Chattanooga, located along the Tennessee River, is the county seat and city of Hamilton County, Tennessee. It extends to the west into Marion County. It is Tennessee’s fourth-largest city, and it was home to 181,099 people in 2020. It is the center of the Chattanooga metropolitan region, Tennessee’s fourth-largest metro area. The larger three-state area includes Southeast Tennessee and Northeast Georgia. Chattanooga, which several railroads and Interstate highways serve, makes it a significant transit hub. It lies 118 miles (190km) northwest of Atlanta, Georgia; 112 miles (180-km) southwest Knoxville, Tennessee; 134 miles (2216 km) southeast Nashville, Tennessee; 102 miles (164 km) east of Huntsville, Alabama; 147 miles (237km) northeastern of Birmingham, Alabama.
History
John Ross, a Cherokee chief who later established a trading post on the river (Ross’s Landing), settled the site in 1815. It was renamed Chattanooga in 1838. The name is derived from the nearby Greek word Lookout Mountain, which means “rock rising to a point.”
A critical Confederate communication point, Chattanooga was a significant objective for the Union armies during the American Civil War. The decisive battles at Chickamauga Creek (September and November 1863) culminated in Chattanooga’s capture by Union forces. They used the city as a supply point for General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. The historic surroundings of the city have been preserved by Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, established in 1890. It covers approximately 13 square miles (33 km) across several locations in Tennessee & Georgia. It includes sections of the Signal, Lookout, Missionary Ridge, and significant battlefields. Chattanooga National Cemetery contains the graves of James J. Andrews, a Union raider famous for stealing The General’s wood-burning locomotive.
After the war, iron and steel mills were constructed to extract area minerals. Air pollution was a problem by the 1960s. However, the cleanup efforts that followed over 25 years helped turn the tide. Chattanooga has a diverse economy. The TVA produces electricity and services (including education and health care), insurance, transportation (trucking), and other services. Manufacturing includes processed foods, appliances, and carpets. Chattanooga is a popular destination for tourists and conventions.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was founded in 1886. Other educational institutions include Southern Adventist University (1892), Chattanooga State Technical Community College (1965), Tennessee Temple University (466), and Covenant College (1955), which is located at Lookout Mountain Georgia. A symphony, opera association, community theater, ballet, and Hunter Museum of American Art are some of the city’s cultural assets. The Tennessee Aquarium opened in 1992 and is the largest freshwater aquarium globally. The town boasts a number of unusual attractions, including the National Knife Museum and the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum.
Lookout Mountain is reached by a steeply ascending railway. You will find Ruby Falls, a 145-foot (44 meters) waterfall inside the cave. At the top, there is a swinging bridge, odd rock formations, and Rock City. The southwestern corner offers tours to caves and a TVA power station. Nearby Chickamauga Lake is a TVA dam that blocks the Tennessee River. It provides recreation and the location of Booker T. Washington state parks and Harrison Bay. In June, the annual Riverbend Festival takes place.
Tennessee Aquarium
The Tennessee Aquarium is an aquarium that serves the public in Chattanooga (Tennessee), United States. It was established on the banks of the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga in 1992. A major expansion was completed in 2005. Since 1993, the aquarium has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It is home to over 12,000 animals, representing nearly 800 species.
It has been visited by more than 20 million people, with the twenty-millionth visitor arriving in March 2013.
Two structures house the Tennessee Aquarium’s exhibits: the River Journey building, which opened in 1992, and the Ocean Journey expansion, which opened in 2005.
River Journey is a 130,000-square-foot structure that’s equivalent in height to a 12-story building. It held 400,000 US gallons (1.500,000 L) and was the first freshwater aquarium to open globally.
The following are significant exhibits at River Journey:
- The Appalachian Cove Forest with River Otter Falls opened in 2014. It replaced an earlier exhibit of North American River Otters.
- Delta Country is home to species found in the Mississippi River Delta.
- Rivers of the World includes several small- to medium-sized aquaria representing the Amazon River and Congo (Zaire), Rivers, and Fly Rivers.
- The Tennessee River gallery displays species found in the Tennessee River valley.
- River Giants is home to giant freshwater fish from all over the globe, including giant pangasius and redtail catfish, as well as giant freshwater stingrays.
Ocean Journey is a structure measuring 60,000 feet in an area equivalent to a ten-story building. It was opened in 2005. It holds 700,000 US Gallons (2,600,000. L) and measures 60,000 feet in height. It is supposed to follow the River Journey theme by following the river into the Gulf of Mexico.
Ocean Journey has many significant exhibits, including:
- The Secret Reef is the largest tank in Ocean Journey and the Tennessee Aquarium. It contains 618,000 US gallon (2,340,000 L). It shows the Gulf of Mexico environment of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. It can be seen from three levels, including the Undersea Cavern, an underwater walk-through.
- The Boneless Beauties & Jellies: Living Art galleries display invertebrates like corals, jellyfish, and cuttlefish. It includes rotating art glass exhibits alongside the jellyfish. Jellies: Living Art collaborates with the Hunter Museum of American Art in nearby Hunt.
- Penguins’ Rock is a display of macaroni and gentoo penguins swimming in a 16,000-gallon (61,000-L) tank.
The Tennessee Aquarium has two off-site public facilities in addition to its exhibit halls. River Gorge Explorer is a catamaran boat that takes you on a tour of the Tennessee River Gorge. It measures 65 feet and can be boarded from Ross’s Landing Park. An IMAX 3D theater is also available at the aquarium. More information can be found on the aquarium’s website.
