Group of 7---We took the copper hill special!!! we had the best time! staff are so friendly you can tell they all love their job and that's rare now days. ride was exceptiona! this ids not out last trip we are already planning our next rides! read more

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum - Museums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

So great!! This is an amazing attraction. Perfect for train lovers. Lots of vintage trains to see, a functioning workshop, and a TURN TABLE!! Our tour guide Jack made the whole experience a blast. We went with our family of 11: grandparents, adults, and kids ages 7-12. Every person really enjoyed it. I was disappointed that the Chattanooga Choo Choo is not a ride, so it was wonderful to find the TVRM and satisfy my itch for a train adventure. Ps. It's on Cromwell Road. Do not go to Chamberlain Ave. read more

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Let me start with the staff: these folks don't just clock in, they genuinely care, and you can feel it. That alone puts this place ahead of half the businesses I've walked into this year. Scenery was a bit limited since everything is in full bloom, but I refuse to leave a bad review because nature was too healthy. The trees were simply thriving. Good for them. Now the real hazard nobody warns you about: this train is dangerously comfortable. That gentle rocking had me fighting for consciousness like a toddler after Thanksgiving dinner. If they ever add pillows, nobody is getting off at the final stop. Will absolutely bring the family back. Easy 10/10, highly recommend. Blessings read more

ThenTea Room and train ride were both a great experience! The food, tea, champagne, service and atmosphere were all fantastic. Our server Tylor and Chloe were wonderful! Chloe was in training and I think she will do well. I highly recommend this adventure! read more

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We booked the one hour train ride with dinner at the depot and that part was on me. I assumed dinner would be served on the train, but we were actually seated upstairs in the depot. It is a very old, nostalgic building, but once we saw the setup I started to worry about the food and unfortunately that instinct was right. The salad was honestly the best part and tasted like a bagged mix. The hors d'oeuvres were hummus, goat cheese, and tomatoes. Just okay, and I normally love goat cheese. We preordered herb chicken with potatoes and asparagus, and salmon with potatoes. The salmon looked pretty but tasted awful and was overcooked. Whatever it was sitting on underneath was not edible. My honey's chicken came out undercooked and bloody. When he sent it back, the waiter, who I truly felt bad for, was told to explain it away as normal near the joint. It is not normal. The replacement chicken was still bloody. That should never happen. Dessert was cheesecake and strawberry crème brûlée. The cheesecake was good. The crème brûlée tasted artificial and missed the mark. The train ride itself was decent, but since it was at night there was not much to see. I would have preferred doing the ride first while there was still some daylight and then dinner after, but that may have been in the details I missed. Next time I would do just the train ride and skip the dinner. read more

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We did the diner train with a group. Excellent service and good food. The staff worked together to give an award winning experience. Do take cash to leave a tip. We were not prepared and were unable leave a tip that reflected the service and our experience. If I had the cash I would have left double the amount I did leave. read more

It was a nice scenic rail ride Good service from friendly staff Some train cars are comfortable whereas others are musty smelling read more

We took our granddaughter to the Homefront Tea Room today. It was wonderful! The service was excellent! The food was of a very wide variety and it tasted delicious! read more

My husband and I had a wonderful date night on the Dinner on the Diner on 7/3. From reservations and ticketing, to the wonderful gentlemen serving to the charming setting of the dining car, all contributed to a very special evening enjoying delicious food. I highly recommend! We are looking forward to reserving a more scenic trip in the fall. read more

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum - Dinner was delicious! - Museums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

We did the Missionary Ridge Local train ride. And, I was hoping for so much more. The photos on the page show coal engines with smoke and cool looking steam engines. But, that wasn't the case. The steam engines were parked and you passed by them but didn't get the feel of a old school steam engine like some of the photos. The reality of this train ride is. 1. Board train 2. 15 minute ride to turning point. 3. Walk to the turn table where the engine spins to go the opposite direction. and then check out the repair shop. This is 30-45 min. 4. 15 min back to train station. So, if you're looking for a 65 minute train ride, this is not the one to take. You will be disappointed like us. That being said, the person doing the talking on the train ride, was amazing. He kept us from being bored and made it interesting. read more

