Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum

This was one of the highlights of our trip. We were not planning to go. It was spur of the moment. Around 10:30am I saw they had a train that would leave the station at 11am and we were about 9 minutes away. My husband didn’t really want to at first but was so glad I convinced him after. We waited to buy tickets at the station. They punch your tickets which is cool. The one we did was a 15 minute ride, then a turntable demonstration (which was super cool!) and some historical information which was really interesting, before the ride back. If I read the name badge correctly from my pictures, Jack Peterson was the one giving the information and you could tell he really knew his stuff and enjoyed his job. He did a fantastic job projecting his voice when the microphone was having issues which made the microphone situation not a problem at all. The views were gorgeous as well. I can’t say enough how thoroughly I enjoyed this experience and we’re hoping to bring the kids next time!! (Jack, thanks again for letting me get a picture of you with my daughter’s stuffed strawberry!)

We had a fantastic experience! We booked the Valentines Day Sweet Treat weekend package. We had slight trouble with our booking and thought we selected the treat box, but must have done something wrong. We contacted the support number during our train tour and Mathew was exceptionally kind! We were able to receive a snack box and had an exciting tour. Zach was funny, kind and personable. The woman in the gift shop who assisted us with our booking helped show us how to rectify our mistake on her phone for the next booking. Everyone was so kind and we had an amazing experience, this would be friendly to all ages and parking was a breeze. We drove all the way from Nashville after seeing online ads for this railroad and will come back for other events again! We enjoyed our Valentine’s Day event. Thank you!

Super fun morning! We did the High Tea & train ride. The food was great, the tea was yummy & the train ride was fun & educational. Our conductors & engineer were just amazing. Will definitely do this again. Good fun for young ones & adults alike!

It was fun! We went for the lighted excursion on New Years Eve. It lasted about an hour from start to finish. We got to see the train engine do a 180° turn on a turntable. The crew was enthusiastic and helpful. They knew so much about the history of the train, cars, railway, the tunnel, the city, etc! Everyone there truly seems like they love and enjoy their jobs! I can't wait to explore the other rides they host! I'd love to participate in a longer train ride in the future!

My wife and I had a fantastic experience at tennessee valley railroad museum period we enjoyed the dinner in the depot and train ride. everything was top-notch. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. Jermaine and Jacob were especially friendly and attentive. The conductor was knowledgeable. And the entire staff was welcoming. Riding the train and seeing the turntable in action made for a unique and memorable outage! Highly recommend!

The over all experience was wonderful and quaint. The food was of excellent quality! The staff warm friendly and caring. The ride was pleasant and peaceful. My only disappointment was the seeming lack of complete communication amongst the staff. My wife has Gluten sensitivity issues and this was clearly communicated to the point of contact but this didn't appear to make it all the way to the wait staff. Even though in the end the staff did make extra effort to take care of it all, it was worrisome in the beginning.

Our conductor, Justin, did a fabulous job. You could tell he was passionate about protecting, restoring and maintaining these treasures from history. His humor, knowledge and joy in presenting made the visit an absolute blast. Sad we weren't here to ride the steam engine, but that's just a great excuse to keep coming back!

We did the holiday light Christmas train after Christmas on the 27th. It was specifically designed to be able to see so many Christmas lights by the way the Internet described it. It sounded amazing. The train ride was wonderful. The staff was great and it was enjoyable however, there were not many lights to see at all. We pretty much chitchatted in the train the whole time and just enjoyed the ride because there wasn’t much to look at it was kind of disappointing to be honest.

We had so much fun during our visit with St. Nick! Music was great, servers were great, lights were great, weather was freezing! We loved it!

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.

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

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.

Took the dinner train, upscale dinner setting with white table cloths. No wine available but you may be able to bring your own so I will call and ask next time.

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.

Nice museum good displays, there is a small cafe for food and drink makes for great experience

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.

