The 21 Most Fun Things To Do In Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee is an incredible city! Whether you're popping in for the day or staying the whole week, you will not run out of fun things to do. Adventurous activities, good food, and beautiful views await you in Chattanooga. Here's our list of the 20 of the most fun things to do in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Let's start with some fun free activities:

1. Experience The Walnut Street Bridge

You cannot come to Chattanooga without walking (at least part) of the Walnut Street Bridge! It is iconic to the scenic city.

Walnut St. Bridge is one of the world's longest pedestrian bridge. It connects downtown Chattanooga to the north shore. Walking the bridge is a favorite activity for residents and visitors alike. The views of the water, the city, and happy people eating ice cream cones will definitely bring you joy.

2. Play or Eat in Coolidge Park

On the Northshore side of the Walnut Street Bridge is Chattanooga's beautiful Coolidge Park. This is a perfect spot to have some fun, especially with the weather warming up.

Open Green Space:

Coolidge Park has several large areas of green space to play, whether you're with your family or coming alone. Bring a ball to toss around, have a picnic, fly a kite, the options are endless! Even as the park gets more crowded in the summer, it's always possible to claim a space to hang out.

Fountains:

If you're visiting in the summer, the Coolidge Park fountains will be turned on! If you're traveling with kids, they'll LOVE running around and cooling off in the water. This is a free area of the park, so there is no charge. Don't forget to pack swimsuits!

Carousel:

This 1894 Dentzel carousel is at the heart of Coolidge Park. The antique carousel was restored by local master wood carver Bud Ellis and a devoted team of craftspeople and volunteers at his studio. The carousel provides a delightful vintage experience with 52 whimsical hand carved animals, a calliope band organ, and ornate between gold leaf benches. Since the carousel is in a covered building, the kids can enjoy this rain or shine. 3. Walk or Bike The Chattanooga Riverwalk The riverwalk is another fun Chattanooga activity! Pick a portion of this waterside path to explore. There are even bike rentals along the way if you decide to rent bikes. Or bring a picnic and eat by the water!

The Riverwalk parallels the Tennessee River from the Chickamauga Dam to Ross's Landing Park in downtown Chattanooga near the Tennessee Aquarium. In 2017, the path was extended from the Blue Goose Hollow Trailhead (on the riverfront at the end of Martin Luther King Blvd. Since the path is wide and paved, strollers, skateboards, and bikes are welcome!

4. Stroll Through Sculpture Gardens

Spend an afternoon wandering around the curved paths admiring public works of art in River Gallery Sculpture Garden. The garden was designed by landscape architect Joe Baasch and is located on a two-acre outdoor space. Overlooking the beautiful Tennessee River, the garden features a formal garden, meditation area, and an informal garden with a recycling mountain stream.

River Gallery Sculpture Garden is one of the 195 sculpture gardens selected worldwide for listing in the International Sculpture Center's Sculpture Parks and Garden's Directory. The garden is further recognized with a listing in the Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Gardens. 5. Learn to Rock Climb at High Point Climbing Gym Let's move on to some adventurous activities. We are definitely an outdoor town with plenty to explore, maybe start with come climbing practice at High Point Climbing Gym. Whether you're an experienced climber or have never climbed before, Chattanooga is a climbing town!

High Point Climbing Gym is right downtown. From their Kid Zone and Bouldering area, to our outdoor climbing walls that reach high above Broad Street, they have something fun for everyone!

6. Rent Pedego Electric Bikes

If you're looking for more than the typical bike rental, look no further than Pedego Electric Bikes! This makes exploring a lot quicker and easier! Bikes are allowed through the parks, on the bridge, on the roads and wherever you'd like to go! Explore Chattanooga with style and ease.

If you're traveling with kids, you can also rent a child's seat, a bike trailer, or a "stretch" bike (pictured) depending on the age of your kiddos.

7. Paddle Board on the River with L2 Outside

Ready to get on the river? There's no better way to enjoy the Chattanooga views than paddling down the river.

L2 Outside makes it easy to rent and return paddle boards and kayaks! We highly recommend this activity on a nice sunny day!

8. Rent Wacky Rides or Experience Virtual Reality with Adventure Sports Innovation

If you're looking for MORE adventure, you'll find it at Adventure Sports Innovation. They've got all sorts of motorized scooters, boards and bikes to ride through the park on. If you're looking for more time on the river, they have some wacky water sports that are just too fun!

If you're here on a rainy day, you can try their virtual reality experiences! Ride a roller coaster, hang glide, or walk a plank 10,000 feet above the ground in their virtual reality space.

They offer motorized Chattanooga tours, too if you want to learn more about our whole city!

9. Hike Rainbow Lake

Rainbow Lake is a majorly high rated trail for all ages! This hike features lots of shade and a gorgeous waterfall, you can even bring your leashed pups!

Rainbow Lake and Bee Branch Trail Loop is a 2.2 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Signal Mountain, Tennessee that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and running and is accessible year-round.

10. Hike Sunset Rock

It's hard to beat the views from Sunset Rock. Sunset Rock via Point Park is a 3.1 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Lookout Mountain, Tennessee that features a great forest setting and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and running and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

If you want to skip the walk and get the views, there's a parking lot .3 miles from the view point! We recommend this view at anytime of day but, of course, it's best when the sun is setting.

11. Hike to the Lula Lake Land Trust

Lula Lake is possibly one of the most popular destinations for locals. The Lula Lake Land Trust is on private property and is open for hiking on very limited days, be sure to check their website before planning your trip! The core preserve is only open on the first and last weekends of each month to hiking and biking. There is a $15.00 Conservation Use Fee per reservation. 100% of all proceeds go back into the preservation of Lula Lake.

