Terminal Station (Chattanooga Choo Choo)

Terminal Station is a historic former train station built by the Southern Railway in 1908. It is now a dining, entertainment and event venue called the Chattanooga Choo Choo. The grounds of the station feature a locomotive and several train cars on display. Visitors can also stay at the adjacent Chalet Hotel, which was operated by Chattanooga Choo Choo until 2023. The station added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, a designation that helped save it from demolition.

Trains began to arrive in Chattanooga in the 1850s and the city eventually became an important passenger and freight transportation hub. A number of train stations were built, including the now-demolished Union Depot, which was located at 9th and Broad Streets. By the early 1900s, the high demand for train service prompted Southern Railway to build Terminal Station. Construction began in 1906 and was completed in 1908. However, it did not begin to operate until December 1, 1909 because Southern Railway was taken to court in an attempt to force the company to build overpasses at railroad crossings. At the station's peak, nearly 50 trains operated here per day.

After World War II, interest in railroading began to decrease as automobiles and trucks came to be a dominant form of transportation. This change resulted in the closure of train stations around the country, including Terminal Station in 1970. It was under threat of demolition until a group of local businessmen stepped in and invested $4 million to save it. On April 11, 1973, it opened as the "Chattanooga Choo Choo Hilton and Entertainment Complex”. It is considered one of the city's first historic preservation projects. Travelers from all over come to visit and stay in unique Pullman Train Cars and traditional hotel rooms. The property is also features two full service restaurants and numerous bars, two music venues, a comedy club, a distillery plus various retail outlets.

The architecture is also to be noted as it is very unique. The Beaux-Arts style station was designed by Donn Barber. The station is noted to be one of the grandest buildings in Chattanooga and is known for its grand, arched main entrance. The building has a tall, high ceiling dome with a skylight in the center. Brass chandeliers provide lighting in the station. The then president of the Southern Railway System, William Finley, wanted the architecture to follow the example of the National Park Bank of New York. 

Beaseley, Ellen. "Terminal Station." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. February 20, 1973. https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/73001778.

"Over a century of the Choo Choo." Accessed November 12th 2019. https://choochoo.com/history.