The Ultimate Guide to a Wheelchair Accessible Chattanooga Weekend Getaway

I have lived less than an hour from Chattanooga for the majority of my life. At least one to two times per week I’ll go out to eat in Chattanooga or shop at the mall or check out one of the new attractions. It seems like there’s always something new and exciting going on and it’s been amazing to watch Chattanooga transform throughout my life.

While I do frequently visit the Scenic City, it’s always for only a few hours at a time. I’ve never really spent more than a day exploring Chattanooga because I live so close. I used to think “What’s the point of spending the night or a full weekend?!” However, I recently had the opportunity to do a proper Chattanooga weekend getaway, where I saw the best of the city in 3 days and 2 nights. It was a staycation of sorts, but it gave me a whole new appreciation for how fantastic Chattanooga is. I think I’ve taken it for granted all these years, but not anymore. Chattanooga undoubtedly deserves worldwide recognition for how awesome it is, and Lonely Planet thinks so too. In 2018, Lonely Planet named Chattanooga one of the top 3 cities to visit in the U.S.

Whether I was touring one of the most unique museums in the world, spending time outdoors, or ghost hunting in a historic hotel, I had a truly phenomenal Chattanooga weekend getaway. Here’s how I spent my time having the ultimate weekend in Chattanooga –

Friday

Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant

Chattanooga is a city with a booming restaurant scene, with new eateries popping up more frequently than I can keep up with. Every time that I visit Chattanooga, I try to eat at a new-to-me restaurant to keep it interesting, but there are quite a few that I keep going back to because they’re just that good. Puckett’s is one of those that I can’t get enough of. Naturally, the first stop for my Chattanooga weekend getaway was to indulge in some southern deliciousness at Puckett’s.

Fried green tomatoes

Puckett’s is one of the best places to eat in Chattanooga TN and it is located in downtown Chattanooga. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. I have only eaten here for lunch, but I’m sure it would be delicious at any time of day. They serve traditional southern foods, including meat-and-three (a meat and three sides) and barbecue. I started with the fried green tomatoes, which are served on top of pimento cheese. These are hands-down my favorite item at Puckett’s and they’re probably the best fried green tomatoes I’ve ever had. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.

Veggie plate with macaroni and cheese, smashed sweet potatoes, and coleslaw

For my entree, I opted for the 3 veggie plate. I chose the macaroni and cheese, smashed sweet potatoes, and coleslaw. It was served with one of Puckett’s Cajun corn cakes, which really topped it off perfectly. Everything that I had was fantastic and if you’re looking for a hearty southern meal during your own Chattanooga weekend getaway, Puckett’s should definitely be on your itinerary. If you happen to visit Puckett’s on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ll get to enjoy live music as well.

Tennessee Aquarium

After gorging myself at Puckett’s, I headed next door to one of the city’s top attractions, the Tennessee Aquarium. The Tennessee Aquarium is huge with more than 10,000 animals and two separate buildings. The buildings are called Ocean Journey and River Journey and it took about two hours to wander through both of them, but depending on how fast you move, it could take longer since there is certainly a lot to see.

Some of my favorite animals to view were the river otters (in the River Journey building), the penguins (in the Ocean Journey building), the sharks (in Ocean Journey), and the alligators (in River Journey). Another exhibit that I really liked was the butterfly garden in the Ocean Journey building. There were hundreds of butterflies flying around and it was a nice, peaceful area to see these beautiful creatures. Some of them got really close to me, but unfortunately they never landed on me. If you use a wheelchair, be sure to watch where you’re rolling also, as some of the butterflies like to hang out on the floor. We don’t need any catastrophes!

I’ve been to a variety of aquariums, from the Georgia Aquarium to the National Aquarium in DC, and I truly believe that the Tennessee Aquarium is the best. It has a plethora of animals and is spread out enough with two buildings that it never seems overcrowded. The wheelchair accessibility is also fantastic with access to all exhibits and wheelchairs are available for rent on a first-come, first-served basis for $7. An accessible family style restroom is located on level 1 of the River Journey building as well.

