The kids thoroughly enjoyed the train ride to the North Pole. Santa couldnt get on because of covid. The hot choc was delicious along with the chocolate chip cookies. We received bells and an ornament for the tree. Everyone was smiling. Highly recommend for the family. We had so much room for our group of 5. Pretty much the whole back of the car.

Very relaxing. I really enjoyed the short trip. Knowledgeable staff who are very enthused to greet you. I would like to commend the staff for the extra special care you took with the handicapped lady on the scooter. You all went above and beyond for this person and I know she appreciated your service and care, as my husband and I did. Will take the longer trip next time.

Awesome experience. The ride was fantastic. The historical info awesome. Looking forward to the Etowah loop ride. My childrens great grandfather drove that train backwards down the loop in the 1920s.

The most incredible experience! Nicholas (@ the ticket booth/depot), and both conductors David Johnston and Zach were so accommodating, kind, and helpful. They made the trip as amazing as they could! HIGHLY recommend to any family!! Cant wait to come back for the North Pole train!

The drive to get on the train was so picturesque. The trees fold over the county road while crossing a small bridge was so endearing. Truly why I love living in the south.The Hiwassee Loop was an enjoyable 4 hours. Very pretty rural area. The loop and the damn was nice to see. Snacks were not over priced. Be prepared for a tip box, which is a nice way to say thanks.Be aware the announcer talks a lot. He shares a lot of history. Which is great. But due to a four hour trip. One might become fatigued on the information. The speaker was a little loud. my friend and I could not mentally tune him out and just us talk. Also, the sound made it kind of hard to nap. The gentle rock of the train make me sleepy after a big lunch in town.

Whew had a great time visiting the Tennessee Valley Railroad. My kids loved it, even with all the Covid rules. The train ride was great and relaxing, they loved going through the tunnel. One of the best parts was taking a nickel and putting it on the track while the engine changed direction. We will be coming back.

My boyfriend and I went on the dinner ride tonight. It was wonderful. The food was delicious. The salmon was the best Ive ever eaten, not kidding. Tomato bisque soup, omg, so good. Dessert was great, as well. Our waiters were Brock & Charles. They were very attentive.

I always wanted to ride on a train! This was so fun! 4 hour ride - Hiawasse Loop. I went on Halloween & I dressed in Halloween attire. I think I was the only one dressed for Halloween, besides the awesome staff. Everyone was so nice & friendly! Social Distancing measures in place, complimentary snacks, lots of history. Beautiful views!!! I visited from GA. I plan on going back again soon!

My husband and I recently celebrated our anniversary by taking the Dinner Train. We loved it!!! Read below for our experience. The one thing I will note is that it is dark outside during the fall dinner train. You can only see out the windows when you go through a well lit are which isn’t often.This experience was SO fun. We didn’t know what to expect and were more than pleasantly surprised. The staff was outstanding. From check in to boarding to the servers...every one was friendly and went the extra mile to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. They have done an excellent job at maintaining the train cars while preserving the look of the time period. Even the music was from the early 1900s. The vibe was just fun! The food was good and the portions were the perfect size for one person. My husband loved the salmon. I enjoyed the stuffed chicken. We sat across from a lovely couple and enjoyed talking to them throughout the night. With social distancing in place, they were seating one family per table. My husband and I were the only two at a table for 4. We had plenty of room. Make sure to gets lots of pictures at the rail yard before you board as well as pictures during the trip. Oh, and take time to explore the other train cars. That was neat too!

We had a great time on the Missionary Ridge train ride. The history that was shared during the trip was incredibly interesting, and there was time to ask questions as well. We will definitely be trying some of the other excursions!

I‘ve never been on an passenger train and the idea really intrigued me so I booked the 4-hr Hiwassee Loop for me and my husband as a fun way to celebrate our 9 year anniversary. It was fantastic! The scenery was spectacular and we loved hearing about the history of the railroad from the narrator. The conductor’s banjo performance was good fun, too. All the cars, including bathrooms, were clean and well maintained. CoVID precautions were appropriate. Looking forward to riding on some of the other excursions. Highly recommend for all ages.

Riding the dinner train was an unforgettable experience. The servers were exceptional and the food was absolutely delicious.I consider this experience a MUST whether you are a local or a tourist.

We did the Hiwassee Train Loop and it was awesome! Wasnt boring at all and the views were awesome. The conductor was very knowledgeable and kept it entertaining during the ride up with the historical information. The conductor playing a banjo on the way back was also awesome! Definitely recommend it.

