CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, USA -- Chattanooga is home to countless museums, some for every taste. Art and antique buffs will love the Hunter Museum of American Art and Houston Museum of Decorative Arts (covered in the Bluff View Arts District portion of this article), but Chattanooga is home to many other museums, honoring history, science, the arts and some unusual heroes.

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum features exhibits of tow trucks and memorabilia that date back to 1916, and honors the individuals who contributed to the field.

Children of all ages will love the hands-on interactive Creative Discovery Museum, where kids can express themselves creatively through painting, drawing and sculpting, play music and beat on drums in the Musician's Studio, go on a simulated dinosaur dig or tinker in the museum's Inventor's Workshop. The Discovery Center's "Little Yellow House" is designed especially for the 4 and under crowd and includes a tree house, play kitchen and games.

Civil War history abounds in Chattanooga. The Chickamauga Battlefield Park Headquarters and Visitor's Center features a state-of-the-art audio-visual program that explains the battle and its significance. During the summer season you can experience living history demonstrations at the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park. And the Battles for Chattanooga Electric Map and Museum on Lookout Mountain features a 3 dimensional, 480 square foot reproduction of the historic terrain that served as the battleground and features the sights and sounds of the battle, with over 5000 miniature soldiers showing where armies moved during the Chattanooga campaign. You can pay respects at the graves of over 12,000 Union soldiers at Chattanooga's VA National Cemetery, including "Andrew's Raiders," the first recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

To learn more about the history of this area, visit the Chattanooga Regional History Museum, which focuses on the growth and influence of 19th and early 20th century business and industry. The African American experience comes alive at the Chattanooga African-American Museum. The museum boasts a unique collection of artifacts -- African art, original sculptures, paintings and musical recordings. The adjacent Bessie Smith Performance Hall, named for the famous singer and area native, seats 264 audience members, who come for jazz and blues music among other performing arts and cultural exhibitions.

The Chattanooga National Military Park has portions of its holdings scattered throughout Chattanooga and into nearby Georgia. The Battles for Chattanooga Electric Map is found on Lookout Mountain near Rock City. For more information, visit www.SeeRockCity.com. The Towing and Recovery Museum is located at 3315 Broad St. in Chattanooga, call 423-267-3132 or visit www.InternationalTowingMuseum.com. The Creative Discovery Museum is at 321 Chestnut St., call 423-756-2738 or visit www.cdmfun.org. You can find the Chattanooga Regional History Museum right down the street at 400 Chestnut Street, call 423-265-3247 or visit www.ChattanoogaHistory.com. The Chattanooga African American Museum and Bessie Smith Hall is at 200 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., call 423-266-8658.

For additional information about visiting Chattanooga contact the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-322-3344 or 423-756-8687 or visit www.ChattanoogaFun.com .

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Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, Fabulous Foods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day. To learn more about Cheri, click here. Chattanooga Top 10 See Rock City Ruby Falls Aquarium Arts District Hang Gliding Carousel Railroad Museums Weekend Market Southside Grill