Whether it's restaurants, music, or the arts, both locals and tourists can always find something fun to do. A multitude of activities are available in and around downtown that run a wide range of interests and takes many forms. 

The Tennessee Aquarium lies in the heart of the Riverfront area.  In the downtown area is the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel, housed in the renovated Terminal Station and exhibiting the largest HO model train layout in the United States. Also downtown are the Creative Discovery Museum, a hands-on children's museum dedicated to science, art, and music; an IMAX 3D Theatre; and the Hunter Museum of American Art. The Tennessee Riverwalk, an approximately 13-mile (21 km) long trail running alongside the river, is another attraction for both tourists and residents alike.

Across the river from downtown is the North Shore district, a newly renovated area housing locally owned independent boutiques and restaurants.  Other attractions along the Chattanooga Riverpark system, include Coolidge Park and Renaissance Park. Chattanooga's only floating hotel, the Delta Queen, is a unique attraction alongside the North Shore, and is permanently docked at Coolidge Park.

The Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park is not far from the downtown area.

Parks and natural scenic areas provide other opportunities to enjoy. The red-and-black painted "See Rock City" barns along highways in the Southeast are remnants of a now-classic Americana tourism campaign for Rock City in nearby Lookout Mountain, Georgia. The mountain is also the site of Ruby Falls and Craven's House. The Incline Railway is a steep funicular railway that rises from the St. Elmo Historic District to the top of the mountain, where passengers can visit the National Park Service's Point Park and the Battles for Chattanooga Museum.

Near Chattanooga, Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Reflection Riding Arboretum and Botanical Garden boast a number of outdoor and family fun opportunities. Other arboretums include Bonny Oaks Arboretum, Cherokee Arboretum at Audubon Acres and Cherokee Trail Arboretum.

The Ocoee River, host to a number of events at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, features rafting, kayaking, camping and hiking.

Also just outside Chattanooga is the Lake Winnepesaukah amusement park.

The Cumberland Trail begins in Signal Mountain, just outside of Chattanooga.