We attended the North Pole train trip and it was wonderful! The trains were spotless and the crew was above and beyond. Loved the hot chocolate and the cookies too.

This was my family’s first trip to the railroad, my daughter (3) is obsessed with trains. We had such a wonderful experience! The entire facility and train was clean and obviously very well taken care of and loved. All the workers we encountered were lively and friendly. The information given to us on the first part of the train ride was informative and given in a fun way with some (amazing) corny jokes thrown in. Zach did a wonderful job keeping you entertained while really informing you of the history. Watching the train on the turn table was so interesting and again Zach does such a good job keeping you entertained and wanting to know more. We had the best time and will definitely be making a return trip!

We loved it here! There is nothing in terms of traditional museum exhibits, but the locomotives they have in the yard are a lot of fun to look at & read about. Plus you will see at least a few trains coming & going while youre there. My train loving husband & kids had a blast.

I had a wonderful Halloween ride with my husband. The table service was beautiful (Im a collector so I notice) and the gentlemen who attended us were knowledgeable and entertaining. There is something wistfully romantic about white jackets and black bow ties. Im already planning our next trip!

The food was better than expected. The crew was wonderful and the venue is so pretty. We may have to make the Christmas dinner train a tradition.

My girlfriend and I booked an October 31st. dinner train trip. The experience was better than what we expected. Food and service was above First Class. Our dinner car was built in 1920 and looked brand new. Book a dinner train trip, you will not be disappointed.

So much fun if you love history. Great people running the trains. Very informative. You HAVE to go do this!

My friend & I road the 4-hr Hiwassee Loop & it was great! A free lot by the side of the train made parking easy & accessible. Very knowledgable & kind staff, covid precautions were taken, & plenty of bathrooms on board. I will definitely be back for another trip :-)

Very fun Polar Express style Christmas train ride. Our 4 year old loved it!

Wonderful experience during Covid-19 season. The staff is super friendly and courteously take all precautions to keep people healthy. We were so impressed, we bought an annual pass on the spot. The cafe and gift shop on site have great offerings and prices. There are plenty of picnic tables around for train viewing. The ride on the train was comfortable and interesting - I highly recommend the annual pass because youll want to come again!

We rode in the cars with the glass viewing roof and would definitely recommend it. Great way to see the entire beauty of the landscape. The employees were very pleasant and professional as well as excellent tour guides. It was a relaxing, beautiful day to see the fall colors!

A lot of fun. Nice way to ride a train for the first time. Interesting short ride. Dinner train or longer ride would have been better. Very educational. Conductor was very funny and knowledgeable.

The train ride was nice. However, the air conditioning was quite overpowering. The dinner was good. The desserts mediocre. The waiters were young men and they were amazing. It was a good experience. Wine would have been a nice option even if you paid extra for it once on the train. I would have to say the best part was the service and the great attitudes of the waiters.

Did the Hiawassee River Rail Adventure (the loop excursion); great way to spend the day in a beautiful part of the country. Conductor/narrator was awesome, extremely knowledgeable and personable.

I loved The Tennessee Valley Railroad because you get to ride on different trains that are apart of the history of Tennessee. Along the way the conductors check up on you and joke around as well, and also when youre on the train youll visit really exciting things that you most likely never knew that they did, you can buy snacks and souvenirs there as well. Enjoy your visit!

We took the Missionary Ridge tour. Its noted as a 55 min ride but the actual riding time is about 30 mins. You deboard after 15 mins to view the turntable move the locomotive. The steam locomotive was spectacular. You can view it upclose and personal. This trip is good for kids but not for folks who prefer a relaxing longer ride.

The museum is several trains out in the yard. They are cool, I think I was expecting more history of the trains on the inside. Inside was just the deli and a small gift shop area. I was told we could see all that for $5, but when I got to the ticket booth the girl said it was $10 each. You would probably enjoy this a lot more if you took one of the train rides, but we didnt have time.

My family and i just took a 4 hr ride on the train...everyone really enjoyed themselves. The people that worked on the train were the best ! Very friendly and helpful, we also learned some history which was great .We are looking forward to the next trip ! All of you who haven`t tried it need to, you will love it !

Interesting, but expected a better experience. Slow ride and lots of talking from the conductor. Stop was quite long.

The RR museum is really cool. I rose on the Santa excursion last year and really enjoyed it. I highly recommend visiting.

