Coolidge Park

Eleven acres on the north bank that function as the city's living room. General admission is free, the lawns are enormous, and the Riverwalk runs straight through it, so it is the easiest place in Chattanooga to end up without planning to.

The carousel is the reason to bring anyone visiting. It is a fully restored 1894 G.A. Dentzel original, each of its 52 animals carved from solid wood, brought back over twelve years by the local woodcarver Bud Ellis and a crowd of volunteers. A ride is a dollar, free for under-twos with a paying adult, and it runs 11 to 7 daily.

From May to September the interactive fountain runs - shallow water among hand-carved stone creatures, and on a hot Saturday it is where every small child in the city is standing.

There is direct river access for kayaking and paddleboarding, an outdoor pavilion, and Outdoor Chattanooga's LEED Gold visitor centre in the park itself, which has a traverse climbing wall and is open Monday to Saturday, 9 to 5.

The city publishes no opening hours and does not list restrooms or a playground here, which is a gap in their record rather than a claim about the park.