Hamilton County Launches Chattanooga-Hamilton County History Experience

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Hamilton County has announced the launch of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County History Experience.

This will be an interactive pop-up history museum and experience that will allow individuals to explore Chattanooga’s past.

This initiative is designed to serve as a living archive that brings the community’s story to life through original films, interactive exhibits, and student-driven storytelling, according to the Office of the County Mayor.

It will feature space for original films and student-led experiences.

Located at the corner of Broad Street and 3rd Street in downtown Chattanooga, the experience is expected to open during the summer of 2026.

“This isn’t about creating another building filled with artifacts. The Chattanooga-Hamilton County History Experience is about strengthening our sense of identity by giving young people a front-row seat to our past, present, and future. Only when we tell our county’s history do students have the opportunity to find their place in our community—gaining skills, confidence, and a stake in carrying our story forward.”

– Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said.

John Edwards, owner of the Chattanooga News Chronicle; Linda Moss Mines, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Historian; and Tom Griscom, former White House Communications Director and Editor and Publisher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press will serve as three volunteer advisors to drive the initiative’s historical and civic perspective.

The initiative will launch using a pop-up model that will allow for feedback to be collected before expanding.

Funding for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County History Experience will come from hotel-motel tax revenues.