If you're in town when it's open, be sure to check out this gorgeous hike!

12. Paraglide on Lookout Mountain

Chattanooga has endless amounts of adventurous activities. If you're up for more, try paragliding on Lookout Mountain!

Experience the breath-taking wonder of soaring high above beautiful Lookout Valley! With an expert instructor by your side you'll fly higher than the Empire State Building and see the world from a whole new perspective.

Fly solo on our bunny hills before taking a tandem to 1,500 or 3,000 feet!

13. Shop the Local Shops on Frazier Avenue on the NorthShore

Let's move on to Chattanooga shopping! Stroll down Frazier Avenue into some of Chattanooga's best local shops. Most of these shops are locally owned and carry everything from gifts to books to jewelry to sweet treats! Shopping on Frazier is unlike shopping anywhere else.

Don't forget to look down at the side walk! The whole Frazier Avenue sidewalk has dance instructions to learn everything from the hokey pokey to the waltz.

Here's a few of our favorite Frazier Avenue shops, but there's many more worth exploring.

Locals Only Gifts and Goods

Locals Only Gifts & Goods celebrates our incredible Chattanooga maker community by selling only Tennessee-made goods, most of them made here in town! Candles, mixes, sweets, dog treats, mugs, kitchen towels, stationery and so much more. Grab some local gifts for those at home, some Chattanooga memorabilia or treat yourself to some skincare items or candles!

blue skies

Blue Skies is an adorable boutique on Frazier Avenue. You’ll find thousands of items, from fun and whimsical to beautiful and practical: artisan jewelry, pretty things to make your home your home, baby and kid gifts, paper goods, and a plethora of great cards. Their stuff is cool, creative, imaginative, intelligent, well-made, and sometimes funny.

Plum Nelly

Plum Nelly offers a unique array of items for your gift giving needs inlcuding many locally & regionally handmade items from jewelry, pottery, glassware, textiles, artwork, gifts & more. They offer free gift wrapping as well as bridal and gift registries.

Boxcar General Store

The shelves at Boxcar General Store are full of quirky goods, nostalgic toys, and classic candy! With a bit of the old and a bit of the new, there are so many fun goodies to explore. The kids will love shopping the toys and you'll enjoy the candles, foods, and whiskey glasses.

I Go Tokyo

I Go Tokyo is a unique boutique that brings high-quality Japanese linens, stationery, ceramics, and distinctive Kawaii (cute) items to Chattanooga!

14. Tennessee Aquarium

We can't skip some of Chattanooga's top tourist attractions! Chattanooga's aquarium is one of the highest rated aquariums in America. Begin with the freshwater exhibits in the River Journey building. The adventure continues with the Ocean Journey building. Along the way, you'll have opportunities to come face-to-face with feisty otters, enormous Arapaima giant catfish, and tons of turtles. Enjoy playful penguins, touch a stingray, and marvel at toothy sharks, lemurs, and jellyfish. Plan on spending at least three hours to enjoy observing and learning about all of the Aquarium's diverse gathering of animals. To plan ahead, you can purchase tickets on their website! If it's a nice day outside, head behind the aquarium for beautiful views of the river!

15. Rock City

Rock City is on Chattanooga's Lookout Mountain, just 20 minutes from downtown. When you visit Rock City Gardens, you'll stroll through a 4,100-foot Enchanted Trail where you'll encounter incredible rock formations, magical caves, and breathtaking views. Walk at your leisure and experience the gardens at your own pace. Walking through Rock City is perfect for all ages, you can even see seven states from one of their view points! You can plan ahead and buy tickets in advance. There's even a shop, restaurant and Starbucks on the grounds! If you're feeling adventurous, they've got ziplines too!

16. Ruby Falls

Ruby Falls is another amazing attraction on Lookout Mountain! Discovered by accident in 1928, Ruby Falls is the tallest and deepest underground waterfall open to the public in the United States! Buy tickets to take a trip 260 feet underground by glass-front elevator to explore ancient formations along the cavern trail to see the thundering falls. Since it's a trip by elevator, this experience is accessible to all ages and accessibilities! Ruby Falls welcomes guests from around the world to enjoy underground cave adventures, spectacular views of the Cumberland Plateau, and soaring zip lines. Definitely worth checking out!

17. Incline Railway

If you're looking for a railway adventure with an amazing view, look no further than the incline railway to Lookout Mountain! The trip takes you one mile up the hill of Lookout Mountain over the incredible view before returning back down to St. Elmo (a cute part of town at the base of Lookout Mountain).

Did we mention that the incline railway is right beside Clumpies Ice Cream?

18. The Hunter Museum

The Hunter Museum has a bit of the old and a bit of the new with classic art and exhibits that continually refresh. Directly connected to Chattanooga's downtown, it is the perfect place to walk around for a few hours and stare at beautiful things. General admission is $20 and it is well worth the money!

19. The Southern Belle Riverboat

The Southern Belle has daily sightseeing cruises, lunch cruises, and dinner cruises as well as private charters. They offer sight cruises and sunset cruises to provide a unique and spectacular experience of the beautiful city of Chattanooga! This experience is unlike any other, the vessels run year-round.

20. Lookouts Baseball Game

If you're visiting in the summer, catch a local baseball game! Watching the Lookouts play is fun for locals and tourists alike. Grab a beer and a snack and watch the sunset while watching a classic American game!

21. Chattanooga Football Club

Nothing gets local Chattanoogans more excited than watching a Chattanooga Football Club game! Come take in the energetic environment and watch some truly talented soccer players! You will not be dissapointed.