Postcard view of Mt. Aetna tram
Being acrophobic, the many high places around Chattanooga intimidate me. I have never traversed the swing-along bridge at Rock City. I have looked in the direction of the seven states, but not from the edge of Lover’s Leap. Rock climbing and hang gliding are not on my weekend to-do list. Each year, I have to ask my daughter, an avid, expert climber, to hang our outside Christmas decorations.
Curiously, I have flown many times out of Lovell Field, and never had a problem with being airborne.
This week’s historic building was once the transit station for the Mount Aetna sky tram, a high adventure which I experienced one time, emphasis on “one.”
Plans were announced in 1964 to build a tramway and large, glass-enclosed building at the entrance to Crystal Cave. The cave had been open to tourists since 1931, and developers were hoping that the new attraction would appeal to travelers on the new Interstate-24 nearby. The tram would take passengers 2,800 feet to the top of Mount Aetna (a portion of Raccoon Mountain). At the summit, a Creek Indian village was to be replicated.
Tourists could hike along nature trails and gaze at vistas, such as Lookout Mountain and downtown. before making the return trip. An estimated $750,000 was invested in the business venture.
The sky tram had not been in operation very long before tragedy struck. On Nov. 30, 1966, the lower transit station caught fire and was destroyed. A night watchman, Willie Cowan, died in the blaze. It took several months for the tram to be returned to operation. A smaller A-frame transit station, which still stands, was built in place of the original building.
In the years that followed, the Crystal Cave/skyride property changed owners a few times, and each had ideas for new projects to attract tourists. In 1968, plans were announced for a swinging bridge to be built at the top of the mountain across a ravine, but this was not pursued. When the sport of hang gliding gained popularity in the late 1970’s, the tram transported enthusiasts to the top of the mountain.
In 1978, the owners renamed the attraction “Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campground,” using the more common name for the mountain. The tram was taken out of service in 1984 due to insurance costs, and remains parked at the transit station. In more recent years at Raccoon Mountain, Chattanoogans as well as tourists enjoyed the Alpine Slide and Grand Prix racetrack, both of which have since closed. I rode the Alpine Slide several times, though I always closed my eyes while riding its chair lift.
Tram once took tourists to top of Mt. Aetna