27 events for the weekend of Oct 23–25, with 14 free and 11 indoors.
Updated
Big outings first: festivals, farms, shows and attractions, mixing free and paid, for a range of ages.
J.A. Henry + East Lake YMCA — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · Downtown & North Shore
Food trucks, games, a library table and a trunk-or-treat costume contest with candy.
Details at YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga ↗Hamilton Family YMCA — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · East
Trunk-or-treat with inflatables, face painting, food trucks and a fall market; open to non-members.
Details at YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga ↗Chattanooga riverfront (see site) — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · Downtown & North Shore
The weekly Saturday riverfront market with live music, food and local arts and crafts.
Details at Chattanooga Market ↗Tennessee Aquarium (River Journey) — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · Downtown & North Shore
SCUBA divers carve jack-o'-lanterns underwater as fish swirl around them, part of the Aquarium's ODDtober programs.
Also Sat Oct 31 at 2pm.
Details at Tennessee Aquarium ↗Lupton Drive Baptist Church — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · North & Mountains
Trunk-or-treat with games, snacks, inflatables and a decorated-trunk contest.
Details at Lupton Drive Baptist Church ↗The Colonnade — Ringgold, GA · Catoosa Co. · North Georgia
Fall festival at The Colonnade with pumpkins, costumes, inflatables, live music and vendors.
Moved from Oct 10 to Sun Oct 25 after weather.
Details at Local 3 News ↗Rock City Gardens — Lookout Mountain, GA · Walker Co. · North Georgia
Four storybook trails with glowing jack-o'-lanterns and hidden surprises through Rock City's gardens: spooky, but never scary.
Runs through Oct 31. Rock City hours 10am-10:30pm.
Details at Rock City ↗Chattanooga Zoo — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · Downtown & North Shore
The zoo's Halloween night: candy stations, costume shows, character meet-and-greets, a bounce house and a scavenger hunt.
Fri Oct 23 and Sat Oct 24, 4-8pm (also Sat Oct 31).
Details at Chattanooga Zoo ↗Want your family-friendly business here? Sponsor this guide
Chattanooga Market — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · Downtown & North Shore
The Sunday market with local farmers, food and crafts, plus a day of live bluegrass.
Details at Chattanooga Market ↗Chattanooga Zoo — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · Downtown & North Shore
A compact, walkable zoo with red pandas, a jaguar, chimpanzees, giraffe feeding and a reptile house.
Check the site for daily hours. Boo in the Zoo evenings are listed separately.
Details at Chattanooga Zoo ↗Creative Discovery Museum — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · Downtown & North Shore
Hands-on children's museum with a rooftop fun factory, water play, a climbing tower and art and science studios.
Sat 9am-5pm, Sun and Fri 10am-5pm (closed Wednesdays).
Details at Creative Discovery Museum ↗Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (Grand Junction Depot) — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · East
About an hour on vintage passenger cars through the Civil War-era Missionary Ridge tunnel, with a turntable demonstration and restoration-shop visit.
Several departures most days (no trains on Mondays); reserve on the site.
Details at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum ↗Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · North & Mountains
Trails, creeks and fall color at the foot of Lookout Mountain, plus a wildlife sanctuary with native animals.
Grounds open sunrise to sunset; Welcome Center 9am-4pm Tue-Sat.
Details at Reflection Riding ↗Ruby Falls — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · North & Mountains
A guided walk deep inside Lookout Mountain to a 145-foot underground waterfall, plus scenic overlooks above ground.
Open daily; check the site for hours and timed tickets. The Dread Hollow haunted house is a separate, scarier ticket.
Details at Ruby Falls ↗Incline Railway (St. Elmo Station) — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · North & Mountains
Ride one of the steepest passenger railways in the world up Lookout Mountain, with big views from the top station.
Sat-Sun 9am-7pm through Oct 31; check the site for November hours. Last car leaves 40 minutes before close.
Details at Incline Railway ↗Hunter Museum of American Art — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · Downtown & North Shore
American art in a building on a bluff over the river; the outdoor sculpture plaza and Bluff View walk are free.
Open 10am-5pm; check the site for the day.
Details at Hunter Museum ↗Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center — Fort Oglethorpe, GA · Catoosa Co. · North Georgia
A park ranger leads a 90-minute car-caravan tour of the battlefield; the visitor center is open daily 8:30am-5pm.
Sat and Sun at 10am and 2pm. Needs at least four adults to run; subject to staffing.
Details at National Park Service ↗Tennessee Aquarium — Chattanooga · Hamilton Co. · Downtown & North Shore
Two buildings of river and ocean life: otters, penguins, sharks, a stingray touch pool and daily animal programs.
Usual hours 10am-7pm, last entry 5pm; check the site for the day.
Details at Tennessee Aquarium ↗Point Park, Lookout Mountain Battlefield — Lookout Mountain, TN · Hamilton Co. · North & Mountains
A 30-45 minute ranger walk on the paved path around Point Park, with views of the city and the river bend.
Sat and Sun at 11am, 2pm and 4pm.
Details at National Park Service ↗Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park — Rossville, GA · Catoosa Co. · North Georgia
Daytime Halloween fun with rides, trick-or-treating, crafts, pumpkin decorating, a hay maze and a kids' costume contest.
Saturdays and Sundays through Nov 1; hours vary, see the park hours calendar. The after-dark Spookah event is scarier.
Details at Lake Winnepesaukah ↗From Chattanooga Public Library branches and Cherokee Regional Library (North Georgia). Some need registration; check the library page.
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