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum - Museums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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This was a lovely experience while we were in Chattanooga. We enjoyed afternoon tea at the Homefront Tea Room on the second floor of the Grand Junction Depot and then a train ride on the Missionary Ridge Local afterwards. After placing our orders for tea (Blood Orange & Cranberry Indonesian Black Tea for me and Summer Peach Herbal Tea for him) we were brought a tray of crackers and croissant bites with pimento cheese. I like fruity teas and it was nice to try this new flavor. Our menu consisted of the following: Quiche on crescent slice with hollandaise sauce, bacon and sliced grape tomatoes. Broccoli and cheddar soup with garlic butter crostini. House-made chicken salad. Variety of sweet treats including macarons. Assorted scones: apple cinnamon, blueberry, white chocolate raspberry. The spreads included clotted cream, lemon curd, and jam. These scones did not have the crumbly texture and soft interior that I am familiar with. They were smooth and a bit dry and doughy. I didn't get a sense that these were baked on premises but purchased. The day we visited, it was definitely a hot July day with temps in the upper 90's. But the tea room was air conditioned. So I was a little disappointed that the macaron shells were soft perhaps due to the humidity. Service was impeccable and well organized. After tea, we went downstairs for the train ride which took about an hour from start to end. On such a hot day, you will want to ride in a car with air conditioning. We saw that there was a car with open windows so we walked passed that one! The furniture is old but comfortable for such a short ride. We made a stop at the restoration shop where our guides shared some historical insights of the area and trains. We also watched as the front train sat on the rail and was turned 180 degrees. That was something I have never seen before and pretty cool to experience. read more

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What a wonderful way to spend our last day of vacation but with the people on the train ride! Awesome facts shared. Great service from Debbie in car 6. Thank you for a wonderful Sunday afternoon. read more

Nice experience, friendly helpful staff, good food. Fun times on the Christmas Train Experience. We expected the sights out of the window to be more festive and natural, or even view of the pretty downtown areas, but most were run down commercial sites after you left the decorative grounds of the museum. Meal was very good for an excursion meal. The stale pita chips and hummus appetizers didn't really fit the holiday mood and the cold, hard bread provided with the meal was a disappointment. Soft, warm rolls would have been great! All in all a good experience. read more

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum - Riding the Chattanooga Christmas Train - Museums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Experienced the Christmas dinner train. The ambiance was probably what you'd expect. Retired Pullman car was a unique dining experience. Food was outstanding, as was the service from a period dressed waiter and conductor. Definitely worth doing! read more

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We went on the 6 hour Chickamauga Turn Train Ride Sunday. The 90 hour stop in Chickamauga was fun even though it was drizzling rain. The passenger seats were turned around while we were out shopping, which led to some entertaining people (passenger)-watching when we re-boarded. Our tickets were for the Golden Sand car, which included two wonderful meals in the dining car (breakfast and lunch). The staff was amazing. I wish I remembered the name of the lady who bakes the pastries herself. They were outstanding! Our narrator was phenomenal. He even educated us about the new toilet flushing procedure. Digital toilets on an antique train, what a unique contrast. We had a few stowaways too! Also entertaining. Sometimes it isn't just about the scenery. We'll be going on some more train rides soon! read more

Great value and a good time. Would highly recommend the 1 hour trip if you have small children. Everyone associated was super friendly and we enjoyed tremendously. read more

I loved it. Great to see the train station and step back in time. Train ride was fun and to see the car we were on was built in 47. Tour of the turn around and live working shop were very interesting. Had we visited. read more

First trip! Loved it! We took the short trip! Perfect to experience the train and learn a little history. We were going to take the grandkids 2 & 7 I think the 7 year old might have enjoyed but definitely not the 2 year old. Short trip to turn around, we appreciated the history but don't think the littles would have. The 7 year old maybe but definitely not the 2 year old. Nice trip for the experience read more

I've been to TVRMA a few times, but this review is based off of the Christmas dinner train. This was almost a $300 experience for two, so expectations were high. The trip was supposed to have four courses, but only three were severed - soup, main dish and a dessert. There was bread on the table when we arrived, so I guess they're using that as a course but it was served cold and stale. The potato and leak soup was honestly the best part of the meal. The main dishes we got were shrimp and grits - sort spicy and shrimp served as tails on. The burgundy beef was basically a fatty pot roast that was far too salty. Limp green beans and okay potatoes finished it off. Dessert, the apple cobbler was VERY dry and the Oreo whiskey cake was just meh. The ride itself isn't anything pretty to look at as most of it is super dark out so you cannot see anything and as another reviewer stated, it shows mostly dilapidated buildings. The way to the stopping point is a slow moving train, but the drive back is much faster so everything is served on the way to the Main Street area. Servers were nice, but didn't add anything to the experience. read more