The dinner train was great even though it late pulling away from the station due to problems with another locomotive. It was raining quite heavily and the locomotive was having traction issues with the track. The trip was about two hours bit it was worth it. The main course I had was chicken with a currant cranberry sauce with green beans and potatoes. And the dessert was strawberry cheesecake. Everyone sat at spaced tables for social distancing, I hate that phrase. But it was a relaxing trip. Will definitely go again.

My brother and I rode the Chickamauga Turn trip on 10/31 and thoroughly enjoyed it. We are both big time steam fans and 4501 did a great job of getting us out and back. The engineer was a great whistle artist. The museum does a great job of making us all comfortable in these COVID times. The lunch in the dining car was a filling and great experience. I sincerely hope the TVRM can continue to delight and entertain its passengers. Thanks TVRM. We really enjoyed the trip. See you again.

Fun for all ages. Lots of old locomotives to see. At Christmas time we had fun visiting the Santa train with the little kids.

Loved all the locomotives. We had a pleasant train ride with great facts about the train and area.

Absolutely fantastic! This time we did the Dinner Train. Weve gone on the Hiwassee train trip as well as Nightcaps with St. Nick at Christmas and all of our trips have been so wonderful! The food on the Dinner Train was delicious and the service was great! We will definitely be going again & again!!

Fun historical experience. The tour guide was excellent, gave a lot of facts. Several good photo opportunities. Would definitely go again

Great thing to do, whether youre a local or coming from out of town. They have a varied selection of trip destinations and lengths. Fantastic guest service as well. ;)

Went on the dinner train and it was an experience to remember! The food was amazing and the ride was relaxing. We will be back!

So cool to see how trains were built in the 1900s. Before our train ride we met Tyler, the fireman, who was really nice in explaining how the stream train operated and is maintained. Definitely recommend!

Great for kids, friendly conductors allowed us to take pictures. Fun train ride, my 9 and 3 year old both had a blast. We visited the train gift shop, most items are for little kids. Overall a fun experience for multiple ages!

Super cool place to visit! Fun ride with a great guided tour. Lots of history and photo ops. Family-friendly, friendly staff, great gift shop with a wide suvenier selection. Nice clean Cafe with clean restrooms. The Cafe has The Best homemade cinnamon rolls ever!!!

Great time with my wife and beautiful views definitely will do again

A lot of fun doing the train ride. Sad, that the museum is closed right now. That also means the kids cant climb onto and into most of the trains. Otherwise, lots of fun.

We did the Hiwassee loop on Friday it was a great afternoon. The ride is absolutely beautiful, very informative, entertaining and relaxing. Cant wait to do the dinner on the diner.

Had a great time with the kids. I appreciated the knowledgeable guide and the effort that the staff made in ensuring everybodys safety. Will definitely go again.

We took our kids on the 55 min ride. It was awesome! Not to short and not to long. My daughter is 2 and my son is 11. The employees were amazing, super nice!! We saw a turntable demonstration that was awesome! Very clean! I dont have a negative thing to say.. We will be back!

They have games, maze and different areas of interest. Make reservations online and ask for the open car if available. They tell you a lot of history, a little hard to hear with others having their own convo going but took 3 boys and they loved it

Wonderful trip albeit short but very friendly people. Zach was very funny and knowledgeable. This is a definite will do again.

My 1st. time on a train & it was Awesome. Friendly staff & the conductor was entertaining as well. Great experience!

I love this place. I go every time I come to Chattanooga. Going on the trains is fun but sometimes they are closed off. Make sure to ride the train!!!

This was my first train ride and I loved it! Due to the covid we had to wear mask while on the train ,we looked like train robbers . If you are visiting Chattanooga I highly recommend taking a trip on the 4501...mask and all .

The train ride was fun and informative. The conductor was both knowledgeable about the area and trains, but also funny. I would definitely recommend this trip

During a getaway night with my daughter, we happened on Tennessee Valley Railroad and decided to give it a try. So glad we did! Very informative and fun. We recommend it.

Great visit and a great part of history. I love that they share this wonderful experience with people. We will be coming back.

Had a pretty good time. Great to learn a bit of history and some facts about trains and train stations. Toddlers will get bored quick.

First, the conductor was AMAZING!!!! BUT, the train ride was pretty boring. Not too much to look at. Some water and some pretty leaves, but not worth a 4 hour ride. Too boring!

