Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invites the public to attend special programs commemorating the 151st anniversary of the Battles for Chattanooga on Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23.
Throughout the weekend visitors making the trip to Chattanooga to commemorate the events surrounding the 151st anniversary of Battles for Chattanooga may experience a different program as they enter Point Park. Park staff and living historians will focus on the daily occurrences in and around Chattanooga in 1864.
As visitors enter thought the large gate at Point Park, they will be met with scenes of soldiers drilling, placing guards around the park, and demonstrating the small arms and artillery used by Civil War soldiers to train for combat – perhaps preparing to leave the city and march on Atlanta. In addition to the living history demonstrations, visitors are encouraged to participate in a number of other special programs. Please note, a $3 entrance fee for adults ages 16 and older, is required to enter Point Park.
On Saturday, Nov. 22, there will be discussions on the importance of photography in the Civil War, specifically on Lookout Mountain, a bicycle ride partnered with Outdoor Chattanooga and sponsored by the Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga and the Friends of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park that will follow the assault on Orchard Knob. The Cravens House will also be open for visitation, with an emphasis on journalism and the destruction of the property.
On Sunday, Nov. 23, ranger-guided programs will include: Civil War photography, the 13’x30’ James Walker painting and a tour conducted at the Bragg Reservation on Missionary Ridge. The Cravens House will also be open for tours.
Since Nov. 23 marks the 151st anniversary of the Battle of Orchard Knob, Park Historian Jim Ogden will be offering special walking tours of the Orchard Knob Reservation at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Eastern National bookstore will host authors Frank Varney and Ron Lowery at the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center. They will be available to sign their books throughout the weekend.
For more information about programs, including locations and specific times, commemorating the 151st anniversary of the Battles for Chattanooga, please contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at (706) 866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423 821-7786, or visit the park webpage at www.nps.gov/chch.