Best of Chattanooga: Historic places to see on your next trip
There’s a lot more to the Scenic City than Lookout Mountain, Civil War memorials and great trails
Known for Civil War battle sites with countless statues and Lookout Mountain-related tourist attractions like Rock City, Ruby Falls and the Incline Railway, the Chattanooga area is also a popular destination for outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing.
Home to the popular Tennessee Aquarium, vibrant dining, arts and entertainment scenes, downtown Chattanooga is also an excellent destination for historic-places enthusiasts. Its delightful assortment of classic streetscapes come in a little under the radar with most visitors. Keep scrolling to get acquainted with some of the city’s top historic places before your next visit.
Don’t miss these historic places at the riverfront
The Tennessee River cuts through the city, and there are numerous ways to enjoy it including the Tennessee Riverwalk, Ross’s Landing and two beautiful parks on the city center’s north shore. There are several essential historic-places itinerary stops in the area. Any visit would not be complete without a stroll or bicycle ride on the c. 1890 Walnut Street Bridge, which has been a pedestrian walkway since the late 1980s, and the views you can enjoy from various spots along the span. The Faxon-Thomas House, part of the Hunter Museum of American Art, is connected to Walnut Street by the Holmberg Bridge (map), an elevated walkway constructed almost entirely of aluminum.
Pictured, from top left: A view of the Hunter Museum from the Walnut Street Bridge, the Faxon-Thomas House at the Hunter Museum, Segway riders make a stop at the Hunter Museum’s river overlook and the Holmberg Bridge.
Built in 1906-08 for insurance mogul Ross Faxon, the Faxon-Thomas House was purchased in 1920 by Anne Taylor Thomas, the widow of Benjamin F. Thomas who pioneered the bottling of Coca Cola. It was donated to the Chattanooga Art Association in 1951. Learn more at huntermuseum.org.
Adjacent to the Hunter Museum, the Bluff View Arts District (map) features several 120- to 130-year-old structures that are currently home to a bed-and-breakfast inn, a bakery, a coffee shop, a cafe and more. Check out bluffviewartdistrictchattanooga.com.
Pictured above are some Bluff View Arts District scenes.
Be sure to walk or bike to these historic streetscapes in the heart of Chattanooga
A few blocks south of the riverfront, Market and Broad Street are home to a number of restaurants and nightclubs, as well as many the city’s largest buildings. It’s the heart and soul of downtown Chattanooga where some of the best historic streetscapes can be found.
The iconic c. 1921 Tivoli Theater (map), the c. 1907 James Building and the c. 1924 Maclellan Building are some must-see historic places on Broad.
Also on Broad, the historic Read House (map) hotel is worth the walk to the corner of M.L. King Blvd. Bike lanes are found on both sides of the street.
Make your way up the hill to the county courthouse and Fountain Square
On the crest of the hill between the primary downtown area and the University of Tennessee Chattanooga campus, you’ll find the c. 1912 Hamilton County Courthouse (map). It faces 7th Street where large trees provide a park-like setting:
The courthouse is flanked on Georgia Avenue by the c. 1888 Fireman’s Memorial Fountain (map), and on Walnut Street by some lovely historic structures including the stunning 4-story c. 1907 building that was originally home to The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
The fountain is the namesake of the Fountain Square Historic District which also includes some interesting buildings including the c. 1907 Robinson Apartments, the c. 1913 Hardwick-Hogshead Apartments and others:
Pictured above, from top left: Fireman's Memorial Fountain and Robinson Apartments; cannon and Hardwick-Hogshead Apartments, a couple of the popular restaurants found in the Fountain Square district; a Walnut Street scene on the west side of the courthouse; and the Elks building on the corner of Walnut and 7th.
Move south from the courthouse for another unforgettable cluster of historic places
The three clusters of historic places described above is only the beginning for anyone who wants to see Chattanooga’s best historic places. South of the courthouse, and east of Broad and Market, the next group is found along Georgia Avenue between McCallie Avenue and East 11th Street, and some other structures within a block of Georgia Avenue.
Constructed in 1888-92, the Ochs Building (map) at the corner of Georgia and 8th is also known as the Dome Building due to its small but prominent gold-colored cupola that can be seen from several blocks away. Next door is the c. 1905 structure that was listed with the National Register in 1972 as the Old Library Building (map):
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium (map) faces McCallie Avenue a block from Georgia Avenue and features a 3,866-seat main auditorium and the smaller Walker Theatre:
The Market Square/Patten Parkway Historic District (map) includes eight buildings that were built between 1887 and 1902. The colorful streetscapes are some of downtown’s best. The district also includes the c. 1917 12-story Volunteer State Life Building which sits at the corner of Georgia Avenue and East M.L. King Blvd:
Warehouse Row and surrounding government buildings provide one of the city’s most engaging clusters of historic structures
As a historic-places enthusiast, I could take a trip to Chattanooga just to see the fabulous streetscapes provided by this group of buildings.
Warehouse Row (map) includes most of the buildings that were listed with the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as the Market Street Warehouse Historic District. The buildings were constructed between 1904 and 1929. It was converted to a shopping mall with 12 retail shops and five restaurants. Learn more at warehouserow.com. You can park in the parking deck and easily walk to each of these.
Pictured, from top left: c. 1908 Municipal Building, Warehouse Row which includes eight historic buildings, the Southern Railroad Freight Depot and the c. 1893 Post Office/Historic U.S. Courthouse.
The photo of the red railroad depot at 1206 Market Street, now a private office building, shows the 1898 addition to an older, plainer 1871 structure.
Don’t miss the small-city-downtown look on MLK
The M.L. King Boulevard Historic District was listed with the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Bike lanes make it easy to experience the relatively small district from the saddle of a bike. The best part of East M.L. King Blvd. has the charming appearance of a small-city downtown. There are several murals including a pair that feature Dr. Martin Luther King himself. An epic mural is also found on a non-historic place, the AT&T building, that takes up much of the south side of the 300 block of MLK. According to chattanooga.gov, it was painted by muralists from the world-renowned Meg Saligman Studios along with seven local artists who were chosen to assist. Completed in 2015, the mural covers about 40,000 square feet. In addition, a popular restaurant is found in a shed-like structure in the eastern half of the district which is just a couple of blocks down the hill from the UTC campus.
The cluster of historic places in the Chattanooga Choo Choo area
Let’s take a look at the section of Market Street nearest to the c. 1909 Chattanooga Choo Choo, and the adjacent Main Street historic commercial strip. This is part of what is locally considered to be the Southside Historic District. and it is directly south of the primary downtown area.
The Choo Choo was listed as the Terminal Station with the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The Market and Main Street Historic District was listed in 1992. The Choo Choo has been operated as a hotel for a few decades now.
Here’s some streetscape snapshots of the Market Street area that’s adjacent to the Choo Choo:
This group has evolved to be one of Chattanooga’s most popular entertainment districts with several restaurants, taverns, and tea and coffee shops. Check out these pictures from Main Street:
The historic places near the UTC campus
The c. 1896 Caleb Isbester House
In the northeastern part of downtown, at and around the university campus, a good number of structures that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places can be found.
- Brabson House, c. 1858
- Gaskill House, c. 1884
- Caleb Isbester House, c. 1896
- Chancellor T.M. McConnell House, c. 1885
- First Presbyterian Church, c. 1910
- Fort Wood Historic District
See my other Chattanooga post: Best of Chattanooga: The Tennessee Riverwalk.
See also my other posts featuring nearby places: