Chattanooga is home to an eclectic mix of museums
One museum’s failure was another museum’s success recently as it was announced that the Charles H. Coolidge Medal of Honor Museum would occupy 19,000 square feet of space next door to the Tennessee Aquarium. The space was going to house the Chattanooga History Center, but that concept never came to fruition. The opening of the Medal of Honor Museum is scheduled for February, 2020. In the meantime, there are many other museums in Chattanooga. Here are a few of our favorites.
One of the best is one of the newest. Songbirds Guitar Museum at the Chattanooga Choo Choo opened to much fanfair, aided by celebrity ambassador Vince Gill. The museum is home to a collection of guitars from the 1920s to the 1970s on permanent display and rotating exhibits of specialized guitars to keep the museum’s collection fresh.
While some think museums are stuffy places that just concentrate on history, Songbirds is anything but…with frequent events and concerts that keep their corner of the old Union Station hopping. Upcoming concerts by Edwin McCain, David Wilcox, and Paul Thorn will keep August as hot as a summer in the city should be.
The Hunter Museum of American Art in the Bluff View Art District boasts an astounding collection of works by artists from all over the country. The buildings housing the art are as varied and eclectic as the collection. From a grand southern mansion to an ultra-modern wing with sweeping lines and breathtaking vistas, a visit to the Hunter is a treat not to be missed.
Shortly after the automobile was invented was the first crash. Historically, Chattanooga is credited as the place where the tow truck—or, rather, a towing and recovery vehicle—was invented by Ernest Holmes, Sr.
The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum started out more than 20 years ago as an old tow truck hauled around to industry trade shows across the country. Now, it exists in a spacious building on South Broad Street with a collection of old, new, unique and historic recovery vehicles and maintains the Hall of Fame of notable professionals and a Wall of the Fallen to honor those who have lost their lives in pursuit of their profession.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is so much more than static displays of historic steam and diesel engines, Pullman cars and coal tenders. History comes alive with frequent excursions all year long, allowing riders to experience the unique feeling of riding the rails behind a powerful locomotive. From short runs like the daily Missionary Ridge Local to longer dinner trips like the seasonal Summerville Steam Special, there are ample opportunities to experience transportation with style.
Children learn best with their hands. This is the guiding principle of the Creative Discovery Museum. This hands-on, fun, learning museum gives kids of every age an opportunity to learn without realizing they’re learning. For the youngest visitors, the PlayGym provides multi-sensory stimulation for developing motor, cognitive and social skills. For older children, science comes to life in the Science Theater where children first witness spectacular demonstrations of physical and chemical phenomena, then get to put that new knowledge to use.
Chattanooga’s history as a southern city that saw its share of action in the Civil War means that African-Americans have a very unique story to tell of their lives here. But the Chattanooga African-American Museum goes back much farther into history than that…and looks at how the culture fared before, during and following that conflict. It looks at the many businesses that were minority-owned, even in the late 1800s.
And visitors learn about communities surrounding Chattanooga that were founded and run by African-Americans. The museum is located in the Bessie Smith Hall, so be sure to learn all about the Empress of Soul, who was born and raised in Chattanooga while there.
Probably the most outrageous museum in the Scenic City is Wayne-O-Rama. Named for Wayne White, a Chattanooga native who made his mark on the art world in a big way. If you’re of a certain age, you have seen White’s work on TV. He was the mind behind the bizarre world occupied by Pee-Wee Herman on Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.
White designed the set and created the puppets used in the production, arguably one of the most innovative shows on television. White calls Wayne-O-Rama a history funhouse and includes artwork and sculpture depicting Civil War generals to other Chattanooga natives such as Samuel L. Jackson, Cherokee leader Sequoyah and New York Times (and Chattanooga Times) founder Adolph Ochs.
There are plenty more great museums to visit in Chattanooga as well. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, the 6th Cavalry Museum in nearby Lafayette, are but a few of the many museums, large and small, that bring history, culture and art to life every day.