Introduction

The first residents were hunters and gatherers of the Cherokee tribes. As early as 200 BC, the Cherokee nation inhabited the area around Lookout Mountain and the Chattanooga Valley, calling it Chatanuga, or "rock rising to a point". The Creek, Choctaw and Shawnee tribes also inhabited the land, but the Cherokee people composed the overwhelming majority of the population.

Today, the riverfront is home to the Tennessee Aquarium and IMAX 3D Theatre, two attractions that draw millions of visitors each year. Cinemas, shops, restaurants, cafes, music venues and museums have opened their doors on the riverfront and drawn suburban dwellers back downtown to live in new luxury apartments and lofts. 200 years ago, Chattanooga originated as a small landing on the Tennessee River. How fitting it is, then, that the city would turn to the waterfront to rebuild its economy and as it looks to the future.

Hotels in Chattanooga