Julie Darling Donuts

For an afternoon treat, I headed to Chattanooga’s North Shore after my aquarium visit. The North Shore area is just a few minutes away from the aquarium and for some of the tastiest donuts of your life, hit up Julie Darling Donuts.

Julie Darling has every kind of donut that you can possibly imagine, from banana split filled donuts to Samoa donuts (yes, as in the Girl Scout cookies!!) and even key lime pie donuts. The options are limitless, but my personal favorite is the red velvet donut. It has a mouth-wateringly delicious cream cheese icing on top. However, I’d recommend just getting a dozen and trying a bunch of different flavors over the course of your Chattanooga weekend getaway. You can never have too many donuts after all, right?

The Read House

This swanky downtown hotel served as my home away from home for the weekend and from the moment that I first rolled into the lobby, I could tell that I was in for something special. The Read House is a Chattanooga icon and has been around for a looooong time. Since 1872, to be precise. Since then, celebrities, presidents, and thousands of other happy guests have stayed here, and The Read House deservedly took its place in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

The Read House has always been one of Chattanooga’s most popular hotels, but it has a brand new spunk to it now and is even more sought after. It recently underwent a $25 million renovation and reopened its doors in October 2018. It now has the grandeur of the Great Gatsby, complete with all of the luxurious amenities that you can imagine.

The lobby is spectacular with a giant chandelier hanging, there’s an on-site Starbucks and fine-dining restaurant, and a new Bar & Billiards Room. I was tremendously impressed with the renovations as soon as I entered the hotel for the first time. The design made me feel as though I had been transported to the 1920s and I loved it.

For the weekend, I stayed in room 316. It was a wheelchair accessible room with two queen beds, a smart TV, a couch, and most importantly, a Keurig coffee maker. Free WiFi was also available, as it is for every guest. The only drawback to the room was that a hoyer lift/hoist could not roll under the bed. Luckily, I didn’t need that accessible feature for my stay, but if you do, I’m sure that the staff could come up with a solution. Everyone that I talked to was super nice and willing to assist however they could.

My bathroom had a spacious roll-in shower with a handheld sprayer and a shower seat. There was also a pull-under sink and grab bars beside the toilet. The bathroom couldn’t have been any better for my needs.

Bridgeman’s Chophouse

I relaxed in the room for a bit and then went to check out one of Chattanooga’s newest restaurants for dinner, which also happens to be inside The Read House – Bridgeman’s Chophouse. Bridgeman’s is an upscale restaurant with an extensive selection of steaks and seafood. It also has an impressive wine list.

Bridgeman’s Chophouse was named after Peter “Rabbit” Bridgeman, who worked at The Read House for 47 years and was one of its most well-known employees. His legacy now lives on in one of the city’s nicest restaurants, which you should definitely visit if you’re in the area.

Pan-seared salmon

Smoked cheddar mashed potatoes

The menu had a variety of options and it took me a while to scour through them, but I finally made a decision on what to order. I started with a Caesar salad and for my entree, I got the pan-seared salmon and smoked cheddar mashed potatoes. The salmon was cooked perfectly and had a lemon and dill sauce on it that was to-die-for. While the salad and salmon were great, I particularly loved the smoked cheddar mashed potatoes. I’m a potato fanatic and can easily say that these were some of the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever eaten. No matter what you order at Bridgeman’s, I am positive that you’ll find it delicious. Just be sure to make a reservation before you go, as this is quickly becoming one of the hottest restaurants in Chattanooga.

Room 311 (AKA the haunted room)

After a delicious dinner, I was ready to go ghost hunting. I didn’t have to go far though, as room 311 in The Read House is haunted by the ghost of Annalisa Netherly. Annalisa was decapitated while in the bathtub of room 311 in the 1920s. Some say that she was a prostitute and one of her clients did it, but other reports say that her husband caught her with another man and became so angry that he killed her. Who knows what the exact truth is, but one thing is certain – Annalisa still calls room 311 her home.