This place is truly a beauty. Must try out the dinner rides. Perfect for a romantic dinner getaway!

This is a very cool place to visit. The train ride was fun and informative. They do have longer train rides that I would like to try someday. Our tour guide Zach was really funny. You could tell he loved his job. The conductor was very friendly as well. The old train cars kind of made you feel like you went back in time. This is a fun thing to do for families. Even young kids will enjoy the ride.

My wife and I went on the dinner on train for our 5th wedding anniversary. The experience of riding on the train was nice. As far as the food it was not good at all.

Loved dinner train ride. Excellent service, food was delicious .

The advertised hour train ride is really more like 15-20 minutes then you get off watch the train turn around and get back on. It goes 3 miles. Might be worth it if you have a child who really likes trains or if you are super into history but otherwise no. The train yard was kind of interesting but you just walk around and look at the outside. Not much history or able to see inside the cars etc. All the workers were super nice and helpful.

I bought my son and I tickets to the Halloween train ride and when we got there, the conductor told us that they had actually canceled our ride because we were the only ones to have bought tickets for that time slot. So he said if we came the next day he’d squeeze us in and my son had the best time getting to ride on a real train and getting read Halloween stories to and going through their haunted house.

My wife and I had a blast learning about the railroad’s history and going on a train ride. Would definitely recommend this!

Had dinner on the diner. Was Wonderful

We loved it! such an enjoyable trip and the crew was amazing! Kid friendly too! we will definitely be back!

Friendly and very knowledgeable hosts. Very enjoyable ride and a great way to spend a day.

The dinner on the train was Awesome. Had the best time and the food was Delish!!!! Thankz for the experience Choo Choo

Outstanding! These folks are doing a tremendous work restoring and maintaining the vintage railroad stick in thier care. Several steam locomotives as well as diesel engines are being used. The staff are VERY knowledgeable and eager to educate everyone. It was a delightful experience.

It was a great experience for myself and my family all the way around. Check out the Grand Central Station gift shop after your ride!

It was a great ride and lots of fun. Staff was great

My sister, dad and I visited the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum while we were in Chattanooga. we all had a great time and went on a 1 hour train ride.I believe our conductors name was Brian and he was very informative about the history.

The ride was good, but the area we had to go through was terrible. Broken down were houses, burned out buildings and homeless people living along the tracks was depressing. The lunch was great. Wouldnt recommend it to anyone

Great experience with a fantastic conductor. We will definitely be returning and completing all the available rides.

A great place to visit if you are into trains or train history. They run a short run ride with an actual steam engine that you get to watch turn around. They also run a day long trip with a great dinner. Worth it if you are in the area.

We brought our kids here while on vacation. What a great time. Even for teenagers.We toured the museum and took a ride on the train. It was just a good time spending time together. And who doesn’t like to ride on a train.

Offers wonderful train excursions.

Trip is short, but reasonably priced. We went on Saturday, so we got to ride the steam train, which was awesome! Price is reasonable. The old tunnel and the turn around table was impressively simple technology and awesome technology.

My spouse & I went on the Chickamauga-turn on 10-25-20: the steam engine--observation car. We mainly went due to it being autumn and of course the change in the leaves. To be honest, I could not have been more disappointed. If you book this trip for scenery & looking at foliage, you will also be extremely let down. If you want to see trash & bushes & weeds changing leaves, you will be happy. The only decent scenery was the military cemetery in Chattanooga & passing the outskirts of Chickamauga Battlefield.My first-class ticket allowed my spouse & I to enter & leave the train before other cars--a positive. We also got free snakes with our ticket price as well as lunch included in our round trip purchase.The staff on the train could not have been more hospitable, especially the gentlemen who served us snacks in the observation car. The gentleman who served us lunch could have been more professional. We went during COVID-19 Pandemic. They used cardboard menus: one per table. Therefore, my hands & my spouses hands were all over it. They arent supposed to reuse paper menus--there is no way to sanitize/disenfect the menus. When we finished eating, we left a tip (not required) & took the menu b/c we are in a pandemic. Nowhere on the menu did it say, purchase. So, we got up & left a tip. The gentleman waiter ran over & said, did you pay for the menu? I said, no...How much is it? He said $5.00. I almost said, apply the tip I left towards it. However, I didnt. I paid for the menu & left the tip as well. Im still flabbergasted that they would re-use a cardboard menu. Scary during COVID-19.I was so glad to get to Chickamauga. The train ride was very, very slow, and as I said above, there were no views but the ones I listed above. Our observation ticket paid for entry into the Gordon Mansion. The employees there were nice and hospitable.In conclusion, I & everyone in my observation car was glad to get back to Chattanooga. Luckily, the people in our observation car were talkative--it helped pass the time of the slow ride & no views but the aforementioned. We wont be visiting TN Valley Railroad Museum for a train ride again. Maybe The Smokey Mountain Railroad has better views--I would hope so...Three stars for the hospitality of the employees...

