Visiting the Chattanooga Children’s Museum

chattanooga childrens museum

If you’re planning a visit to the Chattanooga children’s museum, you’ll be happy to know that this kid friendly tourist attraction is full of fun activities for the whole family! Chattanooga’s Creative Discovery Museum is located right downtown and is situated within walking distance to many other area attractions, hotels, and restaurants.

Whether your kids are interested in art, science, music, history, or technology, the Creative Discovery Museum offers plenty of hands on experiences. Plus, this children’s museum even features a special area for toddlers to explore.

In the post below, I will review the unique activities and exhibits you will find at this super fun museum in Chattanooga. So, if you’re looking for fun things to do in Chattanooga with kids, continue reading all about the children’s museum below!

Getting There

The Creative Discovery Museum is located in the heart of downtown Chattanooga on Chestnut Street. This makes it an easy stop for other activities you have planned in the city. Parking is available in back of the museum near AT&T Field where the Chattanooga Lookouts play. Depending on how long you want to spend at the museum, parking should only cost you a few dollars.

Chattanooga Lookouts baseball stadium

The Creative Discovery Museum is located in a great area of downtown and is within walking distance to many restaurants and attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium. You can easily spend time at both the aquarium AND the museum all in one day!

The exciting features of the Creative Discovery Museum are apparent before you even enter the building. Located right beside the main entrance, this giant bubble maker draws attention from kids of all ages. Once you pull the levee, a giant bubble envelopes your whole body. It’s a really cute activity to start off your visit, and what kid doesn’t love bubbles!?

bubble making device at Chattanooga Children's Museum

After you view this bubble maker, you can enter the doors of the children’s museum. Here you will see the registration desk where you can purchase tickets. You can also buy tickets on the museum’s official website. The children’s museum is really reasonably priced, and they even offer a discount to visitors who reserve their tickets online.

Things to Do at the Museum

As you stroll through the Creative Discovery Museum, you will notice that the exhibits are broken up into various sections. Below, we will discuss the exciting activities you can experience during your visit.

  • RiverPlay – The RiverPlay section of the museum showcases a giant water area where kids can learn how a dam and locks work. Kids can wear the (free) available waterproof vests to play with boats and explore the water. This section even allows kids to pretend to captain a boat.
  • Outdoor TreeHouse – Visitors can get an impressive view of the city of Chattanooga as they explore the museums TreeHouse Adventure exhibit. Here, kids can explore different themed sections and even make weather observations.
  • UnEarthed – If your kids are interested in dinosaurs, they’ll love the UnEarthed exhibit at the Creative Discovery Museum. Here, guests can dig for fossils in the sand and explore various landforms. My kids especially love seeing the giant T-Rex skeleton in this section.
  • STEM Zone – The STEM Zone is located on the second floor of the children’s museum and features all sorts of great activities. This spacious section includes areas to learn about robotics, energy, technology, and tools.
  • ArtSpace – The music and art galleries are also popular sections of the children’s museum. In these spaces, kids can participate in hands on activities like weaving, drawing, dancing, and acting. My kids particularly enjoy playing the drums in the available music studio.
  • Barsamian Sculpture – Visitors will marvel at this impressive sculpture that combines art and science.
  • The Tower – Kids can climb up a giant staircase to the observation tower for an incredible view of the city. We also enjoy checking out bees on the way up to the tower.
  • Library – If you’re looking to chill out with a good book, you can visit the museum’s library on the second floor. Here, you’ll find a quiet, comfortable place to relax with a good book.
  • Corner Clinic – One of the science museum’s exhibits is the Corner Clinic. Here, your child can dress up as a doctor and perform checkups on available dolls. This area has all sorts of doctor tools on hand and even allows guests to look at x-rays.
  • Buzz Alley – In the Buzz Alley exhibit, kids can learn about bees and pollination.
  • Indoor Playground – Chattanooga is home to lots of clean parks and playgrounds for kids to enjoy. But if you’re looking for an indoor option, the Creative Discovery Museum offers a playground that is enjoyable in rainy or cold weather. The indoor playground at the children’s museum is very large, and it’s full of climbing and sliding features that kids love. You can’t miss this massive playground that’s inside the building since it sits in the RiverPlay section just off the entrance to the museum.
  • Little FarmHouse – The Little FarmHouse section of the museum is open to children 5 and under. This exhibit offers a play house with kitchen appliances, laundry machines, and plastic foods where little ones love to play. You’ll also find farm themed experiences, including a tractor. A small portion of the room is even gated off for babies. It features soft climbing toys that are loads of fun!

Dining and Shopping

Although the Chattanooga area is home to some amazing local restaurants, visitors to the children’s museum don’t have to walk far to find food. That’s because the museum offers its very own restaurant right inside the front entrance (near the gift shop). The Creative Discovery Museum is home to Cafe Dino-mite, which is a great place to grab snacks, drinks, and meals. This is one of the best food stands for parents and kids that I have found inside a Chattanooga area attraction.

bridge with text overlay Downtown Chattanooga Creative Discovery Museum

They offer all types of food from salads to sandwiches to hot dogs. Cafe Dino-mite has healthy options for meals and snacks, which is sometimes hard to come by at popular tourist destinations like this. They also have a gluten free menu that you can view on the museum’s website or once you are inside the cafe.

Final Review of the Chattanooga Museum

The Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, TN is a great place for kids to participate in interactive activities that are so much fun. The Chattanooga children’s museum features a wide variety of activities and educational toys. I highly recommend adding it to your list of things to do while visiting Chattanooga on your Tennessee family vacation. It’s in a great location right in the heart of downtown, and it’s conveniently located near other popular tourist attractions in Chattanooga!

What is your favorite exhibit at the children’s museum in Chattanooga? Comment below and tell me about it!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *