
A RIDE THROUGH TIME!
Take a trip back in time to a slower-paced era when railroad travel was a way of life. Relive the romance of the rails when vintage trains provided an escape from the everyday routine. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum provides an interactive, historical experience that adds an extra dimension to your visit to Chattanooga’s popular attractions. Here you will find the only regularly scheduled, full-sized train ride in Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is so much more than entertainment… It is your chance to experience the sights and sounds of yesteryear!
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) is to collect for preservation, operation, interpretation, and display railroad artifacts in an authentic setting to educate the public concerning the role of railroads in the history and development of our region.
Steam Whistles & Small-Town Wanders: Our Summerville Family Escape
Long before dawn’s glow kissed Chattanooga’s ridges, my family boarded the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s Summerville Steam Special—nine glorious hours of clanging rods, Southern fare, and small-town charm. According to TVRM, the train departs Grand Junction Depot at 9 a.m. and returns around 6 p.m., tracing the former Central of Georgia main line across the…
July 14, 2025
TVRM Model Train Layout Open Today | 10-3 PM
TVRM’s mission—to “collect for preservation, operation … and display railroad artifacts in an authentic setting to educate the public” —guides every exhibit, from 150-ton steam engines to the finely detailed HO-scale empire tucked beneath Southern Railway Historical Association’s front brick building. From 10 AM–3 PM today, you can step into that lower-level gallery and…
July 12, 2025
Steam, Tea & Mountains: Your Ultimate Chattanooga Rail Weekend
Welcome aboard — six ways to time-travel in a single weekend Chattanooga earned its place on the rail map in the 1850s, and the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) still lets you experience that golden age at full scale. Whether you have an hour or a whole day, the rides below turn casual getaways into…
July 10, 2025