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Two days is the right amount of time for Chattanooga. Spend one on Lookout Mountain, where Point Park, Rock City, Ruby Falls and the Incline Railway sit close together. Spend the other downtown, where the Tennessee Aquarium, the Walnut Street Bridge and Coolidge Park are a short walk apart.
I have planned mountaintop-and-waterfront days with nieces and nephews along, and the mountain stops tend to run longer than the brochure suggests. Downtown flexes easily. So I would do Lookout Mountain first thing, put the stop you care about most in the morning, and save the riverfront for the second day when legs are tired.
Things to Do in Chattanooga
This table holds the stops the plan is built on. Every figure comes from the operator or agency page as it read on October 3, 2026, and prices on those pages change.
| Stop | Kind | Cost on the date checked | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Park (Lookout Mountain) | Civil War memorial and views | $10.00 ages 16+; free 15 and under | Self-paced |
| Incline Railway | Historic mountain railway | $24.99 adult, $12.99 child (3-12), round trip | At least an hour with the top station |
| Rock City | Gardens and rock trails | $43 adult weekday window price, $33 child | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Ruby Falls | Cave and underground waterfall | $29.95 adult, $19.95 child (4-12) | Up to 90 minutes |
| Tennessee Aquarium | Two aquarium buildings | $39.95 adult, $29.95 youth (4-17) | 2 hours or more |
| Walnut Street Bridge | Pedestrian bridge | Free | Self-paced |
| Coolidge Park carousel | 1894 carousel | $1 adults | A few minutes |
| Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum | Excursion train | $26 per person, Missionary Ridge Local | 1 to 1.5 hours |
Lookout Mountain Chattanooga
Lookout Mountain is day one. Ruby Falls sells timed tickets online, Point Park has fixed daytime hours, and Rock City’s hours change with the season, so the order matters. Ruby Falls itself says to arrive before 9 AM or after 6 PM for shorter waits, so I would book the earliest cave time you can get.
After the cave, go to Point Park while the visitor center is open, then finish at Rock City in the afternoon. You can also ride the Incline up from St. Elmo to Point Park. Ruby Falls and Rock City are a separate trip by car or ride-share.
Point Park Lookout Mountain
Point Park is the cheapest stop on the mountain and the only one run by the National Park Service. The park fee page lists $10.00 for visitors 16 and older, free for 15 and under, good for seven days, and card payments only. The gate opens at 8:30 am each day.
The 10-acre park has a paved path past tablets, monuments and cannon, with the New York Peace Memorial as its centerpiece. Inside, the Ochs Museum covers Civil War signaling and photography. The visitor center holds James Walker’s painting The Battle Above the Clouds and runs 8:30 am to 5 pm daily, closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Is the Incline Railway worth it?
Yes, once, if you like old machinery and steep grades. It also saves you a parking hunt at the top. The ride takes about ten minutes each way, trains leave each station every 20 minutes, and the track reaches a 72.7% grade near the top, per the railway’s FAQ.
The Incline’s ticket page lists $24.99 for adults and $12.99 for children 3 to 12, round trip. Through October 31, the railway lists 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday and 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekends, with the last car leaving 40 minutes before closing. November hours were not posted when we checked, so confirm them before a late-season trip. Parking at the St. Elmo station is $3 for three hours or $5 beyond that, per the same FAQ.
Is Rock City worth it?
Yes, if the garden walk and the views are what you want from the mountain. Rock City is across the line in Georgia, and it describes itself as a mountaintop attraction with seven-state views. Its FAQ says most people spend one and a half to two hours.
Window prices on the ticket page were $43 for adults and $33 for children 3 to 12 on weekdays, and $45 and $35 on weekends. The page says advance tickets are always cheaper and can save up to $22 each, so I would buy ahead. Strollers are not allowed because of narrow passages and steep stairs, and the park is cashless.
The Enchanted Garden of Lights runs November 13 through December 31, 2026, closed December 24, per Rock City’s event page. Regular admission does not include it, and event tickets listed $31 to $49 for adults and $21 to $39 for children, varying by date and entry time.
Is Ruby Falls worth it?
Yes, and it is the stop I would pick if the forecast turns wet. The cave stays around 60°F year-round, so it works in summer heat and winter cold. Guests ride a 260-foot elevator down and walk a path of a little under a mile round trip, with about 50 stairs in small groups.
The ticket page lists $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for children 4 to 12 and $28.95 for seniors 65 and older, with the walk taking up to 90 minutes. Tickets are sold online for a set date and time, with no walk-up sales. Strollers are not allowed and the cave is not wheelchair accessible, per the Ruby Falls FAQ. Parking at the site is free.
If caves are your thing, our guide to caves near the Smoky Mountains covers more cave options in the region.
Downtown Chattanooga
Day two stays on foot or on the free shuttle. Start at the aquarium when it opens, cross the river on the bridge in the afternoon, and finish at the carousel in Coolidge Park.
Is the Tennessee Aquarium worth it?
Yes, for most families, because one ticket covers both the River Journey and Ocean Journey buildings. The aquarium’s ticket page listed $39.95 for adults and $29.95 for ages 4 to 17, with ages 0 to 3 free. Hours read 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, with the last entry at 5:00 pm.
