Families can enjoy the Hunter Museum for free on the Sunday of each month.Museums don’t always have the reputation of being the most fun places in the world, especially for families. Many museums are big and cold, and the rule is look, but don’t touch. Not so in the Chattanooga area. Interactive museums, such as the Creative Discovery downtown or the Museum Center at 5ive Points (yes, that’s the numeral 5) in Cleveland, Tenn., boast interactive exhibitions to amuse and educate even the youngest museum-goer. For the modern traditionalist, Hunter Museum of American Art overlooks the Tennessee River just below the Bluff View Art district.
BIG PLAYERS
Chinyere Ubamadu helps Isaac Duncan, right, and her son Zachary, left, make New Year’s Eve celebration hats at the Creative Discovery Museum.CREATIVE DISCOVERY MUSEUM
A museum especially for kids, the Creative Discovery Museum features educational exhibits to promote fun and pique curiosity. Permanent exhibits include Corner Clinic to help children become more comfortable at the doctor’s office and Excavation Station, where curious young minds can discover what can be found in dirt. With traveling exhibitions and annual activities, kids can learn about the body, beekeeping, building and more.
Address: 321 Chestnut Ave.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Sundays, when it’s open noon to 5 p.m. Closed Wednesdays in the fall and winter. Museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day of the week during extended summer hours, from mid-June through mid-August.