What a hidden gem in Chattanooga! For our visit, we purchased the Christmas Tea with a train ride experience. The high tea was in a lovely holiday setting with great service, delicious food and a savory tea selection. Each party has its own table and the room is fairly intimate and inviting while not being too large or loud. After the tea, we had a conductor guided one hour train ride experience which included seeing the train engine on a working turntable, visiting the mechanic's shop for the trains and more. Well worth the price and highly recommend it! Will definitely do this again!

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.

This was a great trip! I traveled solo from Chattanooga to Summerville yet met several nice people in my observation car. The scenery was awesome. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Jacob, especially had an answer to every question posed to him. My ticket included breakfast and lunch. The food was gourmet and attractively presented in the formal dining room. I plan to go again in the fall to see the leaves change.

This experience was totally amazing! From the food to the service it was the best! Surpised my 77 year old mom with this - could not have been a better time.

We took a visiting friend to the Tennessee Valley Railroad "NIghtcap with Santa" ride last night and we had a great time. Compliments to all the staff that obviously put their heart and soul into this. The grounds, the trains, the dining car and the station that we traveled to were all beautifully decorated. The service staff were friendly and so helpful in taking photos upon request and in serving the terrific selection of adult beverages or virgin drinks. A visit from Santa at the station stop was just wonderful, even for a carful of adults (no kids on this dining car) Again, we were given plenty of opportunity for photo opts and Santa himself was a real charming personality. The snack box was also thoughful prepared and presented and just right for the time on the train. I would definitely do this ride again and look forward to their other tours in the coming summer. JOB WELL DONE!!!

Took our grandchildren on the train to the North Pole, it was great. 15 min train ride to the "north pole" with hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies for everyone. Upon arrival your greeted with waving elves and a on train visit with the man himself. Plenty of time with photo ops , didn't seem rushed at all. Grandkids really seemed to enjoy it.

Loved the train ride. Loved the tour guide who humorously led our group, and educated us about the last train built and owned by TVA. I love history, I loved the preserved trains..... would have liked to hear a little about the 'missionary ridge' and its history..... but the trains and history was amazing as was the train ride.... And watching the turn table was way amazing. Loved the gift shop. It was stocked, fairly priced. The museum was.... Eh! Loved the effort and the relics, but the museum didn't do anything for me.

I was disappointed to find that the availability on the North Pole Limited had been drastically reduced from prior years when we bad enjoyed this magical train ride with our grandchildren. We decided to go ahead and try the new Daylight Express. At $240+, we were seriously underwhelmed by this event. The elongated pause as we waited for it to be our turn to return to the depot was truly unbelievable. Hot chocolate and cookies would have been good, a story or music too! My five year old grandson knew from past experience what was missing! Why there was no effort to fill this time as the children in our car became increasingly bored was surprising for this event. Many of us returning passengers, having also been unable to find seats on the beloved North Pole Limited were dismayed and disappointed. We have enjoyed Thomas the Train, the Eerie Express and the North Pole Limited annually since 2021 not to mention Dinner on the Diner and the Missionary Ridge local. While I could never recommend the Daylight Express, I hope you will at least tweak it and give other riders a better experience. You are too good for this!

We rode "first class" in the Dome car.  This was our third, most expensive,  and worst train ride experience.  The dome car is supposed to provide excellent views. The windows were filthy dirty. The windows above were covered in filth and mold .  The front and back windows were also filthy.  There was no seeing out of the back window.   There were three windows in our dome car which had actually been cleaned. Basically we paid for first class and had a MUCH WORSE THAN COACH experience.  How can you charge for a first class experience and not bother to clean the windows??  If you can't clean the windows, then pull the dome car out of service. Everyone in our dome  at was complaining about the filth.    What a disappointment. And worse, when the ride was almost complete the host starts begging for more money, and had the nerve to say that he could not get on top of the dome car to clean and needed money for an attachment so the windows could be cleaned.  The whole point of the trip was sightseeing.