Whether you’re staying at The Read House or not, tours of room 311 are available for free every day from noon until 2pm. I couldn’t make it at that time, so The Read House staff was kind enough to let me tour it at night, which made it even spookier. I really wanted to see the ghost of Annalisa, but that didn’t happen. However, one creepy thing did happen while I was in the room. Toward the end of our tour, the antique phone rang one time and nobody was on the other line. Our guide, Kristy, said that phone had never rang before and she was completely freaked out.

Room 311 didn’t have the modern amenities of all of the other rooms at The Read House. Instead, it was designed to be reminiscent of the 1920s to please Annalisa. It was beautiful and if you’re brave enough, it will soon become available to stay in overnight. Bids for Halloween night are already coming in at thousands of dollars, but even if you’re not quite that committed to meeting Annalisa, it’s definitely worth doing a tour. Maybe you’ll have a mysterious encounter!

Saturday

Rembrandt’s Coffee House

After a peaceful night’s sleep, minus a few nightmares from visiting room 311, I headed to Rembrandt’s Coffee House for breakfast. Rembrandt’s is located in Chattanooga’s Art District, which is only a five minute drive from The Read House. It has been my favorite coffee house since my first visit about 10 years ago and every time that I go, I try to get something new. There are a variety of options on the menu, making Rembrandt’s a fantastic choice for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner.

For breakfast, I enjoyed a chai tea and the Rembrandt’s Rancheros. It was corn tortillas with baked egg, pepper jack cheese, a black bean relish, and chipotle cream sauce. Yes, it was as good as it sounds! Yum!

In addition to their main meals, Rembrandt’s also has a huge selection of sweets and pastries. I love looking at them all in the counter as I wait in line to order and over the past decade, I think I’ve nearly tried everything. The tiramisu is my favorite item, but everything is delicious. Even if you don’t want to have a full meal at Rembrandt’s, it’s definitely worth visiting for a quick sweet treat and some coffee.

Bluff View Art District

Rembrandt’s is located in the Bluff View Art District, but whether you’re drinking coffee or checking out one of the Art District’s other businesses, be sure to roll around outside for a while if it’s a nice day. There are all kinds of sculptures and pieces of art along the sidewalks and in the gardens in Bluff View, but one of my favorite spots to relax is the River Gallery Sculpture Garden.

River Gallery is a two-acre outdoor space that is completely free to visit and it overlooks the beautiful Tennessee River. It was designed by landscape architect Joe Baasch and some spectacular sculptures are on display. The sculpture garden is wheelchair accessible with a paved path, so have your camera ready to go and get ready to take some good shots for Instagram. This is one of the nicest places to relax on a sunny day in Chattanooga and luckily, it’s never too crowded.

Hunter Museum of American Art

I have visited the Hunter Museum of American Art at least a dozen times and each time, I seem to fall in love with a new piece of art, whether it’s from the permanent or temporary exhibitions. In my opinion, it’s one of the best art museums in the country and within walking/rolling distance of Rembrandt’s and much of downtown Chattanooga. It’s also fully wheelchair accessible, so you’ll have no problem admiring the hundreds of amazing pieces of art throughout the museum.

Aside from the art inside the museum, the outside is also a piece of art and worth seeing. The Hunter Museum is housed in a few different buildings; an early twentieth century mansion, a modern 1970s era building, and a more contemporary structure of steel and glass. They are all connected.

Admission to the museum is only $15 for adults and it is free to children 17 and under. Also, if you have an EBT card from any state, admission is only $2. The Hunter Museum is dedicated to making art available to everyone. Be sure to plan at least 90 minutes to two hours for your visit.

Walnut Street Bridge

From the Hunter Museum, roll/walk to the nearby Walnut Street Bridge. This bridge is an absolute landmark in Chattanooga and it connects downtown to the North Shore. The North Shore has a park, all kinds of unique shops, and some of the best restaurants in the city. The North Shore is one of my favorite areas in Chattanooga, so after indulging in some art, I headed to the bridge to make my way across the Tennessee River.

