If you enjoy local history, take a walk with Chattanooga Sidewalk Tours.. They have both a daytime Dynamo of Dixie Tour that starts at the Read House, and an evening Bluffs & Bridges Tour, that includes the Bluff View Art District, Walnut Street Bridge, and Coolidge Park.

Try checking out Raccoon Mountain Caverns, ranked as one of the top five caves in the country. Raccoon Mountain has its own ghost, which you can read about, in the upcoming book Haunted Chattanooga (available October 2011). They have even had some success lately in communicating with him! Make sure to ask about Willie when you go.

For those with children, the Chattanooga Zoo, billed as "the best little zoo in America," is a delightful stop without being too long. They have recently opened their Endangered Animal Carousel, with some of the most amazing carousel animals you have ever seen, all carved by the folks at Horsin' Around, Chattanooga's own carousel carving school.  Also, the Creative Discovery Museum, right off our tour route at Chestnut and Fourth, is a wonder for children ages 2-12!  The kids will spot the large ship, built to be accessible for all to play on, in the front glass.

For something truly unique to Chattanooga, check out the International Tow Truck Museum, at 3315 Broad Street.

If you're looking for some free fun or places unique to Chattanooga, we'd suggest checking out the following:
The Spaceship House. This is a unique private home that is worth the trip to drive by. Simply take I-27 N to the Signal Mountain exit, and follow that road up the mountain. The Spaceship House is on the left of the curves before you reach the town. Thanks to a sharp turn, you can see it from both front and back.

Watch the hang gliders at Lookout Mountain Flight Park, which boasts that it has 5 times more pilots than any other school in the country. If you're REALLY brave, you can take a tandem flight there for around $200.

Check out the beautiful outdoor Virgin of the Poor shrine in nearby New Hope, TN. The phone number is 423-837-7068. It is worth the trip.


For those adventurous souls who want to stay in a haunted place while here, there are at least 3 options of which we are aware. The Delta Queen riverboat is now docked in Chattanooga as a hotel, and they do rent out their haunted cabin. I believe the rack rate for that room is $179.00 per night, but not certain.
Or for the budget ghosthunter, many internet sites say the Super 8 Motel in Ooltewah has a haunted room. However, due to the nature of the motel, they have had alot of turnover, and their employees may not even be aware of this particular feature. : )
The Read House does rent out its room 311, and we have been told by our guests that during the off season, you can get the room if it is empty at the last minute at a substantially reduced rate. There are conflicting reports about whether it or the room currently numbered 313 (now used for a storage closet) is the original room 311, but guests have reported paranormal activity in both.


We love ghost tours, and are happy to share info about the ones we have been on. These are the tours we have experience with:
For those travelling elsewhere in the state, if you are in Nashville, you might check out Nashville Ghost Tours; we liked it alot. We understand they have also opened tours in DC and St. Louis; they are sure to be entertaining.
If you are in Memphis, the folks who operate the walking ghost tour there, Backbeat Tours, also have a bus tour called The Mojo Tour, where musicians take you (with plenty of audience participation) on a musical trip of the highlights of the city. It was unique and VERY fun; check it out!
We have not personally been on Appalachian GhostWalks - Haunted Vacations Ghost and History Tours http://www.AppalachianGhostWalks.com, but some of our guests have enjoyed their tours, and they have pasted many great comments on their website. They operate tours in various places in NE TN and Virginia.
Paranormal Research Of the South East (P.R.O.S.E.) is now doing investigation-type ghost tours at Hale's Bar. They graciously took me there recently, and shared some of the EVPs they got there. It was very interesting!
In Georgia, Dalton Ghost Tours seasonally operates a reinactment-type ghost tour, with actors. We learned some new things about locations we previously THOUGHT we were familiar with on this tour. Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama also has actors portraying the ghosts on their ghost tour, which is only offered one night per year, usually on their Kids' Day in the spring. (This is not to be confused with their fake haunted house they put on each fall.) One of our party got several orb photos on this tour.
Also, for those of you who have been waiting for a walking ghost tour in downtown Atlanta, you are finally in luck. We went on a tour with the owner of Dark Side Tours, which has only been operating since summer 2009, and really enjoyed it. Ask to go with Liz, the owner.