Things to do with kids
Little Explorers. Big Adventures.
Aquariums and carousels, mountaintop trains and riverfront lawns — Chattanooga is a city built for curious kids.
Chattanooga packs a remarkable amount of family fun into a walkable downtown. You can see river otters in the morning, ride a 130-year-old incline railway up a mountain in the afternoon, and still be back for ice cream by the river. Many of the best moments are free: running across the Walnut Street Bridge, rolling down the lawn at Coolidge Park, or climbing on sculptures at Main Terrain.
Use the filters to find the right fit for your crew, and save favorites to build your own plan.
Seasonal family fun
Holiday lights, summer concerts, and festivals change every year, so we keep them on the events calendar — and list them only after they're confirmed.
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24 activities
Chattanooga Choo Choo
The city's 1909 Terminal Station, now a hotel and entertainment campus with restaurants, music venues, and vintage rail cars — the anchor of the Southside.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Setting
- outdoor · rainy-day pick
1400 Market St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Chattanooga Theatre Centre
Chattanooga's long-running community theatre, staging musicals, plays, and youth productions beside Coolidge Park.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- $$ · Moderate
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
400 River St, Chattanooga, TN 37405
Chattanooga Zoo
A walkable, kid-scaled zoo in Warner Park with animals from around the world — an easy half-day with little ones.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, All Ages
- Visit
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- $$ · Moderate
- Setting
- outdoor
301 N Holtzclaw Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37404
Classic Arcade Pinball Museum
An all-you-can-play museum of vintage and modern pinball machines and classic arcade cabinets on Broad Street — one admission, unlimited play.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- $$ · Moderate
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
409 Broad St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Clumpies Ice Cream Co.
A Chattanooga favorite serving creative, handcrafted ice cream flavors. A great stop while exploring the Northshore.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 15–30 minutes
- Cost
- $ · Budget
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
26 Frazier Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37405
Coolidge Park
The Northshore's riverfront front lawn, with open green space, a restored carousel, and the north landing of the Walnut Street Bridge. A natural starting point for exploring Frazier Avenue.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Setting
- outdoor
150 River St, Chattanooga, TN 37405
Coolidge Park Carousel
A beloved antique-style carousel inside its own pavilion at Coolidge Park — a quick, classic treat for little ones between bridge walks and ice cream stops.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, All Ages
- Visit
- 15–30 minutes
- Cost
- $ · Budget
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
150 River St, Chattanooga, TN 37405
Creative Discovery Museum
A hands-on children's museum downtown with exhibits for science, art, and play — built for curious kids and the grown-ups chasing them.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12
- Visit
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- $$ · Moderate
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
321 Chestnut St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
High Point Climbing and Fitness – Downtown
An indoor climbing gym in the heart of downtown with bouldering, roped climbing, and a kids' climbing area — a strong rainy-day pick for active families.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers
- Visit
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- $$ · Moderate
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
219 Broad St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Hunter Museum of American Art
American art from the colonial era to today, housed in a 1904 mansion and dramatic modern wings perched on the bluff above the river.
- Ages
- Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- $$ · Moderate
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
10 Bluff View Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37403
International Towing & Recovery Museum
The world's first tow truck was built in Chattanooga in 1916. This one-of-a-kind museum displays restored wreckers and antique cars, plus the moving Wall of the Fallen memorial.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, All Ages
- Visit
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- $ · Budget
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
3315 Broad St, Chattanooga, TN 37408
Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
A funicular railway dating to 1895 that climbs about a mile up Lookout Mountain from St. Elmo to the summit near Point Park. Combination tickets with other mountain attractions are available.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- $$ · Moderate
- Setting
- outdoor
3917 St Elmo Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37409
Main Terrain Art Park
A former rail corridor turned art-and-fitness park, where nine large sculptures inspired by the city's bridges double as exercise stations — and the park quietly manages stormwater, too.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Setting
- outdoor
450 W 13th St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Point Park (Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park)
A National Park Service site atop Lookout Mountain with sweeping views of the city and Moccasin Bend, Civil War history, and the trailhead for the Bluff Trail. Entrance fee applies.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- $ · Budget
- Setting
- outdoor
110 Point Park Rd, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
300+ acres of gardens, meadows, and forest at the base of Lookout Mountain, with about 10 miles of trails connecting to National Park land and native wildlife exhibits.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- $ · Budget
- Setting
- outdoor
400 Garden Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37419
Renaissance Park
A quieter riverfront park east of the Market Street Bridge with wetlands, boardwalks, and river views. Interpretive signs share the history of the site.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Setting
- outdoor
100 Manufacturers Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405
Rock City Gardens
A walking trail through giant rock formations and gardens on top of Lookout Mountain (just over the Georgia line), ending at Lover's Leap and its famous view.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- $$$ · Splurge
- Setting
- outdoor
1400 Patten Rd, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
Ross's Landing
The city's riverfront park and historic landing, with terraced lawns stepping down to the water, festival space, and direct access to the Tennessee Riverwalk.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 30–90 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Setting
- outdoor
100 Riverfront Pkwy, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Ruby Falls
A guided walk deep inside Lookout Mountain to an underground waterfall, plus a scenic overlook above ground.
- Ages
- Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- $$$ · Splurge
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
1720 S Scenic Hwy, Chattanooga, TN 37409
Sculpture Fields at Montague Park
A sprawling outdoor sculpture park with large-scale works set along walking paths and open lawns — free, dog-friendly, and a favorite for kite flying.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Setting
- outdoor
1800 Polk St, Chattanooga, TN 37408
Shelia M. Jennings Westside Park
The Westside's neighborhood park, with ballfields, tennis courts, a playground, walking paths, and a recreation center at the heart of the community.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, All Ages
- Visit
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Setting
- outdoor
1195 Grove St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Tennessee Aquarium
Two glass-peaked buildings on the riverfront — River Journey and Ocean Journey — tracing water from Appalachian streams to the sea. A rainy-day favorite for every age.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- $$$ · Splurge
- Setting
- indoor · rainy-day pick
1 Broad St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Ride restored historic trains and explore rail yards and equipment east of downtown — a must for train-loving kids.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, All Ages
- Visit
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- $$ · Moderate
- Setting
- outdoor · rainy-day pick
4119 Cromwell Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421
Walnut Street Bridge
A 2,376-foot pedestrian bridge completed in 1891 and reopened for walkers and cyclists in 1993 — one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world, linking Downtown with the Northshore.
- Ages
- Toddlers, Ages 5–8, Ages 9–12, Teenagers, All Ages
- Visit
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Setting
- outdoor
1 Walnut St, Chattanooga, TN 37403
Cost categories and visit lengths are rough guides. Always check prices, age rules, and hours on the attraction's website before you go.
Suggested itinerary
A Perfect Family Day in Chattanooga
A walkable loop that mixes indoor and outdoor time. Times are suggestions, not schedules.
9:30 a.m.
Tennessee Aquarium
Start early, while little legs are fresh. Plan 2–3 hours for both buildings.
12:30 p.m.
Picnic at Ross's Landing
Let everyone run on the riverfront lawns.
1:30 p.m.
Walk the Walnut Street Bridge
About a 10–15 minute stroll to the Northshore. Count the bridge's blue trusses together.
2:00 p.m.
Coolidge Park & the carousel
A ride or two, then play on the lawn.
3:00 p.m.
Ice cream break
Treats on Frazier Avenue.
4:00 p.m.
Creative Discovery Museum — or the Incline
Younger kids: hands-on play downtown. Older kids: ride the Incline up Lookout Mountain and catch the view from Point Park. Check closing times first.