Randomly came across this park with the carousel and they were doing free rides! Fun for kids and…read morecool vintage style carousel!

A carousel with history, it was constructed in 1894 in Philly by the renowned Dentzel Company and…read morelater its pieces were sent to Chattanooga and restored by Bud Ellis. Maintenance today is now done by Larry Ridge and his volunteers on a monthly basis. This antique carousel has a lot of character & its intricate detail and craftsmanship is evident. It's a carousel for all ages, for the young and the young at heart. Located in Coolidge Park, Payment is a $1, credit card only. The payment machine is to the right close to the fencing. Punch in the number of tickets you want to purchase and then insert your credit card and leave it in (it takes a while- be patient) until it states to remove it. Be sure to have your tickets on hand. There is an employee manning the entrance to ride the carousel. The ride itself is sheltered from the elements & a bathroom is located in the same building. I found it really fun and entertaining as an adult.

What a beautiful park the water features absolutely awesome. I wish when I was a kid this place was…read moreavailable. What a fun way to spend very hot summers in a safe and beautiful environment. The only bummer was, I checked their website to see if it was dog friendly and there was no information. The park is dog friendly, but the water feature is not so if you're looking for a place to cool your dog down this isn't it. Overall, it's a beautiful place and very well maintained. I'll definitely be back to walk him around the grounds and continue the hunt for something more suited for him water wise.

I thought this park was beautiful and charming right along the river with an old school carousel…read moreinside a building just for it, with spotless and large bathroom facilities, plenty of parking, walking paths, and an awesome outdoor water fountain/element for children. The day I visited last month was extremely sunny and hot and there were children playing and enjoying the water fountain with tons of families. I loved this park and the location close to the shops and restaurants along Frazier leads to a day where you can enjoy the park and get lunch or dinner after.

Wow! This place has been around a while, from a local news story "... just like every year since…read more1957, "the Kiddie Carnival" will be held at the Lions Club property in Athens (this month)..." tickets are 50 cents a ride for 10 rides ideally for children ages 2-10 years old. My daughter's friend is the owner (?) and we were invited to a private party for the owner's children to hang out and enjoy our two grands. The train is cute. (The horn got was too loud for our almost-2 year old grandson and he did not enjoy that part of the train ride). The hosts provided Whitt's BBQ, birthday cupcakes, and bottled water so it looks like you can bring in food and drinks for a private event. Three stars because this is a service-organization run park and the proceeds from the annual kiddie carnival go towards deserving high school students scholarships. The article I read states there are 10 rides at the park. However, out of the 10, maybe 4 were functional (don't quote me). Still if you are 2-4 this is fun. The train worked great, the "scrambler" worked (but a poor little girl got stung by a hornet when riding it), and the "big swings" worked. Out of order were: the "little swings," "the cars", and "the carousel" - I think they had a roller coaster that did not appear to be working either. Maybe the rides were just not turned on or something, the day we went, because when I look through the google photos from past Kiddie Carnivals everything appears to be working. Our toddler grandson still enjoyed sitting in the various cute little cars and his Dad and my husband (along with some other Dads) pushed the carousel for the grands. This was good enough for the little grands, and I'm grateful my husband works out, because it looked to be a lot of work, especially in the June heat. I pushed a couple of girls in the "little swings." They have a decent sized (maybe seats 2 dozen + people) covered pavilion and a brick building that likely has a kitchen area and also houses the restrooms (I didn't go in there) - this is where they host bingo for the KC. If you are in the area and have toddlers, want some cheap entertainment and a good workout for yourself as you will be pushing them on the nonfunctional rides, and want to support a good cause, the Athens Lion's Club Kiddie Carnival is for you. Free parking across the street and they have concessions, too. More details about the carnival are here https://whnt.com/news/athens-lions-club-welcomes-long-running-kiddie-carnival/

This is a really cool park. It was decorated for Christmas but we were there during the day. Down…read moreby the river there are a mirage of ducks. There is a food stand where you can put a quarter in and get a handful of corn to feed them. Do that and they will follow you around. They were well behaved ducks, not obnoxious in any way. We were here in December. There are concessions, merry go round and little train that would. E operating in the summer. We were just traveling thru after visiting the Helen Keller house and grounds and happened to find this park. Glad we did.

