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CHATTANOOGA AND DELANO FIELD TRIPS

AFFORDABLE OPTIONS DESIGNED FOR SCHOOL GROUPS.

Quick Details

  • Ages: All Ages
  • Duration: Custom
  • Educational Rates: Minimum 20 people in season. Minimum 80 people for a charter train. Teachers call Group Sales for details: 423-894-8028.
  • Missionary Ridge Local Ride: Includes depot tour, restoration shop visit, turntable demonstration, and optional age-specific safety video or seasonal exhibit.
  • Hands-On Learning: Kids explore the restoration shop, see historic equipment, watch the turntable in action, and enjoy outdoor exhibits and picnic areas.
  • Lunch Options: Ham, turkey, or chicken salad croissants; hot dogs; corn dogs; or PB&J. All meals include chips, a cookie, and bottled water. Additional cost: $12 per person.
  • Hiwassee Field Trip: A 1 hour 15 min ride through the Cherokee National Forest and lower Hiwassee River Gorge. Departs Gee Creek State Park with educational group rates.
  • Group Requirements: Minimum 20 people in season; minimum 80 people for a charter train.

Bring your students for an engaging, curriculum-friendly learning experience at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Our school field trips combine hands-on exploration, guided learning, and memorable train rides—all designed to support classroom objectives while keeping planning simple for educators.

We offer two primary school field trip options:

  • Missionary Ridge Local (Chattanooga) — ideal for history, STEM, and transportation studies

  • Hiwassee Field Trip (Delano) — a scenic, geography-rich excursion through the Cherokee National Forest

Both options include discounted educational rates, structured programming, and clear group logistics for schools and camps.

Educational Rates for School & Camp Groups

  • Minimum 20 students for in-season school field trips

  • Minimum 80 passengers required for chartered school trains

  • Rates are available for students, teachers, and chaperones

  • Advance reservations required

📞 Teachers & Group Leaders: Call 423-894-8028 to confirm availability, pricing, and program fit.

Missionary Ridge Local — Chattanooga

A teacher-friendly field trip with built-in learning stations.

What’s Included

  • Round-trip train ride from Grand Junction Depot

  • Guided depot tour

  • Restoration shop visit

  • Live turntable demonstration

  • Optional age-appropriate safety or seasonal educational video

Learning Focus

  • Transportation history

  • Engineering & mechanics

  • Local and regional studies

Outdoor exhibits and picnic areas are available to support flexible scheduling.

Optional Boxed Lunches

To simplify supervision and scheduling, boxed lunches may be added to school field trips.

Menu Options

  • Ham croissant

  • Turkey croissant

  • Chicken salad croissant

  • Hot dog

  • Corn dog

  • PB&J

All lunches include chips, a cookie, and bottled water.
Price: $12 per student or chaperone.

Hiwassee Field Trip — Delano

A scenic and educational rail experience through the Cherokee National Forest and Hiwassee River Gorge.

Trip Details

  • Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes round trip

  • Departs from Gee Creek State Park

  • Discounted school group rates available

Learning Focus

  • Geography & landforms

  • Environmental studies

  • Regional ecosystems

This option is well-suited for older elementary, middle, and high school groups.

Planning Notes for Educators

  • A deposit is required to hold your date

  • Final attendance counts are due prior to your visit

  • Adjustments must be made at least 48 hours in advance

  • Off-season school trips typically run January–February and November–December

Our group sales team is happy to help align your visit with grade level goals, timing needs, and accessibility considerations.

Policies

• 20% deposit required; refundable up to 30 days before visit
• Final count/payment due: 1 week prior (Chattanooga) / 2 weeks prior (Hiwassee)
• Changes must be made 48 hours in advance

Field Trip Information Form

Tell us a few details about your school field trip and our team will follow up with pricing, availability, and next steps. Field trips are typically scheduled during our off-season months of January–February and November–December. For urgent questions, please call (423) 894-8028.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
We’ll use this email to follow up about your group visit.
Best phone number to reach you if we have questions about your group visit.
Select the train trip you’re most interested in for your group. If you’re not sure yet, choose “Not sure / Need recommendations.”
Desired Date*
Preferred date for your visit. This does not guarantee availability. If you have flexibility, please note alternate dates below.
Estimated total number of students and chaperones attending.
Use this space to share any special requests, accessibility needs, preferred times, or alternate dates for your visit.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

RELATED RIDES

  • All Ages
  • Custom

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