Overall, an enjoyable time. The ride to Chickamauga was comfortable, the box lunch was tasty and fresh and basically the same food as the dining car for less money. Great ice cream at the local shop! A stop a the Battlefield in the way back was very interesting. The return trip, however, was a struggle for the air conditioner in our car (#907)! It was in the 90's outside and felt like we were waiting for the button on the Butterball to pop up inside!! Even one of the staff commented on the temperature in our car being "way hotter" than other cars on the train. A good trip at a fair price!

We went on the Nightcap with Saint Nick and loved it! The atmosphere was so festive, the drinks and snacks were wonderful, Santa was super cool and funny and the rest of the crew was very sweet. We also enjoyed the lights and the North Pole! We will be back!

Underwhelmed and disappointed for the price are the best words to describe our visit. Our server, Gage, was the main reason. He couldn't look you in the eye when speaking to you so we felt he just didn't care OR just doesn't like his job. When I asked for a cup of coffee after dinner (because I was cold) he said "right now?". I felt like I was bothering him. When my husband wanted a cup of coffee he brought it and slammed it down on the opposite side of the table spilling quite a bit onto the saucer and walked away. He didn't even offer to clean up the mess so the coffee dripped everywhere. Not to mention the coffee cups were small, not even sure if they would hold 6 oz and it was hard to get a refill. It was FREEZING in our car, uncomfortably so. We asked why and was told they had just fixed the A/C unit, we were told the temp was 64 degrees. This made it hard to enjoy dinner, we were looking forward to being done so we could move to a warmer place on the train. The food portions were small and didn't look like the photos on the website (I wish I had take a photo). Looks like they tried to make the servings look larger by placing them on a small plate. The food was tasty with the exception of the soup (it was bland). The view out the window was awful, all we saw was junk yards, old deteriorating building, graffiti and debris. The best view was the National Cemetery, GOD rest their souls. We knew going in it wasn't supposed to be scenic but this was quite the opposite. We love the idea of dinner on the train but won't be coming back to do this one.

Had an amazing time, the train ride was smooth, the Pullman train was so neat, the food was delicious and the service was excellent. Was a great time, I HIGHLY Recommend the Dinner on the Diner!

Wonderful Mother's Day trip. The staff was amazing, food was wonderful, the ride was nice and relaxing Definitely enjoyed and most definitely will be back. Thank you for a wonderful and memorable experience.

The Holiday Light Train was a complete waste of time!! The description is NOT at all what the experience is like. Literally ZERO lights along the way (unless city lights count), a 15 minute stop basically at a second "gift shop" that was supposed to show you the locomotive turntable, but no instruction on where to go or what to see so everyone just got off and wandered around, then another ride back on the same path to the beginning. Not even any type of narration of history or anything. 10/10 WOULD NOT recommend wasting your time on this.

This review is based on my trip on the Missionary Ridge or short trip. First off, short is correct. In fact you spend almost as much time off the train as you do on it. But you experience a lot. First, the engine is steam. The bells, whistles, steam blasts and other long forgotten characteristics of steam come back to life. Second is that the train is 95 percent of the time being pulled by a forward facing engine. Many short trips run forward then using a siding have the engine pull in reverse back to the station. Here the engine arrives going forward and departs continuing down the line. How you ask??? Third you get to experience a "wye" as you leave the station. Then you go forward to the destination station, the rail yard. There you can get out and watch the engine be rotated on an old turntable. Fourth, while at the turntable people are offered a chance to enter the maintenance shed. Here you learn more about the restoration process and of volunteer opportunities. After being at the rail yard for about 20 minutes it's time to board and head back. The view consists of thick woods, former and current rights of way, some old bridges and a long, dark tunnel that's nearly 170 years old. Basically you get a full blown railroad experience in a smidge over an hour. A great experience!

A wonderful magical time with some of my dear friends! The Christmas Dinner Train Ride was so much fun and we look forward to doing it again!

We took the Missionary Ridge Local ride. Well worth the $25 price. The train station is really cute - feels authentic. The conductor and other crew members were very informative and funny. The train was clean and cool. The demonstration of the engine turntable was very interesting. Ticket included admission to their museum across the parking lot.