Walnut Street Bridge stretching across the Tennessee River

The Walnut Street Bridge is one of the world’s longest pedestrian bridges, at 2,376 feet long. It was erected in the year 1891 and since then, it has provided some of the best views to people visiting Chattanooga. From the bridge, you can see the river, the Tennessee Aquarium, and many other notable Chattanooga attractions. There are various benches along the bridge, so it’s a nice place to chill out, no matter what your abilities are.

The Walnut Street Bridge is wheelchair accessible, but to be honest, it’s a bit bumpy in a wheelchair. Since it was built in the 1800s, much of it is wooden and the wooden planks can be sort of bumpy to roll over. However, I’ve made the trek at least 100 times over the course of my life and I think it’s hands-down one of the best things to do during a Chattanooga weekend getaway, so if you don’t mind a few bumps I’d certainly recommend giving it a go. Alternatively, you could drive over to the North Shore from downtown.

Good Dog

Don’t hate me for saying this, but I have never been a fan of hot dogs. They’ve always kind of grossed me out. I mean, have you seen what they’re made of? I’ve tried veggie dogs in the past, but never really liked them either. However, I finally found a hot dog that I actually reeeeeally really reeeeeally like at Good Dog in Chattanooga. I guess anything truly is possible!

Some of the decorations inside

I visited Good Dog for the first time during my recent Chattanooga weekend getaway. It’s located on the North Shore and was quite busy when I popped in, but trust me, it’s worth the wait. I had the Carolina Dog and substituted a veggie dog instead of the beef dog. The Carolina Dog comes with mustard, chili, slaw, and onions on it, and within the first bite I was in love. I also had the Dutch Frites as a side, which are fries topped with curry ketchup, fritessaus, grilled onions, peppers, and smoked Gouda cheese. Holy moly! My meal at Good Dog changed my whole perspective on hot dogs and the prices weren’t bad at all. If you want a cheap, delicious, and quick meal on the North Shore, definitely consider chowing down on some Good Dog!

Coolidge Park

With a full belly, I rolled over to Coolidge Park. The sun was out, so I stayed at the park for quite a while, but I could easily spend an entire day at Coolidge Park just lounging, cooking out, and people-watching. In fact, I have spent many days doing just that, as it’s probably my favorite area in all of Chattanooga.

Coolidge Park has paved paths, plenty of spots to sit down and take in views of the Chattanooga waterfront, a 100-year-old carousel, and even an interactive water play fountain. The carousel has 52 hand carved animals and while not exactly wheelchair accessible, it’s worth looking at and admiring.

You simply can’t visit Chattanooga and not spend some time at Coolidge Park. It’s where Chattanoogans go to enjoy a nice day outdoors and if you are visiting (and I’m not traveling out of town when you come), there’s a fairly good chance that you’ll see me there.

Clumpie’s Ice Cream Co.

Another place that you’re extremely likely to see me at is Clumpie’s. Clumpie’s is on the North Shore (they have other locations in Chattanooga as well though) and within rolling distance of Coolidge Park. I visit Clumpie’s literally every time that I’m in Chattanooga and I am a strong believer that they have the best ice cream on planet Earth.

Clumpie’s has a plethora of different ice cream flavors and there are also a variety of non-dairy ice cream options. Some of my favorites include the non-dairy chocolate ice cream and the peanut butter & chocolate regular ice cream. My mouth is watering just thinking about them, but my #1 tip when visiting Clumpie’s is to get your ice cream in one of their homemade waffle cones. They put all other waffle cones to shame!

Songbirds Guitar Museum

Located downtown inside the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo (more on the Choo Choo next), Songbirds Guitar Museum is one of Chattanooga’s newer attractions and fully accessible. If you like music at all, this is a really cool and unique museum in the city to visit. There are many vintage guitars on display and I thought it was fascinating to see how much guitars have changed over the years.

The regular self-guided tour is $15.95 at the door or you can choose to do an All Access Tour for $38.95 per person. On the All Access Tour, you get to visit two additional rooms, the Green Room and the Vault. The Vault is home to some of the rarest and most expensive guitars, so if you’re a guitar enthusiast, it would be worth it. If you are like me though and just want to see some cool guitars, the regular tour would be perfectly fine for you.

