The Tennessee Valley Railroad is a museum and travel attraction in Chattanooga Tennessee. It’s a family friendly getaway from Downtown Chattanooga and is the only regularly scheduled, full-sized train ride in Tennessee. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum offers education programs for field trips, family trip options and even dinner rides through the surrounding countryside of Chattanooga. There are also seasonal and holiday events for all ages.
In the year 1850 the railroad made an appearance in Chattanooga for the first time. With the coming of the rail there was industry growth and prosperity. Then the Civil War happened and Chattanooga was recognized as an important to both the Union and the Confederate troops due to the transportation availability.
By the 1950′s the use of rail for travel had diminished as people began flying and driving their own cars where they wanted to go. Then the mode of transporting goods from one point to another was moved from the rail to the road with the big rigs taking the place of the rail in many instances.
With all this happening the railroads began scrapping out much of their equipment. A few wise people saw the need to keep the history alive and began purchasing (and in some cases getting donated) equipment to be able to build the museum. Today, you to can see how life was in the past when rail travel was commonplace.
TVRM’s passenger trains run on the historic route which includes Missionary Ridge Tunnel, completed in 1858 and on the National Register of Historic Places. The tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the three-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through and the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an other wise double-track railroad, Southern Railway abandoned the three mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether.
This is a traveling museum which will both delight and educate you at the same time. It is also only regularly scheduled, full-sized train ride in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad museum looks to capture the past, today in hopes of not only preserving the past but allowing generations to experience what helped Chattanooga grow and gave Chattanooga the Choo-Choo identity.
4119 Cromwell Rd
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Office hours: Monday-Friday 10am-4pm
Phone: 423.894.8028
Additional Contacts for Specific Questions
For questions or comments concerning railroad operations, contact the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum at:
Phone: 423.894.8028
Fax: 423.894.8029
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
4119 Cromwell Rd
Chattanooga, TN 37421
For information on the Hiwassee River Gorge, contact the Tennessee Overhill Association at:
Phone: 423.263.7232
Fax: 423.263.1670
Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association
PO Box 143
Etowah, TN 37331
For information on Etowah, contact the Etowah Chamber of Commerce at:
Phone: 423.263.2228
Fax: 423.263.1670
L&N Railroad Depot
P.O. Box 458
Etowah, TN 37331
For information on Copperhill, contact the Polk County-Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce:
Phone: 423.496.9000 -or- 1.877.790.2157
Polk County-Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 960
Copperhill, TN 37317
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