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Absolutely Unforgettable - The Hiwassee River Rail Adventure is Pure Magic! I hadn't been on a real train in years, so when I spotted an Instagram video of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Hiwassee River excursion, I knew it was the perfect way to celebrate my mom's birthday. We made the 3-hour drive from home, and let me tell you - it was 100% worth every mile! We timed our trip for a Friday in mid-November, after hearing the fall colors were peaking a bit late this year. With just enough leaves fallen, the views of the majestic Hiwassee River opened up dramatically through the trees. Riding midday was key: the sunlight danced across the water, creating that breathtaking "jewel effect" John Muir raved about over 150 years ago when he walked these very banks: "My path all to-day led me along the leafy banks of the Hiwassee, a most impressive mountain river... Such a river is the Hiwassee, with its surface broken to a thousand sparkling gems, and its forest walls vine-draped and flowery as Eden." He wasn't exaggerating - the river truly sparkled like a thousand gems under the autumn sun, framed by the rugged gorge and Cherokee National Forest. It felt like stepping into a living postcard (or Eden itself!). This was the very last Hiwassee Loop trip of the season, and tickets were down to the final four when I booked - we ended up in coach class, but it was perfectly comfortable. The roughly 4-hour round-trip journey (50 miles through the stunning lower Hiwassee Gorge) flew by. We wandered freely between cars, snapped incredible photos and videos from the open-air vestibules (fresh mountain air + epic vistas = perfection), and soaked in the engineering marvel of the historic Hiwassee Loop where the tracks spiral over themselves. The staff were fantastic - friendly, hilarious, and full of fascinating stories about the railroad's history, the local area, and the wildlife along the route. This isn't just a train ride; it's a one-of-a-kind adventure that blends nostalgia, nature, and pure joy. If you're debating it... book it now! You won't regret experiencing one of the most scenic rail journeys in the Southeast. Highly recommend for families, nature lovers, history buffs, or anyone needing a memorable escape. We'll be back! read more

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We went as a group of 6 with seats in the dome. From the time we checked in til the time we headed home, the employees were very nice. The dome was in an upper car with about 24 seats (it might have been 32). As we checked in the employee told us he had reserved seats for our group of 6 and gave us directions to where we needed to head on the train. Very easy. With our Dome seats, we each got a box of snacks (peanuts, moon pie, snickers, potato chips, etc.) as well as soda or water. Very nice. Before we arrived in the town of Copperhill, we were given access to a binder of restaurants in the town. We chose the Mexican restaurant for carry out and then went to the Copperhill Brewery to enjoy our lunch with some beers. On the way back we switched sides with the folks across the aisle so we could see the view from the other side of the train. It was a full day 9:30am to 5:30pm but we enjoyed the ride, beautiful views and conversation with our friends. read more

My daughter and I took the dinner train and loved it! The food was great and the service was beyond exceptional. It was a two hour train ride with a 3 course meal. We chose steak tips and grilled Mahi-Mahi. Everything was perfect! A+ read more

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum - Museums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Missionary Ridge Local Train Ride - Ultimate Experience If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind rail experience, look no further than the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga! We took the Missionary Ridge Local Train Ride and made it the Ultimate Experience by riding in the cab with the engineer--and WOW, what a ride! Being in the cab gave us a front-row seat to the action as we rolled through the historic 1858 Missionary Ridge Tunnel, crossed multiple bridges, and soaked in the sights and sounds of the golden age of rail travel. At the East Chattanooga Depot, instead of stepping off like the rest of the passengers, we stayed in the cab and watched as they rotated the locomotive on the historic turntable--absolutely fascinating to witness from the engineer's vantage point. Afterward, we got a behind-the-scenes tour of the railroad restoration shop, which was a major highlight. Seeing where and how these beautiful machines are maintained and restored gave us a new appreciation for the passion and craftsmanship that goes into preserving rail history. This place is a gem for train lovers, history buffs, and anyone looking for a unique and immersive experience. We can't recommend the cab ride enough--it made our visit unforgettable! read more

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Really fun experience for young and old. Staff was exceptional. Prices are very reasonable. Big long lasting memories read more

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum - Happy customer - Museums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

