Downtown Chattanooga sits on the south bank of the Tennessee River. The Tennessee Riverwalk runs the length of the downtown riverfront, and many of the city’s best-known sights sit along it.
Start at the river
Start at Ross’s Landing. The riverfront park sits at the center of it all, with an amphitheater, a pier, a playground, a marina, and a walkway along the water. The Tennessee Aquarium opened beside it in 1992, and the blocks around the aquarium on Broad and Market Streets are built for people on foot.
The Walnut Street Bridge crosses the river to North Shore. Built in 1890, it was the first non-military highway bridge over the Tennessee River. It closed to cars in 1978, a community campaign saved it, and in 1993 it reopened as a walking bridge. From the Riverwalk, you can reach it by the ramp and footbridge at the Hunter Art Museum.
A little history
After the 1867 flood, the city raised streets such as 7th Street and Broad Street, and some of the old storefronts were left below the new street level. Lincoln Park, east of Central Avenue off 3rd Street, is a long-established neighborhood park with deep roots in the city’s history. Across the river, Moccasin Bend is managed by the National Park Service and has public nature trails.
Getting around without a car
CARTA’s Downtown Shuttle is free and comes every 10 minutes. It runs 6:30 AM to 11 PM on weekdays, 9:30 AM to 11 PM on Saturdays, and 9:30 AM to 8:30 PM on Sundays, and it stops at downtown attractions, the convention center, shops, and hotels. Use it to hop between stops. Regular CARTA buses cost $1.50 a ride, a 24-hour pass costs $6, and you can buy tickets in the Token Transit app.
Before you choose downtown
The city’s plan rates downtown highly for walking to grocery stores, parks, and trailheads. Downtown also tends to mean less space and more activity than the neighborhoods farther out, so spend an evening there before you decide.
Transit times and fares come from the city’s 2024 transit study, and places come from the Plan Chattanooga planning documents. Schedules change, so check CARTA before you ride.