Top Things to do on a Weekend Getaway to Chattanooga, TN:
Ruby Falls –
As you are driving to Chattanooga you see
signs for Rock City and Ruby Falls the whole way! These are iconic to the
charming city and definitely a must-do for families of all types.
We explored Ruby Falls first. Upon arriving
you see a beautiful castle-like building with signs that tell you “Free Parking”.
That’s always a plus in our book. As we parked, we got out and walked to the
front we noticed they had a little snowman outside dressed up taking pictures,
a beautiful carriage and “fake snow” blowing. Ruby Red Christmas was in full
effect! We went inside and let them know
we were ready; tours run every 20 minutes and last about an hour and a half. We
arrived just in time with a quick bathroom break (no bathrooms during the tour)
and we were on our way. The cave was beautiful and our guide was very helpful!
She was full of insight on how the cave was discovered and they showed a video
on a little history before embarking. The tour is a half mile both ways but it
seemed to fly by and the walk was very easy with very few stairs and no rugged
terrain. The waterfall was gorgeous and we enjoyed getting a close-up look and
taking pictures! It’s a MUST-SEE for anyone in the area. It is so peaceful and
really makes you feel like an explorer yourself. Once you reached the waterfall
you are considered a “survivor” and the walk back seems so quick as you are
able to bypass the groups you had to “stop” for on the way to the waterfall.
Once we left, we went to the Lookout Mountain Tower view and took in the
beautiful sights of the city, it was really breathtaking! Then we went to the “North
Pole” where we saw Mr. and Mrs. Claus and made a little craft. It was very
wonderful and the Santa was so pleasant! Our son didn’t cry with him and trust
me he’s usually TERRIFIED of Santa. We decided to do a carriage ride upon
leaving and was taken aback by how well taken care of these horses were and the
driver really seemed to care for these animals like his own children. That was definitely
pleasant for us and we will definitely be back next Christmas! An experience
you really can’t miss!
Tips:
*Arrive early to avoid crowds and long
waits
*Guides accept tips
*Pictures are about $20+ but great memories
*Don’t forget Fun Forest Playground area
and the Lookout Mountain Tower view.
Rock City- Enchanted Garden of Lights
We made the mistake of waiting a little late
to arrive here and were a little shocked by the crowd of people. Luckily, free
parking is all around that area and is only a short walk to the attraction. We
were greeted by very friendly people and an adorable elf that I insisted my son
take a picture with. The lines moved so FAST! You could tell the employees
really took pride in their jobs and were friendly and accommodating even with
the large crowd. Be prepared to walk in a line through the exhibit but I think
walking slowly through it made it more enjoyable. Why rush through all those
beautiful lights?! I was in awe of the effort they put into the lights to make
it so gorgeous!! We will be back!
Be sure to enjoy gingerbread cookie
decorating, visits with Santa, Sugar Plum Fairy Makeovers, nightly
entertainment and warm fires to cuddle in front of!Don’t leave here without some of
the AMAZING fudge! We got 4 slices.. yes yes I know I have a problem.
**DON’T MISS OUT ON!*
Dinner With Santa –
Holiday
Buffet Dinner (including Turkey & Dressing,
Chicken Fingers, Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans, Pumpkin Pie, and more!)
VIP
admission to the Enchanted Garden of Lights - be the first
guests through the enchanted trail!
Child's tickets (ages
2-12) include a voucher for gingerbread cookie decorating in the North
Pole Lodge and a special gift!
Tennessee Aquarium
We are suckers for Aquariums. We
are annual pass members of the GA Aquarium, so this was a MUST do for our
family. The aquarium is separated into two buildings, both of which are
conveniently right next to each other, Ocean Journey and River Journey. First
let me say, the design of these buildings are just gorgeous and make you
excited even before going in!
We went to the Ocean Journey first
and REALLY enjoyed it. This place had a butterfly house! How amazing is that?!
We also had a great experience with the penguins! The close-up view you get of
the penguins is literally worth the admission alone. We sat there for about 15
minutes and enjoyed just looking at them. They are gorgeous! They had such a
wide array of sea life in this HUGE tank; we could have sat there for an hour
just taking in all the fish. I learned a lot through the displays they had all
over, it was interesting learning all about the fish!
River Journey was home to a
special area for seahorses. Who knew sea horses came in all different colors!?
The otters were adorable, the alligators were intimidating and it also had
other exhibits with reptiles and such. This felt like I got so much and so
close for so little! My husband also pointed out that we went mid-day on a
Saturday and this place wasn’t extremely overcrowded like most other places! We
were able to relax and enjoy all the exhibits without fighting to catch a
glimpse. This experience was worth the drive alone and don’t forget you have
places to interact with animals just wait till you see this!
Tips:
*Was told that
street parking is not monitored on the weekends
*Aquarium parking
is $9
*Restaurants within
walking distance
*Don’t forget to do
the IMAX as well!
HIDDEN GEM: Creative Discovery Museum
When researching Chattanooga, I came across
this place but without knowing much about it figured it would be a nice place
to stop and check out. This was our first stop and when arriving we were
THRILLED. The building looked so wacky and fun I could NOT wait to get out and
see what they had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised by all the exhibits this
place had!
They had a “water area” where kids can experiment
and play with water. They had an area for younger kids to play that had lots of
stimulating activities that was geared for kids under 4. They had places to do
art and even offered classes by age groups!! They had a place to “dig up”
fossils and learn about them, they offered places to try out all these
different instruments and participate in a “stage play” and sing. This is just
the first floor of the building so as you can see we were having a blast!!
The second floor had a maze, an outside
place atop the roof overlooking the city that had other places to do experiments
and a really neat place to do “ice hockey” and another exhibit that showed the
life of bees where they had real bees
harvesting honey! They also had an observation tower that overlooked the city
with a breathtaking view!
If you have kids and go to Chattanooga, this
is the PLACE FOR KIDS! This is the place where imaginations run wild and you
can be anything you want to be! We will definitely be coming back here each and
every year!
Permanent Exhibits:
- Natural Treasures Trading Post
- RiverPlay
- Little Yellow House
- Visual Arts Gallery
- Performing Arts Gallery
- Excavation Station
- Inventors' Clubhouse
- Rooftop Fun Factory
- Nano Mini-Exhibit
- Barsamian
- Buzz Alley
- Corner Clinic
- Culinary Corner
- Lookout Tower
TIPS:
Has a place for refreshments located within the building
