All About Chattanooga
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The Glen Miller Orchestra immortalized Chattanooga in the 1940s with their swinging tune 'Chattanooga Choo Choo'. The Choo Choo isn't making any more trips these days, 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 city's entertainment complex.
Museums and Galleries
For a medium-size town, Chattanooga has more than its share of museums. The Hunter Museum of American Art and The Houston Museum of Decorative Arts Museums display fine art by local, national and international artists. The International Towing and Recovery Museum proudly commemorates the fact that Chattanooga was the first city to operate a tow truck. The Chattanooga Regional History Museum chronicles the history of the Scenic City and its people over the last one-and-a-half centuries, while the Chattanooga 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 Electric Map and Museum, where miniature soldiers on an electric map reenact historic battles.
Festivals
Nashville may be known as the Music City, but Chattanooga is no lightweight when it comes to audio entertainment. Each year, people turn 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, both young and old. Alabama, Chicago, George Clinton, Gloria Estefan, Soul Asylum, Chuck Berry, LeAnn Rimes, Al Green and many others have all taken the main stage at the festival. More than 100 acts appear on seven stages, while vendors sell food, souvenirs and handmade crafts. Billed as "Chattanooga's Family Reunion," Riverbend is the city's biggest and best music festival.
Nightfall Concert Series provide a summer of free music on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. Lesser-known acts and local bands perform at these events, which are held at the Miller Plaza and Cricket Pavilion. The crowds don't seem to mind the lack of big-name talent, as tens of thousands of music lovers attend each summer.
Riverboats
Chattanooga is often referred to as the River City due to its location on the banks of the Tennessee River. The river and the nearby lakes play a big part as far as local recreation goes. River excursions aboard the Southern Belle Riverboat transport passengers back to what feels like a distant era when times were simpler. The Chickamauga Dam and Reservoir provides a large swimming area and beach for summertime fun, while the many nearby creeks and streams are perfect for canoe trips and kayaking.
Sports
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, each fall as the Mocs take on their Southern Conference rivals. The new stadium, along with the team's winning record, has spurred renewed interest in the UTC program. Come winter, 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 AT&T Field, where the Chattanooga Lookouts take the field. The Chattanooga Lookouts are the AA affiliate of the major league Cincinnati Reds.
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