Quick Details
Dining Car (Table for 1 Person)
Priced per table • Tables seat up to 4
$ 260
Dining Car (Table for 2 People)
Priced per table • Tables seat up to 4
$ 260
Dining Car (Table for 3 People)
Priced per table • Tables seat up to 4
$ 346
Dining Car (Table for 4 People)
Priced per table • Tables seat up to 4
$ 420
Pullman Section
Priced per table • Tables seat up to 2
$ 320
B&O Private Car #98
Private Car that seats up to 8 passengers
$ 2600
Celebrate the Holidays with a Train Ride & Fine Dining
Christmas Dinner train trip includes a four-course dining experience onboard restored dining and pullman cars. The excursion trains depart from Chattanooga’s Grand Junction Station, traveling at a leisurely pace through portions of urban East Chattanooga before reversing direction and returning to Grand Junction. The travel time is just right for a complete meal on a vintage dining car.
Our Christmas Dinner Trains are one of our most popular excursions and for good reason! Our Dining Car Superintendent and her team of Dining Car Stewards and Chefs provide exceptional customer service and delicious food all prepared and served in historic dining cars. A meal on the Dinner Train is like stepping back in time and the perfect way to celebrate a special occasion!
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is pleased to offer this unique opportunity for patrons to enjoy not only a rail excursion trip but also fine dining en route while the train travels along the rails. We encourage you to choose your entrée when booking your tickets. You may choose from true vintage dining in the Dining Car (four to a table) or Pullman Car Clover Colony (two per table for a slight premium charge).
NOTE: Passengers may book a dining car table with only 2 people. We will not seat you with anyone not in your party.
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Appetizer
- Caprese Style curated bite to awaken the palate — fresh-sliced heirloom tomatoes paired with creamy mozzarella, chopped garden basil, and finished with a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
Amuse & Soup
- Niedlov’s Artisan Bread with herb butter & house-made hummus
- White Bean & Kale Soup
Entrée (served with garlic-herb mashed potatoes & chef’s vegetable medley)
- Burgundy Braised Beef
- Pan-Seared Airline Chicken (Gluten free)
- Panko-Crusted Flounder
- Baked Pesto Gnocchi with spinach, mushroom, and tomato
Dessert
- Vanilla Cheesecake with Berries
- Hazelnut Crème Brûlée (Gluten free)
- Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding
Included Beverages
Water · Coffee · Lemonade · Iced Tea (sweet or unsweet)
Enhance Your Evening
Wine, Rosé, Champagne, Bourbon, and Irish Coffee are available for purchase onboard.
Relax, savor, and let our dining-car team take care of the rest—we look forward to welcoming you on board!
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We do not have a formal dress code for the dinner train, but most passengers seem to enjoy dressing up a bit.
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NOTE: The Dining and Pullman seating are in different cars. You will not be seated together if you select different seating types.
Passengers may choose from true vintage dining in the Dining Car (four to a table) or the smaller tables for two in Pullman Car Clover Colony.
Dining Car Table Ticket (Seats up to 4 passengers):
Southern Railway 3158/Travelers Fare
Pullman Section Table (Seats 2 passengers):
Southern Pacific Railroad 97/Clover Colony
What is a Pullman car?
- Pullman-Standard continued manufacturing sleeping cars and other passenger and freight railroad cars until 1980. For nearly a year at the end of World War II the United States government banned sleeping cars for runs of less than 450 miles (720 km).
What did a Pullman car look like?
- During the day, the sleeper looked like a regular, if especially lavish, passenger car, but during the night it transformed into a 2-story hotel on wheels. Seats were unfolded into lower sleeping berths, while upper berths, instead of lowering from the ceiling on pulleys, folded out from it. Learn more about our Pullman.
Interesting history of our Pullman car:
- Southern Pacific Railroad 97/Clover Colony was used during the filming of Marilyn Monroe, “Some Like It Hot” movie. Click here to watch the movie clip.
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The trains board at our Grand Junction depot, located at 4119 Cromwell Road in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Chattanooga is in the Eastern Time Zone. Please check the calendar for dates of operation and departure times.
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Can Children Ride the Dinner Train?
Not recommended for children under 8 years old. Please note that our signature dining car menu and
per-person pricing is the same for adults and children.Dress Code and Etiquette
Meals served in dining cars were often a highlight of train travel for travelers to socialize, relax, and
enjoy first-class meals and service from stewards and wait staff. We do not have a formal dress code for
the dinner train, but most passengers seem to enjoy and are encouraged to dress up for the occasion.Historically, hats will also be removed in the dining car as you board and are seated for the duration
of your meal service. Your Dining Car staff will be dressed in early-mid 20th century attire as they
attend to your needs, and your participation with period-correct passenger etiquette helps to create an
authentic and memorable experience for everyone!Note: Due to the historic nature of this first-class dining setting, we ask that all
passengers kindly exhibit noise etiquette as a courtesy to fellow passengers and our staff.Do you offer Gluten-Free or Vegetarian Options?
The vegetarian zucchini lasagna is both vegetarian and gluten free. Please contact us at
423-894-8028 for any special dietary inquiries prior to purchase.What sights will I see from Dinner Train?
As a key route for passenger and industrial service in the early and mid-20th century, this historic
excursion line begins on a pre-Civil War route crossing four bridges and through the Missionary Ridge
Tunnel. As the train makes its way past East Chattanooga, additional sights that can be viewed from the
train include the Chattanooga Zoo established in 1937 and the Warner Park fields, previously called
“Olympia Park” near the turn of the 20th century, which served as a public recreation area for horse
races, ballgames, and even mock Army maneuver demonstrations for soldiers training during WWI.The train then travels alongside the historic Chattanooga National Cemetery established in 1863 and the
Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, a 33-acre outdoor international sculpture museum, prior to the return
trip back and arrival at the Grand Junction Depot.Note: The tracks are located along parts of urban East Chattanooga. This ride will not
go along any scenic mountains or rivers.Is gratuity or alcohol included in the ticket price?
Gratuity and alcoholic beverages are not included in the ticket price.