I have been wanting to come here for 2 years for their Christmas dinner train and finally was able to do it in 2024. I thought it was a bit expensive at $120 per person plus tax, but we ended up read more

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Museum is somewhat informative but not really focused on the history of trains. There are several train cars that you can see next door but you cannot touch. The museum is very minimal ($10 worth). I'm a lover of trains but would not recommend this place if you are interested in learning the history in an interactive way. read more

Not impressed! Took my fiance on the dinner train last night for his birthday. Train ride was very slow and no Scenery to enjoy. The food was not anything to brag about. Paid extra for the Pullman car. Overall very disappointed. Definitely not worth the price. Only thing good was the service. read more

Had a great experience at the TVRM. Very informative and fun. Learned a bit about Missionary Ridge. Was definitely worth the visit. They have a nice souvenir shop and small restaurant with affordable food prices. They have many trip options but they are seasonal so check often. read more

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My only complaint: As long as I'm spending $50/person to spend some time with you, and as long as you're feeding me fluids (tea) make sure you have working toilets in the building. Yes, even if it's Memorial Day weekend. That being said, my wife and I had a wonderful time. We went for 11am tea, and then for a short train ride where we got to see the back shop and several trains under repair. We love trains, so this was a real treat. They want you there early for the tea experience, which is a very quiet, intimate, and delicious tea. Warm scones and hand-made pimiento cheese are waiting for you at the table when you get there. You've got the standard accoutrements at the table: some jelly, lemon curd, clotted cream, heavy cream for the tea, and a sugar bowl with simple, granulated sugar in it. You can choose from a broad selection of non-caffeinated herbal teas or caffeinated tea blends that come to your table piping hot. And shortly after you choose your tea, the menu of foods arrive on a three-tiered stand. I loved the quiche, the soup & sandwich was a real crowd pleaser, and the chicken salad really deserved its own headline. You can even take home some tea (leaves) and scones if you want. But don't dawdle after tea. Get downstairs to board the train for a quick excursion through some woods and through a tunnel, and to the rail/repair yard with an actual, working turntable. First of all, it's a real steam train, running on coal, and producing lots of smoke and steam, which you'll smell if you're riding in the open-air compartment. The locomotive is massive. I loved it. That particular excursion was a nice teaser for the other railroad experiences they offer. We'll certainly go back for more. Holler if you're coming with. read more

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Chattanooga Choo-Choo! I had never ridden a real train (aside from Univeral's Hogwarts Express. lol) until now! It was a super cool experience to see so many historic trains refurbished and running! We arrived early enough to eat lunch in the cafe, visit the museum, and board our train. The cafe wasn't much at all, but they offered hamburgers/hotdogs/corndogs and chips. The staff was so friendly. The museum admission is included with a train ticket. The museum was less than impressive. The artifacts seemed random and many didn't have historical tags or informations. Just some old train dioramas and random displays that were probably donated-- I am glad the ticket covered our train and not just the museum. We got tickets to board the Missionary Ridge Local. This is a 65 minute experience with a 15 min train ride to East Chattanooga, 25 min layover, and 15 min back to Grand Junction. The entire ride is filled with a guide talking about the history of trains, the track, and surrounding land. The layover included a backstage tour of their restoration warehouse and turntable demonstration. Overall, it was a pretty cool experience. You can't ride trains around these parts of Tennessee much anymore today. It was cool to step back into history and ride the rails. read more

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This was a great fun trip. My wife and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary together today and really enjoyed ourselves. It was the Hiawassee loop train ride. We were in the observation car, which at booking I thought was the upper observation seats. But ended up being the lower car seats. After seeing the upper seats they had 3-4 people sitting at tables, and it looked really crammed. I was glad we ended up with the lower car seats. We were in there with 2 other couples so we had plenty of room, they even left us turn the chairs around to have a better view. They have many different train rides and lengths. We are going to do the Christmas train trip next year. read more

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We went on the Valentines Dinner on the Diner. If you are going just to experience a dinner on a train you will enjoy the ride. If you are wanting a good dinner I would recommend eating before you arrive. The best I can give is a C- on the food and that's being generous. The service I will give an A+. Definitely not worth price but it does go for a worthy cause of maintaining the TVRM. There are a lot of good places to eat in Chattanooga but this is not one of them. read more