In addition to the museum, Songbirds also has two venues where you can hear live music. Check the schedule here.

Chattanooga Choo Choo

Whenever I’m traveling and people ask where I’m from, I always say “Near Chattanooga, Tennessee”. Most of the time, they’ll say something like “Oh yeah, the Chattanooga Choo Choo! I’ve heard of it!” And sometimes they’ll even sing a bit of the song. The “Chattanooga Choo Choo” song hit the airwaves in the 1940s, but it’s still known across the world today. The Choo Choo is so much more than a catchy song though. It’s now a thriving historic hotel and entertainment destination in downtown Chattanooga.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo used to be a train station terminal, but it has since become one of the top hotels in the city and it joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Wheelchair accessible rooms are available if you’d like to stay here, but whether you’re spending the night or not, you should take some time to experience the Choo Choo’s offerings.

The lobby is beautifully designed, but just past the lobby are the Glenn Miller Gardens, named after the singer of the “Chattanooga Choo Choo” song. The gardens are two acres and sit where the train tracks served millions of passengers. You can still see some trains around the gardens, but there are also rocking chairs, life-sized checkers, corn hole, bocce ball, and much more. The gardens were a nice place for me to unwind after a busy day of sightseeing.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo has undergone many renovations over the years and it’s now one of the top entertainment destinations in the city. In addition to Songbirds being on-site, there’s also an escape game (unfortunately, it’s not accessible), a couple restaurants, shops, and even a comedy club. The Comedy Catch is one of my favorite places to go in Chattanooga for a fun night on the town.

STIR Chattanooga

For dinner, I went to one of my go-to restaurants in Chattanooga, which also happens to be at the Choo Choo – STIR. STIR is a nice place for lunch or dinner and it’s totally unique to Chattanooga. Most ingredients are from farms and vendors within 100 miles of Chattanooga, so STIR is always serving the freshest foods available. They also have an extensive, and creative, cocktail menu.

Seasonal dips

STIR has something to suit anyone’s palette, but one of their specialties are oysters. If you’re not a big fan of oysters like me, I would highly recommend the fried green tomatoes or the seasonal dips for an appetizer. The seasonal dips are hummus, pimento cheese, and an edamame dip, and they’re served with pita bread and crostini. It’s perfection and the ideal appetizer for sharing. For an entree, you could enjoy shrimp & grits, chicken picatta, a tuna poke bowl, sautéed salmon cakes, or much more. It’s easy to find something you’ll like, as everything on the menu is full of flavor and delicious.

Sautéed salmon cakes

Sunday

City Cafe Diner

To start the last day of my Chattanooga weekend getaway, I headed to City Cafe Diner for breakfast. There are three locations in the Chattanooga area, but the downtown one is right across from The Read House, so it was easy and quick for me to get to. City Cafe is a classic diner and as soon as I rolled through the entrance, I felt like I had been transported back in time. There was a jukebox and everything!

City Cafe has one of the largest menus in Chattanooga, with over 450 items available. Whether you’re craving Mexican food or really want some pasta, the diner is sure to have it on the menu. For breakfast, I chose gravy and biscuits with a side of scrambled eggs. It was wonderful, but I really wish I had visited City Cafe for lunch or dinner instead. Not because the breakfast didn’t please me (it totally did!!), but because then it would be acceptable to order a slice of cake. Why is eating cake at breakfast frowned upon?! *crying*

The items that City Cafe is most known for are its cakes. I’ve had a couple different ones in the past, but I need to try a lot more to really know which is the best. They have every type of cake you can imagine, from a Butterfinger cake to red velvet and strawberry shortcake. My favorite one that I’ve tried so far is the Seven Sins Cake. It has seven different kinds of chocolate and as a chocoholic, I still dream about it sometimes.

Chattanooga Zoo

I’ve been to the Chattanooga Zoo probably ten times, but I love it just as much every single time. It is a smaller zoo than some others that I’ve been to, but it offers a large variety of animals to see. The zoo is also fully wheelchair accessible with smooth, paved paths throughout, so wheelchair users will have no problem admiring the many animals in the zoo.

