What to do with kids in Chattanooga over Christmas break, from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. We read the holiday hours posted by three museums, zoos and play places: none of them opens on Christmas Day. Plus four dated outings on Christmas Eve and the days in between.
Dec 24 · Dec 25 · Jan 1
Holiday hours from each place’s own page, side by side. Many are standing rules (“closed Christmas Day”) that hold year to year, but a quick check that morning is worth it.
“Not posted” means the place’s own page doesn’t say. Call or check the morning of.
Day by day
Pick a day to see what’s on. Many places close early on Dec 24 and Dec 31, so check each card’s times.
Nothing posted for Christmas Eve yet. Places post their plans in December, and we add them as they do.
Rock City · 1400 Patten Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
Good to know: 32nd year; millions of lights.
11750 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379
Good to know: Unlimited-loop nights: Nov 6–8, 13–15, 20–21, 23–24, Nov 30–Dec 1, Dec 7–8, Dec 28–Jan 2; two-loop nights Nov 22, 25–29, Dec 2–6, 9–27.
Chattanooga Zoo
Good to know: Hundreds of hand-made lanterns shaped like animals, some up to 16 feet tall.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum · 4119 Cromwell Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421
Good to know: A one-hour heated vintage train ride after Christmas, with lights at the depots and along parts of the route. Santa is not aboard on this one.
Nothing posted for New Year’s Eve yet. Noon Year’s Eve events usually post in late November.
11750 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379
Good to know: Unlimited-loop nights: Nov 6–8, 13–15, 20–21, 23–24, Nov 30–Dec 1, Dec 7–8, Dec 28–Jan 2; two-loop nights Nov 22, 25–29, Dec 2–6, 9–27.
Chattanooga Zoo
Good to know: Hundreds of hand-made lanterns shaped like animals, some up to 16 feet tall.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum · 4119 Cromwell Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421
Good to know: A one-hour heated vintage train ride after Christmas, with lights at the depots and along parts of the route. Santa is not aboard on this one.
Rainy-day backup
These don’t post holiday hours yet, so check before you go. More on our indoor play page.
Keep planning
November: things to do in ChattanoogaEvery dated listing for the month, by weekDecember: things to do in ChattanoogaEvery dated listing for the month, by week
Free things to do in ChattanoogaFree days, free events and places that never chargeIndoor play in ChattanoogaIndoor playgrounds, toddler times, museums and classes, with prices
Library storytimes in ChattanoogaBaby, toddler and preschool storytimes by day and branch
Thanksgiving weekend in ChattanoogaParades, turkey trots and what’s open on Thursday
Christmas parades in ChattanoogaParades and tree lightings with dates and start times
Christmas trains in ChattanoogaPolar Express, Santa and lights trains with datesThe Nutcracker in ChattanoogaBallet and touring shows, sensory-friendly flagged
Christmas markets in ChattanoogaChristkindlmarkts and winter wonderlands with hours
Birthday party places in ChattanoogaStarting prices, ages and what’s included
This week in ChattanoogaDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every Thursday
Good questions
Of the three places we checked, none posts Christmas Day hours as open; Coolidge Park, Chattanooga Zoo and Urban Air Chattanooga are closed. A park or a drive past the lights is the easy plan.
Open with posted hours: Urban Air Chattanooga (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).
None of the places that post New Year’s Day hours says it’s open.
On the calendar for Jan 1: Nooga Lights, Asian Lantern Festival: Wildlife Wonderland and Tennessee Valley Railroad Christmas Lights Train. Check each one’s own page before you go, since holiday hours can change.
Enchanted Garden of Lights, Nooga Lights, Asian Lantern Festival: Wildlife Wonderland and Tennessee Valley Railroad Christmas Lights Train. Check each one’s calendar for the exact nights; some close on certain days.
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 21, 2026, and we recheck them in early December and again the week before Christmas. How we choose and check.
One short email every Thursday evening with the best things to do with little ones in Chattanooga, through the holidays.
