Pretty cool place! I liked the monument out front too. They have 3 vehicles that can be touched, which younger people (and the young at heart) enjoy tremendously.
Who knew tow trucks could be so interesting?! Great museum with lots of historical information. Towers throughout history are displayed beautifully and there is a great little film at the beginning. I loved it!
Wow, what a fascinating display of tow truck. You start with a short video. Less than 10 min, then you are free to roam the tow truck halls. There are 2 levels. No touching please. The vintage tow trucks are in amazing shape. All if them are very cool. They even let you sit the the Kei car tow truck. Very cool place to go.
From the outside you can easily drive by and not have a clue that you just passed a museum .
I think they need a tow truck and better signage out front to get more visitors.
THIS IS A COOL PLACE TO VISIT.
when my fiancé asked if I wanted to go to the tow trucks museum I thought ookkk, I wasn't as excited as he was about going ...
Now I'm glad I did.
They have a gift shop as you walk in the door and a tiw tru that tge kids can play on and operate the boom .
Then you go into the movie room And watch a short film about the museum and some of the early tow trucks .
Once you enter the first room you will be blown away
With all the beautiful trucks and amazed how they have changed over the years .
They have peddle cars and lots of older and so.e new toy tow trucks .
I think not only will the Men but women and Children will enjoy seeing and learning about the tow trucks as well I think it will give you a little more respect for the job that they do.
The staff are helpful and friendly.
Go check it out .
Great museum. My 3 year old absolutely loved it. Especially seeing Mater and the Tater Tot tow truck. Gino was very helpful and friendly. The restorations on the tow trucks are well done. The history of tow trucks is interesting and makes people realize the dangers these operators go through while recovering vehicles. They have a gift/souvenir shop with a nice selection of clothes, toys, and books.
Fantastic place. Highly recommended. Most of us take towing for granted without thinking much of it. When you leave this museum, you have a new understanding and appreciation. Mind blowing display of tow trucks, toy tow trucks and much much more. This place will blow your mind !
We were initially going to this museum because we thought it was funny. Who doesn't want to be able to tell people that they went to a Tow Truck Museum on their family vacation? But it was actually really cool. The history of how tow trucks were invented, and all the well restored tow trucks. It was a very well done museum. And the tribute to tow truck drivers who have been killed in the line of duty was very touching. It doesn't take a long time to go through, and the price is reasonable. It's a great option for a hot afternoon when people are tired of being outside.
Not super big but it's one of the "weird" roadside attractions we like to check out. Lots of history and a lot of trucks to check out. Not super big but bigger then I was expecting. It all. Goes to a good cause and for being a tow truck museum it was pretty interesting. They offer coupons to another car museum if you purchase a ticket
Highly recommend this museum. Great place to spend an afternoon and learn about an industry that helped build America. While visiting pay close attention to the past Hall of fame President's as well as all the great model of tow trucks on display.
Very cool and affordable museum! Very informational and lots of cool tow trucks. I would have given 5 stars but unfortunately right when you walk in the door there is a huge gift shop with tons of toys and most of them having nothing to do with towing, so of course the first thing your children do is want to buy toys and then it takes their attention completely away from what we are there to see because they are thinking about the toys lol . It’s very family friendly and the staff was so nice but if I had a recommendation from a mom, it would be to move all the little cheap distracting toys to at least one side and not before you even get into the showroom.
Very cool place my little boys, and husband, spent almost 3 hours exploring, reading about the trucks, and looking at all their parts and pieces. Tator Tot the interactive kids truck was super cool too. Gino, the gentleman who checked us in, was so kind and patient with my energetic boys. He also told us about other fun things to do in Chattanooga. We'll definitely be planning a trip back sometime soon!
Stopped on the spur of the moment. It was a great find. Informative on something I know little about - the towing industry.
It has an outstanding collection of tow trucks on display. About 2 dozen in all from the earliest days in 1918 to 2007. All are impeccably restored with original paint schemes and business markings.