Our family purchased tickets for the Polar Express train ride several months in advance. For the five of us, the cost was over $200. There is plenty of parking at the railroad facility. The building is very small for the amount of people who are there, as a heads up, with a tiny gift shop and a small waiting room with benches to stay out of the cold. The boarding process had well-labeled lines and was fast and organized. The staff inside and out of the train were friendly, helpful, and full of holiday cheer and cheesy jokes. :-) The ride itself was very underwhelming, even for our kiddos. We thought the ride would be themed after the Polar Express book and movie, but it was not, as a heads up. Before the train took off, they did hand out cocoa and cookies and and attendant read a random Christmas story in an admittedly monotone voice. The train very slowly made its way to "The North Pole," seeing a minute amount of lights on the way in one spot. The North Pole consisted of an old abandoned building wrapped in vinyl "Santa's Waehouse"-the R was missing lol, a few light displays and an arch that Santa stood under and waived. The Santa was wonderful. He came into our train car and spent ample time with each child aboard, asking questions and handing out bells. He even told the kids that he loved them and posed for photos. So sweet! The personalized time was great, but I wish the attendants had led the other kids in a singalong or read another Christmas story while they awaited their turns. After Santa leaves, the train goes backwards the way it came. Note that you are not allowed to use bathrooms on the train, and they lock the outdoor bathrooms outside the train depot, so you will need to use restrooms inside the train station, if needed, upon arrival. While we are glad we tried this experience, we will not be doing it again. We have experienced a better Christmas train elsewhere. read more

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So much fun, so romantic. The food, desserts and service was amazing, will definitely be back

This ride was a great experience for us. The parking was at the train so no searching for parking or walking a long distance. The coach car we rode in was well kept and air-conditioned for comfort. The seats were comfortable as well. The snacks were more than peanuts. The river views and natural scenery was beautiful. Your views will differ during different seasons of the year. We actually saw where a wildfire had been close the week before. We were entertained by a banjo player and ukulele player. They were great and added a wonderful touch to the experience. Josh knew so much about the area and pointed out things of interest. He also questions we had. I feel like the staff went above and beyond as we were running a couple of minutes behind and I spoke with someone by phone to let them know. Josh actually called to check our ETA. We actually made it before we thought we would so it all worked out well. We will definitely be riding again when we travel again to the area. I would enjoy the winter views as well. read more

My wife and I rode the Hiwassee Loop trip and enjoyed it very much. The reservation system was easy to use and kept us informed about the upcoming trip. Parking is right next to where you board the train with the boarding process easy and quick. We were walked to our car and all the amenities were explained as we walked our way through the various cars. The trip was beautiful and the history of the area over the loudspeaker was informative and amusing. Very relaxing and every employee on the train was genuinely helpful and pleasant. We look forward to trying some of the other trips offered in the area. read more

We had so much fun! The food was fantastic and the staff were wonderful. I highly recommend the holiday dinner ride to everyone. read more

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum - Museums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Disappointed. A trip that my parents and I were looking forward to because my son is OBSESSED with trains was far from what we expected. The small things are what impacted it the most. Yes, the train ride was great, but directional signage upon arrival not relevant to current operations, customer service inconsistent, staff difficult to identify, and professionalism lacking. "Interpretive" guides using language like "piece of junk" immediately put a bad taste in my mouth I won't be recommending this experience. Could it be better yes, but training and development of staff and guides would be influential to keeping returning guests. read more

Purchased the extra ticket to ride in the engine on the outbound leg. It was fun and educational and I got to stay in the engine during the rotation on the turn table. read more

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum - Sitting at the controls. - Museums Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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This was not a good experience for us. We had visitors from out of town and thought it would be fun to relive a little bit Chattanooga's railroading history. But, it didn't work out. We arrived early planning to visit the museum while we waited. Unfortunately, that was not a good plan. While they have quite a few railroad cars, you are not allowed to access them. They even block off the paths between them. The depot is nice, but it isn't really a museum as there are few exhibits. We were supposed to board at 10:50 am. No train. We were supposed to depart at 11:00 am. No train. Finally, at 11:15 am, we were advised that there was a problem with the track. The train was about 15-20 minutes away, but they did not know when it would start moving towards us. So, we were then faced with sitting there not knowing if the train was ever going to make it that day. Since this was our guests' last day in town, we chose to leave. The receptionist was the saving grace. She was poised, calmly shared the little information she had, and offered us a refund if we chose not to stay. She was very apologetic. read more