We had such a wonderful time riding the North Pole Express with our 4 year old. We have been on 2 other polar express trains over the years with our other boys and this one is so much nicer. Everything from staff to the grounds, this place is very nice. The Santa was so good with kids and did not rush his visit. Such a magical experience.

My wife and I rode on a train with the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. We took the Copperhill Special. We left Delano TN at 9:30 AM and rode along the Hiwassee River Gorge while entertained by a humorous but informative narrative on the area's history and railroads' effect on the times. It was 19 degrees when we boarded but the cars were nice and warm. We journeyed for about 3 hours to Copperhill, Tennessee where we ate lunch and shopped for souvenirs. We rode back sitting on the opposite side of the car so we could see the other side of the scenery. We were also entertained by one of the staff playing(banjo) and singing. We got back to our starting point about 6 PM. We had a great time! I highly recommend catching one of their train rides if you have the opportunity. They have rides that depart from Delano and from Chattanooga.

We got to the depot at 11:40 - plenty of time to park & get tickets for the Missionary Ridge Local 60 minute train ride (15 min. ride each way & 25 min. layover). Our tickets were $40 at the ticket window - we saved $2.50 by buying our Senior Tickets on site instead of online. Our tickets were stamped by Andrew, and we chose seats behind the locomotive. The seats were double in this car - not bench like in the 2 cars we walked through. Two adult were in our passenger car - all the children were behind us in other cars. Matt introduced the crew as the train reversed direction. He was our narrator/tour guide. He explained that the tour would be more about the history of trains, instead of primarily a scenic train trip. Yet we saw beautiful natural scenery on the way to the turntable in East Chattanooga. At the turntable, we watched 1829 enter the turntable to be turned around, and since it was more than 120 tons, the turntable was necessary. While the locomotive went to the front of the passenger cars for the trip back to a Grand Junction, we went to the Backshop to learn about the refurbishment of any and all rail cars and engines. I liked a couple of the signs - about loafing and it CAN be done. On the way back to the cars, we used the bathrooms. They were clean, and had supplies, including soap, paper towels & toilet paper. This time, for the trip back, we sat in a car with the cushioned bench seats. Matt pointed out a nest with geese and their eggs. But we didn't see it. Too late! Back at Grand Junction, we shopped at the gift shop (Christmas ornament to remember today) and had the hot dog combo (dog, chips, cookie and drink for $7.95 each) for lunch. Good memories today!

This place was neat and old fashioned. The train went slowly but now I can say I rode in a train! I would recommend this when in the area. Make your way over the Tennessee Aquarium and the Medal of Honor Museum too! This is a must have. It's 4 stars because it went slow but still amazing!!!

The Dinner Train was beautifully decorated for Christmas. The First Class service was outstanding. The four course meal was perfectly timed, gracefully delivered and delicious.

Fantastic! Very friendly and courteous staff. Tour guide was very informative. Will definitely return.

Cool trains. Interesting history. Fun trips. Knowledgeable guides. Friendly people. If you've got any kind of interesting local history or how rails once ruled the world, this is a great place to see cool stuff and learn interesting things. Travis and Zack are the best.

Had great time. Beautiful smooth trip. Had a ball. Very entertaining. Tons of laughs. Great staff. Highly recommend. We did the dome. Definitely worth the extra.

This was a great Holiday treat, dinner in a rail car with short trip to Santa's Warehouse. Service was excellent, food was very good and just an overall relaxing evening experience to get you in the Holiday Spirit.

Fun day riding the train. Volunteers were extremely informative and made the trip fun with a bit of humor. Although the trip was short; I would highly recommend if in or near Chattanooga.

Absolutely a great experience! Nothing is oversold. You get exactly what they advertise.

My wife and I took the train ride for the hiawaiese loop. It was amazing, great scenery, great entertainmen! We had a wonderful time.