An IMAX documentary was $9.95, or $8 when added to admission. The aquarium and Rock City also sell a same-day combo at $64 for adults and $54 for youth. The combo page lists the 2026 combo as valid May 23 through October 31, so check it is still on sale for your dates. Rock City and the aquarium sit about 6 miles apart, so you drive between them.
Walnut Street Bridge
The Walnut Street Bridge is 2,376 feet long, per the city’s bridge page, and carries only people. It links downtown to the North Shore. Built in 1891 and reopened as a pedestrian park in 1993, it costs nothing to cross.
The bridge closed for repair work earlier in 2026, and Visit Chattanooga listed it as reopening on October 3. Check its status before you build a walk around it.
At the north end, Coolidge Park has an 1894 carousel with 52 hand-carved animals. The city lists rides at $1 for adults, daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The fountain is seasonal, May through September.
Free things to do in Chattanooga
The free list is better than you would expect. Walking the bridge and the paths in Coolidge Park costs nothing, and so does the downtown shuttle. The carousel is the only charge the city lists there.
On Lookout Mountain, the Cravens House is free, and NPS said on the date checked that it opens weekends in summer and for special programs. The mountain also has more than thirty miles of hiking trails, including Sunset Rock. Chickamauga Battlefield in Georgia has no entrance fee, per NPS.
Downtown Chattanooga free shuttle
The electric shuttle is free and runs from the Chattanooga Choo Choo to the Tennessee Aquarium, about every 15 minutes, per CARTA. Weekday service starts at 7:30 a.m., and Sunday hours end at 8:00 p.m. It does not run on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Visit Chattanooga’s parking page lists garages with shuttle access, including the North Shore Garage at 345 Frazier Avenue. The first hour is free at the North and South garages. A $25 weekend parking pass covers Friday 6 pm to Monday 6 am, and street meters are limited to two hours.
That page also says no regular bus reaches the Lookout Mountain attractions. Use a car, a ride-share, or the St. Elmo shuttle to the Incline.
Rainy day things to do in Chattanooga
Rain does not ruin this plan. The aquarium and Ruby Falls both work indoors or underground, and both sell tickets online, with Ruby Falls tickets set to a specific time.
NPS lists indoor options too. The Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center and the Ochs Museum are indoors. At Chickamauga, the visitor center holds the Fuller Gun Collection and shows an orientation film every 30 minutes from 9 am to 4 pm, per the park’s indoor activities page.
Chattanooga with kids
The stop I would skip with toddlers is Ruby Falls. Strollers are not allowed, the walk takes up to 90 minutes on foot, and tickets are for a fixed time. Rock City also bans strollers, though child carriers work, per its FAQ.
Younger kids do well elsewhere. Point Park is free for ages 15 and under, aquarium entry is free for ages 0 to 3, and the Incline is $12.99 for ages 3 to 12 on its ticket page. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum listed its Missionary Ridge Local at $26 per person, 1 to 1.5 hours, on its site. We have done big attraction days with nieces and nephews along, and a carrier beats a stroller on stairs.
For more family planning, see our Smoky Mountains with kids guide. If you are building a longer loop, our East Tennessee road trip and Great Smoky Mountains planning guide fit before or after Chattanooga.
How many days do you need in Chattanooga?
Two full days covers the mountain and the river. With one day, do the Lookout Mountain stops you care about and skip downtown. Add a third day only for the Civil War sites at Chickamauga or the excursion train.
Is Point Park free?
No. NPS lists $10.00 per person for ages 16 and older, with ages 15 and under free. The pass is valid for seven days, and the park takes cards, not cash. The Cravens House and Chickamauga Battlefield have no entrance fee.
How much does Ruby Falls cost?
The Ruby Falls ticket page lists the daily Cave Walk at $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for children 4 to 12 and $28.95 for seniors 65 and older. Children 3 and under are free. Tickets are sold online for a specific date and time.
Can you drive up Lookout Mountain?
Yes. Ruby Falls lists free parking, the Incline’s top station has metered parking, and Rock City lists limited bus and RV parking. Visit Chattanooga says no regular bus service reaches the mountain attractions, so you need a car, a ride-share or the Incline.
Can you take a stroller to Rock City?
No. Rock City’s FAQ says strollers are not allowed because of narrow passages and steep stairs. Child backpacks and front carriers work, and stroller parking is at the Garden’s Gateway Gift Shop.
Is Chattanooga worth visiting?
Yes, for a weekend. The mountain stops and the riverfront each fill a day, and several are free or cheap. It also sits on I-75 between Knoxville and Atlanta, so it fits a longer road trip.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Published October 13, 2026.
Photo credits: (1) featured, Downtown Chattanooga skyline seen across… — Breethol, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (2) Lookout Mountain Incline Railway car on its… — Lmcorle, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (3) Rock formations and garden path at Rock… — Snickersnack30, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (4) Illuminated cave passage inside Ruby Falls… — Ronincmc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (5) Walnut Street pedestrian bridge crossing… — rjones0856, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.