The chimpanzees are my very favorite animal at the Chattanooga Zoo and I could watch them all day. They are so human-like that I find it fascinating to observe them. After watching the chimpanzees for a while, I always love seeing the camels, the red panda, monkeys, the cougar, snow leopard, and more. There’s a building with many snakes on display as well. They completely freak me out, but I still like to see them through the glass.

Admission to the Chattanooga Zoo is only $10.95 per adult. If you’d like to learn more about the zoo, check out my full blog post about it by clicking here.

International Towing & Recovery Museum

When I first heard of the International Towing & Recovery Museum in Chattanooga, I immediately wondered how and why there was a whole museum devoted to towing. It sounded… different and to be honest, I wasn’t interested in visiting at first. However, as I started researching it, it sounded pretty cool. Travel Channel named it one of the most unique museums in the world, along with the Phallus Museum in Iceland (remember when I went there?), so I suddenly wanted to visit and I’m so glad that I did.

My visit to the museum started with a short movie about towing and it was really interesting. I learned a lot just from the video, and even more later in my visit. For example, did you know that towing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world? I had no idea beforehand, but I definitely gained a new appreciation and respect for the men and women in the industry.

After watching the video, I went into the main part of the Towing Museum, where all kinds of wreckers were on display. There were some newer ones, but I thought the old ones were fun to look at. It’s cool to see how much tow trucks have changed and improved over the years.

The last part of the museum that I visited was the Hall of Fame. Over 300 towing professionals are now in the Hall of Fame and new people are inducted every year. Plan to be at the Towing Museum for an hour. Admission is $10 per adult.

Rock City

Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Do you know what these seven states have in common? I’ll fill you in… they can all be seen from Rock City in Chattanooga! From Lover’s Leap at Rock City, you can see seven states and enjoy the best view in the city.

The view is enough of a reason to visit Rock City, but there are also waterfalls, seasonal shows, and more to see. You can even dine at a restaurant that overlooks Lover’s Leap. Now THAT would be dining with a view at more than 1,700 feet above sea level!

Rock City’s regular route has over 200 stairs, but there is a wheelchair accessible path that goes from the entrance to Lover’s Leap. Since much of Rock City isn’t accessible, wheelchair users get a 25% discount on admission. To read my full blog post about Rock City, just click here.

Mojo Burrito

I’m sure you can already tell due to how many great restaurants I visited during my Chattanooga weekend getaway, but I had to visit one last restaurant before heading back home. Mojo Burrito is located near Rock City and as you may know from the name, they serve delicious burritos and other Mexican specialties.

When you enter Mojo, you won’t be seated first. Instead, you’ll enter a line and order your food as you go down the line. It’s similar to how Subway is set up, if you’re familiar with that. You can choose from tacos, burritos, nachos, and more, but my favorite item is the taco salad. I always load it with all kinds of veggies and guacamole. Yum! If you like Mexican food, Mojo is a must-eat.

As you can see, my Chattanooga weekend getaway was packed full of fun. All of these attractions and restaurants that I’ve mentioned are spectacular, but they are in no way the only great things to do in the city. It would be impossible to do everything in one weekend, and I’m sure you’ll be planning your return visit before you even leave Chattanooga.

Chattanooga is constantly growing and I’m so excited to see that more and more people are considering the city as a vacation destination. From eating tasty food to enjoying the great outdoors and visiting some of the best wheelchair accessible attractions in the southern U.S., you’re sure to have a fantastic trip, no matter what your abilities are. Start planning your own Chattanooga weekend getaway now!

I recently had a chance to interview Marissa Bell, the Public Relations Manager for Visit Chattanooga, for my #CurbFreeFromHome Facebook Live series. We talked all about accessibility in Chattanooga and what makes it a fantastic place to visit. Check out our chat by watching the video below –

*Thank you to the Chattanooga Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for working with me on this trip! While most of my experiences were complimentary, all opinions are authentic and my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through on a link, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll receive a slight commission which helps us keep this information available to you. Thanks!

The Ultimate Guide to a Fun-Filled and Wheelchair Accessible Chattanooga Weekend Getaway

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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