The also have a wall of various toy trucks I could really see some that were well loved by kids through the years, pedal cars my wife and I remember from our childhood and restored gasoline pumps.
A great way to spend a few hours, I recommend a stop to check out what they have.
Definitely worth a stop to see the collection of trucks. There is an 5 minute introductory video on the location and profession which lends to the respect and safety of the industry of toe and recovery.
The 1st tow truck was invented right here in Chattanooga. The museum opened in 1995 and features dozens of fully restored tow trucks in display from vintage to modern. Tickets are $12 or $10 for seniors. You watch a 7 minute video, walk through 2 areas of vehicles, memorabilia and a ton of toys on display and walk through the Hall of Fame. The souvenir and gift shop was really neat, offering a variety a different and unique items. They also had a working tow truck for kids!! The worker was very helpful and gave us great ideas of places to visit. They had area magazines and maps available as well. Highly recommended!
Fascinating museum in tow trucks and recovery vehicles. Lots of history and big selection of restored vintage trucks.
Plan to tour for two or so hours. Lots of trucks and material to read and enjoy.
Friendly staff. Safe parking. Easily accessible for sometime mobility needs.
Lots of good restaurants and other activities nearby.
Highly recommended.
This is a great little museum with a great history and display of tow trucks. It’s great for all ages as they even have a few for the kids to look at and one they can actually operate. The gift shop is large with a great selection. If you’re in the area and love tow trucks or everything transportation like I do, you should stop by. There’s also a short introductory video they show you before you enter which is very interesting.
This is a neat museum that can be easily overlooked if not considering it as a potential museum topic. Thankfully, someone found it to be just the right topic. This place commemorates the tough job of towing vehicles from today to when it first even became a concept historically speaking. If you live near Chattanooga, be sure to drop by and pay a visit!
Such a wonderful history that came right out of Chattanooga! I left with so much information and a keen insight into the history of Chattanooga between 19 and 20 and today. Really well laid out and thawed out especially enjoy all the information that was given to us by the presenter! we will definitely be back!
A must see when in Chattanooga! Glad I was able to check it out! The museum has some great artifacts on display, but also has a great cause behind it, to support families of operators who have passed away in the line of duty.
What a gem. All types of Towing and Recovery vehicles are in there. We found one vehicle from my home town. The toys in the cases made us reminisce on what we had, or knew someone who had one of those toy vehicles. Employees were helpful with suggestions on traveling south, avoiding a traffic jam. PERFECT VISIT! Very clean place, including the bathrooms. BE certain to see their Wall of the Fallen. IT's very sweet.
Loved spending time here. Very educational. Seeing some of the old trucks restored was something special. Marissa was also very kind to me. I am a motorcyclist and was stuck in the rain. She held onto my stuff so I didn’t drip everywhere. Thank you for the experience!
Did you know that first responders in the towing industry have three times more roadside fatalities than any others in traffic accident response field?
Who among us hasn’t sighed a breath of relief when the tow truck rolls in to help us or the car in front of us that is stopping traffic?
The tow truck was invented by Earnest Holmes Sr. in Chattanooga. He was a local mechanic who, in 1916, was inspired to invent a split boom wrecker. His story, along with that of his entire family, is central to towing universally.
The Museum has had a permanent footprint since 1995 and it represents the worldwide industry history. They also have a tribute memorial wall and Survivor Fund to help remember those lost while helping their families.
There are many displays here that a children interactive and the museum continually updates displays. It is fascinating history and certainly worth a stop. They also host events during the year which are listed on their website and social media pages.
It was a cool little place and my wife and I were glad we stopped in. Most kid love the old trucks and who knew chattanooga is where the towing industry started or just how far it has came. I'd recommend stopping in. The staff was friendly and you can go through this at your own pace. Great place to kill time!
Mar 21, 2022
Nearest Junkyards to International Towing & Recovery Museum
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