Our son has been interested in becoming a train conductor since he was four years old. Now he wants to be an train engineer. I believe in supporting your child's vision. So today I took him on a train ride. We traveled from another city and arrived late yesterday. The teller was able to switch our tickets to today. Thank you so much. To say he loved it would be an understatement. Matt is a phenomenal conductor. He was able to answer my son's questions. The tour he gave was very informative. He even told us about the camp coming up. Thank you Matt. I know he will cherish this memory forever thanks to you. I would recommend this to anyone who has a love for trains like we do. No matter what your age. Trains are history. To keep these engines running for as long as you all have is truly amazing. We will definitely visit again. Thank you so much TVRM for all that you do.

Great knowledgeable staff, cool equipment, a nice experience. All kids should go. Even 70 yr. old ones!

Summerville Steam Special on 6/1 Excellent trip. Train crew was excellent! one of the conductors was very informative, lots of history of area and also the about the train, Steam engines etc. Lunch served in dining car was excellent. The museum grounds were very nice! Overall an excellent experience!

I suggest the train rides (we done the Chickamauga Turn) to anyone especially if the staff is as pleasant and nice as the staff that we. The ride was relaxing and the layovers were nice also. The lunch that came with the ride was great also, if you get a chance it's worth a try.

We had such a great experience at the seasonal North Pole event. For the price you paid, the experience was so interactive and memorable. From the paper train tickets, the conductor in uniform, the elves delivering sweet treats, and of course a moment with Santa. This was so great, hope to do it again and again!

My friend and I were visiting Chattanooga and were looking for things to do when we came across this. I ordered the tickets online. They have their own private parking area. We walked to the depot as you still need to check-in to receive a ticket. We stood around for about 30 minutes. You are asked to arrive 30 minutes early. This gave us enough time to take pictures and enjoy the sights. We boarded the train right about our time. We chose the car with open windows. Huge mistake. Soot and smoke will be all over you. My suggestion is to sit in the climate controlled cars. The seats are really dirty. The staff is really nice. The history or the rail lines were told and you see where they are maintained. Pretty cool tour!

So glad we found this! Our whole family enjoyed the visit - 2 adults and 2 kids (8 and 10). The train ride was fun and very informative! Our guide was amazing, and you could tell he truly loves trains. It was super neat getting to see the shop and hear about all the work (and money) it takes to restore and maintain the trains. The food at the deli (especially the homemade cinnamon rolls and cream cheese danishes) are highly recommended)! The people at the museum were super friendly - my boys loved seeing the huge collection of remote control trains (calling them that doesn't do them justice), and the gentleman there told the boys all about them and built a super long train for them to see. Wish this was easier to find when searching for things to do in Chattanooga.

We had a wonderful time on the way to Summerville from Chattanooga. Great food and the nicest staff ever. Unfortunately the return trip was extremely uncomfortable. Our car and dining car both experienced HVAC failure. I understand these issues can occur but we both got ill from the heat and couldn't finish our lunch. For the cost of the trip, l would not recommend it to anyone during warm months. Had to be 80 degrees in the car during return. The staff worked hard to make the trip comfortable (even plugging in a rotating fan) but were unsuccessful due to no fault of their own. The engine was a real treat to see and we were happy it worked well. Half the trip was great but the 4 hour return trip was really miserable.

A great place to learn some railroad history, take a trip through a tunnel, and watch a locomotive turn on a turntable.

North Pole Express - Extremely Disappointed The North Pole express was completely disappointing , the lights only existed at the beginning of the trip and at the ending depot. The 15 minute ride consisted of no lights and a short history lesson about trains. There is not any reserved seating and we had a large group. We had to rush to get seating as others who arrived just in time had to split up. Overall the experience was underwhelming and we won't be doing this trip again

Our 2 year old loved the train ride, but the timing was a mess. Our 9am train ride was delayed until 11am and the exhibition opened late at 9:45. The turntable broke so they were unable to get the locomotive off which delayed the return a half our.