Tennessee: Is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?

After a fun day on the road, we decided to stop for the night near Chattanooga, and hit Priceline for a room for the night. What a fun surprise to book a room at the Chattanooga Choo Choo!

Opened in 1909 as Terminal Station of the Southern Railroad, this building served as a travel hub for thousands of travelers. What a great way to be greeted as you step into a hotel – almost like stepping back in time! Bria was delighted by the ornate station (which has now been turned into the main lobby), and the excitement only grew from there.

We found the property to be amazing, and very kid-friendly. Bria loved the rose gardens, which held several ponds serving as habitats for flora and fauna of a wide variety. In the early evening hours there were lots of frogs to chase around, and in the morning she sat and watched the fish swimming and the butterflies flitting through the air.

Of course there were also trains! Just like when the railroad operated here until 1970, the yard is filled with tracks and trains.

The view from our room made Bria happy as a clam, and she talked for days about having dinner in a real railroad car (the pizza car, called the Silver Diner). We stayed in a standard hotel room, but there are Victorian Train cars available for overnight guests, as well. What a fun treat!

This is not a new hotel by any stretch, so if that is what you are looking for you may want to stay down the road. It had its grand opening in 1973 at the end of a $4 million renovation. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, making it one of the city’s first historic preservation projects.

A 21st century renovation project is now in progress, with some big plans to match the big venue. For the time being, things are a little dated, but we didn’t care, it meant there was lots of character. Plus everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming, the room was clean, and we had a blast. We plan to return after the renovations to spend more time checking out the area!

And because I didn’t even realize the Chattanooga Choo Choo was a hotel, here is some info on the song, made popular by the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the 40s.