An amazing park to while away a bit of time. I especially liked the waterfall.the setting is serene…read morewith fountains, water wheels, ducks, a statue to commemorate the Trail of Tears and more besides the waterfalls. The park was quite busy on my day there. It was a particularly beautiful Tursday afternoon and people were just enjoying being alive and spending time in this beautiful park. Large trees kept the sun at bay in places, plus provided a beautiful contrast to walking through nature's landscape, walking between brilliant sunshine and the serene calmness of a step in the shadows. I sit in a little picnic area as I write this, enjoying not only the scenery that surrounds me and the calming sound of the waterfall, but the calmness that this park evoked within me, a realization how brilliant the gift of life truly is.

North Shore is probably my favorite area in Chattanooga. Home to so many things to do and see…read more Fraizer St. is filled with shops, galleries and food choices. North shore gives access to Renaissance Park, Coolidge Park and Walnut Bridge. The area is filled with full-service restaurants as well as grab and go food. Don't forget all the specialty treats! Ice cream, snow ones, boba tea, smoothies and more. Plus there's free and cheap things to do! Coolidge Park offers water feature you can cool off in. A beautiful historic carousel plus bike and tech rentals. The area is also home of the dance steps sidewalks, Chattanooga Theatre Center, Escape Rooms and public art. It's a Chattanooga district with pretty much everything!

Unique shops and restaurants. 2 hour street parking. We visited 4 distinct Chattanooga…read moreneighborhoods and this one had the most retailers.

I didn't expect to enjoy Rock City as much as I did and I almost didn't come bc it was 97 degrees…read morelast month while I was in town. I'm so glad I googled and saw that it's about 90% shade in the beautiful natural rock formations and caves that make up the majority of the park. Plenty of parking, charming location, and gorgeous natural scenery and rock with the park built to complement and draw upon what nature has already done. I was alone, but plan to bring my two-year old back in a few years when she's old enough to enjoy this, I think she will absolutely love it. Lover's Leap is stunning and my favorite of the 4 paths was Hall of the Mountain King. This place is amazing. Touristy? Sure. But worth it. You can tell the amount of attention to detail and love that went into developing every part of this place. Nothing is looked over. Even the sidewalks have small design elements built in. Love! This brought me back to the years of my childhood spent climbing rocks and building dams in our creek in rural Virginia. Let the imagination run wild!

The hike doesn't feel like a hike at all. Stairs are built in. Creative and fun. I feel like this…read moreis a place where artist came together and was able to express their creativity. The only notice I'll give is that there are some points where you have to be thin to pass through. I am sure there is another way around but I didn't look.

Nice enough river walk located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I enjoyed my walk along the river as the…read moresun slowly set. Ultimately, the Chattanooga Riverfront is worth checking out.

Kids had so much fun playing in the water in front of the aquarium and down the steps…read more There were groups of moms and littles. Toys and all.

This large Sculpture park is gorgeous and a big surprise to me while visiting Chattanooga last…read moremonth. It's a free park about 10 minutes drive from downtown with 33 acres to roam on gravel/dirt paths to see a few dozen large-scale sculptures from some world-renowned artists. I really enjoyed myself on a lazy afternoon here and some of these sculptures are incredibly interesting and detailed. Easy to find and a large parking lot with a restroom available.

This place is SO COOL. We had some time to kill in the afternoon before we grabbed dinner with some…read morefriends, and this came up as a spot to visit. It's free and a great way to spend some time outside. You do not need hiking boots for this - you will be fine in a pair of tennis shoes or closed-toe shoes. It's an easy meander through a grass field. Full of tons of sculptures - we spent a little over an hour here looking at all of the sculptures. We saw other people come with items for a picnic, so I think it would also be a perfect spot for an afternoon picnic or to sit and read a book.

Maybe this was something great in the last, but we drove through and it was about 3 houses with…read morelights. Still nice that someone posted to keep the memory of their neighbor.

Definitely an annual tradition in Huntsville. It started years ago when Joe Lanza put up the most…read morefestive Christmas display in town. Each year he would add something new, whether it was a sleigh with life size reindeer, a carousel of Christmas Carolers, or the Classic Manger with the Happy Birthday Jesus sign. Then one of the neighbors down the street caught the bug and suddenly there were two ornate Christmas displays to make this little loop of a street the most festive in town. Each year was more festive than the last with Santa and live reindeer making appearances and lights draped over the street. Mr. Lanza passed away a few years ago, but his family has kept his traditions alive, including the special radio station, which now is in synch with the lights so that the displays dance with the music. I suggest you get in line right at dark, any night after Thanksgiving. It gets better and more ornate the closer you get to Christmas, but it also gets more crowded. The other houses in the neighborhood have done their best to add to the festivities - bless their hearts - it's not the best time of year to live on Horseshoe Trail if you're even in a hurry to leave your house!