CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The events of 1970 could have spelled doom for Chattanooga’s Terminal Station.
On Aug. 11 of that year, the final train departed from the station. But in 1971, a group of local businessmen intervened and bought the station. After more than a year of renovations, the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel reopened in the former station following an April 11, 1973, re-dedication.
Over the past 170 years, Chattanooga is probably best known for its railroads. But, with the advent of cars and highways, rail travel was obsolete by the 1970s, and the station’s fate seemed sealed.
Southern Railways hired New York architect Don Barber to design the depot. The railroad dedicated the structure on Dec. 1, 1909. During its 61-year run as a rail terminal, a number of famous people passed through its doors, including Woodrow Wilson, Teddy Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The highlight of the building is the grand dome that spans a waiting room that measures 68 feet by 82 feet.
The structure, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009, is the centerpiece of the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel. The hotel boasts more than 360 rooms and suites; of those, 48 rooms are located in restored train cars. There are also a number of restaurants and shops on the terminal station’s grounds.
Other amenities include tennis courts and outdoor pools. While trains no longer serve the station, visitors can hop a 1924 New Orleans trolley to tour the 24-acre hotel.