Took the 55 min trip. Very informative, great staff, neat gift shop and perty good coffee too!

Did the short line ride, it was a good time. Everyone was very knowledgeable, learned a bunch of history of the railroad. Will definitely go back for one of the longer rides. Well worth the money.

We were visiting Chattanooga and my children love trains, so we decided to visit the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum! They offer a AAA discount, which was nice! There really wasnt much to see, other than the train. There werent any other trains open when we went, which was kind of disappointing. We did the 55 minute ride and it was the perfect length for young children!

Great trip everyone was very helpful, lunch in the dining car was great. Would recommend this trip and the trip to the manson.

An excellent source of American railroad history and preservation of locomotives. This place rocks and the train ride and turntable demonstration was outstanding! Excellent highly knowledgeable tour guide and friendly staff!

Very nice dinner experience and train ride. Staff were very professional a s friendly. Food was excellent.

Had a great time visiting. Came down from Memphis for the Day out with Thomas event and had a good time. Plenty of old rail cars to walk thru and see. Gift shops and films for History. Buy a bag of Carmel popcorn trust me!!

We had a great time! The Chikimagua Loop is a great day trip! Highly recommend!

Train rides are awesome an there reasonable priced an they have different selection of trains rides an time

Rode two different trains. Operators have this down and you will enjoy yourself

A true gem waiting to be found by those adventurous enough to look.While I know this railroad is open all year round for the museum portion, but if you ever have a chance to try the holiday themed events. I highly, highly recommend trying it. Especially the Christmas themes train rides, great for all ages.From the time I bought tickets online, to arriving in the train yard, the anticipation never stopped. This well decorated railroad museum was fun through and through. Arrive just early enough so you can take a look around, maybe grab a snack or two from the shop in the back of the building. Everything was reasonably priced and the service was excellent. Since it was Christmas theme when I went, there was another tent out back that serves gourmet hot chocolate, a definite must have for the chilly weather. The building has two floors; the bottom is for the ticket counter and snack shop in back, while the upper floor is the trainset museum and play area for the children.When it was time to board the train, everyone lined up outside on the ramp. Depending on your ticket, there will be signs as the which car youll be experiencing. If it says general admission, board any car and the attendant will let you know where to go. Nicely decorated interior that preserves the essence of a time when trains were so predominantly used back then. Drinks and snacks were neatly arranged per table for guests and who could have guessed that jolly ol Saint Nick would be joining in the fun. I wont spoil the rest of the experience, its a definitely worth coming for yourself.The Tennessee Valley Railroad gave an experience that started the Christmas month off on the right track. I hope that anyone visiting will have an excellent experience as I did. Happy Holidays!

Great experience beautiful ride. The conductors were very nice.

Wow you should be ashamed Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Charging people to look at static displays that have be free to look at for many many years. I cant believe I had to tell my 2 year old son that we would not be able to go see the trains. He was devastated. I just cant fathom why you would change this. I guess its all about the almighty dollar and not about making children happy now! I guess we will have to find another museum to go too

This place is full of history and the guys know their history of the railroad. It was fascinating to watch the locomotive turn around on the turnstile and head back. The guide told us all the history of the refurbishing of the train. Shops and eats were also available. Great place for kids to learn.

Took the kids to see trains up close. My three year old said it was amazing.

Not much to see unless you take the train ride. $10 per just to walk around a half dozen pieces of RR equip. Cant even walk through anything.. Dont bother unless doing the train ride. We didnt even get to do that because they sold out. The clerk was even surprised that they sold out.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip on the North Pole Limited. Book these trips by early to mid November at the latest, as they sell out! We also enjoyed the model and toy trains, the gift shop, and the yard of retired engines that are available all the time.

If youre a train lover, youll definitely enjoy TVRM

If you love trains, THIS IS FOR YOU!!!! Couldn’t have asked for a more enthusiastic experience for my son. We had a wonderful experience riding, exploring & being taught about trains on this tour.