We have been to Chattanooga a number of times. Never once have we stumbled upon this spot. Neither one of our iphones were trying to let us use the maps on them. Normally our maps find the quickest route (as my installed GPS in my flex is 7 years old - it doesn't find new roads that make routes quicker), but because they weren't working we had to use the GPS in the flex. We took the shorter route (though it said it was longer, because we weren't going straight highway, and in our experience it usually isn't that much longer since we are bypassing Atlanta traffic. We ALWAYS find some cool stuff along the way.)
So the GPS routed us through the Chickamauga battlefield. Like you drive right through it. We didn't have time to stop on our way into Chattanooga but knew we would take time on our way back through to tour what we could.
We first stopped at the visitors center. They had a gift shop, a gun collection and a huge map. Also the rangers of the park were on hand to welcome us and let us know what we needed to know about the park and navigating it.
Entrance to the visitors center.
They handed us a pamphlet with some facts/history on it as well as the park's map. They pointed out that there was an interactive guide to the park. Each stop is marked with the cannon balls and a number (below picture), and that's how you know which number stop to play and a lady comes on with a pre-recorded history "lesson" on what happened at that spot.
Cannonballs at tour stop 2.
This is the big map in the middle of the visitors center.
This area had some artifacts and static displays in it.
Cale loved the tent.
How a spencer rifle changed the tides of the war. Even had a little video of how it was to shoot both types of guns.
This room had 300 guns in it. It was a husband and wives private collection, before it was donated to the center.
More displays.
Had a short video of how Chickamauga happened.
We were inside long enough to catch the video on the 3 day battle. Apparently girls are stinky so they chose to sit in the middle of the theater.
Outside the park where you can take the driving tour. Each state/battalion/battery that had a part in Chickamauga has a monument set up. This is Florida's.
I believe this is Kentucky's.
Wisconsin
I believe this is tour stop 3 and it had a little hike you could take and go farther back into the woods.
I was pinteresting the park before we got there and it looked like a lot of people had taken pictures and "ghosts" had appeared in them. So Cale took a ton of pictures to try and catch one.
This is the tallest monument in the park.
We didn't make any more tour stops as most of them required you to get off the highway and not into a parking lot. So we just drove through.
Can't really see but there is another monument WAY out in the distance in the middle of the picture at the tree line.
I think this was a great experience for us a family, as it was our first battlefield. They are all over the south but this is our first being able to stop and tour. As we were touring Kennedie mentioned she had done a report on the battle last year. I thought it was cool to be able to seen the park after her report and get a first hand experience.
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