Set high on the river bluffs, this striking edifice of melted steel and glass – fronted by an early-20th-century mansion – is easily the most singular architectural achievement in Tennessee. Oh, and its 19th- and 20th-century art collection is fantastic. Permanent exhibits are free the first Thursday of the month between 4pm and 8pm, but special exhibits will cost $5.

Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery
Hunter Museum of American Art
Chattanooga
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Songbirds
1.3 MILES
Myriad songbirds of the avian variety call Tennessee home, but Chattanooga's newly revamped Songbirds – an innovative interactive learning space devoted…
Lookout Mountain
4.03 MILES
Just ten minutes from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, rising along the upper rim of the city, Lookout Mountain is rich in both Civil War history and…
Tennessee Aquarium
0.28 MILES
Situated on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, TN, the Tennessee Aquarium is home to 10,000 animals. The aquarium, Chattanooga’s most visited…
Ross's Landing & the Passage
0.46 MILES
Tucked between the Tennessee Aquarium and the Tennessee River, the patch of greenery known as Ross's Landing marks the starting point of the Trail of…
Tennessee Riverwalk
4.38 MILES
A 13-mile, multiuse paved greenway on the south side of the Tennessee River, the Riverwalk runs from downtown through Amnicola Marsh and along South…
Nearby Chattanooga attractions
1. Walnut Street Bridge
0.17 MILES
Finished in 1891, this half-mile span carried vehicles from downtown to the North Shore until 1978, when it was closed for safety reasons. In 1993 it was…
2. Tennessee Aquarium
0.28 MILES
Situated on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, TN, the Tennessee Aquarium is home to 10,000 animals. The aquarium, Chattanooga’s most visited…
3. Coolidge Park
0.35 MILES
A good place to start a riverfront stroll, Coolidge Park has a play fountain, a carousel ($1 per ride), well-used playing fields, and a 50ft climbing wall…
4. Ross's Landing & the Passage
0.46 MILES
Tucked between the Tennessee Aquarium and the Tennessee River, the patch of greenery known as Ross's Landing marks the starting point of the Trail of…
5. Bessie Smith Cultural Center
0.78 MILES
Explores various aspects of African American history in Chattanooga and shares a few artifacts related to Chattanooga-born singer Bessie Smith, the…
6. Songbirds
1.3 MILES
Myriad songbirds of the avian variety call Tennessee home, but Chattanooga's newly revamped Songbirds – an innovative interactive learning space devoted…
7. Sculpture Fields at Montague Park
2.12 MILES
Large-scale sculptures from a global array of artists dot this 33-acre outdoor museum. Open since 2016, the park is a pleasant place to stroll on a pretty…
8. Lookout Mountain
4.03 MILES
Just ten minutes from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, rising along the upper rim of the city, Lookout Mountain is rich in both Civil War history and…