Chattanooga Underground History Exploration Tour

This guided tour of Underground Chattanooga delves into the hidden history beneath the city's streets. Over the course of 2-3 hours, participants will journey through time, exploring the remnants of the old city buried below the modern landscape. The tour combines historical insights, architectural exploration, and local legends, offering a unique perspective on Chattanooga's past.

Meeting Point

River Walk Bridge

1258-1298 TN-58, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Meet your guide at the Ice Cream shop at the end of the walking bridge.

What's included:

• Guide

What to expect:

Duration: 4 hours, 5 minutes

Choo Choo Centennial Theatre

1400 Market St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

The tour begins at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, a historic train station that symbolizes the city’s connection to the railroad industry. Your guide will introduce you to Chattanooga’s early days, focusing on the 19th century when the city was rapidly expanding due to its strategic location. The Choo Choo serves as a gateway to understanding why and how Chattanooga became an important transportation hub. The guide will explain the city’s unique problem of recurring floods and the radical decision to elevate the streets in the 1870s, effectively creating a hidden underground layer of the old city.

30 minutes

Patten Parkway

Patten Pkwy, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Next, the tour moves to Patten Parkway, a significant site where the underground network begins. Here, you'll learn about the original street levels that now lie beneath modern Chattanooga. The guide will provide context about the flood of 1867, which prompted the city to raise the streets, leaving behind the former cityscape buried below. You’ll get a sense of how life once thrived on these now-hidden streets and how this drastic change altered the city’s development.

40 minutes

Chattanooga

Chattanooga, Tennessee

The tour then takes you to several access points that reveal the underground tunnels and basements. These areas are the most tangible evidence of the old street levels. The guide will lead you through sections where you can see remnants of the old storefronts, sidewalks, and other architectural features from the past. This part of the tour is filled with fascinating stories about the underground’s use during different eras, including its role during Prohibition when it housed speakeasies and other illicit activities. The hidden nature of these spaces adds an element of mystery and intrigue to the tour.

45 minutes

Old Stone Church Tower

Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

**4. The Old Stone Church: As you continue, you’ll visit one of Chattanooga’s oldest surviving structures, partially buried by the elevated streets. The Old Stone Church stands as a testament to the city’s resilience and adaptability. The guide will delve into the church’s history, its architectural significance, and its role in the community during the 19th century. This stop highlights how some of Chattanooga’s most important landmarks were affected by the city’s transformation.

30 minutes

Walnut Street Bridge

200 Frazier Ave, , Chattanooga, 37405, Tennessee

The tour then takes a scenic turn as you walk across the Walnut Street Bridge, one of the world’s longest pedestrian bridges. As you enjoy views of the Tennessee River, your guide will explain the bridge’s historical significance and its connection to the underground. The bridge played a vital role in linking the river trade with the city above, contributing to the layered history of Chattanooga. This segment provides a beautiful and reflective moment in the tour, contrasting the underground’s hidden nature with the open vistas of the river.

30 minutes

Chattanooga

Chattanooga, Tennessee

As the tour heads back toward the starting point, your guide will share some of the ghost stories and legends associated with Underground Chattanooga. This part of the tour introduces the darker side of the city’s history, with tales of Civil War soldiers, victims of floods, and other tragic figures whose spirits are said to linger in the underground. These stories add a haunting and emotional layer to the tour, leaving participants with a lasting impression of Chattanooga’s past.

35 minutes

Choo Choo Centennial Theatre

1400 Market St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

The tour concludes back at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, where participants can ask any final questions and reflect on what they’ve learned. The guide will recap the tour’s highlights, emphasizing the significance of Underground Chattanooga in the broader context of the city’s history. Participants leave with a deeper understanding of the city’s unique past and the hidden world beneath its streets.

35 minutes