanooga. Enjoy a drink in the aptly named speakeasy The Vault — it’s where the bank vault used to be — or combine drinks with shareable bites on the Iris rooftop on the 11th floor, the city’s highest rooftop. The Tapestry Collection hotel by Hilton is one of many historic hotel renovations in Chattanooga, the The Read House being another, a building once used as a temporary hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

Day Two

Morning Stop for a coffee at Rembrandt’s Coffee House in the Bluff View Art District but do not miss the delectable pastries that are baked in-house. Don’t worry about calories for a walk through the neighborhood’s trails along the Tennessee River, complete with public art, will work them off. If you prefer a faster workout, bike rental stations through the bike rental program Bike Chattanooga will get you on wheels at 43 stations in the city.

Dining at the various location at The Waymark Chattanooga

Afternoon Book lovers will adore Chattanooga’s many independent bookstores, which spurred the city’s inaugural Indie Bookstore Crawl this spring. Stores to visit include The Book & Cover, Rêve Coffee and Books, Pennington’s Books, Winder Binder and Mystique Bookshop. If a literary afternoon inspires spirits, the kind Tennessee is known for, check out The Reading Room, Chattanooga’s only used bookstore and bar that also hosts weekly literary events.

Evening Chattanooga’s Tivoli Theatre, a Beaux-Arts theater built in 1921 and known as the “Jewel of the South,” reopened this year with a new 190-seat cinema and studio, an expanded lobby and restaurant and bar. The revitalized theater hosts Broadway productions, comedy tours, the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and much more.

Don’t Forget

Lookout Mountain is a short drive from downtown and the mountain that spans three states includes the popular attractions of Rock City, Ruby Falls and a ride up the Incline Railway. History buffs will want to visit Point Park, part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and the site of the Civil War battle referred to as “The Battle Above the Clouds.” Nature lovers should not miss the easy trail to Sunset Rock at dusk, where a spectacular sunset awaits daily.